Joe Brown

Peebles Company 8RS 1939

Peebles Company 8RS 1939
Joe Brown, Apr 21, 2013
    • Joe Brown
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      D Company of the 8th Battalion The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) served in 44 Infantry Brigade, 15 (Scottish) Division. As a second-line Territorial Battalion, formed in the Spring of 1939, it was woefully lacking in equipment at the outbreak of the Second World War with just three vans, men had rifles and anti-gas respirators, but there were only three Bren guns per company, and it was a great day when the first Bren Carrier arrived.

      The Battalion served in the defence of the Realm in various coastal locations and was ready as a mobile reserve. At the time of Dunkirk the 8RS was based in the village of Bradwell-on-Sea, their defensive positions overlooking mined beaches two hundred yards to their front prepared to defend an important and vulnerable defensive position around the River Blackwater on the Essex Coast, lying south of Clacton-on-Sea and north of Southend-on-Sea. It was thought to be a line of attack if the Germans kept up the momentum of their blitzkrieg and landed on the east coast, either to attack London or by-pass it and cut it off from the rest of the country.

      By 16 June the Battalion was in the Normandy Bridgehead. Their first action a Divisional attack to the south of Caen, the objective being the Odon River; three days of savage fighting and a salient of some six miles deep (the Scottish Corridor) was driven into the German lines.

      Their Battle Honours: Odon, Cheux, Defence of Rauray, Caen, Esquay, Mont Pincon, Aart, Nederrijn, Best, Meijel, Venlo-Pocket, Rhineland, Uelzen, Artlenberg, North-West Europe 44-45.

      The 8RS were the only infantry battalion to be involved in the assault crossings of the three major water obstacles; the seine, Rhine and the Elbe.

      They suffered heavy casualties with 241 killed and 861 wounded.
    • AB64
      Glad you have the names below, I don't think I could have picked out Jim Swan without them

      Alistair
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