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MLW -
essentially I would agree basically with your extract as XXX corps as they were known were not performing as well in Normandy as they did in the Desert under Lt.Gen Oliver Leese.
The whole history of that Corps is of course, rather different inasmuch as 50th Div performed well in France in the early days...the 51st surrendered to Rommel at St Valery... and the early regiments of 7th Armoured e.g 11th Hussars( Cherry Pickers)
had been involved from December 1940 at Sidi Barrani particularly.
The 50 th after Dunkirk were sent to Africa - the embryonic 7th Armoured were there already and the re-constituted 51st (ex 9th Highland Div) joined them at El Alamein as XXX corps where they fought almost every battle untill rested after Enfidaville(Tunisia) to be ready for the Sicilian campaign after which they went back to the U.K. - without Lt. Gen Leese to stayed on and finally took over 8th Army when Monty went back to the U.K. also.
Monty insisted on having XXX corps as well as 8th Armoured Brigade with him to bring some battle experience into the newly formed 2nd Army ( as did Bradley with the "BIG RED ONE" et al) - he also insisted on bringing many battle tested Officers as well, including LT.Gen. Dempsey for 2nd Army and Brig.Gen. Urqhuart for 1st Airborne, Brig Gen."PIP" Roberts of 3rd Tanks for 11th Armoured Div.
But these were tired troops and it showed, and many heads rolled at the top end until the right leaders were appointed which made a tremendous difference.
the 50th were finally broken up in Germany, as Monty stated " they have fought well for too long and suffered grievious casualties- so now they should rest" the 51st went on despite losing their commander at the Rhine crossing to the end, and 7th Armoured with the "Cherry Pickers" in the van were first into Berlin - after the Russians !
So extracts are wonderful but do tend to 'slant' history slightly.....now if we could read a similar analysis of some American Divisions and Corps such as 11 corps at Kasserine and V1 corps at Anzio - OR the 5th US army at Salerno - much the same problems with the top end leadership ????
Cheers
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