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| 53rd welsh division war diary: Fields of Fire Terry Copp, 2014-05-01 With Fields of Fire, Terry Copp challenges the conventional view that the Canadian contribution to the Battle of Normandy was a “failure” – that the allies won only through the use of brute force, and that the Canadian soldiers and commanding officers were essentially incompetent. His detailed and impeccably researched analysis of what actually happened on the battlefield portrays a flexible, innovative army that made a major, and successful, contribution to the defeat of the German forces in just seventy-six days. Challenging both existing interpretations of the campaign and current approaches to military history, Copp examines the Battle of Normandy, tracking the soldiers over the battlefield terrain and providing an account of each operation carried out by the Canadian army. In so doing, he illustrates the valour, skill, and commitment of the Allied citizen-soldier in the face of a well-entrenched and well-equipped enemy army. This new edition of Copp’s best-selling, award-winning history includes a new introduction that examines the strategic background of the Battle of Normandy. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The War Diary of Percy Storey Suvla Bay 1915 Michael Strong, 2013-02-13 This is a transcription of the war diary of Percy Storey, a soldier that landed at Suvla Bay Gallipoli in 1915.He served with the 53rd Welsh Division, a Regiment of the Flintshire Battalion called the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.This battalion was later amalgamated to form the 158th North Wales Brigade for the landing at Suvla Bay in August 1915. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Normandy Campaign 1944 John Buckley, 2006-07-29 With essays from leading names in military history, this new book re-examines the crucial issues and debates of the D-Day campaign. It tackles a range of core topics, placing them in their current historiographical context, to present new and sometimes revisionist interpretations of key issues, such as the image of the Allied armies compared with the Germans, the role of air power, and the lessons learned by the military from their operations. As the Second World War is increasingly becoming a field of revisionism, this book sits squarely within growing debates, shedding new light on topics and bringing current thinking from our leading military and strategic historians to a wider audience. This book will be of great interest to students of the Second World War, and of military and strategic studies in general. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: History of the 53rd (Welsh) Division (T.F.), 1914-1918 Charles Humble Dudley Ward, 1927 |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Monty's Men John Buckley, 2013-10-15 Historian John Buckley offers a radical reappraisal of Great Britain’s fighting forces during World War Two, challenging the common belief that the British Army was no match for the forces of Hitler’s Germany. Following Britain’s military commanders and troops across the battlefields of Europe, from D-Day to VE-Day, from the Normandy beaches to Arnhem and the Rhine, and, ultimately, to the Baltic, Buckley’s provocative history demonstrates that the British Army was more than a match for the vaunted Nazi war machine.div /DIVdivThis fascinating revisionist study of the campaign to liberate Northern Europe in the war’s final years features a large cast of colorful unknowns and grand historical personages alike, including Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery and the prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill. By integrating detailed military history with personal accounts, it evokes the vivid reality of men at war while putting long-held misconceptions finally to rest./DIV |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Britain's Forgotten Battle Adrian and Dawn L. Bridge, 2025-01-15 Commemorating its 80th anniversary, this book tells the full story of a crucial late campaign in the Second World War. Drawing on a variety of sources, the authors shine a light on an area that General Eisenhower said 'experienced some of the fiercest fighting of the whole war'. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Passchendaele Robin Prior, Trevor Wilson, 2016-07-26 No conflict of the Great War excites stronger emotions than the war in Flanders in the autumn of 1917, and no name better encapsulates the horror and apparent futility of the Western Front than Passchendaele. By its end there had been 275,000 Allied and 200,000 German casualties. Yet the territorial gains made by the Allies in four desperate months were won back by Germany in only three days the following March. The devastation at Passchendaele, the authors argue, was neither inevitable nor inescapable; perhaps it was not necessary at all. Using a substantial archive of official and private records, much of which has never been previously consulted, Trevor Wilson and Robin Prior provide the fullest account of the campaign ever published. The book examines the political dimension at a level which has hitherto been absent from accounts of Third Ypres. It establishes what did occur, the options for alternative action, and the fundamental responsibility for the carnage. Prior and Wilson consider the shifting ambitions and stratagems of the high command, examine the logistics of war, and assess what the available manpower, weaponry, technology, and intelligence could realistically have hoped to achieve. And, most powerfully of all, they explore the experience of the soldiers in the light—whether they knew it or not—of what would never be accomplished. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: British Regiments at Gallipoli Ray Westlake, 1996-06-01 Following the success of British Battalions on the Somme, the author has produced a source book of the same quality on the Gallipoli Campaign. It has come about as a result of many years of enquiries from researchers and family historians. