50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry (Reserve) Division
Insignia of the 50th Division.
Active	1939–1945 1947–1961
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Motorised infantry Infantry
Size	Division, approximately 18,000 men
Part of	B.E.F. Eighth Army Second Army Home Forces
Engagements	Arras Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal Dunkirk Gazala l Mersa Matruh Second Battle of El Alamein Mareth Line Wadi Akarit Tunisia Campaign Operation Husky Primosole Bridge Normandy landings Operation Perch Battle for Caen Operation Bluecoat Operation Market Garden Nederrijn
Commanders
Notable commanders	G. Le Q Martel W. H. Ramsden J. S. Nichols S. C. Kirkman D. A. H. Graham L. O. Lyne

The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two Ts in the divisional insignia represent the three main rivers of its recruitment area, namely the rivers Tyne, Tees and Humber. The division served in almost all of the major engagements of the European War from 1940 until late 1944 and also served with distinction in North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East from mid-1941 to 1943. The 50th Division was one of two British divisions (the other being the 3rd Infantry) to land in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, where it landed on Gold Beach. Four men of the division were awarded the Victoria Cross during the war, more than any other division of the British Army during the Second World War.

The 50th Division had been reformed in 1920 as an infantry division of the Territorial Force (TF), which was soon renamed as the Territorial Army (TA). It contained the same infantry brigades as before, the 149th (4th to 7th battalions Royal Northumberland Fusiliers), 150th (4th battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, 4th and 5th Green Howards and 5th Durham Light Infantry), and 151st (6th to 9th battalions Durham Light Infantry) In the late 1930s some of its infantry battalions were converted to anti-aircraft regiments, and in 1938, as part of the conversion of a number of infantry regiments into divisional support units, the whole of the 149th Infantry Brigade was so converted reducing the Division to two Brigades and it was converted to a motorised infantry division.