Hi guys, looking for some direction to the following. My great grandad was in the battalion, and they arrived in France on 12th June 1940 for 5 days. I was unaware that troops were still being sent after the Dunkirk evacuation, so Iām intrigued to find out more info about this. Can anyone recommend reading material or provide me with some info? Thanks, Hoody
Have a Google for 52nd Lowland Division & the 2nd BEF. 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division - Wikipedia HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939ā1940 [Chapter XXI]
Thanks Owen, really interesting reading. Terrifying to think that he may have been witness to the bombing of the Lancastria. Hoping to find out what ship he was on from the diaries! Hoody
52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division - Wikipedia "as part of the Second British Expeditionary Force (2BEF) to cover the withdrawal of Allied forces near Cherbourg during Operation Ariel" RMS Lancastria - Wikipedia "The Lancastria was sunk on 17 June 1940 off the French port of St. Nazaire while taking part in Operation Ariel" Lancastria was sunk at St Nazaire, thats some distance between the 2 ports. Operation Ariel covered about half the French northern coast and all its western coast Operation Aerial - Wikipedia TD
If he was in the vicinity of St Nazaire on 17 June 1940 then there was a chance he saw the sinking, if he was at Cherbourg, then I rather doubt it TD