6 Hli 1940

[chipmunk wallah]

Any information regarding 6 HLI in 1940 would be very much apreciated. My Great Grandfather, Lt Cl P A Gaskell MC TD was QM/Transport in this TA battalion,and a real hero of mine,I will write his story up as passed down to me by my Grandmother soon but the actuall details of the deployment to france in june 1940 are a little sketchy ,ie where,what and,frankly why?
Thanks in advance
again,Ive posted a thumb of a picture in my collection,butchered with crude anti nicking device as maybe one day shall get his story in print,hope people understand.
all the best.
1the king inspects 6hli,05051940,pa gaskell at center.JPG

[Owen]

6 HLI in 157 Bde, 52 Lowland Div.
They went to France in June for the planned 2nd BEF under Alanbrooke, but 157 Bde got there first.
Britian had to help France stay in the war.
157 Bde was the lead Brigade and were sent to Le Mans , with an A/T battery, where the Div was to assemble.
It arrived and was given orders by Weygand to move to the right of the French Tenth Army's line.
By June 13th , they were digging in on a huge semi-circlular position with their right on Conches, their centr at Bonneville and their left at Faverolles-la-Campagne. On that flank French Infantry linked them to Beuman Division. On their right was a void of unkown dimensions.
The 157 Bde found this depressing and unnecessary, since there seemed to be no shortage of French soldiers.
June 14th they heard Paris had fallen and later the Germans started to attack their widely extended positions using captured French tanks, by noon they had made no progress so a lull in the battle alowed evacuation of the wounded and ammo to be brought up.
In the afternoon the situation got worse.The French infantry on the left dissappered and so the 157 Bde had both flanks in the air. Not long after that the French artillery regiment supporting them also withdrew.
157 Bde held its positions until 7pm when ordered to fall back to a position three miles east of Conches.
15th June , they mved by truck to the woods north of Mortagne, thirty miles to the south where a new stand was planned.
Some time later they were reenforced by a British Field Regiment, RA.
16th June. 157 Bde position was in danger as French troops on the flanks were spread too thinnly.
Brig Laurie was worried they wouldn't have enough petrol to retreat to Cherbourg but a foraging party found 2000 gallons from a dump at Alencon.

That is from The Fight For The Channel Ports by Michael Glover.
I'll have another look soon.
Got to get kids to school.

[Owen]

Before I go must post this , in case I forget.
Read this chapter. It explains what 157 Bde got up to & why.
HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Chapter XXI]

In addition to a considerable number of lines-of-communication troops at various bases and ports, the remaining British forces included the remnant of the 1st Armoured Division, two brigades of Beauman Division and, later, the 157th Brigade of the 52nd Division and leading elements of the 1st Canadian Division which were being sent out from England as a start in the rebuilding of a British Expeditionary Force.[6] None of these formations except the 157th Brigade were in fact engaged in serious fighting. They occupied successive and often very uncomfortable positions, acting at first under one or other of the French commanders in the retiring French Tenth Army but under General Brooke's command in the final stage.



After pausing to construct bridges over the Seine the enemy renewed his advance on the 14th, and the 157th Brigade, in positions covering Conches, had to fight to maintain their line unbroken. On that night the French Tenth Army was ordered to withdraw to the line Verneuil–Argentan–river Dives where the 157th Brigasde held an eight-mile front astride the Mortagne–Verneuil road.


General Brooke agreed with General Marshall-Cornwall's decision that the time had come when he must detach the remaining British forces and withdraw them to Cherbourg for embarkation to England.
The 157th Brigade, in motor transport, arrived there on the 17th and were duly embarked that evening.

[chipmunk wallah]

Thanks a lot Owen,much appreciated.
I know from wartime letters I have that my G Grandad managed to override silly rules regarding sticking to main routes during the retreat,apparently the CO couldnt override them but my GG in his capacity as transport officer could thus leading to back routes being taken and escape to the channel. Apparently the other battalin with them didnt have such foresight and ended up wholesale "in the bag" .
I also have a very nice anecdote regarding there arrival back in the UK and my GG going to stores to pick up clothes and boots etc for "his boys",The QM insisted that as it was late he would have to come back the next morning but only with all the pukka paper work. Needless to say this didnt go down too well and in a scene remarcably close to that pictured in the ACW film Glory,my GG came back to the stores half an hour later with 3 or 4 of his largest nco's all carrying pick handels and,surprise surprise his boys got fresh uniforms
Incidently,my GG was 47 at the time and had been excused overseas service,of course he was having non of it