Meanwhile, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage in North West Europe, particularly among the infantry. In early 1945 the War Office accelerated the conversion of surplus artillery into infantry units, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service. 49 Garrison Regiment was redesignated again, becoming 601 (The West Yorkshire Regiment) Infantry Regiment, RA in February. It went to North West Europe and did Line of Communication duty with Second Army, including service in Antwerp while that city was under attack by V-1 flying bombs.