A brief history of the 1st Battalion, 50th Northumbrian Division

The 50th Division was broken up and reorganized, to reinforce other divisions, some of the men in the battalion went to other units and a small body of men left in the battalion, went back the England to assist in training. This ended the 1st battalion's part in the war.

From the period from the 6th June 1944 to 17th November 1944, the battalion had casualties of approximately 1,280 men, and as a battalions strength was between 500 to 600 men, it was effectively wiped out twice.

Thanks to the reinforcements, the battalion was an effective well trained fighting unit and was in the forefront of the fighting across Europe up to the Rhine and the crossings into Germany.

Sources: The Royal Hampshire Regiment, Regimental History Vol III by David Scott Daniell, Gale & Polden Lyd, 1955. Accidental Warrior by Geoffrey Picot, Penguin Books, 1993. Battle Coast by R.H. Hunter & T.H.C. Brown, Spurbooks Ltd, 1973