15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
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The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served during the Second World War. It was raised on 2 September 1939, the day before war was declared, as part of the Territorial Army (TA) and served in the United Kingdom and later North-West Europe from June 1944 to May 1945.


Background

During the 1930s, tensions increased between Germany and the United Kingdom and its
allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
. In late 1937 and throughout 1938, German demands for the annexation of the
Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and sk, Sudety) is the historical German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the ...
in Czechoslovakia led to an international crisis. To avoid war, the British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...
met with German
Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Adolf Hitler in September and brokered the Munich Agreement. The agreement averted a war and allowed Germany to
annexe Annex or Annexe refers to a building joined to or associated with a main building, providing additional space or accommodations. It may also refer to: Places * The Annex, a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada * The Annex (New H ...
the Sudetenland. Although Chamberlain had intended the agreement to lead to further peaceful resolution of issues, relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached the terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state. On 29 March, British
Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...
Leslie Hore-Belisha announced plans to increase the part-time Territorial Army (TA) from 130,000 to 340,000 men and double the number of TA divisions. The plan was for existing TA divisions, referred to as the first-line, to recruit over their establishments (aided by an increase in pay for Territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion which had hindered recruiting, construction of better-quality barracks and an increase in supper rations) and then form a new division, known as the second-line, from cadres around which the divisions could be expanded. This process was dubbed "duplicating". The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was to be a second-line unit, a duplicate of the first-line 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. In April, limited
conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
was introduced. This resulted in 34,500 twenty-year-old militiamen being conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before deployment to the forming second-line units. It was envisioned that the duplicating process and recruiting the required numbers of men would take no more than six months. Some TA divisions had made little progress by the time the Second World War began in September; others were able to complete this work within a matter of weeks.


Home Service


Formation

The embryo of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was formed on 26 August 1939, administered by the 52nd Division, and became an independent formation on 2 September 1939. It took control of the 44th, the 45th and the 46th Infantry Brigades. Due to the lack of official guidance, the newly formed formations were at liberty to choose numbers, styles, and titles. The division adopted the number, title, and divisional insignia of their First World War counterpart, the
15th (Scottish) Division The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served in the First World War. The 15th (Scottish) Division was formed from men volunteering for Kitchener's Army, and served from 1915 to 1918 on the West ...
. The brigades did likewise. The divisional insignia, the letter 'O' (being the 15th letter of the alphabet), differed slightly from the original, by not including a triangle inside the circle. On formation, the 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade consisted of the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots; the 6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers; and the 7th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. The 45th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade comprised the 6th Battalion,
Royal Scots Fusiliers The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...
; and the 9th and the 10th Battalions,
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...
. The 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade had the 10th and the 11th Battalions, Highland Light Infantry; and the 2nd Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders. The division was initially assigned to Scottish Command, and Major-General
Roland Le Fanu Major-General Roland Le Fanu (13 May 1888 – 2 January 1957) was a senior British Army officer. Military career Le Fanu, after being educated in Germany and briefly serving in the Royal Navy, and later transferring to the Royal Irish Fusilier ...
became the general officer commanding. Le Fanu's prior experience included staff appointments, and he had fought in the 1937 Waziristan campaign. While primarily made up of Scots, recruits were posted to the division from across the United Kingdom, particularly England.


