59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division

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59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division
Active	1908 - 1944
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Engagements	Normandy Campaign

The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army unit of the British Army during the Second World War.

1 History
- 1.1 Commanders
2 Order of Battle
3 External links

[edit] History

The 59th Division was reconstituted on 21 August 1939 as a duplicate of the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division. Having been kept in Britain until mid-1944, the division's lead units landed in Normandy as part of the Second Army on 26 June. It fought in this campaign until 18 August 1944 when, due to the severe casualties suffered by other British units, it was disbanded as the most junior of the divisions in Normandy and its men used as badly needed reinforcements for the rest of the Second Army.

[edit] Commanders

Maj.Gen. J. Blakeston-Houston
Maj.Gen. T.R. Eastwood
Maj.Gen. F.V.B. Witts
Maj.Gen. James Stuart Steele
Maj.Gen. W.P.A. Bradshaw
Maj.Gen. L.O. Lynne

[edit] Order of Battle

This is the division's order of battle at the time of its disbandment on 18 August 1944.

176th Infantry Brigade
- 6th The North Staffordshire Regiment
- 7th The Royal Norfolk Regiment
- 7th The South Staffordshire Regiment
177th Infantry Brigade
- 5th The South Staffordshire Regtiment
- 1/6th The South Staffordshire Regtiment
- 2/6th The South Staffordshire Regtiment
197th Infantry Brigade
- 5th The East Lancashire Regiment
- 2/5th The Lancashire Fusiliers
- 1/7th The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Divisional troops
- 7th The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
- 59th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps
- 61st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 110th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 116th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 68th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 257th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 509th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 510th Field Company, Royal Engineers