49th West Riding Division

Lt-Col. G.G. Elliott

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Lieutenant-Colonel G.G. Elliott
2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment

During his term of comd, the bn, in common with all other units, suffered heavy casualties. Its record can, however, bear comparison with any other during this period and throughout, the morale and fighting spirit of the men remained at a very high level despite constantly changing personnel within the Bn. For this, Lt Col Elliott mst be give almost sole credit for by his personal example in battle, by his tireless solving of all the problems presented to him, and by his faultless leadership, he ensured the success of all the operations in which his bn took part.

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

Born on 21 November 1909 in Eastbourne, Sussex, Geoffrey Grahame Elliott was a commissioned officer in the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment since 1931. He was recognized for distinguished service as a brigade major in the Battle of France. He afterward worked on the War Office planning staff. By April 1944, he had been posted to the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment as second-in-command. Two months later, the battalion landed in Normandy with the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade.

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Lt-Col. J.F. Higson

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Lieutenant-Colonel J.F. Higson
2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment

This comparatively young officer, who has only 8 yrs service, was acting 2 i/c of the Bn during the operations on Ed Duda. Throughout the whole period of operations he was if the greatest value, both in the Bn HQ area … also in the forward areas he was of the greatest value, visiting and directing the work of forward Coys under fire, in organising the defences and co-ordinating the work of the various arms. All of this was done under considerable strain and with very little sleep.

(M.C. citation, 24 February 1942)

Born in Norwich, Norfolk on 21 November 1913, John Frederick Higson was a commissioned officer in the Essex Regiment since 1933. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Western Desert campaign and as second-in-command earned the Military Cross for “conspicuous gallantry” in late November 1941 at Ed Duda near Tobruk. In one instance, he attacked two enemy trucks but when his Bren gun jammed, “he jumped out of the carrier, rushed up alone, stopped one lorry and took the driver prisoner.”

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Lt-Col. R.N.H.C. Bray

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Lieutenant-Colonel Bobby Bray
2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment

Lieutenant-Colonel Bray was in a glider that crashed badly on landing. Though bruised and badly shaken, Lieutenant-Colonel Bray made his way to Divisional HQ. On the way he sustained further injuries owing to a fall which resulted in concussion. As soon as he recovered consciousness he continued on. Though in great pain he set to work when he arrived in a way which inspired all around him.

(D.S.O. citation, 31 August 1944)

Born on 14 June 1908, Decca, Bengal Presidency, Robert Napier Hubert Campbell Bray was commissioned in the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment following graduation from Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1929. In 1942, he became GSO 1 for the newly formed 6th Airborne Division. As chief-of-staff to Major-General Richard Nelson Gale, Bray helped to design the airborne operations for the Normandy invasion.

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Lt-Col. F.W.A. Butterworth

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Lieutenant-Colonel F.W.A. Butterworth
2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment

During the operation, his personal leadership was of a very high order and his presence on the battlefield at places where he was most … was an inspiration to all ranks. His personal attention to detail in the planning period and his drive, determination, and leadership during battle were responsible for the Bn seizing four important objectives almost entirely within the time laid down by Bde HQ.

(D.S.O. recommendation, 20 Sep 1944)

Born on 18 November 1906 in Headingley, Yorkshire, Francis Wyndham Arthur Butterworth was commissioned in the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) in 1925 after attending Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1936, he joined the Sudan Defence Force and served as second-in-command of the Equatorial Corps during the first phase of the Second World War. For his administrative and security work in Sudan, he awarded with Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1942.

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Lt-Col. D.R. Wilson

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Lieutenant-Colonel D.R. Wilson
2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
7th Battalion, Green Howards
2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers

He has throughout combined a high sense of duty with a humane understanding of the many factors affecting the morale of the soldier, and his work has been of a constantly high standard.

(O.B.E. citation, 1 Jan 1957)

Born on 15 January 1912 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Douglas Richard Wilson attended Radley College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1932. His father Colonel Richard Henry George Wilson (1874–1944) had commanded the 8th, 1st, and 1/5th Battalions during the First World War. Following overseas service with the 1st Battalion in Hong Kong and India in the 1930s, the younger Wilson was attached the headquarters staff of the 9th Infantry Brigade during the battle of France.

