Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...

fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French language, French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

Vickers machine gun The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a Water cooling, water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more me ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.defended the United Kingdom, fought in the North African Campaign, took part in the

Battle of Singapore The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...

, fought in the Italian Campaign, and operated with 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 ...

in the

North-West Europe Campaign of 1944–45 North-West Europe 1944–1945 is a battle honour (more properly known as an honorary distinction) earned by regiments of the British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War that took part in the actions of the northern part of the war's We ...

, operating on the Western Front.

Inter-war years

In November 1919, following the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the war-raised battalions of the

Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...

were disbanded. The single exception was the 3rd (

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...

) Battalion. While its personal were transferred to the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

1st Battalion on 12 July 1919 disembodied on 29 July, it was not formally disbanded until April 1953. On 7 February 1920, following the establishment of the Territorial Army (T.A.), the 1st Line

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

battalions of the regiment were reconstituted. The battalions were grouped together, to once again form the Northumberland Brigade, which was part of the Northumbrian Division. During the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

, the make-up of the regiment was as follows: * 1st Battalion * 2nd Battalion * 3rd Battalion (Militia) ''suspended animation'' * 4th Battalion (T.A.) * 5th Battalion (T.A.) * 6th Battalion (T.A.) * 7th Battalion (T.A.) In June 1935, as part of H.M. King George V's silver jubilee, the regiment was accorded royal status in recognition for their service during the First World War. They would henceforth be known as the

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...

. In 1922, the

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tank ...

(MGC) was disbanded in order to save money. Following which,

Vickers machine gun The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a Water cooling, water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more me ...

s were organised into Machine Gun Platoons (later, Machine Gun Companies) in each infantry battalion. In 1936, this decision was reversed and the heavy machine guns were, once again, to be concentrated in specialised Divisional (Machine Gun) or Divisional (Support) Battalions. Rather than resurrecting the MGC, a number of infantry regiments were converted to take on the role. The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of four regiments selected for conversion. The needs of modern mechanized warfare had a significant effect on the regiment's T.A. battalions. The Northumbrian Division was reorganized as a Motor Division, which saw a reduction from three to two brigades (but the addition of a motorcycle battalion) and the Northumberland Brigade was broken up. On 1 November 1938, the role of several battalions were changed. The 4th Battalion was converted to a motorcycle battalion, and assigned to 50th Division The 5th Battalion became a

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

battalion, styled as ''5th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Regiment)'', and assigned to the

30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended Tyneside and Sunderland during the Second World War. Origins The formation was raised as 30th (Northumb ...

. The 6th Battalion was converted to an armoured role and transferred to the

Royal Tank Corps The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as t ...

as its 43rd Battalion (6th (City) Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers). The 7th Battalion was converted to a machine gun battalion in Northumbrian Area, Northern Command By 1939, it became clear that a new major war was likely to break out. The

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

ordered the doubling of the T.A., with each unit forming a duplicate. The 4th and 7th Battalions formed duplicates: the 8th and 9th Battalions. On the eve of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers consisted of: * 1st Battalion ''(MG)'' * 2nd Battalion ''(MG)'' * 4th Battalion (T.A.) ''(motorcycle)'' * 5th Battalion (T.A.) (53rd Searchlight Regiment) * 7th Battalion (T.A.) ''(MG)'' * 8th Battalion (T.A.) ''(motorcycle)'' * 9th Battalion (T.A.) ''(MG)''

Second World War

1st Battalion

At the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the 1st Battalion was a machine gun unit assigned to the 18th Infantry Brigade as part of the

British Troops in Egypt British Troops in Egypt was a command of the British Army. History A British Army commander was appointed in the late 19th century after the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. The British Army remained in Egypt throughout the First World War and, after t ...

. It was stationed at

Abbassia Abbassia ( ar, العباسية ) is a neighbourhood in Cairo, Egypt. The Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo is located in Abbassia. The medical faculty of Ain Shams University and its affiliate hospital units are located in Ab ...

, Cairo but was just leaving for

Mersa Matruh Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...

in the Western Desert. By the end of the month, it was attached to the 7th Infantry Division and was still attached when the division was designated as

6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 6th Division (Australia) * 6th Division (Austria) *6th (United Kingdom) Division * Finnish 6th Division (Winter War) *Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War) * 6th Division (Reichswehr) * 6th Divisi ...

on 3 November 1939; the battalion remained with it until April 1940. From April to December 1940, the battalion was attached to the 4th Indian Infantry Division and served in

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...

which saw the Italians expelled from Egypt and the capture of

Sidi Barrani Sidi Barrani ( ar, سيدي براني ) is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the Egypt–Libya border, and around from Tobruk, Libya. Named after Sidi es-Saadi el Barrani, a Senussi sheikh who was a head of i ...

