WW2 Group of 6 to Tweedy A & S H KIA July 1944.

A poignant WW2 group comprising of the 1939/45 star, Africa Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence and War medal all awarded to 3060633 Private Albert Tweedy of the 7th Battalion Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. His medals come in the original named and addressed box of issue, to His wife Mrs S D Tweedy of 127 Rotterdam Road Lowestoft. Also included is the condolence medal slip, photographs and copies of newspaper cuttings commonwealth war graves certificate etc and his original dress glengarry cap.
Private Tweedy probably joined the 51st division after the Battle of France here the 7th Argylls in particular suffered heavy losses during the fighting. Most of the original battalion were lost or taken prisoner. It is not impossible that he managed to get home, but I think unlikely.
The 154th Brigade managed to be evacuated to England after the 51st (Highland) Division was forced to surrender on 12th June 1940. The division was reconstituted by the redesignation of the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division to the 51st. The understrength 154th Brigade of the old 51st was merged with the 28th Infantry Brigade. In 1942 the new 51st Division, 7th Argylls included, were sent to join the British Eighth Army in the North African Campaign. They fought in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein; the Plan Montgomery was determined to attack the enemy using his infantry to create a gap and then push the armour through the gap created. The area for this was not the weaker sector in the south but the stronger part of the enemy position in the North. 30 Corps were to execute this attaching on a frontage four divisions wide.
The 2nd New Zealand Division were on the 51st Highland Division left and the 9th Australian Division were on their right. To the south beyond the New Zealand Division was the 1st South African Division. Once on their objectives the 1st Armoured Division would pass through them. 7th Argylls - The battalion moved through the minefields taking Paisley and Renfrew by 1100hrs and then Mons Meg. From there they moved on to the Red line reaching it by midnight. At 0100hrs they continued their advance taking and consolidating on Greenock. Subsequently they captured Nairn. On the 30th October they were relieved by South Africans. The battle concluded on the 3rd November with the 7th Argylls of 154 Brigade taking the strong point of Tel El Aqqaqir to find that it had been abandoned by the enemy.
After they enjoyed a period of reorganisation before joining the advance and moving forward towards Mersa Brega. Here as they prepared to attack what was described as a very strong position. However, on 13th December, before the attack was launched, there were reports that the enemy had withdrawn. he 7th Argylls were moved forward into Mersa Brega to fill the gap between the two Black Watch battalions and found it heavily bobby trapped but abandoned.
In January 1943 the battalion moved towards Tripoli and the Mareth Line in March On the 28th the 7th Argylls found the Mareth lines abandoned and moved across the Wadi Zigzaou and the following day continued the advance towards Gabes.

The battle of Wadi Akarit took place in a narrow coastline strip between the sea and the coastal towns of Gabes and El Hamma Al Hammah. Between these was the Gabes gap. The Wadi Akarit ran across the gap at the coastal end and to the Roumana Ridge, inland and to the west. This area was the objective for the 51st Highland Division.
7th Argylls who would move through a minefield and attack an anti-tank ditch and Wadi to form a bridgehead. 7th Black Watch would then pass through and turn west to clear along the Wadi up to the Roumana feature to link with the 2nd Seaforth’s.

On the right the minefield clearance and bridging of the anti-tank ditch went well and at 0515hrs the 7th Argylls advanced crossing the anti-tank ditch and secured their objective. They were immediately subject to counterattack but the Argyll's put up a great defence. It was on this occasion that their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, was awarded the Victoria Cross.
From here the battalion took part in operation Huskey landing at Sicily, 10th July 1943, largely unopposed, and pressed in land to secure the bridgehead. The 7th Argylls lead the way landing on the beach at 0245 hrs on 10 July. They had no opposition and advanced inland to Pachino in the first 24 hours and moved on to Nota which they reached on the evening of the 12th of July. From there they moved to a position 12 miles north near Palazzolo. The advance north now began. The battle at Gerbini took place over the period 18th-20th July. Here they saw heavy fighting by a major German counterattack, at this stage General Montgomery decided to shift the main effort of 30 Corps further west and the Brigade was withdrawn behind the Dittaino River. he role of 51 Highland Division in the continuing advance was to cross the Dittaino and Simeto Rivers and advance on Paterno; the 7th Argylls were in reserve.
The Division now took up a role supporting 78th Division and taking a crossing over the Simeto River. 154 Brigade provided flank protection for 78th Division who were to attack Adrano on the night of the 6/7th August. The 7th Argylls and 1st Black Watch were tasked with forcing and securing the crossing over the Simento River on the 5th of August. The operation was a success with relatively few casualties. Despite being held in readiness they were not required in the taking of Adrano, which fell on 7th August. The Brigade now took over a sector of 5th Division on the southeast side of Mount Etna. From here they moved to Milo and on to Linguaglossa, Castiglione and then back to Gerbini and Sferro for a period of retraining.
The 51st Highland Division returned to Britain in November 1943 and after leave settled down to training. In March they moved to East Anglia and on 5th April 1944 transferred from 30th Corps to 1st Corps and commenced training for the invasion of mainland Europe in Operation Overlord. In June they moved to the River Thames and embarked with the 154th brigade.
he 51st Highland Division landing took place to the west of the Ornnemouth in the 1st Corps area and crossed the River Orne. The operations in the following weeks were some of the worst the Division had experienced. The Division operated to the east of the Orne and northeast of Caen centred on an area known as the Triangle. An attack on 11th July on Colombelles, was unsuccessful. However, on the 18th of July, in Operation Goodwood, the Divison performed well but unfortunately on the first day of the operation Albert was Killed. He died on18th July 1944 age 24 years old.
Albert Tweedy is now remembered with honour at the Ranville War Cemetery near Caen France. He was the son of Fred and Hanah Tweedy; husband of Sylvia Doreen Tweedy, residing in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
This fine young man saw a lot of front-line action during the war taking part in the savage fighting in North Africa, where his commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Lorne MacLaine Campbell was awarded the Victoria Cross.
All medals are in excellent condition and in their box of issue and it looks like they have never been removed from the box. The original cap comes with the original badge and hackle, this has seen some wear, the red feather hackle has deteriorated over the years and it is shedding.

Code: 30282