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===Battle of Normandy===
[[File:The British Army in
Most of the 51st [[Invasion of Normandy|landed in Normandy]] as part of [[Operation Overlord]] on 7 June 1944, a day after [[Normandy landings|D-Day]], as part of [[I Corps (United Kingdom)|British I Corps]], under [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] [[John Crocker]]. After spending a brief period supporting the [[3rd Canadian Division|3rd Canadian Infantry Division]], it was sent across the [[Orne (river)|River Orne]], and spent two months supporting the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne Division]] in its [[bridgehead]]. During this period it fought many difficult actions at places such as [[Battle of Bréville|Bréville]] (11–12 June) and [[Colombelles]] (11 July).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bjmh.gold.ac.uk/article/download/773/895/|title=Why did 51st Highland Division Fail? A case-study in command and combat effectiveness|first=Anthony|last=King|publisher=University of Warwick|page=46|access-date=24 May 2020}}</ref>
[[File:The British Army in Normandy 1944 B5289.jpg|thumb|left|Men of either the 1st or 5/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders advance into [[Bénouville, Calvados|Benouville]] on the Caen canal soon after arrival in [[Normandy]], [[France]], 7 June 1944.]]
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division's performance in Normandy was, overall, considered disappointing,<ref name=king>{{cite journal|title=Why did 51st Highland Division Fail? A case-study in command and combat effectiveness |url=http://bjmh.gold.ac.uk/article/view/773|journal=British Journal for Military History|first=Anthony |last=King|date=November 2017|volume=4|issue=1|access-date=19 May 2020}}</ref> particularly by General Montgomery, now the [[Commander-in-chief|Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C) of the Allied land forces in Normandy, who stated in a telegram to [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke|Sir Alan Brooke]], the [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] (CIGS, the professional head of the British Army), that the division "''had failed every mission it was given''".<ref>Doherty, p.167</ref> This led to the replacement of its GOC, Major-General [[Charles Bullen-Smith]]; his dismissal is not mentioned in the Divisional Official History nor formation accounts.<ref name=king/> His successor was Major-General [[Tom Rennie]], who had served with the division in France, North Africa and Sicily before being elevated to command of the [[3rd Division (United Kingdom)|British 3rd Infantry Division]] for the Normandy invasion.<ref>Delaforce, p.145</ref>▼
▲The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division's performance in Normandy was, overall, considered disappointing,<ref name=king>{{cite journal|title=Why did 51st Highland Division Fail? A case-study in command and combat effectiveness |url=http://bjmh.gold.ac.uk/article/view/773|journal=British Journal for Military History|first=Anthony |last=King|date=November 2017|volume=4|issue=1|access-date=19 May 2020}}</ref> particularly by General Montgomery, now the [[Commander-in-chief|Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C) of the Allied land forces in Normandy, who stated in a telegram to [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke|Sir Alan Brooke]], the [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] (CIGS, the professional head of the British Army), that the division "''had failed every mission it was given''".<ref>Doherty, p.167</ref> This led to the replacement of its GOC, Major-General [[Charles Bullen-Smith]]; his dismissal is not mentioned in the Divisional Official History nor formation accounts.<ref name=king/> His successor was Major-General [[Tom Rennie]], who had served with the division in France, North Africa and Sicily before being elevated to command of the [[3rd
On 1 August 1944 the division, along with the rest of British I Corps, became part of the newly activated [[First Canadian Army|Canadian First Army]]. The division fought alongside this army in ''[[Operation Totalize]]'', before advancing to [[Lisieux]]. It then continued east over the [[Seine|River Seine]] and headed, on General Montgomery's orders<ref>Doherty, p.184</ref> for [[Saint-Valéry-en-Caux]], the scene of the division's surrender in June 1940. The division's massed pipes and drums played in the streets of the town, and a parade included veterans of the 1940 campaign in France who were with the 51st Division in 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://51hd.co.uk/history/valery|title=Return to St Valéry September 1944|publisher=Museum of the Royal Regiment of Scotland|access-date=24 May 2020}}</ref>
A similar event occurred at [[Dieppe, Seine-Maritime|Dieppe]] when it was liberated by the [[2nd Canadian Division|2nd Canadian Infantry Division]]. Leaving Saint Valéry, the 51st Division was engaged in ''[[Operation Astonia]]'', the battle for the French port of [[Le Havre]], in September 1944.<ref>Delaney, pp. 161-166</ref>
===After Normandy===
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