East Lancashire Regiment: Major Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews. V.C.

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Major Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews, East Lancashire Regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross in July, 1940, one of the first two Army V.C.s of the present war.

On the night of May 31st, 1940, Major Ervine-Andrews and his company held their position along the Canal de Bergues in front of Dunkirk for over ten hours, in the face of intense artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, and vastly superior enemy forces. He called for volunteers to fill a gap on his flank, and, going forward, engaged the enemy from the top of a straw-roofed barn with rifle and light automatic fire. He personally accounted for seventeen of the enemy with his rifle, and for many more with a Bren gun. When all his ammunition was expended he sent back the wounded, brought all that remained of the company safely back and again took up position. Throughout this action Major Ervine-Andrews displayed courage, tenacity and devotion to duty worthy of the highest traditions of the British Army, and his magnificent example imbued his own troops with the dauntless fighting spirit which he himself displayed.

Major Ervine-Andrews was born in County Wexford in 1911, and served on the North-West Frontier of India in 1936-7. He was Mentioned in Despatches and holds the medal with clasp for that campaign.

http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/british_regiment/east_lancashire_regiment_victoria_cross.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Marcus_Ervine-Andrews

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7500223&queryType=1&resultcount =1

Medal listing of Ervine-Andrews, Harold Marcus
Rank: Lieutenant Acting Captain
Regiment: East Lancashire Regiment
Date of Act Of Bravery: 31 May-01 June 1940
Campaign: 1939-1945 War
Locale: Canal de Bergues, Dunkirk
Date 1900 Feb 02 - 1944 Sep 01
Catalogue reference WO 98/8

London Gazette:
26 July 1940
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34909/supplements/4659
28 June 1946
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37635/supplements/3372

See this thread for ref:
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/19413-volunteers-eire-who-have-won-distinctions.html#post195852

[Drew5233]

Just been doing a bit of research on this chap as I've been to where he won his VC.

Sadly he was the last surviving Irish recipient of the VC and he attempted to return home to Co. Cavan after the war, but was driven out by local members of the IRA and later settled in Cornwall.
Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He's VC story is quite remarkable and unfortunately his citation doesn't do him justice.

[Drew5233]

Another image.

Unknown Artist's Charcoal dated 1943 showing Captain H.M Ervine Andrews on the roof of the barn. from National Archives.

And a Regimental Painting.

Ervine-Andrews is seen on the upper platform taking a magazine for his Bren gun.

[Mark Hone]

I visited the approximate site of his VC action on my 2000 school battlefields tour. Unfortunately I found it dificult to pinpoint the exact location of the barn on the ground but hope, with the aid of GPS etc, to manage a better job in 2010! Perhaps another contributor might help with the precise location.

[Drew5233]

I went to this location on a battlefield tour a few years ago (the guide was crap though so he probably just picked a random canal as we were driving along) but for the life of me I haven't a clue where it was although I do remember we crossed a lock to get to what must have been the north side of the canal where the barn was.

Does anyone know the precise location as I wouldn't mind visiting it next month.

Cheers
Andy

[Paul Reed]

Am presuming he was 1st Bn?

Map from the Official History.

[Paul Reed]

Modern comparison.

[CROONAERT]

Originally Posted by Drew5233

Does anyone know the precise location as I wouldn't mind visiting it next month.

Nicking Pauls's map for the mo', ...it was in the vicinity of the green blob (overlooking Pont Bentis-Meulen)

Dave.

[Drew5233]

Many thanks all. Can you confirm if the enemy was advancing along the red arrow towards the Canal and 1 East Lancs ?

[Drew5233]

Originally Posted by Drew5233

Some shots from where Major Ervine-Andrews earned his VC.

These three shots were taken looking East toward Pont a Moutons from the D4 road that runs parallel with the broken red line near the green dot.

I wonder if this was part of the barn he was holding off the Germans in?

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