Home defence

The war deployment plan for the TA envisioned that its divisions would be deployed overseas, as equipment became available, to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that had already been dispatched to Europe. The TA would join regular army divisions in waves as its divisions completed their training, the final divisions deploying one year after the war began. However, during the opening months of the war, the division lacked the required equipment and personnel. September saw the division drained of manpower. Soldiers, aged 19, were reassigned to other formations; the
Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...
allocated other men to essential industries; and medical standards weeded out those considered unfit. The division was initially scattered across southern Scotland without access to training facilities. On 30 September, after the requisition of civilian transport, the division moved to the
Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...
, south of Edinburgh, to start training. In October 1939, the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, General Walter Kirke, was tasked with drawing up a plan, codenamed Julius Caesar, to defend the United Kingdom from a potential German invasion. The division's role in this was largely to defend the Edinburgh and Forth areas. It was not until December that the division moved to undertake this role, with the 44th Brigade positioned astride the
Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
. The rest of the division was based around Glasgow, on either side of the Firth of Clyde. On paper, an infantry division was to have seventy-two modern
25-pounder The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British field gun and howitzer during the Second World War. Its calibre is 3.45-inch (87.6 mm). It was introduced into service just before the war started, combin ...
field guns. By November, the divisional artillery comprised just eight First World War-vintage howitzers. By January, this had increased to sixteen howitzers, in addition to eight First World War-era
18-pounder The Ordnance QF 18-pounder,British military traditionally denoted smaller ordnance by the weight of its standard projectile, in this case approximately or simply 18-pounder gun, was the standard British Empire field gun of the First World War ...
field guns. In April 1940, the division marched back to the Borders, and used the move as a training exercise. Elements of the division were then used to provide logistical support for units en route to fight in the Norwegian Campaign. On 9 April, following the start of the campaign, the second-line infantry divisions were requested to each form an independent infantry company of 289 volunteers, who would be deployed to Norway. The 15th Division formed No. 10 Independent Company, but it was not deployed. When the campaign ended in failure, the division was ordered to move south into England to make room for the returning troops. This move promoted Kirke to complain that the division was being moved against his wishes, despite the defensive role assigned to it for southern Scotland. The move took the division to Wiltshire, with the intent to intensively prepare for its deployment to France. Following the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, the English east coast was seen as the area most under threat from German invasion. The division then moved to Essex to defend the coast from
Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
, in the north, to Southend-on-Sea, in the south. To prevent a German invasion, including potential tank attacks, the divisional artillery now comprised twelve howitzers, six 18-pounder field guns, and four Ordnance QF 2-pounder anti-tank guns (compared to an establishment of 48). This was roughly on par with the other eight divisions that had been assigned to defend the coast, although the 15th was one of only two that included anti-tank guns. Additional equipment included 47
Boys anti-tank rifle The Boys anti-tank rifle (officially Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, and sometimes incorrectly spelled "Boyes"), is a British anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was often nicknamed the "elephant gun" by its users due to its si ...
s (against an establishment of 361), 63 Universal Carriers (establishment of 140), and 590 Bren light machine guns (establishment of 644). The division co-operated with the forming
Local Defence Volunteers The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 to 1944, the Home Guard had 1.5 million local volunteers otherwise ineligible f ...
, laid
landmines A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
, and erected anti-invasion obstacles within its operating area. On 9 July, George VI inspected elements of the division at Colchester. The next month, on 2 August,
Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Alan Brooke, now Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, visited the division. Brooke recorded in his diary "Do not think much of
e Fanu E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
and doubtful whether he is good enough." Regarding the division's rank and file, he wrote they were "good but equirea great deal more training." On 23 August, Le Fanu was replaced by Major-General
Robert Cotton Money Major-General Robert Cotton Money, (21 July 1888 – 16 April 1985) was a senior British Army officer, who commanded the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division during the early part of the Second World War. Military career Money was born in 1888, th ...
. On 31 October, George VI visited the divisional headquarters, and provided authorization for the lion rampant, from
Royal Arms of Scotland The royal arms of Scotland is the official coat of arms of the King of Scots first adopted in the 12th century. With the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI inherited the thrones of England and Ireland and thus his arms in Scotland were now Qua ...
, to be added within the 'O' of the divisional insignia. The division remained on the coast, and trained through to the end of the year. On 30 January 1941, Major-General Oliver Leese took command of the division. Later in the month, the division moved northeast to
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, in
East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
. The division maintained a coastal defence role, with the 44th Brigade based at
Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...
, the 45th Brigade situated between Dunwich and Aldeburgh, and the 46th Brigade between Orford and Felixstowe. This left a gap between the 44th and the 45th Brigades, which was filled by the 37th Independent Infantry Brigade. This brigade reported directly to
XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * XI ...
, and was not part of the division. On 17 June 1941, Major-General Philip Christison replaced Leese. By September, the division's artillery regiments had all been outfitted with a full complement of 25-pounder field guns.


