Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders   [ Content Tag Results ]

Below is a list of the history pages, personal accounts, extracts and photos that have been tagged with a reference to 'Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders'...

Tag references
Divided into content type :

WWI

2. [ history ]

WWI
1914 - 1919

A brief outline of 51st (Highland) Division in the First World War 1914 - 1919

Mobilisation & WWII

3. [ history ]

Mobilisation & WWII
Late 1938 - Jan 1940

From the "call out" of the TA in late 1938 to embarkation at Southampton for Le Havre in January 1940.

St. Valéry

4. [ history ]

St. Valéry
June 1940

General Fortune considered all the options, a counter attack, further resistance, retaking the town but against this there was no possibility of evacuation or support, the men were exhausted and virtually out of ammunition, with no artillery ammunition at all. Shortly before 1000hrs on the 12th June General fortune took the most difficult of decisions - to surrender...

Battle of El Alamein

5. [ history ]

Battle of El Alamein
Oct 1942

Montgomery was determined to attack the enemy using his infantry to create a gap and then push the armour through the gap created. The area for this was not the weaker sector in the south but the stronger part of the enemy position in the North. 30 Corps were to execute this attaching on a frontage four divisions wide...

The Mareth Line

6. [ history ]

The Mareth Line
March 1943

The Mareth line was formed at the narrow point between the coast and the Matmata hills. The plan was to smash the Mareth defensive lines through the Matmata Hills into the Gabes Gap, which would later be the area of the battle of Wadi Akarit.

Wadi Akarit

7. [ history ]

Wadi Akarit
Apr 1943

The battle of Wadi Akarit took place in a narrow coastline strip between the sea and the coastal towns of Gabes and El Hamma. Between these was the Gabes gap. The Wadi Akarit ran across the gap at the coastal end and to the Roumana Ridge inland and to the west. This area was the objective for the 51st Highland Division...

VIZZINI and FRANCOFONTE

8. [ history ]

VIZZINI and FRANCOFONTE
13th - 15th July 1943

Details of the action at VIZZINI and FRANCOFONTE, Sicily, 13th - 15th July 1943

Sferro Hills

9. [ history ]

Sferro Hills
Jul/Aug 1943

Description of the Battle for the Sferro Hills, late July - early August 1943

Major General Wimberley

10. [ history ]

Major General Wimberley
Departure from 51HD

Major General Wimberley, affectionately know as "Tartan Tam" for his determination that the Division would wear the kilt, had commanded the Division from its England through North Africa and Sicily. On his departure he published the following farewell messages to his Jocks...

Normandy

11. [ history ]

Normandy
Nov 1943 - Jul 1944

The 51st Highland Division landing took place to the west of the Ornnemouth in the 1st Corps area and crossed the River Orne. The operations in the following weeks were some of the worst the Division had experienced...

The Triangle

12. [ history ]

The Triangle
June-July 1944

after initial operations by 5th Black Watch against the area of Douvres, 153 Brigade followed by 152 Brigade crossed the Orne to operated to the east of the Orne and north east of Caen centred on an area known as the Triangle...

13. [ history ]

Operation Ascot
14th Nov 1944

Enemy counter attack against the US, which had required the 53rd Division to be retasked, had been restricted but they had established a bridgehead across the River Maas, between Venlo and Roermond, threatening Eindhoven. To push the Germans back over the Maas was the next task and this was named Operation Ascot.

14. [ history ]

Operation Noah
Nov-Dec 1944

On 2nd December the Germans blew the Lek dyke and flooded the "Island". Such an act had however been foreseen and Operation "Noah" was implemented to evacuate the "Island".

Ronchamps

15. [ history ]

Ronchamps
10th Jan 1945

On 10th January 152 Brigade moved through 153 Brigade with the task of pushing across the Marche - La Roche road and on to take Ronchamps thus covering the right flank of the divisional advance down the Ourthe valley.

Ronchamps

16. [ history ]

Ronchamps
10th Jan 1945

On 10th January 152 Brigade moved through 153 Brigade with the task of pushing across the Marche - La Roche road and on to take Ronchamps thus covering the right flank of the divisional advance down the Ourthe valley.

Subsequent Operations

17. [ history ]

Subsequent Operations
12-15th Jan 1945

By 12th January the 51st Highland Division found that the opposition had become more determined. The reason for this was that the Division now threatened the main German withdrawal route of Champion - Erneuville - Ortho - Filly.

Victory in Europe

18. [ history ]

Victory in Europe
Apr - May 1945

After a brief rest in Isselburg orders were received on the 3rd April for the 51st Highland Division to concentrate at Enschede. The Divisional advance from Enschede would be to Salzbergenm, Lingen, to Quakenbruck, Vetchta, Wildeshausen, Delmenhorst, Bremen and finally Bremerhaven. Germany was now collapsing...

 

1. [ account ]

Raising the Camerons
1938 -1940

From the "call out" of the TA in late 1938 to embarkation at Southampton for Le Havre in January 1940. Extract from 'Return to St. Valéry' by Lieutenant General Sir Derek Lang. Lieutenant General Lang was Adjutant of 4th Camerons in 1939 when the decision was made to double the size of the TA.

2. [ account ]

Movements leaving Lille
April 1940

Account of the "Movements of 51 Div. and Attached Tps. since leaving Lille Area" [April 1940].

