| 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1908 - 1967 |
| Country | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Branch | British Army Territorial Army |
| Type | Infantry Armoured from 1945 |
| Nickname | The Polar Bears (WWII) |
| Engagements | First World War Second World War |
| Battle honours | Somme (1916) Normandy The Odon Scheldt |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Maj.Gen.G.H.A. MacMillan |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
World War I |
| Identification symbol |
World War II |
The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army. The division fought in France & Flanders during the First World War and in the Second World War.
After the Second World War it remained with the Northern Command.
Contents |
In 1915, it was designated the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division and given the White Rose of York as its insignia.
During the Second World war, the division first saw action beginning on 15–17 April 1940 when two of its brigades took part in the short and ill-fated landings in Norway that were intended to retake the ports of Trondheim and Narvik from the Germans. The division withdrew from Norway in May 1940.
The division's 146th Infantry Brigade and 147th Infantry Brigade were thereafter stationed in Iceland.[1] As a result, a new divisional insignia, featuring a Polar Bear standing on an ice floe, was adopted. In 1942, the division was transferred back to the United Kingdom.
Just after D-Day, in June 1944, it moved to Normandy as part of XXX Corps. During the fierce fighting in Normandy, the Nazi propaganda broadcaster Lord Haw-Haw referred to the division as "the Polar Bear Butchers". During the rest of the war, the division was variously under the command of the I Corps, the II Canadian Corps, and the I Canadian Corps. Its last major contribution to the war was the Liberation of Arnhem and the fierce battles that led to it.
(1939–1945)
(1939–1945)
(1939-Apr 1940)
(May 1942-Aug 1944)
(Aug 1944-1945)
Dates in British form (dd.mm.yyyy) indicating the date they entered the command (or resumed command when there are multiple dates).
The division was disbanded in Germany in 1946, but reformed in the Territorial Army in 1947, having been renamed the 49th (West Riding) Armoured Division. It was based in Nottingham, consisting of (on 1 April 1947):
In 1956, it was renamed the 49th (West Riding and Midland) Infantry Division, its base moved to Leeds, and the 8th Armoured Brigade was removed from its order of battle. Finally, it underwent its last major change in 1961, when it was renamed to the 49th (West Riding and North Midland) Division/District, and the 147th Infantry Brigade was removed from its composition. The unit finally disbanded in 1967.
The polar bear flash is now worn by 49 Brigade.