Newcombe's Rifles

Discussion in '1940' started by CROONAERT, Sep 2, 2009.

  1. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    I'll be getting the War diary for this "knocked together" unit next week, but, in the meantime, does anyone have any further info about them and their activities on the way to Cherbourg in 1940 please?

    dave.
     
  2. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    ...also...does anyone have any idea why a number of soldiers (all regulars) found themselves in this unit in France when their parent units were based elsewhere (such as India and Malta etc.)?

    Many were experienced soldiers and NCOs, so i wondered if they might have been on home leave and were drafted into this unit to assist purely in the withdrawal of the BEF. Also (last Q!)...would they have been volunteers or would they have been ordered to go? Any thoughts?

    dave.
     
  3. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    They were one of 3 or 4 provisional battalions in Beaumans Division, itself a cobbled together force.

    I think they were in B Brigade, and were formed from anybody standing around at the time! All pressed men i think.

    I dont know who Newcombe was (I did try and read up on them prior to the internet and there was little in print), and I think the other provisional battalions had similar names.

    There was a front page of the Daily Mail concerning the Divisions retreat (i think the term 'Rifles' was ambiguous, as the division wasnt fully armed!) - I will see if I can find my notes but it was a few years back.

    Obscure one!

    Regards

    Pete

    Some odd links I found:

    C’est la guerre, c’est la vie, vive le cyclisme! « Bob the Bike Man

    Axis History Forum • View topic - Beauman Division

    The axis forum mentions the daily mail edition as well.

    Internet can be a great tool - I've found more in 10 minutes than I did in several weeks before!
     
  4. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Thanks for that Pete... had a pile of 1940 related books out this morning and found no reference whatsoever (now i know though...Beauman's Div does turn up in most!)

    Cheers.

    dave.
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I got rather excited just now , thinking 'I know something Dave doesn't know.'
    I knew I'd read of an ad-hoc " ****** Rifles" unit but alas it was not to be , it was ''Davies Rifles'' , under the command of a Grenadier Guards officer.
    From page 150 of Forbes history on Gren Gds 39-45.

    Sorry Dave, no help at all.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Apparently there was an article in the Daily Mail about them Dave.

    BBC - WW2 People's War - Dummy Men and Guns

    After the fall of France, one contingent of soldiers stationed in Rouen had to fight their way across France.

    Starting on 19th May, 1940, a 12 mile line of Britons with only 300 rifles had to hold the line. So steel helmets were placed on sandbags and tent poles turned into guns. Several soldiers ran up and down the trench firing from different positions. And this line was held for 20 days by Beauman's Division, consisting of approximately 800 men. They were constantly bombed and harassed by the advancing Germans whilst the Germans were trying to assess their strength.

    On the 8th June D Company faced by German tanks managed to escape to a riverside village which was in flames. The Batallion Commander set out to rescue C Company. At one stage guns from tanks opened fire, his car was wrecked, but they all got to the river without loss. In the meanwhile one of the other soldiers opened a gate and from a barn a small car and 2 motor cycles rushed out: no one got hurt.

    Meantime Headquarters Company had been creeping through a forest held by the Germans, only aided by a small compass, and had reached the river. The ferry started to ferry them across then refused to carry on, so one of Newcombe's Rifles swam across, put the Captain under guard and the ferry started up again. They all managed to cross the river and on 19th June embarked at Cherbourg with 22 Officers, 310 other Ranks, together with 29 antitank rifles and 15 bren guns.
    Major Lake's daughter remembers waiting for news at her Army school, which had been evacuated from Bath to Longleat, and has preserved a well-worn newpaper clipping from the Daily Mail of July 12 1940 telling the story.

    Major Lake, who had recived the DSO in the First World War, was mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette on the 20th December 1940.


    Some more info below mate.

    Axis History Forum • View topic - Beauman Division
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  8. skimmod

    skimmod Senior Member

    It was about 25 years ago, but I seem to remember an elderly relative saying that he was caught up in the 1940 campaign by mistake (his words)
    He was on a troop ship with other replacements/ soldiers on leave etc due to sail out to his posting in Afgahanistan and they were diverted at the last moment to France and cobbled together into a unit under another officer. He wasn't all there and I didn't think much of the story at the time. I'm wracking my brain as to what his name was...
    I'll have to ask my Gran.....
    I'll be really interested to hear what comes out of the diary!!
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Dave, check Glover's Fight For Channel Ports that you gimme heads up on, page 149, says 'B' Brigade made up from men from the Infantry Reinforcement Depot, that link to Axis History forum gives 'B' Brigade OrBat as this.
    B Brigade [‘Vickforce’] Brigader Kent-Lemon
    1st Provisional Battalion (‘Merry’s Rifles’)
    2nd Provisional Battalion (‘Davies’s Rifles’)
    3rd Provisional Battalion (‘Newcombe’s Rifles’)
    4th Provisional Battalion
     
  10. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Thanks for the info chaps.

    Owen...i'll be going through all the 1940 books again this morning, including that one (looking for the reference of "beauman" and "B Brigade" this time). Should get something to tide me over until I get the diary anyway.

    Iain...funnily enough, that sounds almost the same as what (may have) happened to the guy I'm researching. He was on his way to malta though.

    Cheers again.


    dave.
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Dave, check Glover's Fight For Channel Ports that you gimme heads up on, page 149, says 'B' Brigade made up from men from the Infantry Reinforcement Depot, that link to Axis History forum gives 'B' Brigade OrBat as this.
    B Brigade [‘Vickforce’] Brigader Kent-Lemon
    1st Provisional Battalion (‘Merry’s Rifles’)
    2nd Provisional Battalion (‘Davies’s Rifles’)
    3rd Provisional Battalion (‘Newcombe’s Rifles’)
    4th Provisional Battalion

    4th Provisional Battalion was 'Symes'

    Dave did you get the info you was looking for?

    Regards
    Andy
     
  12. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Dave did you get the info you was looking for?

    Oh hell, yes!:lol:

    I ended up writing an (approx.) 60 page semi-Official History on them!!!

    Dave
     
  13. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    I think there is a file for them in WO 361, relating to missing soldiers enquiries etc.

    As it was a disparate group this may prove useful when trying to trace individual men.

    Pete
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Peter the missing file is:

    WO 361/113 British Expeditionary Force, France: special units formed in France; Beauman Division, Davies' Rifles, Merry Rifles, Newcomb's Rifles, Perowne's Rifles, Waite's Rifles; missing men.

    Regards
    Andy
     
  15. Robert Holland

    Robert Holland New Member

    My father was Intelligence Officer with Lt Col Perowne who commanded Newcombe’s Rifles.
     
    Drew5233 and JimHerriot like this.

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