2926874 G. GAIR, Cameron Highlanders soldier at Dunkirk 1940

RE the Cameron's at Dunkirk. Re: Pvte G. Gair.
Further to earlier posts. According to the QOCH Historical Records Vol 1.the remnants of Headquarters company and A company embarked "at ten minute to midnight" on the 29th May, from the East Mole. However, Major Barber's Leave Details (who had not been able to join their units since the outbreak of hostilities) made it to the Bray Dunes by 28th May. Barber's diary states "29th - Tried to find the 2nd Divn, without result. 30th. 0230. Embarked per SS Tilly from the beaches..." Further, under Sgt Mjr Kerr, the remnants of B Company, a single platoon, also made it to the dunes, but further toward La Panne around the 30/31st. Of these, Kerr and other ranks were detailed to serve in the final perimeter defence. My father was among them. His records (meticulously kept) show he arrived "home" on 21st June 1940. I know his account well. He and several others finally escaped long after the so called 79 got home. Sorry guys, but the 79 is a very romantic notion. Fits well in the official tome, but I fear it's totally fanciful.

 

Andy
I would be interested to know which destroyer. My father was adamant that he came back on the Royal Daffodil. I know they went out on the Daffodil from Southampton, but he always said he also came back on it. I suppose it's possible there were stragglers, although the battallion seems to have kept pretty much together throughout the retreat.

Your father was with 1btn QOCH Headquarters company, so would have been with them when they embarked from the East Mole close to midnight on the 29th according to the official account. The battalion - or all that was left of it was not kept together but effectively split up, travelling overland and arriving over three days. The numbers are also suspect with different reports giving different numbers. Prior to getting to Dunkirk itself, the Inniskillins' had encountered what must have been the HQ & 'A' company party guarding a bridge over the canal. The Skins officer quoted them as numbering not more than sixty men as a group at that time. See my other earlier post on this for actual quotes re arrival and embarkation dates. Garry.

 

Hi all,
Drew5233 sent me the diary for 1st battalion QOCH as my Gt Uncle was a private and was captured in May 1940. I looked on the nominal roll of POWs and there is a pte G Gair 2926874 listed here. Not sure if you were aware of this or not.

Here is the document with G Gair listed.

 

Hi all,
Drew5233 sent me the diary for 1st battalion QOCH as my Gt Uncle was a private and was captured in May 1940. I looked on the nominal roll of POWs and there is a pte G Gair 2926874 listed here. Not sure if you were aware of this or not.

Here is the document with G Gair listed.
I've posted the full BEF list of QOCH 1st Bn men who embarked in 1939, plus the full POW list on the related thread - see 1st Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders thread here.

 

I’m trying to help my father locate any records or references to his father Leonard Henry Wolf Popper (sometimes called Harry or Len) born 1910 who was left behind hundred miles away from Dunkirk and finally escaped weeks later with 4 others on oil drums - we don’t know from which beach- maybe near St Vallery - we know he served in 51st Cameron Highlanders, we think B company. I wonder if there is any mention in your father’s records, or memoirs- he may have been with my grandfather. Where did your father escape from with the remnants of B company? We know he said they had one rifle and no amunition as they’d only been issued 5 rounds, one clip between 5 men!

Or very grateful if you can tell me where to find a copy of the diary Drew 5233 refers to.

 

Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but I happened to read this on the BBC People’s War site only yesterday:

BBC - WW2 People's War - My escape from Dunkirk: With 92nd Field Regiment R.A.

Given this was my grandad’s regiment, I now wonder if he too left Dunkirk on the Royal Daffodil? This is the first time I’ve ever read anything about this ship and its connection to the 92nd, and so I had not searched the forum previously for her name.

No guarantees he was on board on that 2 June, of course, but as I say, the first tangible link to a ship I’ve ever had for his evacuation.

I am still awaiting his full service records from the MOD, I understand from the email they sent me t’other day that there is at least a six month delay their end due to weight of enquiries currently (I applied in October).

Sadly, the Royal Daffodil was scrapped in the 1960s, such an ignominious and undeserved end for a ship with her fine record.

