Thanks for that, Sheldrake - I didn't realise the Free French troop was included despite British and American antipathy. I knew de Gaulle didn't get on with the other Allies, but I assumed allowing the French participation was a token gesture by the Allies just so de Gaulle could say Frenchmen had helped liberate France.
Hi littlfletch, please find attached as promised a photo of my father and his patches. Hope this is helpful.
Hi Chaps, its been a while and I apologise for the long wait but Ive finally got around to making a dent in these patches. As usual, this is hit and miss with what is accurately worn to the colour of the patch and whoever else is missing from the map.
theres room for this list to be ammended but this is what I have so far: 2nd (British) Army Group From left to right: 30th (XXX) Corps: Gold Beach - Yellow 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division Supported by 8th Armoured Brigade 69th Infantry Brigade: - 5th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment - 6th Battalion Green Howards - 7th Battalion Green Howards 151st Infantry Brigade: - 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry - 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry - 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry 231st Infantry Brigade: - 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment - 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment - 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment 56th Independent Infantry Brigade: - 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers - 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment - 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment Supported by: - 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards - 8th Armoured Birgade - Nottingham Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) 8th Armoured Brigade Attached to 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division: - B Sqn & 2 Tps C Sqn Westminster Dragoons - 30th Armoured Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 81st Assault Squadron (AVRE) 6th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers - 1st Assault Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 82nd Assault Squadron (AVRE) 6th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers - 1st Assault Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 86th (East Anglia) (Hertfordshire Yeomenary) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 90th (City of London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - 124th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 147th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - 61st Reconnaissance Regiment - 987th Field Artillery Battalion (US unit under British Command) - 200th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 1st (I) Corps: Juno Beach - Green 3rd Canadian Infantry Division 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade: - 2nd Battalion The Royal Regine Rifles Regiment - 1st Battalion Canadian Scottish Regiment - The Winnipeg Rifles Regiment 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade: - The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada - The North Shore Regiment - Le Régiment De La Cháudiere 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade: - Highland Light Infantry of Canada - The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders - The North Nova Scotia Highlanders Supported by 3rd Canadian Armoured Brigade - 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) - - 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse) - 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) Attached to 3rd Canadian Division: - B Sqn & 2 Tps C Sqn 22nd Dragoons - 30th Armoured Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 26 Assault Squadron (AVRE) 5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers - 1st Assault Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 12th Canadian Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery - 13th Canadian Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery - 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery - 4th Anti-Aircraft Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery - 3rd Field Park Company, Royal Canadian Engineers - 6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers - 16th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers - 18th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers - 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of Yorks Royal Canadian Hussars) - The Cameron Highlanders of Ottowa Regiment (Machine Gun Regiment) - No.14 Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps - No.22Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps - No.23 Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps - 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals 1st (I) Corps: 3rd (British) Infantry Division: Sword Beach - Blue 8th Infantry Brigade: - 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment - 1st Battalion South Lancashire Regiment - 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment 9th Infantry Brigade: - 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment - 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers - 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles 185th Infantry Brigade: - 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment - 1st battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment - 2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry Supported by 27th Armoured Brigade: - 13th/18th Royal Hussars - 1st East Riding Yeomanry - The Staffordshire Yeomanry Attached to the 3rd (British) Infanrty Division: - A Sqn & 2 Tps C Sqn 22nd Dragoons - 30th Armoured Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 77 Assault Squadron (AVRE) 5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers - 1st Assault Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 79 Assault Squadron (AVRE) 5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers - 1st Assault Brigade - 79th Armoured Division - 7th Field Regimental, Royal Artillery - 33rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - 76th Field regiment, Royal Artillery - 20th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - 92nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - 15th Field park Company, Royal Engineers - 17th Field Company, Royal Engineers - 246th Field Regiment, Royal Engineers - 253rd Field Regiment, Royal Engineers 6th Airborne Division: 3rd Parachute Brigade: - 7th (Light infantry) Parachute Battalion - 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion - 9th (Eastern & Home Counties) Parachute Battalion - 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion - 3rd Parachute Battalion - 3rd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery - 3rd Parachute Squadron, royal Engineers - 224th (Parachute) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 5th Parachute Brigade: - 7th Parachute Battalion - 12th Parachute Battalion - 13th Parachute Battalion - 'D' Company 2nd Battalion Oxfordhsire & Buckhamshire Light Infantry - 225th (Parachute) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps - 4th Airlanding Anti-tank Battery, Royal Artillery - 591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers 6th Airlanding Brigade: - 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry - 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles - 12th battalion Devonshire Regiment - 1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders - 53rd (Worcestershire Reomanry) Airlanding Light Infantry, Royal Artillery - 249th (Airborne) Field Company, Royal Engineers - 159th (Airborne) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 1st Special Service Brigade: - No.3 Commando (Sword Beach) - No.4 Commando (Sword Beach) - No.6 Commando (Sword Beach) - 45 Royal Marines Commando (Sword Beach) 4th Special Service Brigade: - 41 Royal Marine Commando (Sword Beach) - 46 Royal Marine Commando - 47 Royal Marine Commando (Gold Beach) - 48 royal Marine Commando (Juno Beach)
For a larger image you can magnify or even download the file from here. http://cyklus07.deviantart.com/art/British-and-Commonwealth-Forces-Normandy-1944-549741749
Fletch, Under the 6th Airborne Division there was only one 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion and it belonged to the 5th Parachute Brigade. The 3rd Parachute Battalion is a 1st Airborne Division unit, part of the 1st Parachute Brigade which didn't take part in the Normandy Campaign. Under the 6th Airlanding Brigade it should be the 195th Airlanding Field Ambulance, RAMC rather than the 159th. Regards ...
