53rd Welsh

Exploring the history of 53rd Welsh Division, 1919 - 1945.

Tweets by @ReassessHistory
#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

#OTD in 1944

Patrols play a dangerous game of cat and mouse around the Scottish Corridor as both sides attempt to learn the other's intentions.

Prisoners remain hard to acquire.

Scavenging the rotting, bloated dead for ID becomes the norm.

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[Ian Butler @Dr_Butty]

@53rdWelsh Somewhere among those thousands of 53rd Div troops was Cpl Ernest Butler (Signals) of HQ Coy, 4th Btn Welch Regiment. My Father.

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

B Squadron 53 Recce halted in Downham (on their way to the docks) amidst the aftermath of a V-1 strike. Locals came out to 'give freely of their own short supplies' handing the Reccies ciggies, cakes, sarnies, mags - even cash.

One man asked...
#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[Commander 160th (Welsh) Brigade @ArmyComd160X]

53rd Welsh Division, of which 160 Inf Bde was part, landed in Normandy 75 years ago. The start of a campaign which would end in Hamburg 10 months later during which they earned a lasting reputation. We remain so proud of our predecessors.

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

#OTD in 1944

Throughout the course of the day, thousands more men from 53rd Division continue to disembark ships, supervised by the RN & weave their way towards their concentration area.

Here they'd assemble & await the arrival of MT prior to battle.

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

#OTD in 1944

158 Brigade lands in Normandy and the three Royal Welch Fusilier battalions march inland in search of their Assembly Area.

Nearly 2k Fusiliers marched in single file down dusty roads, bypassing minefields, demolished pillboxes and a charred village.

#DDay75 #WW2

[Jonathan Ware @ReassessHistory]

#OTD in 1944

53rd Welsh Division's first elements arrive in Normandy, 381 Battery 116 Royal Welch Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment & B Squadron 53 Reconnaissance Regiment.

The former disembark & deploy around Subles to protect the Div concentration area.
#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

With landings in France, all leave was cancelled.

Compassionate leave would be granted solely at Lt-Gen Neil Ritchie, XII Corps' Commander', discretion.

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

One CSM in 1 HLI formed his Company up and produced a bottle of whisky,

'Gentlemen. Today is D-Day! And I have carried this bottle around for a long time waiting for this day to come and I want you to drink a toast to victory in Europe.'

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

Canadian officers were gathered in the Maple Leaf Club in London, excitedly assembled to hear what was going on.

One CANLOAN officer from 4 Welch, Harrry Crowe, asked the throng what they wished to gain from the landings,

"TO GET THAT VICTORY MEDAL!" They roared.
#DDay75 #WW2

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

E.M. Shelly, 116 LAA, looked up to see 'a sky full of bombers as far as the eye could see, heading South.'

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#SWW #WW2

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

'On 6 June came the invasion. Without us!' Gunner Wallace Brereton, 459 Battery, 133 Field Regiment

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

#OTD in 1944

Something was afoot, as 53rd Welsh Division went silent in Kent.

Staff Captain David Bolland recalled that Divisional Headquarters, 'received the magic codeword, "Adoration 0200 hrs." This meant wireless silence until ordered to be broken.'
#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

Major Richard Hughes, OC 497 Battery 133 Field Regiment, was quietly confident.

"[We] were at peak efficiency by June, 1944, when we went to war. Everyone worked well together, Officers and Men alike."

Get his excellent account from @penswordbooks

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[Jonathan Ware @ReassessHistory]

How many Welsh units were involved in the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944?

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#Wales #Welsh #history
#WW2 #SWW

[Jonathan Ware @ReassessHistory]

Another exciting #DDay75/#Normandy75 comp, with a fantastic @Airfix 1/72 Typhoon up for grabs.

What were the black and white stripes added to Allied aircraft before 6 June called?

Use #overlordcomp to enter with your answer!

Good luck!
#WW2 #SWW #RT
#history #avgeeks

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

Dempsey replied, 'you have the finest battalion in my army group, and that being so, you may come with us whatever they say.'

The situation would be reassessed, but George's dream came true.

He would lead 1 East Lancs into Normandy.

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

#OTD in 1944

Dempsey, commander of Second Army, met with 1 East Lancs' CO Lt-Col George Burden.

At 48 years old, George was old to lead an Infantry Bn into the thick of action & asked Miles if he would lose command of his beloved Bn due to his age so late in the day...
#DDay75

[Jonathan Ware @ReassessHistory]

#OTD in 1944

Lt-Gen Miles Dempsey held a discussion at St. Paul's Cathedral regarding Operation Overlord for Corps and Divisional Commanders, before watching Exercise Bud: a dry run of embarkation, seeing troops loaded, vehicles waterproofed etc.

#DDay75 #Normandy75
#WW2 #SWW

[53rd Welsh @53rdWelsh]

Welcome to the new dedicated account exploring 53rd Welsh Division's dynamic history from 1919 to 1945!

#WW2 #SWW #RT
#DDay75 #Normandy75