The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army (UK) division during the Second World War. The two Ts in its insignia represent the two boundaries to its recruitment area, the rivers Tyne and Tees. The division served in almost all of the major engagements of the European War from 1940-1945.
In 1939 50th (Northumbrian) Motorised Division was part of Southern Command. In October 1939, the division was sent to theCotswolds and in January 1940 it was moved to France. In June 1940, it was reorganized as an Infantry Division and joined the British II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Belgium. The division was heavily committed during the withdrawal to Dunkirk, and also took part in the British counter-attack at Arras.
A serious situation had developed to the south where the German spearheads had pierced the Peronne–Cambrai gap and were threatening Boulogne and Calais, cutting the BEFs lines of communication and separating it from the main French Armies. A plan by General Weygand to close this gap included Frank Force, consisting of the 5th and 50th Divisions and the1st Army Tank Brigade. The British 5th Infantry Division was to hold the line of the river Scarpe to the East of Arras, while the other two formations attacked to the south of that city. During the afternoon of 21 May, the attack by the 50th Division and the 1st Tank Brigade was seen progressing south from Arras. This was to be the only large scale attack mounted by the BEF during the campaign. The attack was supposed to be manned by two infantry divisions, comprising about 15,000 men. It was ultimately executed by just two infantry battalions, the 6th and 8th Battalions Durham Light Infantry supporting the 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiments, totalling around 2,000 men, and reinforced by 74 tanks. The infantry battalions were split into two columns for the attack, which took place on 21 May. The right column initially made rapid progress, taking a number of German prisoners, but they soon ran into German infantry and Waffen-SS, backed by air support, and took heavy losses.
The left column also enjoyed early success before running into opposition from the infantry units of Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division. French cover enabled British troops to withdraw to their former positions that night. Frankforce was over, and the next day the Germans regrouped and continued their advance. Frankforce took around 400 German prisoners and inflicted a similar number of casualties, as well as destroying a number of tanks. The operation had punched far beyond its weight - the attack was so fierce that 7th Panzer Division believed it had been attacked by five infantry divisions. The attack also made the German commanders nervous, and it may have been one of the factors for the surprise German halt on 24 May, that gave the BEF the slimmest of opportunities to begin evacuation from Dunkirk. Luckily most of the Division was fortunate enough to get out at Dunkirk, but had to leave all its equipment behind. On returning home the 150th Infantry Brigade and 151st Infantry Brigade was joined by the 69th Infantry Brigade from the now disbanded 23rd (Northumbrian) Division, and become part of IIX Corps, British Home Forces. It remained in Britain until 22 April 1941, when it was sent to North Africa.
In April 1941 the Division was dispatched to the Middle East first via Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and then into Libya as part of XIII Corps in the British Eighth Army,which was one of the best-known formations in the Second World War.
In 1942, Rommel's Afrika Korps broke through the Allied defensive line at Gazala and the Eighth Army ordered them to abandon their positions.
- British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division - Existing Territorial Army division at the start of the war, headquartered in Darlington. Organized as a motor division. Served in:-
- France and Belgium from 1.1940 until 6.1940.
- Egypt from 6.1941 until 7.1941 & 2.1942, from 6.1942 until 12.1942, & from 5.1943 until 9.1943.
- Cyprus from 7.1941 until 11.1941.
- Syria from 1.1942 until 2.1942.
- Libya from 2.1942 until 6.1942 & from 12.1943 until 3.1943 & from 4.1943 until 5.1943.
- North Africa from 3.1943 until 4.1943.
- Sicily from 7.1943 until 10.1943.
- Northwestern Europe from 6.1944 until 12.1944.
- Redesignated an Infantry (Reserve) Division in the U.K. 8.1945.
- Arrived in Norway and retitled HQ British Land Forces Norway.
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