Divisional changes

Due to the large number of men allocated to the infantry, in 1941, the British Army instituted reforms to build-up other arms and formations. As a result, several divisions were to be disbanded or reduced. This included the 15th (Scottish), which was placed on the lower establishment in November 1941. This meant that the division was detailed for home defence, compared to a higher establishment division that were intended to be deployed overseas for combat. The division was stripped of artillery and engineer units, and used as a source of reinforcements for oversea units. After being downgraded, the division moved north to Northumberland. It took up position at Newcastle and along the coast north of the city, as well as continued training. On 14 May 1942, Major-General
Charles Bullen-Smith Major-General David Charles Bullen-Smith (23 October 1898 – 1970) was a senior British Army officer. Military career Bullen-Smith was born in 1898 and attended Wellington College, Berkshire. He then attended the Royal Military College, Sandhu ...
took command. On 5 January 1943, the 45th Brigade was removed from the division and replaced by the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. This brought the division inline with the 'mixed division' concept. Lieutenant-General Giffard Le Quesne Martel, head of the Royal Armoured Corps, described this as "the absorption of the armoured forces into the rest of the army", which required a division to decrease from three to two infantry brigades, and have a tank brigade, equipped with infantry tanks, assigned in place of the lost infantry. On 28 March 1943, the division was raised to the higher establishment, officially as a 'mixed division'. It was intended to bring the division up to strength, an establishment of 16,119 men and 205 tanks, by June. Accordingly, additional units were transferred to the division. Training now had an emphasis on
combined arms warfare Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects (for example by using infantry and armour in an urban environment in which each supports the other). ...
. The division was assigned to the
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars *VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army ...
, on 20 June 1943. The following month, on 14 July, the division was brought back up to a strength of three infantry brigades, while still retaining the tank brigade, when the 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade joined. On 27 August 1943, Major-General Gordon MacMillan arrived from commanding a brigade in combat in North Africa, to take command of the division. On 5 September, the 'mixed division' concept was abandoned as it was considered to have not been successful, and the 6th Guards Tank Brigade left on 9 September. The division then moved to Yorkshire, and was based around
Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
, Harrogate, and Leeds. The remainder of the 1943 and the opening of 1944 was used to conduct extensive training and divisional exercises, as the division had been assigned to partake in
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, the invasion of German-occupied France. In February 1944, General
Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...
, commander of the
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
, the main Allied formation in Operation Overlord, visited the division and addressed the men. In the following weeks, the division was visited by George VI, Queen Elizabeth, their daughter Elizabeth, Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, and the VIII Corps commander Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor. In April, the division moved to
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
, and was concentrated in camps in the
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
area. The division's advanced parties departed for London on 8 June, and moved to France on 13 June. On 11 June, the division proper started to move to marshalling areas in London and Southampton, and were transported to France piecemeal with the last unit not arriving until 24 June.