Provided by Mr Michael Thomson of Perth who provided various artefacts from his Uncle, Major David K Thomson, who was in the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) in the Divisional Supply Regiment.

3. [ extract ]

The Battle of Abbeville
3rd - 6th June 1940

Description of the attack on Abbeville, from 'The Highland Division' by Eric Linklater.

4. [ account ]

Medic's View of Wadi Akarit
6th April 1943

An account from a Medic of the fighting at Wadi Akarit on 6th April 1943. This account is taken from "OPERATION SCIPIO - THE 8TH ARMY AT THE BATTLE OF THE WADI AKARIT" by kind permission of the author B. S. Barnes.

5. [ account ]

Gerbini Battle 154 BDE Combs Account
Sicily, 14th August 1943

Account of the action during the Battle of Gerbini between 20/21st July 1943 by Brigadier T Rennie - Brigadier Commander 154 Infantry Brigade. (written 14th August 1943)

6. [ account ]

PIOBAIREACHD
51st Highland Division Newsletter

PIOBAIREACHD was the name given to the 51st Highland Division newsletter which was produced from 14 June 1944.

7. [ op order ]

5th Camerons Op. Order No. 1
Normandy, 17th July 1944

This Operation Order was kindly provided by Mrs TBM Lamb and was signed by her late husband, then Adjutant of 5th Camerons.

8. [ account ]

GOC's letter to CO 5th Camerons
Operation Ascot, Low Countries, 19 Nov 1944

A copy of a letter the GOC [MAJOR GENERAL WIMBERLEY, MC] sent congratulating 5th Camerons on their actions crossing the Zig Canal (Operation Ascot, Low Countries, 19 Nov 1944)

9. [ op order ]

Operation Noah
5 CAMERONS OP. ORDER NO.15

5th Camerons Operation Order No. 15 - Operation Noah, Holland, November 1944.

10. [ account ]

2nd Seaforth Account of the Reichswald Battles
February 1945

This account was attached to the 2nd Seaforth's War Diary - covers the part taken by the 2nd Battalion in the Operations of February 1945 which resulted in the clearing of the West bank of the Rhine from Nijmegen. (Reichswald)

11. [ op order ]

152 Brigade Op. Order No.12 - OPERATION 'VERITABLE'
Reichswald, 4th February 1945

Operation Order No. 12 (Operation 'Veritable') listed in full - dated 4th February 1945 (Reichswald)

12. [ account ]

152 Brigade - Operation Plunder - Attack on Groin
Late March 1945

152 Brigade Operations during Operation Plunder - the Rhine Crossing - and the attack on Groin

13. [ account ]

Attack on Groin, 5th Seaforth
Late March 1945

An account of the attack on Groin (Rhine Crossing - Operation Plunder) by 5th Seaforth Highlanders, taken with kind permission from "Battalion" by Alastair Borthwick.

 
Periscope, Fort de Sainghain

1. [ photo ]

Periscope, Fort de Sainghain
1940

THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (BEF) IN FRANCE 1939-1940
51st Highland Division in the Maginot Line: A soldier from the Cameron Highlanders looks through a periscope in the Fort de Sainghain.

Montgomery and the 5th Camerons

2. [ photo ]

Montgomery and the 5th Camerons

General Montgomery and the GOC with 5th Camerons.

Diagram of Battle of Wadi Akarit

3. [ photo ]

Diagram of Battle of Wadi Akarit
April 1943

Diagram of the Battle of Wadi Akarit, from "The History of the 51st Highland Division" by J B Salmond

The Landing, Sicily

4. [ photo ]

The Landing, Sicily
10th July 1943

Men walking ashore, Sicily, 10th July 1943

5th Camerons (Officers), Sicily

5. [ photo ]

5th Camerons (Officers), Sicily
Fleri, Sicily, 19 Aug 1943

Officers of the 5th Camerons, Fleri (Sicily), 19 Aug 1943. General Wimberley is the forth from right in the front row of the above picture of the Officers of the 5th Camerons, taken on the 19th August 1943 at Fleri, Sicily.

The full list of those present in the photograph is shown on the History page detailing Major General Wimberley's Departure from the 51st Highland Division.

5th Camerons carried on Shermans

6. [ photo ]

5th Camerons carried on Shermans
21st October 1944

5th Camerons carried on Shermans of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry to their assembly area near Kaatsheuval on 21st October 1944.

Men of 5th Camerons in snow suits

8. [ photo ]

Men of 5th Camerons in snow suits
14 January 1945

Men from the 5th Camerons wearing snow suits inspect the weapons of two GIs from the American 87th Division during the allied link up at Champlin. 14 January 1945

Black Watch and Kangaroo

9. [ photo ]

Black Watch and Kangaroo
23rd March 1945

On the night of 23rd March 1945 men of the three Black Watch battalions in the 51st Highland Division were ferried across the Rhine under cover of artillery barrage and a massive smoke screen. They are seen here moving forward in 'Kangaroos'. The HD 69 signifies the 7th Battalion. Little opposition was met before they were established on the far bank. The credit for being the first British troops across the Rhine fell to this battalion. The term 'Kangaroo' was applied to converted tanks and gun platforms like the hulls of Shermans and Priests which were converted into infantry armoured personal carries from Normandy onwards.

Pipers in St. Valéry

10. [ photo ]

Pipers in St. Valéry
May 1945

Pipers play in the town square of St. Valéry-en-caux after liberating the town.