MV Royal Daffodil - Past and Present - Dover Ferry Photos

M.V. 'Royal Daffodil' passing the Chapman Light

As a footnote, sadly Gunner Steel passed away the following year, in November 2005, aged 86. Thank you Gunner Steel for giving me this tantalising piece of information, and God bless your memory.

 

My Grandfather who was in the Royal Artillery came back from Dunkirk on the Royal Daffodil, I have a printed list of some names of other soldiers that my Grandfather had kept that were onboard the ship, can I ask your Grandad name and number and I could take a look for you.

 

That’s very kind of you, thank you very much.

His name was Walter Gatty, number 750930, 92nd Field Regt.

 

I can't see his name on the list that my Grandad had unfortunately.

 

That’s a shame, it would have been amazing to see his name there, but it’s great to see the lists anyway, regardless. Thank you so very much for looking for me, mate, appreciate it.

 

Could this be the G. GAIR you are looking for ?

MANY YORKSHIRE SOLDIERS COMING HOME
... wounds, and for three years has been In hospital. In civilian life assisted his father, a hairdresser. Private George Gair, Cameron Highlanders, whose wife lives Thorn Cross, Gtpton Estate, Leeds. Lieut. Itobert G. Crossley, Border Regiment, son of Mr. Cyril ...
From the Yorkshire Post of 22nd October 1943
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive...meron highlanders&retrievecountrycounts=false

It says he has been in hospital 3 years by 1943, and seems he is returning to his home town, maybe discharged due to injuries sustained in the Battle of France. I don't have a full sub to British Newspaper Archives to look up the full article. The address seems to be the Gipton Estate in Leeds, a 1930's local authority housing estate.

This may be him shown on several trees on ancestry:
George GAIR
born 26 March 1939 Jemimaville, Black Isle, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
married 8th April 1939 in Leeds to Caroline HUDSON
Died 29th April 1970 in Leeds
two children
occupation: Soldier/Commissionaire
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/150865255/person/232002451657/facts

I could find Caroline on the 1939 Register in Leeds at her parents address, but no entry for George. Maybe he was a regular soldier, mobilised Territorial, or called up from the Army Reserve by then.

 

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr/publications/assetfiles/historical/Jones2010-britishprisonersofwar.pdf

Although the German authorities agreed to the repatriation of 1,200 British POWs in
September 1941, they cancelled the exchange when it was found that
only 150 suitable German prisoners were available for return. Not
until October 1943 was a transfer of 5,000 British, Commonwealth
and American repatriates arranged


TD

 

Thats a fit with the date of the newspaper article.

Have with the OP's permission by PM, agreed to contact the 4 trees on ancestry, starting with the tree owner that lives in Yorkshire.

 

It has now been confirmed by a relative who I am in contact with that 2968274 G Gair is the George Gair who lived in Leeds & returned in 1943. The OP's email address is now with the relative.

 

Tommy40 is now in contact with George Gair's daughter and the tag has been sent to her. He now has a photo of George & is preparing an article on George, but in the meanwhile this is what the family initialy said:

I asked my Mum about my Grandad. She said he was in the Cameron Highlanders but didn’t think he’d been in Dunkirk. She knew that he’d been in France and had to retreat to a farmhouse which got blown up. He was burried under the rubble and found by a German soldier and became a prisoner of war. The Yorkshire Evening Post article is definitely about my Grandad. My mum has dug his war records out and his number is 2926874.

Tommy has confirmed that George was a pre war regular who joined the army in 1929, also served in the Gordons, and was India & the Sudan.

Tommy found the tag at Zuydcoote (beach) in the 1990's. This is opposite the imposing Zuydcoote Sanitorium, where over 10,000 allied soldiers were treated 20 May - 4 Jun 1940. He says that he thinks that "George was sent to the sanatorium with other british prisoners captured in Flanders in the days after the 4th june 1940. Some of the wounded before the 4th june were sent to CCS n°12 at Rosendael, south suburb of Dunkirk then sent to the sanatorium and later Belgium or France before going to Germany".