can anyone recommend any reading material about this division? think there is a book called "this is war" or something like that,but copies not easy to come by. or any books relating to the north staffs regt thanks
http://59div.morssweb.com/?borne http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/40832-59th-division-over-the-orne-at-grimbosq-6-8-aug-1944/
The division has a published history, though it may be hard to obtain. I found it a the New Public Library in Manhattan. Knight, Peter. The 59th Division; its war story. London: F. Muller, 1954. The North Staffordshire Regiment's histories are even harder to find. I have come across four related histories but none of them have the depth of most typical WWII regimental histoires. The first two are, again, at the New York Public Library. The latter two are booklets that I have obtained from the Staffordshire Museum directly. Good luck in your search. Anon. The North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s): a short history, 1756-1945. Hednesford, 1948. (NYPL Microfilm) Cook, Hugh C.B. The North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s)(The 64th/98th Regiment of Foot). London: Leo Cooper Ltd., 1970. (NYPL) Lewis, Brian. The Staffords Territorials. Lichfield: Staffordshire Regiment Museum, 2008. Scott, Tony. The Staffords in World War II. Lichfield: Staffordshire Regiment Museum, 2003.
I'm currently compiling a bibliography/source list for 59th Staffordshire - will update this post when I'm happy with it. The IWM does have a copy of Lewis Lyne's unpublished autobiography which is certainly worth a read for insights into the man and his command style.
thanks for the help guys. I was given a link buy a friend yesterday for the book "it is war" in cd form so will down load that. I will try find out about that one swiper,thanks very helpful
This is in the village of St Contest. The picture on top is of my dad who was in 301 Inf Bde Com R A S C part of 59th Div. Also on top is the shoulder flash a Pithead. I have the book on CD
Hi the book is not bad. It gives the history of the division from the start of the war. All the places the div moved to. It moved to Northern Ireland that's how dad met my mum. Then goes on to when the div landed in Normandy 27.06.44, the battles it fought in, the first being Caen. It goes into the disbandment of div in Aug by 21st army due to a shortage of replacements. Look on www.midlandshistoricaldata.org The 59th Division It's War Storey it's about £11.
