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The Polar bear


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Grog I know, but that polar bear is the wrong one for 49th West Riding Division :cool:

The one in the picture has it's head hanging down, just as the divisions polar bear did when in the UK after the Island tour. But before Normandy a new aggresive polar bear was introduced with its head pointing upwards:

insignia.jpg

Other then that it all looks wonderful!

another question, are some of the troops in the pictures wearing MK III turtle helmets? almost looks like it, if so, bloody cool! :D

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well, its always a bit hard to see really :)

both canadian and polish troops was dressed as British infantry. :)

Normally the biggest difference is on the unit insignias.

Canadians had a red or blue square as unit designation on their arms, poles had "poland" shoulder title and 1st polish armed divisions division mark on the arm with different cap badge insignias (i guess)

But on the pic above its infantry from 49th Polar bear division West riding, which is a british infantry division.

The airborne chaps I cant tell, all the insignias being covered by the denison smock

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East Yorkshire Regiment Is the only Yorkshire formation I know of , any more out there that you are aware of?

I long ago lost my copy of Brigadier Hubert Essame's "Battle for Germany" (outstanding source material for many an ASL scenario in my youth btw), but ISTR a unit in the S'Hertogenbosch battle in Holland delivering "a typical Yorkshire welcome" to a German counterattack around the rail embankment. Possibly part of the 53rd Welsh or 52nd Lowland Divisions? Perhaps that triggers someone else's memory....

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any more out there that you are aware of?

The problem with the Yorkshire regiments (apart from the obvious one - being full of Yorkshiremen) is that a few of them don't have 'Yorkshire' in their title, obvious ones being The Green Howards, The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment and The Prince of Wales Own. Personally I think it's a cunning plan to give others a false sense of security until it's too late.

Additionally, as in the Polar Bears, the Division isn't the 'West Yorkshire' Div, it's the West Riding Div, and if you don't know that Yorkshire was historically split into three Ridings (North, East and West) then you would be non the wiser with regards to their origins.

And, to confuse the issue, 50 Northumbrian Div (who were first onto Gold Beach) 69th brigade were all Yorkshire Regiments.

The term 'riding' is of Viking origin and derives from Threthingr meaning a third part.

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The problem with the Yorkshire regiments (apart from the obvious one - being full of Yorkshiremen) is that a few of them don't have 'Yorkshire' in their title, obvious ones being The Green Howards, The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment and The Prince of Wales Own. Personally I think it's a cunning plan to give others a false sense of security until it's too late.

Additionally, as in the Polar Bears, the Division isn't the 'West Yorkshire' Div, it's the West Riding Div, and if you don't know that Yorkshire was historically split into three Ridings (North, East and West) then you would be non the wiser with regards to their origins.

And, to confuse the issue, 50 Northumbrian Div (who were first onto Gold Beach) 69th brigade were all Yorkshire Regiments.

The term 'riding' is of Viking origin and derives from Threthingr meaning a third part.

Nice info, thanks :)

The problem with the Yorkshire regiments (apart from the obvious one - being full of Yorkshiremen) is that a few of them don't have 'Yorkshire' in their title, obvious ones being The Green Howards, The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment and The Prince of Wales Own. Personally I think it's a cunning plan to give others a false sense of security until it's too late.

Thats the good thing with 53rd Welsh Infantry division. it clearly states its Welsh so you can keep away from it! :D

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