Border regiment's items found in Dunkirk area a few years ago. Almost spoons and forks, differents sizes. Only one bear the 5th Border sergent's mess badge. Never heard about sergent's mess... It should be interesting to see where the 5th Border Rgt went and let part of this equipment on the way back to beaches in 1940...
Those are nice pieces. I had always thought that units were told not to take their mess plate to France. The Sergeants of 5 Border dined well ! Do you use them ? I would !
Spoons and forks are parts of my collection and generally stay in a box. I found about 10 of Border Rgt. Become rare to find nowadays, sometimes a dated fork or a button stick, bearing an army number can be found with lot of chance. I also found 2 divisionnal plates with RASC and RE badges from 1940 and one tankard from a RASC 's officer (damaged by himself !) I will certainly post pictures as soon as possible... but need time.
Great find - Why do I never find anything like this There was 3 Borders Battalions (1,4 and 5) in France and sadly I only have 1 Borders war diary at the moment.
This map shows where 5 Borders was evening 30th May 1940. On Furness Canal just north of Warhem http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Flanders/maps/UK-NWE-Flanders-10.jpg Evening 1st June near Uxem. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Flanders/maps/UK-NWE-Flanders-11.jpg
As Owen says 5 Borders were on the Bergues/Furnes canal on the 30th/31st May. On the 31st May there was heavy shelling of their positions along the canal line and the battaion was in contact with the enemy but no attacks developed into anything significant . On the 1st June at dawn there was numerous attacks all along the 5 Borders front and the rest of their brigade - 126 Brigade. Both 5 Borders and 1 East Lancs suffered heavy casualties and the forward positions were overrun with few survivors retreating. The Germans now established positions over the canal a new perimeter was established at the area of Les Moeres which was held until nightfall and was then handed over to the French. 126 Brigade was ordered to the beaches to embark. The brigade did not leave that night due to the Mole being packed with French soldiers so the brigade move to the dunes to wait for the following night. On 2nd June the brigade was subjected to shellfire and bombing throughout the day when nightfall arrived the brigade made their way to the mole and embarked on Royal Navy ships to the UK. I'll add more detail when I get the 5 Borders diary.
Items were found ( I suppose) in this area... I remember the day when I bought that items to the seller, a couple of pounds, no more ! I also know that locals sellers do not make so many miles to sell what they can and what they found. I was lucky that day but many and many miles were made theses years to find such things I still have kept today...
I'd be very interested in resources on the 5th Borders in 1940 - the father of a close friend Pte James Campbell 3600047 was captured - reported missing on the 22nd June, unit given as the 5th Bn - I think he lived in Whitehaven and was a POW in Lamsdorf. Any help gratefully received
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: J Campbell Rank: Private Army Number: 3600047 Regiment: Border Regiment POW Number: 12735 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 344 Camp Location: Lambinowice, Poland Record Office: Infantry Record Office, The Public Hall, Lune Street, Preston, Lancashire Record Office Number: 18 TD
You will get into trouble here! The Border Regiment were VERY touchy about their name. I heard that the CO of the regiment (1st battalion I guess), post war, arrived at the BAOR Athletics Meeting and pulled his team straight out. Why? The scoreboard referred to them as 1 BORDERS. They were the BORDER Regiment, and to be referred to as 1 Border - with no 's'. Chris
Yikes. I thought the Worcestershire Regiment were bad insisting on 1/Worcestershire etc *never* 'Worcesters'....I will watch my step. Thanks! And that's him I'm fairly sure TD, thank you. SF
