Monty's Highlanders: 51st Highland Division in the Second World War

by Patrick Delaforce

Overview

The 51st Highland Division was the most famous infantry division that fought with the British Army in WW2. It was the only infantry division in the armies of the British Empire that accompanied Monty from during Alamein to BerlinAfter the 1940 disaster at St Valry when many were killed or captured, the re-formed 51st were a superlative division, brilliantly inspired and led. The Highway Decorators (after their famous HD cypher) fought with consummate success through North Africa and Tunisia and from Normandy into the heart of Germany. Blooded at Alamein where they suffered over 2000 casualties they pursued the Afrika Korps via Tripoli and Tunis fighting fierce battles along the way. They lost 1,500 men helping to liberate Sicily. Back to the UK for the second front, the Highlanders battled their way through Normandy bocage, the break-out to the Seine, triumphal re-occupation of St Valry, and were the first troops to cross the Rhine, fighting on to Bremen and Bremerhaven. In the eleven months fighting in NW Europe in 1944 and 1945 the Highlanders suffered more than 9000 casualties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783460731
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Military
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Patrick Delaforce served with 11th Armoured Division during the advance through NW Europe.
After a career in the wine trade he became a professional writer. Among his books in print with Pen & Sword are Churchills Desert Rats in North Africa, Burma, Sicily and Italy, Wellington Le Beau and Montys Marauders.

Table of Contents

1 Monty's Highlanders 4

2 Early History: WW1 6

3 Outbreak of WW2 9

4 With the BEF in France 11

5 Reforming: "51st was the Division" 21

6 All at Sea 28

7 North Africa at Last 31

8 "Going up the Blue…" 35

9 Preparing for the Battle of El Alamein 38

10 Operation Lightfoot: "Bayonets gleamed in the moonlight" 44

11 Operation Supercharge: Second Battle of Alamein 55

12 Pursuit: "Sand treacherous as treacle" 59

13 El Agheila: "Mines & Booby traps - a nightmare day" 62

14 Advance to Contact: Berat, Horns & the Coastal Road 67

15 Edinburgh Castle: Corradini & the Capture of Tripoli 71

16 The Battle of Medenine: "a cheerless spot" 78

17 The Battle of Mareth: "confusion reigned everywhere" 82

18 The Battle of Wadi Akarit: "infantry had a gruelling time" 86

19 A Last Lap: "hopes were high" 94

20 Algeria: Preparing for Husky - the Promised Land? 98

21 Operation Husky: Battles of Vizzini & Francoforte 101

22 A Bloody Nose on the Catania Plain: Sferro & Gerbini 106

23 The Battle of the Sferro Hills: "Running and Dodging" 111

24 The General's Farewell: "Jocks reacted with amazement" 115

25 Limbo in Sicily: "prayer for the dead" 119

26 Homeward Bound 121

27 Killing Grounds in the Normandy 'Triangle' - June 1944 125

28 The Normandy Bridghead: July - the 24 hour raid 136

29 Morale & Leadership Crisis 141

30 Breakout - Operation Totalise: "Hammer and tongs" 147

31 Return to St Valery 159

32 Operation Astonia: Capture of Le Havre 165

33 More Channel Ports 170

34 Operation Colin: 23 October-1 November 174

35 Operation Guy Fawkes 184

36 Operation Ascot: "Real Heroes of War" 186

37 On the Island: Operation Noah 27 November-4 December 191

38 The Ardennes: Christmas & the New Year 194

39 Operation Veritable: "Hitler Youth fighting like demons" 201

40 Preparations for the Rhine Crossing: Operation Plunder 217

41 Across the Rhine: "Rennie was a great leader" 220

42 The Last Swan: Operation Eclipse 228

43 Victory in Europe 232