50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division - Bn HQ Photographs prior to D-DAY

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know if group photographs of the Division HQ, Brigade HQs, and Battalion HQs/Companies exist for the entire 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, taken just prior to D-Day (likely in May 1944)?

For reference, I am looking for group pictures of the following HQs and their respective companies:

Divisional Headquarters

• 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division HQ

69th Infantry Brigade

• 69th Brigade HQ
  
  
• 5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 6th Battalion, Green Howards (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 7th Battalion, Green Howards (HQ & Companies)

151st Infantry Brigade

• 151st Brigade HQ
  
  
• 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (HQ & Companies)

231st Infantry Brigade

• 231st Brigade HQ
  
  
• 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment (HQ & Companies)
  
  
• 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (HQ & Companies)

Cheers

 

I went all through the IWM photos with keyword searches looking for things like that, but found nothing. However, the war artist Anthony Gross did a fine series of pictures of 50th Division officers prior to D-Day. I can't recall if Gross got any of the company commanders, but you could take a look at the IWM online collection.

 

Hallo Quentin,

FYI: I am also looking to find photographs of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, but specifically related to the 151st Infantry Brigade and their role in the rearguard engagements (30-31 May 1940) along the Dunkirk Defence Perimeter in Bulskamp and De Moeren. There is little chance that actual photographs were taken during the combats, but I do hope to find pictures or portraits of the OICs, i.e. LtCol Jos PERCY (9/DLI), LtCol Harry MILLER (6/DLI) and LtCol Ross McLAREN (8/DLI).

Concerning the 151st Infantry Brigade, could you confirm that the brigade was under the overall command of Brigadier (was that his rank at the time?) John Churchill? (the one with the longbow, the pipes and the broadsword?). In any case, I would love to learn more about his whereabouts during the Dunkirk evacuation.

Recently, I also contacted the collections team at The Story, Durham (collections@thestorydurham.org) in the hope they could help me with my research.

KR,
Christian

 

4 RNF were under command of 151 Inf. Bde. at the end. Churchill is noted as the Brigadier, commanding and his last HQ was a "large hole in the sand dunes"

 

Yes there are Company photographs , of the DLI at least, taken prior to D-Day . At the Durham Records (The Story) they have some in their archive . These are a few of them :-

Group photograph of ‘S’ Company, 6th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, taken at Nightingale Wood, Southampton, Hampshire, May 1944

Photograph of C Company, 8th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, 1 June 1944

Photograph of the Battalion Officers, 8th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, taken near Southampton, 1 June 1944

Group photograph of ‘B’ Company, 6th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, at Nightingale Wood Camp, near Southampton, Hampshire, June 1944

Group photograph of ‘D’ Company, 6th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, in a sealed camp near Romsey, Hampshire

Kyle

 

It's somewhat confusing: sometimes he is referred to as 'John', which makes sense since his full name is John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, but quite often as 'Jack'.

What I fail to understand though is that Churchill was indeed noted as Brigadier, but apparently was later reverted to Lieutenant-Colonel ? (cfr. Churchill's obituary in The Telegraph)

 

Jack is "short" for John. It's one of those odd old Englishisms. Like Harry being short for Henry and not Harold !

 

Ah, OK, now I get it !
Thanks Rich

 

From The London Gazette, it seems that John Malcolm Thorpe 'Jack' Churchill's full rank during the war was a mere 2nd Lt. At some point he became War Substantive Major and temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. If he did command 151 Bde for a while, he must have held the rank of acting Brigadier during this tenure.

His D.S.O., while he was a (W/S) Major (temporary Lt-Col):

War Office, 13th January, 1944.​

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy:—​

The Distinguished Service Order. ​

Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) John Malcolm Thorpe Churchill, M.C. (34657), The Manchester Regiment (Res. of Off.) (attd. Special ServiceTroops). (Frimley Green, Hants.).​

The London Gazette | The Gazette

and Bar to his D.S.O. :
The London Gazette | The Gazette

He was made a full Lt. shortly after the war:

Seaforth.
The undermentioned to be Lts., 13th Feb. 1946, with seniority as shown:-
2nd Lt. (War Subs. Maj.) John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming CHURCHILL, D.S.O., M.C. (34657), from R.A.R.O, Manch. R., 1st Aug. 1938.
​

Source: The London Gazette | The Gazette

Note that the addition of the name Fleming is an error corrected in a later edition of The London Gazette:

Seaforth.
The Christian names of 2nd Lt. (War Subs. Maj.) John Malcolm Thorpe CHURCHILL, D.S.O., M.C. (34657) are as now described and not as notified in Gazette (Supplement) dated 12th Feb. 1946.​

He got further promotions postwar.

Michel

 

If you would like to contact the archives of the Northumberland Fusiliers at Alnwick Castle they may be able to help you