. Thereafter, the division departed for

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

without the battalion. From January 1941, it was assigned to XIII Corps and from August to December 1941 it was in Tobruk Fortress. It then came under the command of the Eighth Army until the end of the North African Campaign. Its most notable action was in the

Battle of El Alamein There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942 * Secon ...

when it operated as separate companies among the units of

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

: * HQ attached to 8th Armoured Division * W Company attached to 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade, 10th Armoured Division * X Company attached to 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division * Y Company reforming * Z Company attached to "Hammerforce", 1st Armoured Division On 19 September 1943, the battalion moved to Syria where it joined the

10th Indian Infantry Division The 10th Indian Infantry Division was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two great campaigns: the ...

and remained with it for the rest of the war. In March 1944, the battalion transited Palestine and Egypt and shipped to Italy, landing at

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

on 28 March; it remained on the Italian Front for the rest of the Second World War. The battalion saw action on the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

and in the 1945 Spring offensive. During the war

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

James Jackman was posthumously awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

.

2nd Battalion

At the outbreak of the war, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was stationed in

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and attached as the machine gun unit to the

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

based 4th Infantry Division. It joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France in October 1939 and served there until June 1940. Although organized as a ''divisional'' machine gun battalion, it was attached to General Headquarters (GHQ) and was assigned to divisions as required. It joined Home Forces on its return from

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.46th Infantry Division in North Africa as a support battalion. It moved to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

with the division taking part in the

Salerno landings Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, b ...

, capture of Naples, Volturno Crossing and Mont Camino. On 10 March 1944, it left the 46th Division and once again joined the 4th Division. It was reconfigured as a machine gun battalion on 7 June 1944 and remained with the division for the rest of the war. It fought at Cassino II,

Trasimene Line The Trasimene Line (so-named for Lake Trasimeno, Lake Trasimene, the site of a major battle of the Second Punic War in 217 BC) was a Wehrmacht, German defensive line during the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It ...

,

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

, Advance to Florence and

Rimini Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of t ...

. In December 1944, it moved with the division to Greece where it remained until the end of the war.

4th Battalion

The 4th Battalion was converted to a motorcycle battalion in 1938, and was assigned to the

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...

(then organised as a Motor Division) on the outbreak of the war. It served with the division in France and Belgium from January to June 1940. It took part in the action on the Ypres-Comines Canal. The British Army in France 1940 F3195

After returning from Dunkirk, the battalion came under command of Home Forces until April 1941; on 30 April 1941 it was transferred to the

Reconnaissance Corps The Reconnaissance Corps, or simply Recce Corps, was a corps of the British Army, formed during the World War II, Second World War whose units provided reconnaissance for infantry Division (military), divisions. It was formed from infantry brigad ...

and redesignated as 50th Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps, and it rejoined 50th Division. It was then sent to

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

with the division in June 1941, with a short stay in Cyprus from July to November 1941 and in Iraq from November to December 1941. Much of the time, 50 Recce was attached to the

150th Infantry Brigade The 150th Infantry Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army that saw active service in the Second World War. A 1st Line Territorial Army brigade, it was part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. It served in the Battle ...

in keeping with the then current tactical organisation of

brigade group Brigade Enterprises Limited is a real estate and property development company that is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The Brigade Group also has operations in Mangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chikmagalur, Ahmedabad and a repr ...

s in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in the Mediterranean and Middle East. From February to June 1942 it was assigned to the 22nd Armoured Brigade. In June 1942, it returned to the United Kingdom and was in the Home Forces once again. On 6 June 1942 it became 50th Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps and in March 1943 reverted to the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers as the 4th Battalion. On 25 April 1944, the battalion was suspended; its personnel formed three independent machine gun companies for the British armoured divisions 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 ...

: * ''1st Independent Machine Gun Company'' assigned to the

Guards Armoured Division The Guards Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was created in the United Kingdom on 17 June 1941 during the Second World War from elements of the Guards units, the Grenadier G ...

* ''2nd Independent Machine Gun Company'' assigned to 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 ...

* ''3rd Independent Machine Gun Company'' assigned to the 7th Armoured Division All three served throughout the

North-West Europe Campaign The North West Europe campaign was a campaign by the British Commonwealth armed forces in North West Europe, including its skies and adjoining waters during World War II. The term Western Front has also sometimes been used informally. The United S ...

. They variously saw action at

Odon Odon may refer to: ;People * Odon Bacqué, American politician and non-fiction writer * Odon of Greater Poland, duke of Greater Poland * Odon de Pins, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller * Jorge Odón, Argentine mechanic and inventor ;Places ...

, Bourguébus Ridge,

Mont Pinçon Mont Pinçon is the highest point of the department of Calvados, in Normandy, with an elevation of . It is in the west of Norman Switzerland about to the south-west of Caen, near the village of Plessis-Grimoult. It was the site of many strateg ...

