Am I correct that only 1st and 2nd Battalion fought in Holland, 2nd with 50TT Div on the Island? Does anyone has about/WD about the unit September 1944
Philip, its not the War Diary as such but will tell you which battalions fought in which theaters 'The Second World War' The Second World War - On the eve of war the Territorial Army was doubled, so our four Battalions 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th all reappeared up to war strength. No new first line battalions were raised for The Regiment but a 30th (Home Defence) Battalion eventually served in Italy as the 8th Battalion. Thirty-nine Home Guard Battalions were raised in Cheshire. N. Africa - The lst Battalion was in the force which drove the Italians back to Benghazi. Malta - From Benghazi the lst Battalion went to Malta where it remained till 1943, earning some distinction in the unloading and loading of stores and ammunition in the Grand Harbour under the heavy bombing of the second Great Siege of Malta. North Western Europe - The 2nd Battalion went to France in the lst Division with the British Expeditionary Force, followed later by the 4th and 7th Battalions. After a period on the Maginot Line, they all took part in the gruelling withdrawal from the R. Dyle to the coast and were brought off from the Dunkirk beaches by the Royal Navy. North Africa - The 2nd Battalion was part of the Garrison of the Gazala Line which was successfully defended till the German armour attacked it from the rear. But by skilful and determined action, most of the troops fought their way back to the Alamein Line protecting Egypt. After Alamein, where the 6th Battalion was also engaged, the 2nd Battalion took part in the attacks of the successive positions held by the Germans in their withdrawal along the coast. Sicily - The 2nd Battalion and 7th Battalion took part in the assault landings in Sicily in 1943. The British forces played the key role on the Eastern flank and had hard fighting in difficult and minestrewn country. Normandy - After Sicily, the 2nd Battalion, still in the 50th Division, came home and took part in the assault landing on D Day on the 6th June, 1944. They took part in the stubborn fighting in the Bocage to establish and extend the British bridgehead, followed by the pursuit of the Germans to the R. Waal. At this point the 50th Division was disbanded and the 2nd Battalion came home. Vickers machine-gunners of 6th Battalion in action at Monte Gemmano - 7th September 1944 (Painting by David Rowlands Commissioned for the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion) Italy - The 7th Battalion in the 5th Division from Sicily fought in Calabria and was moved to the west coast for the attack on the German Winter Line, the Garigliano Crossing, Anzio and fall of Rome. The 6th Battalion, in the 56th Division from Tripoli, took part in the assault landing at Salerno and in the difficult operations leading to the capture of Naples and the advance to the winter line. After a rest in Egypt, the 6th Battalion took part in the Gothic Line Battles followed by fighting in the R. Lamone area and the final operations and capture of Venice. Men of the 1st Battalion crossing the Rhine Rhine - The lst Battalion from Malta was in action on the line of the R. Maas and in the Rhine crossing. It then became a motor battalion and took part in the pursuit to the final round-up of the German High Command.
Philip The 1st Cheshire's are shown under the 159th Infantry Brigade of the 11th Armoured Division (ex 115th Brigade).
