British 78th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The British 78th Infantry Division, also known as the Battleaxe Division, fought in the Second World War in North Africa
and Italy
.
from regular British Army
units, landing at Algiers
in 1942. Thereafter it continued in Tunisia
, gaining a formidable reputation, then through Sicily
, up the length of Italy
, arriving in Austria
for the end of the war. Units also saw action in Greece
, Palestine
, and Egypt
. Notable engagements include in Tunisia Longstop Hill, in Sicily the Battle of Centuripe and in Italy the assaults on the Viktor Line (Battle of Termoli)
, the Barbara Line
and the River Sangro (Gustav Line)
as well as the Battle of Monte Cassino
, the Gothic Line
and battle of Argenta gap
.
.
1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment. (Machine gun battalion)
Royal Artillery
.
Royal Engineers
.
Royal Army Medical Corps
.
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
The 78th was formed specifically for Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
from regular British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
units, landing at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in 1942. Thereafter it continued in Tunisia
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
, gaining a formidable reputation, then through Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
, up the length of Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, arriving in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
for the end of the war. Units also saw action in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Notable engagements include in Tunisia Longstop Hill, in Sicily the Battle of Centuripe and in Italy the assaults on the Viktor Line (Battle of Termoli)
Volturno Line
The Volturno Line was a German defensive position in Italy during the World War II.The line ran from Termoli in the east, along the Biferno River through the Apennine Mountains to the Volturno River in the west....
, the Barbara Line
Barbara Line
During World War II, the Barbara Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, some south of the Gustav Line, and a similar distance north of the Volturno Line. Near the eastern coast, it ran along the line of the Trigno river. The line mostly consisted of fortified hilltop...
and the River Sangro (Gustav Line)
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
as well as the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
, the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
and battle of Argenta gap
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
.
Commanding officers
- Maj.Gen. V.EveleghVyvyan EveleghMajor-General Vyvyan Evelegh CB OBE DSO was a British army officer during World War II.-Miitary career:Evelegh was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1940, Commander of 11th Infantry Brigade in 1941 and Assistant Commandant at the Staff College, Camberley in 1942...
(June 1942 - December 1943) - Maj.Gen. C.F.KeightleyCharles KeightleyGeneral Sir Charles Frederic Keightley, GCB, GBE, DSO was a senior officer in the British Army during and following World War II.-Military career:...
(December 1943 - August 1944) - Maj.Gen. D.C.Butterworth (August 1944 - October 1944)
- Maj.Gen. R.K.ArbuthnotKeith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of ArbuthnottMajor General Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott CB, CBE, DSO, MC. .He was educated at Fettes College and RMC Sandhurst. He served in both World Wars and was mentioned in despatches...
(October 1944 - ?)
11th Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers.
- 1st Battalion The East Surrey Regiment.
- 5th Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment.
36th Infantry Brigade
- 5th Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)The Buffs , formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1961. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army being third in order of precedence...
. - 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment.
- 8th Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) (until March 1943)
- 3rd Battalion Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. - 2nd Battalion Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. - 2nd Battalion The Hampshire Regiment.
38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade (from March 1943)
- 6th Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (until August 1944).
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (from August 1944).
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's).
- 2nd Battalion, The London Irish RiflesLondon Irish RiflesThe London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
(Territorial Army).
Support units
56th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
.
1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment. (Machine gun battalion)
Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
.
- 17th Field Regiment.
- 132nd Field Regiment (welsh).
- 138th Field Regiment (City of London) .
- 64th Anti-Tank Regiment (Queen's Own Royal Glasgow YeomanryQueen's Own Royal Glasgow YeomanryThe Queen's Own Glasgow can trace their formation back to the late 18th century, when King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently guillotined its...
). - 49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (until November 1944).
Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.
- 214th Field Company.
- 237th Field Company.
- 256th Field Company.
- 281st Field Park Company.
Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
.
- 11th Field Ambulance.
- 152nd Field Ambulance.
- 217th Field Ambulance.
- 47th Field Ambulance.