Hello, Thanks for allowing me to join. Having served in the army myself I have an interest in most things to do with the military, and also have relatives who served during the war. My avatar is my Uncle who was a D-Day veteran. He served with 2nd Btn, Devonshire Regt. Looking forward to learning from the forum. All the best Cam
Hi & welcome Cam. I posted the June 1944 war diaries for the 2nd Devons on this Forum, but can't find them. However, here is a link to them on Photobucket. Cheers Rob http://s873.photobucket.com/user/rahonour3947/library/2ND BATTALION THE DEVONSHIRE REGT - JUNE 1944?sort=3&page=1
Welcome to the forum http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/36177-2nd-devonshires-in-normandy/rega regards Clive
Welcome to the forum. There is a lot of information relating to D-Day and the Normandy Landings on this forum and a reasonable amount of expertise. Please feel free to share any information and / or photographs of your uncle which will undoubtedly be of interest to several other forum members. Jos
Welcome to the forum, Cam. I don't know how much you know about the 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment in WWII, but I hope the following is of assistance. They were part of the Malta Brigade - and brigaded with the 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment and 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regiment - up until mid-1943. The Malta Brigade left Malta and fought as the independent, 231st Infantry Brigade, in Operation Husky/Sicily Campaign in July/August 1943. They also landed in Italy at the begining of September 1943, but were only there for a few weeks. They then joined 50th (Northumbrian) Division and returned to the UK, in preparation for D-Day. The 2nd Devons were were the reserve battalion of the first wave assualt brigade - 231st Infantry Brigade - on Gold Beach. They fought through the Normandy Campaign, the break-out and swan through Northern France/Belgium, Operation Market Garden, then 'The Island' north of Nijmegen. The 50 Div was reduced to a Training Cadre on 30 November 1944, with 7 of its 9 Infantry Battalions returning home (in Cadre). The two that stayed in NW Europe were the 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry and the 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment, who both joined 131st Infantry Brigade, 7th Armoured Division - The Desert Rats - and fought through to Germany and VE Day. There's plenty of reading for you there... ; enjoy! Best, Steve.
Just come across this post! Welcome to the forum Cam. I am from Devon always interested in old members of the Regiment, is there any chance you could enlarge the pic of your uncle, i cant quite make out what badges he has on his BD Tony
Welcome to the Forum. We share an admiration for the Devonshire Reiment although I was a Royal Scot. My first contact was when I bought a copy of Sand Table Exercises in 1942 written and divised by Major Valentine of the Devons. Later was to be attached to the staff of the same man but now a Colonel; a fine man and most able senior officer. Joe Brown.
Just shout if there's any other days you are interested in during 1944 and I'll post the pages up for you.
