53RD INFANTRY DIVISION “WELSH” - Memorial of Montormel

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Organization

Reconnaissance
53^rd reconnaissance regiment
71^st infantry brigade
1^st Highland Light Infantry
1^st Oxford & Buckinghamshire light infantry
4^th Royal Welch fusiliers
158^th infantry brigade
1^st East Lancashire regiment
1^st/5^th Welch regiment
7^th Royal Welch fusiliers
160^th infantry brigade
2^nd Monmouthshire regiment
4^th Welch regiment
6^th Royal Welch Fusiliers
Support
1^stManchester regiment
Artillery
81^st Field artillery
83^rdField artillery
133^rd Field artillery
71^st Anti-Tank regiment
116^th Light anti-aircraft Regiment
Engineers
Signals
Services

History

53^rd infantry division is a Welsh territorial unit. Historically, an unit of the same name took part in the First World War. It had fought in the Middle-East and at Gallipoli, before being transformed into territorial unit in 1920.

The aggressiveness of german foreign politics since 1936 launched Great Britain on the way of rearmament. Since 1937, 53^rd ID was refitted with new, modern equipment, then became in 1939 a first-line unit. However, it remained in Great Britain during the Phoney war, and did not take part in the operations on the continent. During four years, it remained on British Isles, to train and carry out manoeuvers. From September 1942, it passed under the command of gen. Ross. Normandy would be the first experiment for the division as for its commander…

In Normandy

First units of 53^rd ID started to land in Arromanches on June 25th. At once, Welsh division was attached to the 8^th Corps which launched out the Epsom operation. Placed in reserve, it however did not have opportunity to intervene, the operation having failed to open the road to Caen. Beginning of July, 53^rd ID was attached to the 12^th Corps of gen. Ritchie. It was not directly committed in operation Jupiter, but its artillery supported the progression of Wessex infantry toward coast 112.

Mid-July, Dempsey set up operation Greenline, planed to divert the Germans from the east of Orne, where Goodwood was to be launched. On July 15^th, in a night attack, 15^th and 53^rd divisions advanced on Odon valley. 158^th brigade was attached to Scottish division and moved towards Evrécy. Supported by tanks of the 34^th Tank brigade, it pushed back the 276. and 277. german ID. However, intervention of 9. and 10. SS-PzD, from July 17^th on, inflicted heavy losses to both divisions, preventing them to seize any sustainable ground. Whereas Evrécy seemed within reach, operation Greenline was suspended July 19^th.

July 17^th, 1944 – col. Rice-Evans, Royal Welch Fusiliers, briefe his officers before the attack against Evrécy. ©IWM B-7579

Maintained in the Odon sector, 53^rd infantry division got engaged in costly attacks and counter-attacks with no or little strategic weight. For instance, on July 23^rd, 160^th brigade carried out a raid on the crossroads of Bon-Repos, pushing enemy back to Esquay-Notre-Dame, but this local success occured with no consequence on the gerneral frontline. It is only from August 4^th that german withdrawal made it possible for the 12^th Corps to resume its advance. 53^rdinfantry division seized coast 112, previously evacuated by its defenders, then progressed towards Orne, which was reached near Grimbosq.

After crossing Orne on the bridgehead seized by 59^th ID on August 8^th, 53^rd ID continued east, but was successfully retained by a handfull of grenadiers of 271. ID supported by a single Tiger in Bois-Halbout. The fighting went on all the day of August 12^th, before the Welsh finally managed to progress. On the right flank of the Canadians, 53^rd ID took direction of the south, seized Leffard, and carried out a remarkable progression along the Falaise – Argentan road. It inserted a 6 kilometers coin in german frontline, up to Nécy. It drove back the remains of the german 7. Army in the Falaise pocket from northwestern side.

With the end of the Normandy campaign, 53^rd ID took direction of the Seine. It progressed by Evreux, and crossed the river on August 30^th.

Belgium and Netherlands

September 19th, 1944 – an universal carrier of the 158th brigade escorts a column of prisoners captured during engagements against kampfgruppe Chill. ©IWM B-10100

Following the race of the armoured divisions, 53^rd ID kept pursuing the retreating german army, clearing pockets of resistance which remained after the first wave of armour. Division liberated Saint-Pol, before moving towards Belgium. It positioned in the neighbourhoods of Antwerp from September 8^th.

In preparation for operation Market-Garden , 12^th Corps (7^th AD, 15^th and 53^rd ID) was to secure the left flank of the drive carried out by Guards AD. September 17^th, supported by a strong artillery barrage, the Welsh attacked starting from their positions around Lommel. Soon after the beginning, they ran against resistance of Kampfgruppe Chill. Germans offered an stubborn defence, which slowed down the division and caused heavy losses. September 19^th, the Welsh succeeded in cutting the Turnhout – Eindhoven road, but the fighting depleted its ranks very seriously and required its removal from the frontline and replacement by the Scots of the 15^th ID the following day.