Hi Cee, Just to clarify: 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion from 3 Para Bde to 5 Para Bde 7th Parachute Battalion to delete 3rd Parachute Battalion to delete and 159th (Airborne) Field Ambulance, RAMC to 195th (Airlanding) Field Ambulance, RAMC I might as well double check and get it right lol
Updated version and link to download: http://cyklus07.deviantart.com/art/British-and-Commonwealth-Forces-Normandy-1944-549741749
Fletch, Yes that's correct. It would be the the 7th, 12th and 13th Para Battalions with the 5th Parachute Brigade. The 8th and 9th Battalions along with the Canadian Paras belonged to the 3rd Parachute Brigade. As for the Bridge Assault Party of Letter "D" Coy and 2 Plns of "B" Coy from the 2nd Ox and Bucks they were under command of the 5th Parachute Brigade for D-Day but rejoined their unit on the 7th of June. I'm not sure how the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders fit into the picture as you have them under the 6th Airlanding Brigade? I'll see if I can find anything on them. There's an extensive orbat for the 6th Airborne at the Pegasus Archive, though it could be overkill for your needs. http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/order_6th.htm Regards ...
Fletch, The 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (51st Highland Division) did come under command of the 6th Airborne for about 6 days in June 1944. From the 6th Airborne HQ WD: "13th June 1944 1800 - 7 A&SH (154 Bde) entered the Div area, and moved to RANVILLE. Came under comd 6 Airborne Div. 19th June 1944 1100 - 41 Cdo came under comd and relieve 7 A&SH at the brs. 7 A&SH revert comd 154 Inf Bde." There's some information on the various Argyll and Sutherlnd Battalions here. http://www.argylls.co.uk/museum/the-argyll-and-sutherland-highlanders-1939-1945/?doing_wp_cron=1438226619.1205799579620361328125 "7th Battalion The 7th Battalion landed in Normandy with the 51st Highland Division on the 11th June 1944 and fought throughout the Campaign until the final surrender in May 1945. The 51st Highland Division entered St Valery en Caux, defended bridges over the River Orne and supported the assaults on Caen and Operation Goodwood." It depends on what your criteria is for including a unit when under command of another Division? Regards ...
My only criteria is they have to have landed on/dropped in Normandy 6th June. My only source is wikipedia (never a good option but is the last one lol) and any other site that is dedicated. There is the American D-Day website but when it comes to the Eastern Task Force it falls short. Theres a very good US Orbat but not a detailed list of Allied units other then menu buttons. Half arsed job Id say and almost a spit in the eye to those they fought side by side with. http://www.americandday.org/D-Day/index.html But I digress, I may need to regrettably drop them too.
Fletch, You may want to consider the Glider Pilot Regiment (GPR) in that case. They piloted the many gliders that arrived in various waves on June 6th. They would come under Airborne but would be considered a separate Regiment. Regards ...
Hi Cee, See I had thought about the regiment and didn't know whether they came under the RAF or the Army. I guess they had this argument amongst themselves. Was it just a single regiment spread out across the brigades in the division or were they battalions? Just purchased Army Badges and Insignia of WW2 (Colour) by Guido Rosignoli, I used to get it out the library all the time as a teenager
Fletch, On Juno Beach, you have 4th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA and on Sword Beach, you have 92nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. These should both be Light Anti-Aircraft.
Fletch, The GPR would be AAC (Army Air Corps) the same as the Paras and Airlanding units and were organized into Wings, Squadrons and Flights. They were trained as fighting men as well, but only stayed for a few days after landing before being returned home because of their valuable piloting skills. They took part in all the Airborne Campaigns where gliders were employed. Most orbats for Normandy have them listed as attached to the 6th Airborne. And just to throw another curve your way there were small contingents of the SAS who were dropped on June 6th as well. Regards ...
Hi Cee, I had a bloody feeling that they would be in on it somewhere lol Im guessing they had shoulder titles too or were they as covert as they've always been and mingled with other units?
I don't know how deeply you want to go into the SAS on June 6th as it involves a number of operations. Men from 1 and 2 SAS took part in Operation Titanic which was intended to deceive the Germans by also dropping para dummies in various locations. There were other operations on June 6th which involved the Free French paratroopers of the 4th Special Air Service Regiment. Some of these were intended to establish a foothold behind enemy lines to harass the Germans. So strictly speaking maybe not part of Operation Overlord? Regards ...
Might be best to keep it strictly Op Overlord/Op Neptune. I think they'd be something to look at within itself later on . Thanks alot for your help though, very much appreciated
Here is the updated version 2.0: and the link to magnify and downlaod: http://cyklus07.deviantart.com/art/British-and-Commonwealth-Forces-Normandy-1944-549741749