Overseas service


Operation Epsom

The Norman city of
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Normandy landings, and was seen as key for future operations. However, the city did not fall on 6 June, and was not taken in follow-up fighting. The recently assembled VIII Corps was assigned to a renewed effort to capture the city. Operation Epsom intended for the corps to attack to the west of Caen, cross the Odon and
Orne river The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre. The ...
s, capture an area of high ground near Bretteville-sur-Laize and thereby encircle the city. The operation was the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division's baptism of fire, and it was assigned a key role in the opening phases: to clear several villages that stood between them and the Odon, and to capture bridges to allow the
11th Armoured Division The 11th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army which was created in March 1941 during the Second World War. The division was formed in response to the unanticipated success of the German panzer divisions. The 11th Armou ...
to cross the river and race for Bretteville-sur-Laize. Afterwards, the 15th Division would clear the Odon river valley. Phase I of the attack was conducted by the 44th and the 46th Brigades, supported by Churchill tanks from the 31st Tank Brigade and specialist tanks from the 79th Armoured Division. Both brigades attacked at 07:30 behind a
rolling barrage In military usage, a barrage is massed sustained artillery fire (shelling) aimed at a series of points along a line. In addition to attacking any enemy in the kill zone, a barrage intends to suppress enemy movements and deny access across tha ...
. German mortar fire responded immediately. Despite delays caused by minefields and German holdouts in the forward area, the brigades captured most of their objectives before noon: La Gaule, Le Haut, and Cheux. An effort by the 46th Brigade to advance to the southeast of Cheux, to capture a hill, was partially successful. They seized the northern slope, but the Germans retained the southern. Elements of the 44th Brigade were engaged in an all day struggle to capture and hold St Mauvieu, which they did after fending off several counterattacks. Both brigades suffered mounting losses. The historian Carlo D'Este highlighted the 46th Brigade's 2nd Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders, who suffered around 200 casualties including 12 officers. This represented 24 per cent of the battalion's officers and "nearly 25% of the entire rifle battalion." Phase II of the attack started late, around 18:00, as the 227th Brigade was delayed by traffic congestion at Cheux. As it moved south, the brigade was engaged by German tanks and made little progress. However, one
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
broke through the German lines and reached Colleville. On the morning of 27 June, the 46th Brigade secured the northern slope of the hill that had been previously denied to them. Afterwards, both the 44th and the 46th Brigades were relieved by the
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...
. Part of the 227th Brigade made little progress pushing south beyond Cheux, due to mortar fire and German tanks, although they repulsed one attack and destroyed four tanks. The rest of the brigade cleared Colleville, captured
Tourville-sur-Odon Tourville-sur-Odon (, literally ''Tourville on Odon'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Eu ...
, destroyed additional German tanks, and by the afternoon had seized the bridge across the Odon at Tourmauville. This allowed the 11th Armoured Division to cross and proceed with the operation. Fighting continued the next day, with most of the division involved. Additional bridges and villages were secured along the Odon valley. This included Gavrus, which was taken by the 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and who were then left isolated. The Germans also began a counterattack on the north side of the Odon into the division's western flank. The back and forth fighting, which spread to both sides of the Odon, continued through 29 June and resulted in the division fending off the attacks and was able to secure additional territory. The historian
Lloyd Clark Lloyd Clark FRHS (born 1967) is professorial research fellow in the Humanities Research Institute of the University of Buckingham. As a professor, he teaches Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History. He is a leading military histor ...
placed the division's defensive success on "careful positioning", taking advantage of terrain, as well as "excellent leadership and tactical prowess at the small unit level." Due to heavy casualties suffered by the 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, they withdrew and the division ceded control of Gavrus on 30 June. During the course of the day, additional counterattacks on the division were repulsed. The
53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...
then relieved the 15th, although the 44th Brigade remained engaged through July 1. They repulsed further German counterattacks, and were relieved by the Welsh division on 2 July. Hugh Martin, the author of the divisional history, described Epsom as the "fiercest fighting that the Division was to know in the whole war", which captured of territory, and resulted in "one-quarter" of all casualties suffered by the division through the entire campaign. The division suffered 288 men killed, 1,638 wounded, and 794 men
missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...
. D'Este commented that the number of riflemen in a division was around 4,600, and the losses suffered by the division represented "in excess of 50%" of the division's infantry.


