3rd United Kingdom Division

Lt-Col. P.D. Daly

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Lieutenant-Colonel P.D. Daly
2nd Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

From the start to the finish of the campaign Lt Col Daly has been magnificent first as a staff officer and then as Bn commander. His inspiring leadership and personal bravery have been an inspiration to all ranks.

(D.S.O. citation, 24 January 1946)

Born on 22 November 1912 in Exeter, Devon, Patrick Dunsandle Daly was a commissioned officer with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry since 1932. During the Normandy campaign, he was brigade major for 185th Infantry Brigade in 3rd Division. In this role, “he distinguished himself as a first class staff officer and earned the respect and admiration of all those with whom he came in contact.”

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Lt-Col. C.G. Millett

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Lieutenant-Colonel C.G. Millett
2nd Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

Recce party with the C.O. and his bodyguard left to recce the area of previous nights incidents. Explosions heard and report received that the Commanding Officer Lt. Col. C.G. Millett, O.B.E., his bodyguard and two other ranks had been killed in a minefield. The party had approached the body of a dead German and were examining the corpse when the explosion occurred.

(War Diary, 20 Dec 1944)

Born on 8 April 1903 in Reading, Berkshire, Cecil George Millett was a commissioned officer with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry since 1923. He was 2nd Battalion adjutant from 1931 to 1934 and was promoted to captain in 1933. By 1942, he was acting lieutenant-colonel and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire as part of the King’s Birthday Honours.

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Lt-Col. F.J. Maurice

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Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Maurice
2nd Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

At 0115 hrs several shells fell in the Bn area, one of which killed Lieut Col F.J. Maurice. Col. Maurice had comd the Bn for two years and was dearly loved by all ranks. His death cast a gloom over the Bn just as it was again to go into action.

(War Diary, 7 Jul 1944)

Born on 2 April 1905 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, Frederick Jack Maurice was commissioned with the East Surrey Regiment after graduating from Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1924. He became adjutant for 2nd Battalion in 1935, and by 1940 had been promoted to major. Home from France on sick leave, when German forces attacked Belgium, Maurice crossed to attempt to rejoin his battalion. In the chaotic situation he fought with an ad hoc group of troops before evacuation.

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Lt-Col. C.L. Firbank

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Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Firbank
2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment

Despite the great destruction wrought by the atomic bomb, infantry has in no way been reduced to the role of an occupation force in any future major conflict. With each new weapon that has appeared down through the history warfare that have been some who have claimed that the knight in armor or the soldier with a rifle is no longer of use. But wars will be fought by infantry men as long as we have wars.

(Quoted in Montreal Star, 16 Nov 1955, 3)

Born in British India on 1 August 1911, Ronald Clarence Macdonald was a field hockey player educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1931 took a commission with the Royal Warkwickshire Regiment, which his father had earlier commanded. He attended staff college and following instructional duties, was assigned to the 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment.

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Lt-Col. R.C. Macdonald

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Lieutenant-Colonel R.C. Macdonald
1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

All our families are very much happier about our departure now that there is an armistice. We don’t know quite what we shall find when we get there, but we shall be busy enough competing with the cold, if nothing else.

(Quoted in Birmingham Gazette, 1 Aug 1953, 5)

Born in British India on 1 August 1911, Ronald Clarence Macdonald was a field hockey player educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1931 took a commission with the Royal Warkwickshire Regiment, which his father had earlier commanded. He attended staff college and following instructional duties, was assigned to the 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment.

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Lt-Col. J.F.M. Macdonald

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Lieutenant-Colonel J.F.M. Macdonald
1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

His coolness and determination inspired the leading Coy to rally and resist the enemy counter attack with spirit; the enemy was finally firmly held. With considerable skill and power of decision, though he himself was under heavy mortar and sniper fire, this fine officer quickly re-act his fire plan

(D.S.O. citation, 30 November 1951)

Born on 7 November 1907 in Norfolk, John Frederick Matheson Macdonald was commissioned with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers after graduating from Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1927. Following staff postings, he served as second-in-command of the 6th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers during the early phase of the Normandy campaign. He took command of the 1st Battalion, KOSB on 26 July 1944, a week after Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Renny had been wounded and evacuated.

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Lt-Col. C.E. Welby-Everard

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Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Welby-Everard
2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment

But you have to get into that frame of mind where however tired you are, however exhausted you feel, you have just got to go on. Now that is a state of exhaustion that a great many of you, I am sure, have never experienced at all. I have only experienced it once, and that wasn’t really bad, but we shall really be up against the problem and we have just got to pull ourselves together. If you realise it beforehand it will be very much easier to compete with when the moment actually comes.

(Welby-Everand speech, war diary, June 1944)

Born on 9 August 1909 in Spalding, Lincolnshire, Christopher Earle Welby-Everard was a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and a Territorial Army officer. He was commissioned Lincolnshire Regiment in 1930 and served during Arab revolt in Palestine in 1936. He became battalion adjutant prior to war in September 1939, and afterwards completed staff college at Camberley. Following staff officer duties, in March 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.

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Lt-Col. J. Drummond

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Lieutenant-Colonel John Drummond
2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Regiment

The award of the Distinguished Service Order to Lt-Colonel Drummond was a fitting conclusion to such an enterprise. Since he had taken command, the Battalion’s chain of successes had been unbroken, and now the campaign had been wound up in really superb style. This last operation had been at once the most spectacular and the most difficult that the Battalion had undertaken, and, without doubt, the completeness of the triumph was due largely to his bold plan and resolute leadership.

(D.S.O. citation, 14 Feb 1945)

Born on 17 February 1910 in County Tipperary, Ireland, John Drummond was commissioned with the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1931 and had prewar service in Hong Kong and Egypt. He was adjutant for the 2nd Battalion in the Battle of France, and after the Dunkirk evacuation became GSO 3 for X Corps. He was subsequently posted to the 1st Battalion, RUR as second-in-command. As part of 6th Airlanding Brigade in the 6th Airborne Division, the unit landed in France during the D-Day invasion.

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Lt-Col. I.C. Harris

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Lieutenant-Colonel “Tommy” Harris
2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Regiment

Lieutenant-Colonel Harris has commanded his battalion since D Day, His leadership, example, and coolness under fire have been a source of inspiration to his battalion. In the battles for Cambes, Caen, and Troarn, he was invariably to be found in the forefront of the battle encouraging his men in spite of the heavy fire through which the battalion had always to advance.

(D.S.O. citation, 14 Feb 1945)

Born on 7 July 1910 in County Tipperary, Ireland, Ian Cecil Harris was commissioned with the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1930 after attending Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He served with the 2nd Battalion in Sudan, and the 1st Battalion in Palestine, Egypt and Hong Kong. In the late 1930s, he was posted to Shanghai and then served in India on the North West Frontier. By 1941, he had complete staff college at Camberley and became brigade major for the 129th Infantry Brigade.

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Lt-Col. R.H. Bellamy

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Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Bellamy
1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment

But his nickname among the men was ‘Claude’ because we thought he looked like Claude Dampier, the comedian. Mind you, Bellamy was no comedian. He was a tough, stern man, but fair, and a good Commanding Officer.

(Quoted in Thomas J. Bates, Search for Sidney, 34)

Born on 8 December 1910 in Westhampnett, Sussex, Robert Hugh Bellamy attended Sherborne School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, after which he was commissioned with Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1930. He fought with the 2nd Battalion during the battle of France and was mentioned in dispatches. By September 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in command of the 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment.

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