, The Nederrijn, The Rhineland, and

The Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sou ...

.

5th Battalion (53rd Searchlight Regiment)

''Note: Although the 5th Battalion spent most of the war as part of the Royal Artillery, its record is included here for completeness.'' The 5th Battalion was converted to a

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

battalion on 1 November 1938 as 5th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (53rd Searchlight Regiment). At the outbreak of the war, it was assigned to

30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade The 30th (Northumbrian) Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army from 1936 until 1955, which defended Tyneside and Sunderland during the Second World War. Origins The formation was raised as 30th (Northumb ...

, 7th Anti-Aircraft Division as part of the anti-aircraft defences for the North East. On 1 August 1940, it was transferred to the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

as the 53rd (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery and transferred to 57th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. It remained as a searchlight regiment in the UK until January 1945. In January 1945, the diminishing threat of the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

coupled with a manpower shortage in

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 ...

, particularly in the infantry, led to the conversion of surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry units. 53rd Searchlight Regiment was one of the regiments selected but it did not revert to its original title, instead becoming 638th (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment, Royal Artillery on 23 January 1945. It joined 304th Infantry Brigade, initially in the UK but in Norway from June 1945. It was placed in suspended animation in Norway on 13 December 1945.

7th Battalion

At the outbreak of the war, the 7th Battalion was organized as a machine gun battalion in Northumbrian Area, Northern Command. The battalion joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France in October 1939. It was assigned to

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

and attached to 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 ...

, which had been stationed at the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force the ...

, and escaped being encircled with the rest of the BEF during the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on ...

. It was then pulled back to the west of Northern France, where it was attached to the

French Tenth Army The Tenth Army (french: Xe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I The Tenth Army, first called ''détachement d'armée Maud'huy'', was formed on 1 October 1914 during the Race to the Sea. It ...

. For some time, the 51st was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division. During this period, the 154th Infantry Brigade was detached and withdrawn successfully. However, the 152nd and 153rd Infantry Brigades were trapped at

Saint-Valery-en-Caux Saint-Valery-en-Caux (, literally ''Saint-Valery in Pays de Caux, Caux'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region in northern France. The ad ...

, and surrendered on 12 June. The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H19575

The battalion was reconstituted in the United Kingdom, and on 12 October 1940 was assigned to 206th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) until 17 December. On 18 November 1941, the battalion was assigned to the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division. It remained in the United Kingdom training and preparing for the opening of the Western Front. The battalion landed in Normandy with the division on 27 June 1944, and fought with it in the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

and

Mont Pinçon Mont Pinçon is the highest point of the department of Calvados, in Normandy, with an elevation of . It is in the west of Norman Switzerland about to the south-west of Caen, near the village of Plessis-Grimoult. It was the site of many strateg ...

. Due to a severe manpower shortage in the British Army, the 59th Division was disbanded on 19 October 1944 and the battalion was placed in suspended animation.

8th Battalion

The 8th Battalion was formed as a duplicate of the 4th Battalion on 18 June 1939 (first officer commissioned) organized as a motorcycle battalion. On 2 October 1939 it was assigned to the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division. The division was sent to France on 22 April 1940, on labour and training duties, without any of its artillery or the bulk of its signals and administration units. On 20 May 1940, the division suffered heavy casualties trying to delay the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

advance at

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

and had to be evacuated at Dunkirk. On its return to the UK, after Dunkirk, the 23rd Division was disbanded due to the heavy losses it had suffered. After Dunkirk, the battalion left the 23rd Division on 29 June 1940. It was under command of Home Forces until November 1940 when it joined the 3rd Infantry Division, a Regular unit, as a motorcycle battalion. On 30 April 1941 it was transferred to the

Reconnaissance Corps The Reconnaissance Corps, or simply Recce Corps, was a corps of the British Army, formed during the World War II, Second World War whose units provided reconnaissance for infantry Division (military), divisions. It was formed from infantry brigad ...

and redesignated as 3rd Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps, on 6 June 1942 as 3rd Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps and finally on 1 January 1944 it was transferred to the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the component of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 Tank and the Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle. It includes most of the A ...

as

3rd (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Reconnaissance Regiment The 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment (NF) was a regiment of the Reconnaissance Corps, which was itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps, raised by the British Army during the Second World War. It was originally raised as the 8th Battalion, Royal Nor ...

. It remained part of the 3rd Infantry Division until August 1945. The 3rd Infantry Division remained in the UK training for many years until it landed on

Sword Beach Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied Fra ...

on 6 June 1944 –

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

– and fought through the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...