Normandy, July

The next divisional action was limited to artillery support, with the artillery supporting a Canadian effort to capture the Carpiquet airfield during
Operation Windsor Operation Windsor was a Canadian attack, which was part of the Battle of Normandy during the Second World War. The attack was undertaken by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division to take Carpiquet and the adjacent airfield, from troops of the of . ...
on 4 July. By 7 July, the division had been reinforced to make up most of its Epsom losses. The 44th and the 46th Brigades were then assigned to support the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division during Operation Jupiter. The 44th Brigade occupied positions along the Odon river, previously held by the 227th Brigade during Operation Epsom. This freed up the 43rd Division, for their attack on the dominant high ground south of the river. The 44th Brigade supported this effort by engaging in mutual mortar bombardments with the Germans on the heights. The 46th Brigade, supported by elements of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, cleared the area between the Odon and Orne near Eterville. They also supported the 43rd Division by taking control of several hamlets that the latter had captured, and fended off several counterattacks. By 10 July, both brigades had been relieved. On 12 July, the division was assigned to
XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII (Ro ...
, and three days later attacked towards
Bougy Bougy is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 528 communes of the Calvados department of France. The ...
, Evrecy, and
Maizet Maizet () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions ...
, as part of
Operation Greenline The Second Battle of the Odon comprised operations fought by the British Second Army (United Kingdom), Second Army during the Second World War. Attacks took place in mid-July 1944 against 5th Panzer Army, Panzergruppe West, as part of the Operatio ...
; a diversionary attack in support of
Operation Goodwood Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
. German resistance and counterattacks, heavy fighting,
flanking fire Enfilade and defilade are concepts in military tactics used to describe a military formation's exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position is "in de ...
, and a direct hit on one of the brigade's tactical headquarters caused delays and communication breakdowns. In the end, the division captured Bougy, fell short of taking Evrecy, and failed to advance on Maizet. However, the fighting had attracted German armour reserves away from the Goodwood battle area, and thus achieved the operation's objective.


Breakout from Normandy

On 23 July, the division relocated to Caumont and relieved the 5th US Infantry Division. This was part of a strategic realignment of the Normandy beachhead, as the British Second Army shifted three divisions west to allow the American First Army to launch a breakout offensive. In support, the British Army launched Operation Bluecoat that aimed to secure the American flank and reach the town of
Vire Vire () is a town and a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Vire Normandie. Geography The town is located on the river Vire. Much of it ...
. The division was faced by the recently arrived 326th Infantry Division, who took over well-prepared defenses that were behind a minefield. For Bluecoat, the division reverted to the command of VIII Corps and was supported by mine-clearing tanks, Churchill tanks, and Churchill Crocodiles. On 30 July, the division attacked through the Normandy bocage, with the goal of reaching Hill 309 by the end of the day. The infantry were soon subjected to heavy artillery fire, while terrain and mines resulted in the infantry and tanks separating. The division's first objective was
Sept-Vents Sept-Vents () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val de Drôme.21st Panzer Division The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941–1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps ...
, over a 12-hour period. Over the following days, while most of the division retained their defensive position, elements were used to clear territory captured or bypassed by the advancing armour. During this period, MacMillan was wounded by shell fire and was replaced by the 46th Brigade commander, Colin Muir Barber, who was made a major-general. On 6 August, the leading elements of the division reached
Estry Estry () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), ...
and the nearby Hill 208, and fought a back and forth battle for both locations over the following days. On 13 August, the division was transferred to near Caen, and ended its participation in the Normandy fighting. The Allied advance culminated in the defeat of the German military in Normandy at the Falaise Pocket. Afterwards, the Second Army advanced towards the
Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...
, in pursuit of the retreating German forces, with XII Corps spearheaded by the 15th Division. Late on 26 August, the division crossed the river largely unopposed. Additional crossings, meeting light resistance, were made under the cover of darkness the next morning. The bridgehead was then consolidated.


