Post by RebAl on Sept 16, 2004 12:06:47 GMT -5
I am interested in most periods of history and read a lot about the Second World War. My Father served with the 74th (Northumbrian) Field regiment Royal Artillery (which was part of the famous 50th Division) called up before the outbreak of war in 1939 and fnally demobbed in 1946.
The Division is unique by being the only one to officially wear a Divisional badge bearing the emblems of two divisions the 49th Polar Bear and the 50th TT device. When the 50th was disbanded after D-Day the 74th soldiered on and transferred to the 49th (West Riding) Division – and wore their unique badge.
The 50th took part in most of the major actions from Dunkirk – Western Desert – D-Day being one of the first to land on the beaches at D-Day.
Some good books about the 50th which I own:
The Path of the 50th by E.W.Clay
Monty’s Northern Legions by Patrick Delaforce
The Sign of the Double T by B.S.Barnes
A Geordie Goes to War by G R Thompson
Some of my Father’s photographs he took most towards the end of the war at Oosterbeck in the Netherlands.
mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/rebal/war/index.htm
Also a poem about the Division wrote during the War.
JUST THE JOB
Dedicated to the 50th (Northumbrian ) Division
By 168 (London) Inf. Bde.
Now you’ve heard of Lord Kitchener,
Long may his memory life,
But when its soldiers that you’re needing,
Just send for the 50 Div.
When Rommel got to Alamein,
And things where getting stiff,
They said “Britons never shall be slaves”
Then sent for 50 Div.
When things got tough at Mareth
And very few managed to live,
The Highland boys just played their pipes
So they sent for 50 Div.
And when at Wadi Akarit
With the 69th on view
They made a gap and held it
And the Highland Div went through.
They battled to Enfidaville
Their best they had to give.
They painted HD on the walls
Then sent for 50 Div.
They sent them off to Siciliy
Where they took ridge after ridge
They even took Lentini
Then they came to Plimosole Bridge.
Our Paratroops tried to take it
The Jerry would not give
That left just one thing to do,
They sent for 50 Div.
That night they tried to take it
The tears were in their eyes
You could hear their leaders shouting
Come on the D.L.I.
And when at last they crossed it
The ground around was red
With the life blood of the wounded
And the bodies of the dead.
And so they built a monument
At the bridge there in the shade
To the memory of the heroes
Of the 151 Brigade.
These boys gave to the 50 Div
The name its got today
It’s a famous name you’ll all agree
!Cos you’ve heard Mongomery say.
“Well chaps I’m off to Italy,
But if things get rather stiff
You can rest assured that of my boys
I’ll send for 50 Div.
We should all be proud of this Division
And when in Durham they parade,
I hope and pray they’ll think of us
The 168 Brigade
The Division is unique by being the only one to officially wear a Divisional badge bearing the emblems of two divisions the 49th Polar Bear and the 50th TT device. When the 50th was disbanded after D-Day the 74th soldiered on and transferred to the 49th (West Riding) Division – and wore their unique badge.
The 50th took part in most of the major actions from Dunkirk – Western Desert – D-Day being one of the first to land on the beaches at D-Day.
Some good books about the 50th which I own:
The Path of the 50th by E.W.Clay
Monty’s Northern Legions by Patrick Delaforce
The Sign of the Double T by B.S.Barnes
A Geordie Goes to War by G R Thompson
Some of my Father’s photographs he took most towards the end of the war at Oosterbeck in the Netherlands.
mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/rebal/war/index.htm
Also a poem about the Division wrote during the War.
JUST THE JOB
Dedicated to the 50th (Northumbrian ) Division
By 168 (London) Inf. Bde.
Now you’ve heard of Lord Kitchener,
Long may his memory life,
But when its soldiers that you’re needing,
Just send for the 50 Div.
When Rommel got to Alamein,
And things where getting stiff,
They said “Britons never shall be slaves”
Then sent for 50 Div.
When things got tough at Mareth
And very few managed to live,
The Highland boys just played their pipes
So they sent for 50 Div.
And when at Wadi Akarit
With the 69th on view
They made a gap and held it
And the Highland Div went through.
They battled to Enfidaville
Their best they had to give.
They painted HD on the walls
Then sent for 50 Div.
They sent them off to Siciliy
Where they took ridge after ridge
They even took Lentini
Then they came to Plimosole Bridge.
Our Paratroops tried to take it
The Jerry would not give
That left just one thing to do,
They sent for 50 Div.
That night they tried to take it
The tears were in their eyes
You could hear their leaders shouting
Come on the D.L.I.
And when at last they crossed it
The ground around was red
With the life blood of the wounded
And the bodies of the dead.
And so they built a monument
At the bridge there in the shade
To the memory of the heroes
Of the 151 Brigade.
These boys gave to the 50 Div
The name its got today
It’s a famous name you’ll all agree
!Cos you’ve heard Mongomery say.
“Well chaps I’m off to Italy,
But if things get rather stiff
You can rest assured that of my boys
I’ll send for 50 Div.
We should all be proud of this Division
And when in Durham they parade,
I hope and pray they’ll think of us
The 168 Brigade