THE FIFTH BATTALION THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE June 1944-May 1945 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781474543019)

The 5th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) was a Territorial Army battalion that served with distinction in north-west Europe during the final year of the Second World War. Formed in 1939 by splitting the 4th Battalion, it spent the early war years on home defence and intensive training in Britain before deploying to Normandy in June 1944 as part of the 129th Infantry Brigade of the renowned 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, landing in France on D-Day +17.

From the moment it entered the Normandy campaign, the battalion was engaged in some of the fiercest fighting faced by British infantry. In July 1944 it fought in the brutal Battle for Hill 112, one of the most costly and bitter struggles of the campaign, where repeated attacks were launched to seize the commanding high ground south-west of Caen. Soon after, the battalion was heavily involved in the hard-fought battle for the village of Maltot, holding the shattered position under intense enemy pressure before handing it over to other units.

As the Allied breakout gathered momentum, the battalion took part in the capture of Mont Pinçon in August 1944, the highest point in Normandy and a key German defensive stronghold. The advance continued to the River Seine, where the battalion participated in the vital crossing at Vernon, helping to open the route for the Allied drive toward Belgium and the Netherlands.

In September 1944 the battalion fought during Operation Market Garden, operating along the narrow Allied "corridor" near Nijmegen and taking part in the intense fighting known as the Battle for "The Island" between the Waal and Rhine rivers. Through the winter of 1944-45 it continued the advance into Germany, fighting through the formidable Siegfried Line, crossing the Rhine with Allied forces, and pushing deep into northern Germany before ending the war near Bremen in May 1945.

The battalion paid a heavy price for its service. During the campaign it lost 39 officers and 564 other ranks killed. In recognition of its courage and determination, members of the battalion received 74 awards for gallantry.

Today, the Roll of Honour stands as a lasting tribute to the men of the 5th Battalion who served and sacrificed during the campaign that carried Allied forces from the fields of Normandy to final victory in Europe.