Belgium and the Netherlands

On 2 September, one battalion moved east from the Seine and was followed by the rest of the division the next day. Four days later, the bulk of the division arrived at Courtrai, Belgium, and immediately shelled retreating German forces. Over the following days, the division cleared the area between the Scheldt and the Lys rivers, and took several hundred prisoners. The Glasgow Highlanders (46th Brigade) were dispatched to reinforce the effort to take Ghent. They fought an opposed crossing of the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal on 9 September, and spent the following two days engaged in close fighting in and around the northern section of the city as they cleared it building by building, and took several hundred more prisoners. The division then moved into the bridgehead that had been established over the Albert Canal, at Gheel. From this foothold, on 14 September, the division launched several assaults to cross the Meuse-Escaut Canal (referred to as the 'Junction Canal' in the divisional history). They were only able to secure one bridgehead, at Aart, and battled to hold it over the next six days. The bridgehead, around in depth, was heavily contested by the Germans and caused the division 700 casualties. This action was credited with diverting German resources away from
Joe's Bridge Joe's Bridge is the nickname given to Bridge No.9 on the Bocholt-Herentals Canal outside the town of Neerpelt, in the Belgian city of Lommel just south of the Belgian-Dutch border. The bridge was captured by British troops in September 1944, b ...
, where XXX Corps began their assault from at the start of
Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...
. On 20 September, the 7th Armoured Division relieved the 15th Division, which (minus the 227th Brigade) moved east to Lommel, and took up position in a bridgehead that had been secured by the 53rd Division. Operation Market Garden intended to land the First Allied Airborne Army behind German lines to seize six bridges and other key areas, to facilitate an advance by XXX Corps through the Netherlands and across the Rhine and into Germany. XII Corp was assigned to protect the left flank of XXX Corps' advance. Consequently, the 15th Division crossed the Wilhelmina Canal (), unopposed on 21 September, and advanced towards the village of
Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...
, on the northwest outskirts of
Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Dommel and captured several hamlets. Martin recounted that a medical officer from the 44th Brigade strayed into German lines while searching for wounded soldiers, during this period. After giving his word not to provide intelligence to the division, he was released to continue his search for the wounded. Operation Haggis followed, which was the relief of the division by the
51st (Highland) Infantry Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
and was finalized on 3 October. Afterwards, the division was then given a three-week break at
Helmond Helmond (; called ''Héllemond'' in the local dialect) is a city and municipality in the Metropoolregio Eindhoven of the province of North Brabant in the Southern Netherlands. Helmond is home to several textile and metal companies. The Vlisco fa ...
, east of Eindhoven. This time was used to rest, reinforce, train, and a 'Battle School' was formed. The division was then assigned to VIII Corps, which was tasked with defeating three German divisions that were based west of the Meuse along the eastern flank of the corridor captured during Operation Market Garden. Prior to the 15th (Scottish) being committed to this, Montgomery assigned the division back to XII Corps that been tasked with attacking west from the corridor. This operation, codenamed
Operation Pheasant Operation Pheasant, also known as the Liberation of North Brabant, was a major operation to clear German troops from the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. This offensiv ...
, was designed to support the ongoing effort to clear the Scheldt estuary. The division's task was to capture the town of Tilburg. On 20 October, the division moved back to Best, and started their advance three days later. German forces had largely abandoned the area in front of the division, so the initial move was unopposed. On 26 October, a brief action was fought to capture the town of Oisterwijk. The next day, the division (now supported by the 4th Armoured Brigade and the Dutch Princess Irene Brigade) advanced into the Tilburg, and seized key points throughout the city. Martin claimed that the division skirmished with Dutch Waffen SS units in Tilburg. The following day, the division conducted a clearing operation, and then declared the city liberated. On 30 October, the division entered Asten, south of Helmond, in response a German counterattack launched to the east of Eindhoven. The division then fought at Meijel, Blerwick, the
Battle of Broekhuizen The Battle of Broekhuizen, a Dutch village near the Meuse, was a small but bloody battle which took place late in 1944 as part of the Allied campaign to liberate the left bank of the Meuse in the Netherlands (Peel marshes). Background In the fi ...
.


Germany

The division then entered Germany, and fought in Operation Veritable, crossed the Rhine, took part in Operation Plunder in late March 1945, part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany. The particular distinction for the 15th Scottish was to be selected to lead the last set piece river crossing of the war, the assault across the River Elbe (Operation Enterprise) on 29 April 1945 spearheaded by the 1st Commando Brigade, after which they fought on to the Baltic occupying both Lübeck and Kiel. The 15th (Scottish) was the only division of the British Army during the Second World War to be involved in three of the six major European river assault crossings; the Seine, the Rhine and the Elbe. On 10 April 1946, the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was finally disbanded. Its battle casualties– killed, wounded and missing – in nearly eleven months of fighting were 11,772 with over 1,500 men killed. According to D'Este, the ''"15th (Scottish) Division was considered to be the most effective and best led infantry division in 21st Army Group."''D'Este, p. 239.


General officers commanding

The division had the following commanders:


Order of battle


See also

* List of British divisions in World War II * British Army Order of Battle (September 1939)


Notes

Footnotes Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Scottish Lion on Patrol: the story of 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment
{{DEFAULTSORT:15 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946