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Battle for Palestine 1917 John D. Grainger, 2006 The story of Allied victory in the Holy Land, far from the carnage of the Western Front but a crucial, morale-boosting success under the aggressive and forward-thinking General Allenby. Three battles for the control of the key fortress-city of Gaza took place in 1917 between the `British' force [with units from across the Empire, most notably the ANZACs] and the Turks. The Allies were repulsed twice but on theirthird attempt, under the newly-appointed General Allenby, a veteran of the Western Front where he was a vocal critic of Haig's command, finally penetrated Turkish lines, captured southern Palestine and, as instructed by Lloyd George, took Jerusalem in time for Christmas, ending 400 years of Ottoman occupation. This third battle, similar in many ways to the contemporaneous fighting in France, is at the heart of this account, with consideration of intelligence, espionage, air-warfare, and diplomatic and political elements, not to mention the logistical and medical aspects of the campaign, particularly water. The generally overlooked Turkish defence, in the face of vastly superior numbers, is also assessed. Far from laying out and executing a pre-ordained plan, Allenby, who is probably still best remembered as T. E. Lawrence's commanding officer in Arabia, was flexible and adaptable, responding to developmentsas they occurred. JOHN D. GRAINGER is the author of numerous books on military history, ranging from the Roman period to the twentieth century. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Hell in the Holy Land David R. Woodward, 2014-04-23 In the modern popular imagination, the British Army's campaign in the Middle East during World War I is considered somehow less brutal than the fighting on European battlefields. A romantic view of this conflict has been further encouraged by such films as Lawrence of Arabia and The Light Horsemen. In Hell in the Holy Land, David R. Woodward uses graphic eyewitness accounts from the diaries, letters, and memoirs of British soldiers who fought in that war to describe in rigorous detail the genuine experience of the fighting and dying in Egypt and Palestine. The massive flow of troops and equipment to Egypt eventually made that country host to the largest British military base outside of Britain and France. Though many soldiers found the atmosphere in Cairo exotic, the desert countryside made the fundamentals of fighting and troop maintenance extremely difficult. The intense heat frequently sickened soldiers, and unruly camels were the only practical means of transport across the soft sands of the Sinai. The constant shortage of potable water was a persistent problem for the troops; one soldier recalled, It is impossible to realize the depth a man will sink to endeavor to appease the terrible horror of thirst. The voices of these British soldiers offer a forgotten perspective of the Great War, describing not only the physical and psychological toll of combat but the daily struggles of soldiers who were stationed in an unfamiliar environment that often proved just as antagonistic as the enemy. A soldier of the Dorset Yeomanry, stationed in Egypt, wrote: There are three sounds in Egypt which never cease—the creaking of the waterwheels, the song of the frogs, and the buzz of flies.... Letter writing is an impossibility in the evening, for as soon as the sun goes down, if a lamp is lighted, the air all round is thick with little grey sand-flies which bite disgustingly. Using archival records, many from the Imperial War Museum in London, England, Woodward paints a vivid picture of the mayhem, terror, boredom, filth, and sacrifice that marked the daily life of British soldiers in the Middle East. In telling the story of these soldiers, Woodward provides a personal history of a campaign that laid the groundwork for the continuing turmoil in the Middle East. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The British Way of War in Northwest Europe, 1944-5 L. P. Devine, 2015-12-17 This book examines the experience of two British Infantry Divisions, the 43rd (Wessex) and 53rd (Welsh), during the Overlord campaign in Northwest Europe. To understand the way the British fought during Operation Overlord, the book considers the political and military factors between 1918 and 1943 before addressing the major battles and many of the minor engagements and day-to-day experiences of the campaign. Through detailed exploration of unit war diaries and first-hand accounts, Louis Devine demonstrates how Montgomery's way of war translated to the divisions and their sub units. While previous literature has suggested that the British Army fought a cautious war in order to avoid the heavy casualties of the First World War, Devine challenges this concept by showing that the Overlord Campaign fought at sub-divisional levels was characterised by command pressure to achieve results quickly, hasty planning and a reliance on massive artillery and mortar contributions to compensate for deficiencies in anti-tank and armoured support. By following two British infantry divisions over a continuous period and focusing on soldiers' experience to offer a perspective 'from below', as well as challenging the consensus of a 'cautious' British campaign, this book provides a much-needed re-examination of the Overlord campaign which will be of great interest to students and scholars of the Second World War and modern military history in general. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Hill 112: The Key to defeating Hitler in Normandy Tim Saunders, 2022-07-20 A history of the relentless fighting between British and German forces in the French villages of Eterville and Maltot during World War II. ‘He who holds Hill 112 holds Normandy’ seemed an unlikely maxim when the hill is viewed from a distance, but on reaching its plateau, the vistas unfold in every direction across a huge swath of Normandy. For the Germans it was their vital defensive ground, but for the British it was an essential steppingstone en route to the River Orne and access to the open country south to Falaise. The Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Division lost Hill 112 to 4th Armoured Brigade when the Scots captured the Tourmauville Bridge intact, but the essence of Hill 112’s tactical problem soon became clear. It was impossible for armour to survive on its broad plateau, while the infantry could only hold the skeletal orchards and woods at the cost of crushing casualties. With II SS Panzer Corps preparing to attack the British, the toe hold was given up and 11th Armoured Division was left holding a bridgehead across the River Odon. Ten days later, 43rd Wessex Division was ordered to resume the advance to the Orne with Hill 112 its first objective. As the west countrymen and tanks rose to advance, they met withering fire from the stronghold that Hill 112 had become. The scene was set for one of the grimmest battles of the campaign. For six weeks from the end of June into August, when the Allied advances finally gained momentum, Hill 112 was far too important to let the opposition hold and exploit it. Consequently, it was regularly shelled and mortared, and shrouded with smoke and dust, while soldiers of both sides clung to their respective rims of the plateau. By the end, Hill 112 had developed a reputation as evil as that of any spot on the First World War’s Western Front. Praise for Hill 112 “This reads like one of