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Lt-Col. M.C.K. Halford

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Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Halford
Hallamshire Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment

The battalion did the work, and I got the DSO.

(Quoted in Daily Telegraph, 21 Jan 1999, 29)

Born on 28 October 1914 in Yateley, Hampshire, Michael Charles Kirkpatrick Halford was a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge and commissioned in the York and Lancaster Regiment, which had been commanded by father and maternal grandfather. He served during the Arab Revolt in Palestine 1936 and became adjutant for the Hallamshire Battalion in 1939.

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Lt-Col. P.R. Ashburner

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Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Ashburner
4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment

He has always worked hard and has had on many occasions to do much more than is own work owing to battle casualties among the other officers at Brigade Headquarters–through the many changes of personnel including the Commander; carried through every action, he has remained the cheerful, confidant personality on which the Brigade has come to rely for the continuity of its success in fighting the Germans.”

(Military Cross citation, 29 Mar 1945)

Born on 18 July 1910. In Mount Abu, India, Peter Robert Ashburner was the son of a British Army brigadier and polo player. After graduating from Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned into his father’s regiment Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) in 1930. His served in Normandy and North West Europe as brigade major for 71st Infantry Brigade, for which he received the Military Cross:

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Lt-Col. J.E.B. Freeman

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Lieutenant-Colonel J.E.B. Freeman
4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment

His cool and cheerful bearing as he moved from platoon to platoon, often under heavy fire, had a most heartening effect while the information he was able to obtain was of the greatest use to his CO in the conduct of the operation. Again during the very bitter fighting … Lt Col. Freeman showed courage of a very high order in moving forward in a confused situation to a company temporarily cut off by enemy infiltration.

(Chevalier of the Order of the Crown, citation, 10 Oct 1945)

Born on 14 May 1913 in Hertfordshire, John Edward Broke Freeman was a lawyer and Territorial Army officer, commissioned with the Oxford and Buckingham Light Infantry in 1935. He was promoted to temporary captain in January 1940 and made acting major six months later. He participated in the planning for the Normandy invasion as brigade major for 146th Infantry Brigade.

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Lt-Col. R.J. German & Maj. I.D.M. Liddell

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Lieutenant-Colonel John German
&
Major Ian Liddell
1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

Had it been our fate to have gone into battle together, I think there is no man that we would rather have had by us in a time of hardship and danger than John German. I am told that he was killed by a sniper’s bullet outside Le Havre, when standing in the open, encouraging his men. We can all picture him doing that.

(Quoted in Burton Observer and Chronicle, 26 Oct 1944, 2)

Born on 28 August 1908 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, Raymond Johnston German was a long serving Territorial Officer and a land agent. He joined the 5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment in 1925—his father served as honorary colonel from 1927 to 1938. He mobilized as a company commander in the 1/5th Battalion commanded by his older brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Guy German. The unit deployed to Norway in April 1940. While John made it back to England, Guy would spend the rest of the war as a prisoner-of-war.

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Lt-Col. A.L. Novis

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Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Novis
1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

I hope A. L. Novis will be available by the time International Matches come along—how superbly he played in the Irish match at Twickenham! Those two tries of his—one scored on the wing by sheer determination, the other when he moved into the centre and went like a snipe through the defence—those two tries, to my mind, put the whole standard of International Rugby up a notch or two, for when such things are possible, we still have true descendants of the Golden Age.

(Howard Marshall, The Bystander, 27 Sep 1933, 566)

Born on 22 September 1906 in Malabar Hill, British India, Anthony Leslie Novis was a rugby union international player and captained the English national team in 1933. He was educated at Oxford University. He played for numerous rugby teams including Leicestershire FC, Blackheath, and the Army as a commissioned officer in the Leicestershire Regiment since 1929. After prewar service in Palestine, he served as a company commander with the 2nd Battalion in the Western Desert.

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