North-West Europe 1944–1945 is a battle honour (more properly known as an honorary distinction)

It refers to the land campaign starting with the 6th June landings in Normandy and ended with Field Marshal Montgomery taking the German military surrender of all German forces in the Netherlands, Northwest Germany and Denmark on Lüneburg Heath in Northwest Germany. The campaign was conducted by Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, of which the British 21st Army Group was a component, along with the American 12th and 6th Army Groups. Together, the three army groups comprised the Allied effort on the Western Front which at its longest stretched from the North Sea to Switzerland.

The battle honours for the Second World War were not awarded until 1957/58 by which point some units had amalgamated or been disbanded.

List of units

The following units were awarded the battle honour,

Canadian regiments

  • The Toronto Scottish Regiment (1944–1945)
  • Royal Norfolk Regiment (1944–45)
  • East Lancashire Regiment (1944–1945)
  • Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (1944-45)
  • South Lancashire Regiment (1944–1945)
  • Irish Guards
  • Grenadier Guards (1944–1945)
  • Welsh Guards
  • 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
  • Duke of Wellington's Regiment (1944–1945)
  • Parachute Regiment (1944–1945)
  • South Staffordshire Regiment (1944)
  • Army Commandos (1942–1944), in the form of honours granted to the Commandos Association.
  • Manchester Regiment (New 1st Battalion) (1944–1945)
  • Gloucestershire Regiment (1944–1945)
  • Life Guards
  • Royal Horse Guards

See also

  • North-West Europe campaign of 1940
  • North-West Europe 1942 (Battle honour)

References

  • Baker, Anthony Battle Honours of the British and Commonwealth Armies 1986. Ian Allan Publishing