Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 20, 2023

The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division of the British Territorial Army was formed in September 1939 during the Second World War. Initially raised in Staffordshire, the division began as a second-line duplicate of the 55th (West Lancashire) Motor Division. It was tasked with anti-invasion and guard duties until late June 1944, when it was assigned to the Second Army and transferred to France to take part in the Battle of Normandy. On 8 July, the division helped capture Caen during Operation Charnwood; a week later, it assaulted the town of Noyers in Operation Pomegranate. In late July, when the German frontline was crumbling, the division captured a bridgehead over the River Orne and fended off counter-attacks to maintain its hold. Its final combat was a protracted battle to capture the town of Thury-Harcourt. Historians have praised the effort of the division in these battles, during which it suffered several thousand casualties.