those cover stories from one of the 1950s/1960s golden age British comics. Superb detail.” —Books Monthly “Tim has provided us, general buffs or serious scholars, earnest research enthusiasts or casual page-a-week armchair perusers, with an enthralling almost day by day account.” —ARGunners.com “Adds the bones to the meat of the story of Hill 112.” —Armorama |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Gaza 1917: First Battle 26 March and Second Battle 19 April Martin Glen, 2018 The Palestine Campaign of World War One has been largely ignored in the popular press, and this book seeks to bring two major battles into focus. While there is considerable detail aimed at military enthusiasts, the personal aspect provided by never-before-published quotations and interviews with survivors and relatives of some of those killed will engage a wider audience. Extensive appendices cover the composition of the divisions which took part, comprehensive casualty charts and complete gallantry awards, as well as many photographs which have never been published before. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Letters from Normandy John Mercer, 2010-10-15 One man's story from the last year of the Second World War, based on his memory, letters sent to his mother, and the Official War Diaries. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Sheer Misery Mary Louise, 2021-04-20 Marching across occupied France in 1944, American GI Leroy Stewart had neither death nor glory on his mind: he was worried about his underwear, which was engaged in a relentless crawl of its own. Similar complaints of physical discomfort pervade infantrymen’s memories of the European theater, whether the soldiers were British, American, German, or French. Wet, freezing misery with no end in sight—this was life for millions of enlisted men during World War II. Sheer Misery trains a humane and unsparing eye on the corporeal experiences of the soldiers who fought in Belgium, France, and Italy during the last two years of the war. In the horrendously unhygienic and often lethal conditions of the front line, their bodies broke down, stubbornly declaring their needs for warmth, rest, and good nutrition. Feet became too swollen to march, fingers too frozen to pull triggers; stomachs cramped, and diarrhea stained underwear and pants. Turning away from the accounts of high-level military strategy that dominate many WWII chronicles, acclaimed historian Mary Louise Roberts instead relies on diaries and letters to bring to life visceral sense memories like the moans of the “screaming meemies,” the acrid smell of cordite, and the shockingly mundane sight of rotting corpses. As Roberts writes, “For soldiers who fought, the war was above all about their bodies.” |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Fire and Steel Peter Caddick-Adams, 2022 An account of the blazing final hundred days of World War Two in Europe, bringing to a close Peter Caddick-Adams' monumental trilogy of the last year of Allied fighting against the German armies on the Western front. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Gallipoli Peter Hart, 2011-10-03 A gripping, provocative account of the WWI Battle of Gallipoli, one of the most tragic battles in history. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Gaza 1917: Third Battle 31 October to 7 November Martin Glen, 2018-07-24 Gaza conflict-the forgotten history The Palestine Campaign of World War One has been largely ignored in the popular press, and this book seeks to bring the Third and final battle into focus. While there is considerable detail aimed at military enthusiasts, the personal aspect provided by never-before-published quotations and interviews with survivors and relatives of some of those killed will engage a wider audience. Extensive appendices cover the composition of the divisions which took part, comprehensive casualty charts and complete gallantry awards, as well as many photographs which have never been published before. Part One Operations from May to September Part Two The Battle of Beersheba Operations from 27 October - 31 October 1917 Part Three North of Beersheba Operations 3-7 November 1917 Part Four Capture of the Sheria Position Operations from 1-7 November 1917 Part Five Capture of Gaza Operations from 1-7 November 1917 Photographs & biographies Appendices Orders of Battle Casualty list criteria Casualty total charts Gallantry Awards Bibliography Appeals for information Appreciation Conventions & abbreviations |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Great War and the Middle East Rob Johnson, 2016-08-18 The First World War in the Middle East swept away five hundred years of Ottoman domination. It ushered in new ideologies and radicalised old ones - from Arab nationalism and revolutionary socialism to impassioned forms of atavistic Islamism. It created heroic icons, like the enigmatic Lawrence of Arabia or the modernizing Atatürk, and destroyed others. And it completely re-drew the map of the region, forging a host of new nation states, including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia - all of them (with the exception of Turkey) under the 'protection' of the victor powers, Britain and France. For many, the self-serving intervention of these powers in the region between 1914 and 1919 is the major reason for the conflicts that have raged there on and off ever since. Yet many of the most commonly accepted assertions about the First World War in the Middle East are more often stated than they are truly tested. Rob Johnson, military historian and former soldier, now seeks to put this right by examining in detail the strategic and operational course of the war in the Middle East. Johnson argues that, far from being a sideshow to the war in Europe, the Middle Eastern conflict was in fact the centre of gravity in a war for imperial domination and prestige. Moreover, contrary to another persistent myth of the First World War in the Middle East, local leaders and their forces were not simply the puppets of the Great Powers in any straightforward sense. The way in which these local forces embraced, resisted, succumbed to, disrupted, or on occasion overturned the plans of the imperialist powers for their own interests in fact played an important role in shaping the immediate aftermath of the conflict - and in laying the foundations for the troubled Middle East that we know today. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Territorial Force at War, 1914-16 W. Mitchinson, 2014-10-02 William Mitchinson analyses the role and performance of the Territorial Force during the first two years of World War I. The study looks at the way the force was staffed and commanded, its relationship with the Regular Army and the War Office, and how most of its 1st Line divisions managed to retain and promote their local identities. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Operation Epsom Ian Daglish, 2007-06-21 This WWII tactical study brings new clarity to the First Battle of the Odon, a significant Allied offensive in the early day of Operation Overlord. A vital yet overlooked episode of the Normandy Campaign, Operation Epsom was General Montgomery’s first attempt to capture the city of Caen in the Odon valley. The notoriously chaotic battle pitted inexperienced British divisions against some of the best equipped, best led and battle-hardened formations of the Third Reich. Though there was no decisive victor, military historian Ian Daglish shows that this battle allowed the Allied forces to retain strategic initiative through the liberation of France and Belgium. Beginning with a British assault on the German lines in dense terrain, the battle developed into swirling armored action on the open slopes of Hills 112 and 113. The British then turned to defend their gains in the face of concentric attacks by two full SS-Panzer Korps. With previously unseen evidence and expert analysis, Daglish sheds new light on this important Normandy battle. The unfolding action is illustrated using aerial photography of the battlefield and period Army maps. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Tank Destroyer, Achilles and M10 Dennis Oliver, 2019-04-30 A guide that blends the history behind this British World War II tank with resources for military vehicle modeling enthusiasts. In this heavily illustrated volume in the TankCraft series Dennis Oliver focuses on the Achilles—the British variant of the American M10—which was one of the most important Allied tank destroyers of the Second World War. It played a key role in the armored battles fought on the Western Front, in particular in France, the Low Countries, Germany and Italy. Built on an adapted Sherman chassis, with sloped armor, an open-topped turret and powerful 17-pounder gun, it was designed to counter the threat posed by the formidable panzers deployed by the German army toward the end of the conflict, in particular the Panther and Tiger tanks. The book covers the design and operational history of the Achilles in close detail, using rare archive photographs and meticulously researched color illustrations, as well as a detailed, authoritative text. A key section displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic armored fighting vehicles. Praise for Tank Destroyer, Achilles and M10 “Covers the design and operational history of the Achilles in close detail, using rare archive photographs and meticulously researched color illustrations, as well as a detailed, authoritative text.” —Military Vehicles “Gamers will find this book a useful reference and painting guide.” —The Miniatures Page |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Normandy: Hill 112 Tim Saunders, 2008-06-17 This WWII military history and battlefield guide examines a pivotal conflict of the Battle of Normandy—including detailed maps and illustrations. Over a month after the D-Day landings, the Allies were still confined to the Normandy peninsula. The German line was anchored by the medieval town of Caen, which the British were supposed to have occupied on D-Day. The key to capturing Caen was Hill 112, known to the Germans as Kalverienberg, or Mount Calvary. Under pressure from Churchill, Montgomery launched a major offensive. Unfortunately, German reinforcements began arriving in the Caen area. The British now faced four SS divisions and the Tigers of the 502nd SS Heavy Panzer Regiment. An all-out Allied effort, including heavy bombers and naval bombardment, was required to secure the final victory. This volume details all the action around Hill 112, with numerous illustrations and maps complementing the lively text. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Churchill Crocodile Tim Saunders, Richard Hone, 2024-05-30 The British Army started the development of flame throwers in 1938, but progress was slow and interest was side-lined after Dunkirk while the army reequipped. Investment in a flame-throwing tank only returned to the agenda thanks to interest by General Percy Hobart when he developed funnies for 79th armored Division and the concept gained the support of General Sir Alan Brooke. 141 (The Buffs) Regiment RAC had been converted to Churchill Tanks at the end of 1941 and in early 1944 they were earmarked for another change of role to the Crocodile conversion of the new Mk VII Churchill tank. This flame throwing system was secret and started to arrive with the regiment in April 1944. By D-Day only one squadron was equipped and trained, with space on the landing craft only available for two troops to land in support of 50th Division. The rest of the regiment arrived by the end of June and were in action with various formations across the front. There followed a period of misuse by those they supported and learning on the job by the regiments squadrons, but by the middle of the campaign a clear doctrine for the use of the Crocodile had emerged and they were in great demand. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Breaking the Siegfried Line Tim Saunders, 2024-01-30 In this second of Tim Saunders’ volumes on the opening stage of the 1945 Rhineland Campaign, the focus is to the north of the Reichswald, on the flood plain of the River Rhine and a narrow strip of slightly higher ground. Amidst the rapidly rising flood waters, 3rd Canadian Division earned the nickname ‘The Water Rats’ as they fought to clear villages and dykes, while on their right, the 15th Scottish Division fought through the Germans’ outer defenses with tanks becoming deeply bogged before facing the Siegfried Line defenses. Even though deceived by a faulty estimate of allied intent, German resistance to the Guards armored Brigade, the specialist assault vehicles of 79th armored Division and the Scottish infantry, was stiff as they broke through the anti-tank ditches and bunkers. Aiming to maintain momentum, General Horrocks, the commander of XXX Corps, released 43rd Wessex Division and 8 armored Brigade into the narrow corridor between the floods and the Reichswald, which resulted in a terrible traffic jam. Despite this, the West Country soldiers and tanks were soon in the badly bombed ruins of Kleve, the first substantial German city to be taken by the British. German reaction to the attack on the ‘Reichswald plug’ was to send their surviving panzer and panzergrenadier formations south into counter attacks to blunt the allied offensive that was poised to spill out into the Rhineland. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: "Belgium, September 1944" , 1985 |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Battle of the Reichswald Tim Saunders, 2023-02-22 During winter 1944/45 few German officers believed that the Allies would attack the wooded Reichswald Plug on the narrow neck of land between the rivers Rhine and Maas. Consequently, relying on the natural defenses of the forest, the vaunted Siegfried Line had been allowed to peter out. The 84th Infantry Division held field defenses that had been worked on all autumn, but the defenders were thinly spread, and most German soldiers now faced the certainty of defeat. Originally hoping to use the frozen winter ground for a speedy assault, days before Operation VERITABLE began a thaw set in and the Allies faced attacking in the worst possible ground conditions. On the morning of 8 February, after protracted bombardment, delays multiplied as vehicles became bogged in saturated fields and shell holes, and roads broke up under heavy armor. However, just enough assault engineer equipment reached the outer German defenses, where they found the enemy infantry largely stunned by the bombardment. It took all of the first day to break through the mud and defenses into the Reichswald, while to the north, Canadians and Scots struggled across equally sodden open country with the Rhine floods rising fast. Despite the conditions, overnight the Canadians took to the flood waters to seize what were now island villages and the Scots dashed to capture the vital Materborn, which overlooked Kleve. With heavy rain compounding difficulties, mud and flood waters made movement of men and supplies increasingly difficult. Despite this and the arrival of German reinforcements, the Allies fought their way forward, forcing the Reichswald Plug and opening the way into the Rhineland and the final phases of the war. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: A History of the Guards Armoured Formations 1941-1945 Charles Richard Trumpess, 2025-03-30 Although the Guards armored Division and its sister formation the 6th Guards (Tank) Brigade shared a common origin, they went on to forge quite different operational records. One of the units would be tarnished by its failures while the other was applauded for its successes. A month after VE Day, the two Guards’ armored formations would be reunited one last time before being officially disbanded. During the intervening years, the Guards faced criticism, public ridicule, the threat of disbandment, and many other challenges. Nevertheless, these armored Guardsmen would prevail on the battlefield. In response to the threat of a German invasion of the British Isles, the Guards armored Division formed in the spring of 1941. But why convert battalions of Foot Guards, considered by many to be first-class infantry, into an armored formation? Certainly, many people were skeptical that 'spit-and-polish' Guardsmen could ever adapt to a new armored role. As the threat of invasion receded, the Guards armored Division and 6th Guards (Tank) Brigade embarked on years of training while the war raged elsewhere. This book examines the decision to form the Guards armored Division and then keep it at home for an extended period. Once deployed to Normandy, the fighting quickly revealed shortcomings in the Division's training, equipment, and operational procedures. In contrast, when the Churchill tanks of the 6th Guards (Tank) Brigade went into action south of Caumont it was to prove an affirmation of everything they had learnt in training. Over the next ten months, the Guards’ armored formations would celebrate victories and lament failures while fighting their way across northwest Europe. This book examines how the decision to raise a Guards armored Division came about, and why the idea met with such strong opposition. It also takes an in-depth look at the training, equipment, and culture of the Brigade of Guards, and how that influenced the two formations’ preparedness for war. Once deployed overseas, the book explores how the Guards were able to adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield and adopt new operational and tactical procedures. Finally, the book reveals why the Guards’ armored formations were hurriedly disbanded in June 1945. Additionally, using new archive material, the book discloses why it took over a decade to publish the ‘official’ history of the Guards armored Division. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: The Brigade Terry Copp, 2007-10-17 Battalion- and company-level account of the vital contributions of Canadian soldiers to victory in Europe in World War II Based on war diaries, casualty reports, and after-action interviews The author is one of Canada's preeminent military historians Consisting of the Calgary Highlanders, the Black Watch, and the French-speaking Règiment de Maisonneuve, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade landed in France in early July 1944 as part of British General Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group. That summer, the brigade participated in hellish battles in Normandy, including Caen and Verriéres Ridge. The 5th went on to distinguish itself in Belgium, where it endured foul weather and fierce resistance near Antwerp in October 1944, and ended the war with bloody streetfighting in the towns of Holland. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Memo from Belgium , 1985 |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Ardennes 1944 Yves Buffetaut, 2018-10-19 German army deficiencies are often cited as the reason for the failure of the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes region of France, Belgium and Luxembourg in December of 1944 to January 1945 which the Germans called Operation Wacht am Rhein, the Allies named the Ardennes Counteroffensive, and was also commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge. It is certainly true that the three German armies regrouped for the offensive were in differing states; only the 5th Panzer Army was in something resembling good condition, with the 6th and the 7th mediocre at best. The divisions were also often not mobile enough because of the lack of automotive equipment and were short on tanks and artillery. But these cannot be considered the only reasons for the German failure: it was also the speed of the Allied reaction, and especially the conduct of the Americans, who experienced some of the fiercest combat of the war, and suffered over 100,000 casualties. This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series, with over 100 photographs and 24 color profiles describes in detail the different events that caused the German defeat, from the beginning of the offensive on December 16, 1944 to the retreat behind the Siegfried Line. It looks at several topics in particular: the American resistance at St. Vith; the resistance of the 101st Airborne in Bastogne; German obstinacy in persisting with the siege at Bastogne; the airlift and the intervention of the 9th US Air Force; the rapid regrouping of the 3rd US Army; Patton's counterattack; the British counterattack; and finally how the Allies failed to transform the German withdrawal into rout, missing an opportunity to cross the Siegfried line and the Rhine on the heels of the Germans, leading to an incomplete victory. