Identify regiment of liberating British soldiers, Normandy 1944

Thank you for posting all that information. Very interesting to read - esp. the part about liberating farms and the copious amounts of cider and Calvados that was no doubt quickly on offer.

I was looking at the far left soldier again (after the senior stripe was mentioned above) and noticed he has a lanyard as well. Does this shed any further light?

His formation badge looks quite light, so he's not wearing the red on black pithead symbol of the Staffordshire (I looked this up on Wikipedia this morning). So one of the others mentioned I presume.

 

And a bit of a noddy question to ask...

176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade

What does 2/1st mean?

 

It is a bit complicated. Before the Territorial Army was split in April 1939, the division representing Staffordshire was the 55th (West Lancashire) Division with HQ in Liverpool. Here is the order of battle on 1 March 1939, before the split:


55th (West Lancashire) Division: HQ Liverpool*

HQ Royal Artillery: St. George Building, Lime Street, Liverpool
61st (North Midland) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 241st, 242nd (North Staffordshire) Btys: Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent
243rd (Leek) Bty: Leek
244th (Stafford) Bty: Stafford
87th (1st West Lancashire) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 345th (1st West Lancashire), 346th (2nd West Lancashire) Btys: Edge Hill, Liverpool
347th (3rd West Lancashire), 348th (25th West Lancashire) Btys: Edge Hill, Liverpool
HQ Royal Engineers: Liverpool
252nd (West Lancashire) Field Company, RE: St. Helens
253rd (West Lancashire) Field Companies, RE: St. Helens
254th (West Lancashire) Field Park Company, RE: Liverpool
HQ 46th (North Midland) Corps Troop Engineers: Smethwich - Attached to 55th Div RE
212th (North Midland) Field Company, RE: Smethwich
213th (North Midland) Field Company, RE: Cannock
214th (North Midland) Field Company, RE: Tunstall
215th (North Midland) Field Park Company, RE: Smethwick
55th Divisional Signals: Liverpool

165th (Liverpool) Infantry Brigade: HQ Liverpool
5th Battalion, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)
The Liverpool Scottish, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders: Liverpool
4th Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers): Warrington

166th (South Lancashire and Cheshire) Infantry Brigade: HQ Lichfield, Staffordshire
5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Walsall
6th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Wolverhampton
6th Battalion, The North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s): Burton-on-Trent

After the doubling of the TA in April 1939, two divisions were created in the same area: the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division organized as a motor division with two brigades and the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division, also organized as a Motor Division with two brigades. Here are the new order of battle for the two divisions:



55th (West Lancashire) Division: HQ Liverpool*

HQ Royal Artillery: St. George Building, Lime Street, Liverpool
61st (North Midland) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 241st, 242nd (North Staffordshire) Btys: Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent
87th (1st West Lancashire) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 345th (1st West Lancashire), 346th (2nd West Lancashire) Btys: Edge Hill, Liverpool
116th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ: Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
243rd (Leek) Bty: Leek
244th (Stafford) Bty: Stafford
136th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 347th (3rd West Lancashire), 348th (25th West Lancashire) Btys: Edge Hill, Liverpool
66th Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
HQ, 261st-264th Btys: Crosby
HQ Royal Engineers: Aigburth
509th, 510th Field Companies, RE: Liverpool
511th Field Park Company, RE: Liverpool
252nd (West Lancashire) Field Company, RE: St. Helens - Later to 5th Division
253rd (West Lancashire) Field Companies, RE: St. Helens - Attached 3rd Division
254th (West Lancashire) Field Park Company, RE: Liverpool - Later to 5th Division

5th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) M/C: Bolton
6th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) M/C: Bolton
55th Divisional Signals: Liverpool

164th Infantry Brigade: HQ Warrington
9th Battalion, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)
1st/4th, 2nd/4th Battalions, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers): Warrington

165th Infantry Brigade: HQ Liverpool
5th Battalion, The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)
1st, 2nd Battalions, The Liverpool Scottish, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders: Liverpool

166th Infantry Brigade: HQ Ashford House, Burton-on-Trent
7th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Brownhills
6th, 7th Battalions, The North Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s): Burton-on-Trent

177th Infantry Brigade: HQ Burton Manor, Stafford
5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Walsall
1st/6th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Wolverhampton
2nd/6th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Bilston


*On 4 September 1939, the 55th Division split to form 55th and 59th (Staffordshire) Division with HQ at The Dale, Chester. 59th Division included 176th (ex-166th) and 177th Infantry Brigades; 61st and 116th Field Regiments, RA and 6th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment. All other units remained with 55th (West Lancashire) Division.

At this time the 166th Infantry Brigade was renamed the 176th Infantry Brigade with the subtitle (2/1st Staffordshire) since it was the 2nd Staffordshire Brigade.

Later both divisions underwent a number of changes during the war, the least of which was adding a third brigade to make each a full infantry division as motor divisions were discontinued after France 1940.

 

If this assists...

The battalion history of 1/6 South Staffordshires is as follows;

"On the 15th we are embused and moved to hold an important cross roads at DONNAY, along the FALAISE – THURY HARCOURT road, but when we get there we find that already the heavy guns are going through and we are still in the back area. This does not last for long. In the afternoon of the 16th the Battalion is embussed again and we concentrate at OUILLY – the Boche have only just been driven out and we are again well within mortar range."

This would arguably have them passing through La Couture / La Pommeraye at about midday. However the battalion war diary, which is more vague about their position, does not have them moving until 1530.

Dryan67 gives the locations of the Warwickshire, Lancs Fusilers, Northumberlands and Norfolks on those dates, 15/16 Aug. To complete the rest of the division. The respective war diaries show 2/6 South Staffordshires at Courdavon in the process of being broken up. 5 South Staffordshires are on the River Orne at Pont de Mousse and em-bus from there. 7 South Staffordshires failed to keep a meaningful war diary but the 2/6 diary mentions them those days at Courdavon as well being broken up. I cannot accurately place 6 North Staffordshires, I have a six figure grid reference from their diary which have never seriously followed up.

If it was a 59th Division infantry in the photo it would seem most likely to be 1/6 as they are in the immediate area. There are a couple of veterans I am in contact with, though both had been evacuated wounded by that date, I will copy them the picture as a longshot to see if they can recognise.