After the failure of Market-Garden, 53^rdID performed the task of clearing lower Maas, west of Eindhoven. From October 24^th to 27^th, it fought to release s’Hertogenbosch. On October 31^st, it was transferred east, in the sector of Weert. Reinforced by the Belgian brigade Piron and the 4^th armoured brigade, it pushed back the German counter-attacks between Hunsel and Ell.

From November 13^th, 53^rd ID took engaged in operation Mallard, which was aimed at definitely driving Germans out of the western bank of the Maas. It established a bridgehead on the Wessem canal, then the 158^th brigade progressed towards Baexem. November 15^th, the 71^st brigade arrived in front of the defenses of Roermond, and was comitted to remove the last pockets of resistance in the surroundings. Welsh division was then removed from frontline to rest and refit.

Ardennes and Rhineland

The German offensive in the Ardennes took the Allies by surprise. However, American ability to defend some key positions quickly restablished what initallly looked as a grim situation. British contribution to the defence of Ardennes area materialized in the form of the 30^thCorps. Reinforced by several units, among them 53^rd ID, it was directed on the northern flank on December 19^th. Positioned between Marche and Hotton, Welsh division replaced 2^nd US armored division “Hell on wheels” on December 28^th. From January 3^rd, it counter-attacked enemy positions on Ourthe river. It took Rendeux after a difficult fight, then progressed along the river. After having secured the flank of the British Corps, 53^rd ID was withdrawn from the front on January 16^th and dropped into reserve to prepare the forcoming invasion of Germany.

January 4, 1945 – 53rd ID has just arrived on Ourthe. Four of its soldiers rest, sitted in snow, awaiting the beginning of the operations. ©IWM B-13395

February 25^th, 1945 – 53rd DI crosses Goch, during the campaign directed against german forces defending western approaches to
the Rhine. ©IWM B-14833

After three weeks of rest, 53^rd ID was committed in the battle of the Rhineland. Still attached to the 30^th Corps, it attacked from February 8^th in direction of Kleve. Supporting armoured vehicles got quickly bogged down in omnipresent mud, and despite having seized the Brandenburg heights, 53^rddivision did not manage to capture all its objectives. Quick advance deteriorated into dogfight in the following days, as the resistance of the Germans hardened. Surmounting these obstacles, division progressed through the heart of the forest and crossed the Kleve – Gennep road, before marking a short pause.

Operations in the Rhineland resumed on February 24^th, and 53^rd ID carried out the offensive in direction of Geldern. It ran up against solids enemy defenses in Hohendorf, managed to circumvent them and capture Weeze the following day. After a few days of additional fighting, it arrived in Kevelaer on March 2^nd. The 3^rd, it joined American troops north of Geldern, condemning to withdrawal the German forces still present on left bank of the Rhine. From March 7^th, 53^rd ID was placed in rest, in preparation of the crossing of the Rhine.

In northern Germany

Awaited for a long time because of its symbolic meaning, crossing of the Rhine by the British armies occured on March 24^th. Following first assault waves, 53^rd ID crossed at the end of March and was launched North-East. From April 4^th, with the 52^nd ID, it finished to clean the last pockets of resistance in the Teutoburg forest. These wooded heights were defended by some battalions of NCOs, and had effectively slowed down the advance of 7^th and 11^th armoured divisions in the Ibbenbüren area. It took the Welsh two days of vicious fighting to come to end with german opposition.

53^rd ID progressed then towards Weser. After having crossed it, it arrived on April 11^th on the Aller at Rethem. From the 11^th, it ran up against strong opposition of German marines. Its first attacks failed, and the support of the 5^th Royal Tank regiment was needed to dislodge the defenders. Finally, it is after four days of fighting that Welsh division opened its way northwards.

April 18^th, 1944 – German prisoners evacuated to the rear. During the last weeks of the war, 53^rdID was employed to liquidate the
german pockets circumvented by armoured divisions, and made thousands of prisoners. ©IWM BU-3967

Once crossed Weser and Aller rivers, 53^rdID progressed on the left side of the British throw. Advancing towards Hamburg, it met nothing but disorganized pockets of resistance. The only exception was Maschen, where welsh soldiers met a kampfgruppe made up of Hungarian SS supported by tank destroyers. Several attacks were necessary before surroundings of the village were definitively cleaned on April 25^th. However, these were the last spasms of an agonizing Reich. On May 3^rd, Welsh division reached the suburbs of Hamburg, where it finished the war.

Welsh division was often in charge of ungrateful and not very spectacular roles – suxh as diversion attacks on Odon river in Normandy or on the left flank of the British corridor during operation Market-Garden. However, its involvement in the closing of the Falaise pocket and its advance through the Rhineland despict all the merit of its soldiers.