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Over the Top Spencer Jones, Peter Tsouras, 2014-10-30 Although separated from the modern reader by a full century, the First World War continues to generate controversy and interest as the great event upon which modern history pivoted. Not only did the war cull the European peoples of some of their best and brightest, it also led to the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian, German, Ottoman and Russian empires, and paved the way for the Second World War. This thought-provoking book explores ten alternate scenarios in which the course of the war is changed forever. How would the war have changed had the Germans not attacked France but turned their main thrust against Russia; had the Greeks joined the allies at Gallipoli; or had the British severed the communications of the Ottoman Empire at Alexandretta? What if there was a more decisive outcome at Jutland; if the alternative plans for the Battle of the Somme in 1916 had been put into effect; or if the Americans intervened in 1915, rather 1917? Expertly written by leading military historians, this is a compelling and credible look at what might have been. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: World War I Almanac David R. Woodward, 2009 Presents a day-by-day chronology of the events of World War I and a biographical dictionary of people involved in the conflict. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Those Who Have the Courage Matthew Wright, 2024-06-17T00:00:00Z ‘Those Who Have the Courage will be a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in the military and social history of New Zealand. It is a comprehensive history of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps, the Mounted Rifles and predecessor units ...’ — Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, from the Foreword The product of painstaking, multi-year research by esteemed historian and author Matthew Wright, this richly illustrated hardback is a must-have for the history reader. Part 1 covers the colonial cavalry that fought in the NZ Wars and Anglo-Boer War, then Part 2 moves to the Mounted Rifles distinguishing themselves in the First World War, at the end of which the tank came into play. Part 3 describes the Armoured Corps’ varied roles in the Second World War; Part 4 details what Wright calls an ‘armoured evolution’, through actions from the Korean War to Vietnam and Part 5 records action in East Timor and Afghanistan, and modern challenges, rounding out this readable story. The appendices include rolls of honour, lists of vehicles and organisational charts. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Cinderella Army Terry Copp, 2007-01-01 Except for a brief period during the Rhineland battle, the First Canadian Army was the smallest to serve under Eisenhower's command. The Canadian component never totalled more than 185,000 of the four million Allied troops serving in Northwest Europe. It is evident, however, that the divisions of 2nd Canadian Corps played a role disproportionate to their numbers. Their contribution to operations designed to secure the channel ports and open the approaches to Antwerp together with the battles in the Rhineland place them among the most heavily committed and sorely tried divisions in the Allied armies. By the end of 1944 3rd Canadian Division had suffered the highest number of casualties in 21 Army Group with 2nd Canadian Division ranking a close second. In the armoured divisions, 4th Canadian was at the top of the list as was 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade among the independent tank brigades. Overall Canadian casualties were 20 per cent higher than in comparable British formations. This was a direct result of the much greater number of days that Canadian units were involved in close combat.--Jacket. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: British Military Intelligence in the Palestine Campaign, 1914-1918 Yigal Sheffy, 2014-02-04 Shortly after the end of the First World War, General Sir George Macdonagh, wartime director of British Military Intelligence, revealed that Lord Allenby's victory in Palestine had never been in doubt because of the success of his intelligence service. Seventy-five years later this book explains Macdonagh's statement. Sheffy also adopts a novel approach to traditional heroes of the campaign such as T E Lawrence. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Loyal Gunners Lee Windsor, Roger Sarty, Marc Milner, 2016-09-15 Loyal Gunners uniquely encapsulates the experience of Canadian militia gunners and their units into a single compelling narrative that centres on the artillery units of New Brunswick. The story of those units is a profoundly Canadian story: one of dedication and sacrifice in service of great guns and of Canada. The 3rd Field Regiment (The Loyal Company), Royal Canadian Artillery, is Canada’s oldest artillery unit, dating to the founding of the Loyal Company in Saint John in 1793. Since its centennial in 1893, 3rd Field—in various permutations of medium, coastal, and anti-aircraft artillery—has formed the core of New Brunswick’s militia artillery, and it has endured into the twenty-first century as the last remaining artillery unit in the province. This book is the first modern assessment of the development of Canadian heavy artillery in the Great War, the first look at the development of artillery in general in both world wars, and the first exploration of the development and operational deployment of anti-tank artillery in the Second World War. It also tells a universal story of survival as it chronicles the fortunes of New Brunswick militia units through the darkest days of the Cold War, when conventional armed forces were entirely out of favour. In 1950 New Brunswick had four and a half regiments of artillery; by 1970 it had one—3rd Field. Loyal Gunners traces the rise and fall of artillery batteries in New Brunswick as the nature of modern war evolved. From the Great War to Afghanistan it provides the most comprehensive account to date of Canada’s gunners. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Monty's Functional Doctrine Charles Forrester, 2015-08-19 Using a combination of new perspectives and new evidence, this book presents a reinterpretation of how 21st Army Group produced a successful combined arms doctrine by late 1944 and implemented this in early 1945. Historians, professional military personnel and those interested in military history should read this book, which contributes to the radical reappraisal of Great Britain’s fighting forces in the last years of the Second World War, with an exploration of the reasons why 21st Army Group was able in 1944–45 to integrate the operations of its armor and infantry. The key to understanding how the outcome developed lies in understanding the ways in which the two processes of fighting and the creation of doctrine interrelated. This requires both a conventional focus on command and a cross-level study of Montgomery and a significant group of commanders. The issue of whether or not this integration of combat arms (a guide to operational fighting capability) had any basis in a common doctrine is an important one. Alongside this stands the new light this work throws on how such doctrine was created. A third interrelated contribution is in answering how Montgomery commanded, and whether and to what extent, doctrine was imposed or generated. Further it investigates how a group of ‘effervescent’ commanders interrelated, and what the impact of those interrelationships was in the formulation of a workable doctrine. The book makes an original contribution to the debate on Montgomery’s command style in Northwest Europe and its consequences, and integrates this with tracking down and disentangling the roots of his ideas, and his role in the creation of doctrine for the British Army’s final push against the Germans. In particular the author is able to do something that has defeated previous authors: to explain how doctrine was evolved and, especially who was responsible for providing the crucial first drafts, and the role Montgomery played in revising, codifying and disseminating it. |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: One More River Peter Allen, 1994 |
| 53rd welsh division war diary: Arnhem 1944 - A Bridge Too Far? Bob Carruthers, 2012-02 It looks very rough. If I get through this one I will be very lucky.Brigadier General Gavin, U.S. 82nd Airborne DivisionThis book reviews the complex set of military operations played out in the Netherlands during September 1944 involving the forces of Britain, Canada, Poland, the USA and Germany, providing a wide selection of sources covering each of the belligerents.The book features the previously unpublished war diary of Captain Graham Davies, bringing a new perspective on the often overlooked contribution made by the artillerymen in support of both Operation Market and Operation Garden.The German viewpoint is covered by the contemporary newspaper account translated from the pages of The Westkurier. The report was filed by war reporter Erwin Kirchhof and provides a powerful insight into the events of the battle as filtered through the prism of Goebbels' propaganda machine.Two extracts from the official accounts of the 101st Airborne and 82nd Airborne Divisions give an indication of the strong conviction still held in the US camp that the operation had been a complete success. |
53 (Welsh) Infantry Division (1944-45) - British Military History
On 3 August 1944, an internal reorganization took place within the division to split up the three battalions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the same brigade. This was a legacy of the Territorial …
WELSH DIVISION 1 - Flames Of War
53rd Welsh Division landed in Normandy on 28 June as a follow-up division and was placed under command of XII Corps now defending the Odon Valley position and was held in reserve for …
British 53rd Infantry Division
The 53rd “Welsh” Division had served as a home defense division until the Normandy invasion, where it landed in late June and saw heavy fighting. In the Ardennes Campaign, the …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary
War Diary of 1/2nd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), July - December 1915 Henry Samuel,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment.
This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that …
sh Infantry Divisions - the 43rd ‘Wessex’ and 53rd ‘Welsh’ - during the Overlord campaign in North West Europe in 1944 and 1945. The main locus of research centres on the fighting …
MERCIAN COLONELS’ MEETING, 7 SEP 06, AND OTHER …
Delaforce, Patrick, Red Crown and Dragon – 53rd Welsh Division in North-West Europe 1944-1945, Brighton, Tom Donovan Publishing, 1996. Barclay, Brigadier C N, The History of the …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary (Download Only)
53rd Welsh Division War Diary: The War Diary of Percy Storey Suvla Bay 1915 Michael Strong,2013-02-13 This is a transcription of the war diary of Percy Storey a soldier that landed …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary (PDF) - admissions.piedmont.edu
War Diary of 1/1st Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), August - December 1915 J Donovan,2017 Description Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment
The British Way of War in Northwest Europe, 1944-5
The following chapters will then examine, in some detail, how the battalions of the 43rd and 53rd infantry divisions went about the business of war and how they were supported.
t-woolford-story-
On April 24th 1915 the Battalion was posted to 160th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division and trained in both Cambridge and Bedford. At the same time the 4th Battalion became the senior 1/4th …
Microsoft Word - 53 Infantry Division (1939).docx
The division fought in the various major battles in North West Europe until the end of the campaign. The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was reconstituted in the Territorial Army in 1947. …
beanland - Bradford Grammar
The 7/Royal Welch sailed from Devonport on 19th July, part of 53rd Welsh Division, destined for Gallipoli where an attempt to break the deadlock was made by fresh landings at Suvla Bay on …
British Army Capture of Tell Khuweilfe 3-7 November 1917
British Army Capture of Tell Khuweilfe 3-7 November 1917 53rd (Welsh) Division: Major S.F.Mott
53rd Welsh Division War Diary - Charles Humble Dudley Ward …
War Diary of 1/3rd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), August - December 1915 ,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment. In My Father's Footsteps …
Israel and West Bank report - senedd.wales
In December 1917 the 53rd Welsh Division became the first troops to enter Jerusalem. The Ottoman Turks retreated from the city in the evening of 6 December and when the Welsh …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary - admissions.piedmont.edu
War Diary of 1/2nd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), July - December 1915 Henry Samuel,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment.
