The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was originally a first line Territorial Army formation which was mobilised and deployed to France in January 1940. During the battle for France, the Division had been compelled to surrender at St Valéry-en-Caux but had been reformed to take part in the campaigns of North Africa and Italy.
Transferred back to Britain to take part in the Normandy Landings, the Division returned to France. It took part in the advance to Caen, 8th–16th June, and then in Operation GOODWOOD to the East of Caen, 18th–21st July. The Division fought in the battle for Falaise to cut off and destroy surrounded German forces trapped on the “Falaise pocket”, 7th–20th July. On 18th August it suffered badly from mistakenly-directed Allied air attacks.
(Major General DC Bullen-Smith up to 26th Aug 44; Major General TG Rennie from 27th Aug 44).
152nd Infantry Brigade.
2nd Bn. The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s).
5th(Sutherland and Caithness) Bn. The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s).
5th Bn. The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders.
153rd Infantry Brigade.
5th (Angus and Dundee) Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment).
1st Bn. The Gordon Highlanders.
5th/7th Bn. The Gordon Highlanders.
154th Infantry Brigade.
1st Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment).
7th (Fife) Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment).
7th Bn. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s).
Divisional Troops.
2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry.
1st/7th Bn. The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own).
126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
127th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
128th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
61st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery.
40th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.
274th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
275th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
276th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
239th (City of Aberdeen) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers.
16th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers.
51st (Highland) Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.
174th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
175th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
176th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.
5th Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps.
6th Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps.
525th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
526th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
527th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
458th Divisional Troops Company, Royal Army Service Corps.
152nd Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
153rd Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
154th Infantry Brigade Workshops, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
51st Divisional Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
51st Divisional Postal Unit, Royal Engineers.
51st Divisional Provost Company, Corps of Military Police.