(

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,Bourguébus Ridge,

Mont Pinçon Mont Pinçon is the highest point of the department of Calvados, in Normandy, with an elevation of . It is in the west of Norman Switzerland about to the south-west of Caen, near the village of Plessis-Grimoult. It was the site of many strateg ...

), the Netherlands ( The Nederrijn) and later the invasion of Germany the (

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

and the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

), ending the war in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

. It was placed in suspended animation in July 1946.

9th Battalion

The 9th Battalion was formed as a duplicate of the 7th Battalion on 27 July 1939 (first officer commissioned). It was organized as a machine gun battalion and on the outbreak of the war was in Northumbrian Area, Northern Command On 2 October 1939 it was attached to the 23rd Northumbrian Division (under command for labour duties and training, though not a Divisional Unit) and proceeded to France with them in April 1940. After Dunkirk, the battalion left the 23rd Division on 29 June as the division was disbanded. It was under command of Lieutenant Colonel Lechmere Thomas as part of Home Forces until January 1942 when it was transferred to

Malaya Command The Malaya Command was a Command (military formation), formation of the British Army formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of British Malaya, which comprised the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederat ...

, landing at Singapore a few days before the fall of the island . It went into

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

camps after the brief but violent week-long

Battle of Singapore The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...

.

10th (Home Defence), 1/10th (Home Defence), 30th Battalion

The 10th (

Home Defence A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

) Battalion was formed in December 1939 by the redesignation of ''No. 40 Group,

National Defence Companies The National Defence Companies of the Territorial Army were a voluntary military reserve force of the British Army, for the purpose of home defence in the event of war. Enlistment was limited to former members of the British Armed Forces between ...

'' (formed in September 1936). On 25 September 1940, it was split to form 1/10th (Home Defence) Battalion and 2/10th (Home Defence) Battalion. Both battalions were redesignated on 24 November as 10th (Home Defence) Battalion and 11th (Home Defence) Battalion. The 10th Battalion absorbed the 11th Battalion on 23 June 1941. On 24 December 1941, the battalion was converted to normal infantry and redesignated, once again, as 30th Battalion. In August 1943, it moved to

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

where it joined 42nd Infantry Brigade. The brigade was redesignated '' 57th Division'' as a

deception Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...

, and the 30th Battalion became "170th Brigade" until 30 April 1944. On 14 May 1944, it was posted to 233rd Brigade on

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

where it remained until the end of the war. It was disbanded on Malta in 1945.

2/10th (Home Defence), 11th (Home Defence) Battalion

The 2/10th (Home Defence) Battalion was formed on 25 September 1940 with personnel drawn from the 10th (Home Defence) Battalion. On 24 November, it was redesignated the 11th (Home Defence) Battalion and it was absorbed back into the 10th (Home Defence) Battalion on 23 June 1941.

70th (Young Soldier) Battalion

The 70th (Young Soldier) Battalion was formed at

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

on 19 September 1940 by withdrawing the Young Soldier

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

of the 30th Battalion, the 30th Battalion of the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

, and the 30th Battalion of the

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

. On 12 November 1942 it was redesignated as ''No. 98 Primary Training Centre''.

Post-war

The withdrawal from Empire, in particular the

independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

, led to a sharp reduction in the number of battalions in the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

. In common with all the other regiments of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were reduced to a single battalion; the 1st Battalion was reduced to

cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...

at Gibraltar and the 2nd Battalion was renumbered on 1 August 1948 as the 1st Battalion. The battalions of the Territorial Army were reconstituted on 1 January 1947: * 4th Battalion was reconstituted as infantry * 638th Regiment, Royal Artillery was reformed as 588th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. On 1 September 1950 it was converted to infantry under its original title (5th Battalion) and simultaneously absorbed into the 4th Battalion *

43rd Royal Tank Regiment The 43rd (6th (City) Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Royal Tank Regiment (43 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps that tested and demonstrated specialised Armoured Fighting Vehicles during World Wa ...

was reconstituted as an armoured regiment. On 1 November 1956 it converted to infantry with its former title (6th (City) Battalion) * 7th Battalion was reconstituted as infantry and immediately absorbed its war-time duplicate, 9th Battalion * 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment was converted to infantry with its former title (8th Battalion) and immediately disbanded * 9th Battalion was reformed and concurrently absorbed into its parent 7th Battalion

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Battalions of the British Army Lists of British Army units and formations Lists of military units and formations of World War II Northumberland-related lists Military units and formations in Northumberland Royal Northumberland Fusiliers battaltions

Inter-war years

Second World War

1st Battalion

2nd Battalion

4th Battalion

5th Battalion (53rd Searchlight Regiment)

7th Battalion

8th Battalion

9th Battalion

10th (Home Defence), 1/10th (Home Defence), 30th Battalion

2/10th (Home Defence), 11th (Home Defence) Battalion

70th (Young Soldier) Battalion

Post-war

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links