The Polar Bears: Monty's Left Flank: From Normandy to the Relief of Holland with the 49th Division

by Patrick Delaforce

Formed in 1907 in the West Riding of Yorkshire as a Territorial unit, the 49th Infantry Division fought with honour throughout the First World War, earning three Victoria Crosses. With the onset of the Second World War the Division saw action in the ill-fated Norwegian campaign of 1940, before spending two years as the Iceland garrison. From August 1944, under Canadian command, the Polar Bears acted as Monty's left flank, playing a key role in the capture of Le Havre, campaigning vigorously in Belgium and garrisoning the 'island' between Arnhem and Nijmegen during the winter of 1944. They went on to liberate Arnhem, Utrecht and Hilversum. The Division's reconnaissance armoured cars were the first Allied troops to arrive in Amsterdam on 7 May 1945. In the final weeks of the war the Polar Bears played a humanitarian role, bringing desperately needed food supplies to the starving people of Holland.

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction, History, Military History, Military Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1995

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

A functional history of the 49th Infantry Division, which is strengthened by frequent inserts from previously published personal accounts. The writing is clipped, and the book presents the 49th's experience as a serious of encounters rather than as a series of campaigns. Battles are described by jumping from one battalions to another, as opposed to presenting one fluid picture of the engagement. Oddly utilized punctuation and awkward first person sentences in the narrative make it difficult at times to distinguish where some quotations end. I was disturbed by the typos scattered throughout which made the book look like a Clancy. The editor of this work has some explaining to do, and stylistically the book could be improved, but the story of the Polar Bears was earnestly told.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book which covers the wartime service of my great uncle in what has become a forgotten campaign in Norway & Iceland, through to the end of the war.