British Army, 1st Battle of Gaza, 26/27 March 1917
British Army 1st Battle of Gaza 26/27 March 1917 Eastern Force: Lieutenant General C.M.Dobell 5th Wing Royal Flying Corps Organization unknown 53rd (Welsh) Division: Major S.F.Mott
Microsoft Word - 53 Division (1930-38).docx - British Military …
This division was a first line Territorial Army division, with its headquarters based at Morfe House, Belle Vue Road, Shrewsbury. It had been formed in 1908, numbered in 1915 and had been …
WWII AND ITS IMPACT ON THE POYNTZPASS AREA
Because of the fear of a German invasion via the Free State the 53rd Welsh Division stayed in the South Down/South Armagh area along the border until 1944. Part of the Division camped in …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary .pdf - admissions.piedmont.edu
Division, 53rd (Welsh),1945 Welsh Yeomanry at War Steven John,2015-08-03 Soon after the outbreak of the Great War following many years of part time soldiering as cavalry troops on …
53 (Welsh) Infantry Division (1944-45) - British Military History
On 3 August 1944, an internal reorganization took place within the division to split up the three battalions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the same brigade. This was a legacy of the Territorial …
WELSH DIVISION 1 - Flames Of War
53rd Welsh Division landed in Normandy on 28 June as a follow-up division and was placed under command of XII Corps now defending the Odon Valley position and was held in reserve for …
British 53rd Infantry Division
The 53rd “Welsh” Division had served as a home defense division until the Normandy invasion, where it landed in late June and saw heavy fighting. In the Ardennes Campaign, the …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary
War Diary of 1/2nd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), July - December 1915 Henry Samuel,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment.
This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that …
sh Infantry Divisions - the 43rd ‘Wessex’ and 53rd ‘Welsh’ - during the Overlord campaign in North West Europe in 1944 and 1945. The main locus of research centres on the fighting …
MERCIAN COLONELS’ MEETING, 7 SEP 06, AND OTHER …
Delaforce, Patrick, Red Crown and Dragon – 53rd Welsh Division in North-West Europe 1944-1945, Brighton, Tom Donovan Publishing, 1996. Barclay, Brigadier C N, The History of the …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary (Download Only)
53rd Welsh Division War Diary: The War Diary of Percy Storey Suvla Bay 1915 Michael Strong,2013-02-13 This is a transcription of the war diary of Percy Storey a soldier that landed …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary (PDF)
War Diary of 1/1st Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), August - December 1915 J Donovan,2017 Description Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment
The British Way of War in Northwest Europe, 1944-5
The following chapters will then examine, in some detail, how the battalions of the 43rd and 53rd infantry divisions went about the business of war and how they were supported.
t-woolford-story-
On April 24th 1915 the Battalion was posted to 160th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division and trained in both Cambridge and Bedford. At the same time the 4th Battalion became the senior 1/4th …
Microsoft Word - 53 Infantry Division (1939).docx
The division fought in the various major battles in North West Europe until the end of the campaign. The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was reconstituted in the Territorial Army in 1947. …
beanland - Bradford Grammar
The 7/Royal Welch sailed from Devonport on 19th July, part of 53rd Welsh Division, destined for Gallipoli where an attempt to break the deadlock was made by fresh landings at Suvla Bay on …
British Army Capture of Tell Khuweilfe 3-7 November 1917
British Army Capture of Tell Khuweilfe 3-7 November 1917 53rd (Welsh) Division: Major S.F.Mott
53rd Welsh Division War Diary - Charles Humble Dudley …
War Diary of 1/3rd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), August - December 1915 ,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment. In My Father's Footsteps …
Israel and West Bank report - senedd.wales
In December 1917 the 53rd Welsh Division became the first troops to enter Jerusalem. The Ottoman Turks retreated from the city in the evening of 6 December and when the Welsh …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary - admissions.piedmont.edu
War Diary of 1/2nd Welsh Field Ambulance (53rd Division), July - December 1915 Henry Samuel,2017 Description: Daily diary of the actions of a field ambulance regiment.
British Army, 1st Battle of Gaza, 26/27 March 1917
British Army 1st Battle of Gaza 26/27 March 1917 Eastern Force: Lieutenant General C.M.Dobell 5th Wing Royal Flying Corps Organization unknown 53rd (Welsh) Division: Major S.F.Mott
Microsoft Word - 53 Division (1930-38).docx - British Military …
This division was a first line Territorial Army division, with its headquarters based at Morfe House, Belle Vue Road, Shrewsbury. It had been formed in 1908, numbered in 1915 and had been …
WWII AND ITS IMPACT ON THE POYNTZPASS AREA
Because of the fear of a German invasion via the Free State the 53rd Welsh Division stayed in the South Down/South Armagh area along the border until 1944. Part of the Division camped in …
53rd Welsh Division War Diary .pdf
Division, 53rd (Welsh),1945 Welsh Yeomanry at War Steven John,2015-08-03 Soon after the outbreak of the Great War following many years of part time soldiering as cavalry troops on …
