The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division had seen significant action in the Western Desert, Tunisia and Sicily before returning to the U.K in late 1943.
The Division had been brought home from the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations to take part in the Normandy Landings at the insistence of General Montgomery. Leading elements landed on GOLD Beach on 6th June with the whole Division ashore on 7th June entering Bayeux the same day. It took part in the battle for Tilly-sur-Seulles, 12th–15th June, with heavy fighting against the Panzer Lehr Division. By 21st June, the Divisional casualties were 312 officers and 3,662 other ranks, the heaviest for any Division in Normandy up to that point. It remained heavily engaged and, by the end of the campaign, the casualty list had reached 474 officers and 6,156 other ranks. In the In the break-out at the end of the Normandy Campaign, the Division reached Amiens on 31st August.
(Major General DAH Graham).
69th Infantry Brigade.
5th Bn. The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York’s Own).
6th Bn. The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment).
7th Bn. The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment).
151st Infantry Brigade.
6th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry
8th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry..
9th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry.
231st Infantry Brigade.
2nd Bn. The Devonshire Regiment.
1st Bn. The Dorsetshire Regiment.
1st Bn. The Hampshire Regiment.
Divisional Troops.
61st Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps.
2nd Bn. The Cheshire Regiment.
74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
90th (City of London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
102nd (Northumbrian Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery.
25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.
233rd (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers.
295th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
505th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
235th (Northumbrian) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers.
15th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers.
50th (Northumbrian) Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.
346th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
508th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
522nd Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
524th Divisional Troops Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
149th (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
186th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
200th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
47th Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps.
48th Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps.
22nd Field Hygiene Section, Royal Army Medical Corps.
69th Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
151st Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
231st Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
50th Divisional Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
50th Divisional Postal Unit, Royal Engineers.
50th Divisional Provost Company, Corps of Military Police.