Saul Davids Churchills Sacrifice of The Highland Division is a good book on the campaign in 1940. It has a nice timeline during the campaign, and offer a good glimpse of what the soldiers were going through. There is one element it doesn't cover and that is the mental and moral blow the men who were taken as POW's went through. It is better covered in a book I bought in Aberdeen in 1998 called "We're afa far frae haeme now" It covers a lot of experiences from fighting men and women from the North East of Scotland. In the book you get to know some who were taken in the 1940 campaign. I haven't read the book for some years now, so I don't recall what unit they belonged to. Jaeger
Welcome to the Forum Aileen. For the P.O.W. No. 1993 I have a Pte. C.W.G. Harvey 2819382 Seaforth Hldrs. who in 1945 is listed as Stalag 20A. A Liberation report; if one was made would be in the File WO 344/136/2 at Kew. My father Private Charles John Harvey was captured at St Valery on the 12 June 1940 and arrived at Stalag IXC on 11 July 1940 prisoner number 1993. Can any one give me any details he was a prisoner for 5 years and worked in a salt mine. He was in the Seaforth Highlanders. Does any one know of any records for these five years.
Chester I have only just read your message. My father was from berwick upon tweed - what about your grandfather? I have 2 soldiers pay books with a lot of names and addresses. I wrote to some of them when he died but many of them were also dead by then. If you pass on your grandfathers name and details i will look for him too. I have discovered that the war diaries for the nthld fusiliers is at alnwick castle. Unfortunately they have a waiting list for private appointments. I was intending to go to kew but maybe there is nothing more there.
I have recently discovered that the war diaries for the 7th northld Fusiliers is at alnwick castle in the fusiliers museum. I have visited the museum but there is a long waiting list for private appointments unfortunately. I guess there is no point in going to kew unless there is more info there about the capture at st valery etc?
Chester I have only just read your message. My father was from berwick upon tweed - what about your grandfather? I have 2 soldiers pay books with a lot of names and addresses. I wrote to some of them when he died but many of them were also dead by then. If you pass on your grandfathers name and details i will look for him too. I have discovered that the war diaries for the nthld fusiliers is at alnwick castle. Unfortunately they have a waiting list for private appointments. I was intending to go to kew but maybe there is nothing more there. Hi, You should look at WO 167/801 if you go to Kew. Owen already mentioned the diary above in post number 8.
Chester I have only just read your message. My father was from berwick upon tweed - what about your grandfather? I have 2 soldiers pay books with a lot of names and addresses. I wrote to some of them when he died but many of them were also dead by then. If you pass on your grandfathers name and details i will look for him too. I have discovered that the war diaries for the nthld fusiliers is at alnwick castle. Unfortunately they have a waiting list for private appointments. I was intending to go to kew but maybe there is nothing more there. Liz, I have sent you a private message with my contact details. My Grandfather Major Bill Potts was your fathers Company Commander and I have an account of sorts of what the Battalion and D Company got up to in France Chester
You may be interested in this picture. It is from a wartime picture book but I can't recall which and can't tell you the date. I assume the caption is correct. Anyone recognise any family likeness? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=41589&stc=1&d=1291379397 Andrew
Andrew, This is not the 7th as they did not have as many MG's I think it could be the 9th who were captured at Singapore
Hello Chester, I find it interesting that you have identified the Bn in the photo as the 9th, because the 7th would not have had as many MGs. Were the 7th deployed deficient of the weapons or would they have been issue in theatre? Cheers, John
I don't know why but I can't help thinking that shot was taken in the UK on a range as part of a training exercise/ range day / PR photo shoot before the war. Is it possible to date the Vickers MG's? I'm assuming they are an early model by the flash eliminator - not a type I've seen before. A
Andy This type of flash eliminator seems to have been around in early 1940 per the following IWM picture: Vickers machine guns of 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 1st Division, at Aubigny-au-Bac, 23 March 1940. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43114&stc=1&d=1294162934 There is also a picture of this type in Singapore in 1941 but other BEF pictures show a more pointed shape. Andrew
Cheers Andrew I did wonder if the older version was given to TA units and Regs had the more modern model? (Like today) I'm rubbish at dating kit etc. I think I posted some doc's I found in a file about a new barrel for the Vickers in 39/40 to do with a change of ammunition. I wonder it that caused the flash eliminator to be different too. Andy
Just in case you did not know, 7th Northumbrian relieved 4th Cheshire's (my father's battalion) in front of the Maginot Line on 3 May. They were unlucky to be the wrong side of the Panzers when they broke through the Ardennes and hence 7th Northumberian ended up in St Valery instead of Dunkirk like the Cheshires.
Hey there my grandfather Jimmy dodds was in the Royal Northumberland Fusilliers and captured at St valery he's spent the rest of the war in pow camp and apparently escaped twice...one of the camps if not the only camp he was in was stalag9 ..does anyone have any information on the Royal Northumberland Fusilliers action there?..i know abit about the battle as a whole but not for that specific regiment. Thanks
For information UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: J Dodds Rank: Fusilier Army Number: 4271420 Regiment: Royal Northumberland Fusiliers POW Number: 1259 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: IX-C Camp Location: Mühlhausen, Hesse Record Office: Infantry and Army Educational Corps Record Office, York Record Office Number: 20 TD
Yep thanks mate I already have all of that I just wanted to know more about the actual fighting then regiment did in France...i know about the 51st Highland Division but havnt found much on that regiment in the battle before capture...might go to alnwick castle as it's only 20mins away.
If you want to get a feel for what the battalion was doing at St. Valery the regimental history is quite good by C N Barclay.
