HISTORY OF THE ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS 2nd BATTALION (Reconstituted) European Campaign 1944-45

The reconstituted 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was formed in May 1942 through the redesignation of the 15th Battalion. Its creation followed the loss of the original 2nd Battalion after the fall of Singapore in February 1942, during the Battle of Singapore.Integrated into the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, the newly constituted battalion served throughout the North-West Europe campaign from June 1944 until the German surrender in May 1945, participating in the major Allied offensives that carried British forces from Normandy into northern Germany.Operational ServiceNormandy Campaign (June-August 1944)The battalion landed in Normandy in June 1944 and entered combat during Operation Epsom, the fierce struggle along the River Odon west of Caen. It subsequently took part in the protracted battles for Caen and the encirclement of German forces in the Falaise Pocket.The Allied Advance (September-December 1944)Following the breakout from Normandy, the battalion advanced through France and Belgium, contributing to operations aimed at clearing German forces from the Lower Maas region and the Venal Pocket in the Netherlands.Rhineland Fighting (February 1945)During Operation Veritable, the Allied offensive into the Rhineland, the battalion was heavily engaged in the fighting around Kleve and the Reichswald Forest, forming part of the northern arm of the Allied advance toward the Rhine.Final Operations in Germany (March-May 1945)After the Allied crossing of the River Rhine, the battalion continued its advance into Germany. By April 1945 it had reached Celle, and by the end of hostilities in May its forward elements stood on the banks of the River Elbe.Battle Honours (1944-45)The battalion's service in North-West Europe is commemorated through the following battle honours:Odon and Tourmauville BridgeCaen, Mont Pinçon, and FalaiseLower Maas and Venlo PocketRhineland, Reichswald, and RhineUelzen and Artlenberg

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