Happy Friday all, Whilst taking some time to do some research today I came across a snippet of information about the retreat of the 6th Seaforths on the morning of the 27th May from Verbrandenmollen back to the canal and I'm hoping someone might have these bits to hand? (finger crossed!) Does anyone have the War diary of the 18th Field Regiment R.A - just the extract that tells us of the withdraw past their OP? can i have a copy of that page please? Also Does anyone have a copy of the Military Cross Citation for Major Barff that talks about the situation here also? thanks loads in advance. (I'm finally writing up 15 years of Royal Scots Fusiliers research for the museum and these bits give superb context)
Hello Drew, yes, eventually it'll all go into a book. but as its only one of my many pastimes it's going to be ages away!
I'm also coming unstuck with an uncorroborated report of Lt WM Megaw of the 2nd Inniskillings talking to the civilian occupants of the bunker near the Entrepot cafe. It says that this is stated in a diary, but I can't find it anywhere in the Skins diaries!
thanks Drew! really appreciate the above. Was it normal for MC's to be given with no citation? this will really help get a feel for what was going on.
Not sure....I think there's a whole WO 373 file missing containing BEF citations as I've struggled to find a few over the years, most notably Lt Cresswell's MC for the blockhouse defence at Cassel.
Charles More quotes from the 18th Field Regiment diary in 'The Road to Dunkirk'. He suggests that "If the infantry came from St. Eloi they were likely to have been Seaforths with perhaps some stragglers from the Northamptons, RSF and DCLI. 'Were their own officers fit to rally them ?', the diary asks rhetorically. The truth of the matter was that there were hardly any officers left in some of the battalions concerned."
yes. I like Charles' book. it's great. A few of the facts around the RSF are a little out, but I love the depth of knowledge and research. really good stuff.
Indeed, More's book is a good read with a lot of well thought out conclusions. Have you seen 2nd Northampton's diary ? Lots of talk of 'stragglers' but they don't say whose. With the CO missing and later confirmed killed, it is clear that a number of companies were not under effective battalion control. They had of course already taken quite a hammering at Vimy, including losing the original CO and RSM.
A couple of clarifications of the award in newspapers from the time. I hope these are readable for you?
How wonderful! thank you Bamboo and Rich. things are starting to come together and with each day it's getting clearer!