THE 6th BATTALION ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS 1939-46 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781474543224)

The 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (RSF) was a Territorial Army unit that served in two distinct phases during the Second World War: the 1940 Battle of France and the 1944-45 campaign in North-West Europe.

Service Timeline and Key Operations

Battle of France (1940): Assigned to the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, the battalion served as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Following the German breakthrough, it was evacuated from France in June 1940.

Home Defence (1940-1944): After evacuation, the battalion reformed in East Anglia, undertaking anti-invasion and airfield defence duties. It later moved to various locations in Scotland, including Peterhead, where it underwent intensive mountain and winter training.

Normandy and North-West Europe (1944-1945): Reassigned to the 44th (Lowland) Brigade within the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, the battalion landed in Normandy on 15 June 1944 (D+9).

Operation Epsom: On 26 June 1944, the battalion spearheaded the assault on the village of Saint-Manvieu-Norrey during the First Battle of the Odon, part of the wider Allied effort to encircle Caen.

Final Advance: The battalion fought through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, eventually crossing the River Issel in Germany in March 1945. It was disbanded in Lübeck, Germany, in 1946.