uncle that died in normandy

[the welsh wizard]

Well ap, youve gone & done it again & far exceeded anything that i expected. I just cannot thank you enough for all your hard work & your enthusiasm in finding all this information for me & im absolutely thrilled, exited but also sad, & its made me more determined than ever to visit, ive a brother in germany whome i will be sharing all this valuable info.
Anyway thank you very much again & i will certainly keep you posted.

Many thanks Dave

[ap1]

Thanks Dave,

Its also been a useful exercise for me. This was the first action that the 1st Bn was involved in during WW2 so it is of significance. It is not something I had previously read into, so as a result of your query I know a little more of how the 1st Bn's withdrawal to Dunkirk began. I think some time in the future I may visit this location.

[Bob Lake]

The Regiment has erected a memorial at St Vennant, Pas De Calais, Franc, to those of 1RWF killed during the BEF in 1940.

The Battalion after an arduous retreat from the defensive line of the Dyle, where they first encountered the Germans, were ordered to form part of the defensive perimeter around Dunkirk at the villages of St Venant, Robecq and St Floris where a canal system acted as a natural obstacle to the German's panzers. St Vennant is about 40 miles from Calais just north of the Paris motorway and is easily visited.

The memorial is on the banks of the canal at St Vennant. It was here where the 1st Battalion were eventually overun by the Germans. They were effectively holding off panzers with Bren Guns and rifles, no with artillery support, anti tank weapons or indeed any maps. Many were killed or captured with I think about 280 so getting back to the UK.

An account of the memorial and the events is in the March 1998 'Y Ddraig Goch'

Hugh Sebag-Montefiore recently wrote a book' fight to the last man' about those battalions who were sacrificed in the Dunkirk defensive perimeter to allow the bulk of the BEF to escape. The link to Amazon is below:

Amazon.co.uk: Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man: Hugh Sebag-Montefiore: Books

I have spoken to many of the veterans of those days including Desmond Llewellyn 'the actor who was Q in the Bond Movies' who was a platoon commander with B Coy and was captured at Robecq, dressed a a lock keeper, as he had just swum the canal and was given clothes by the French family at the lockeepers house. The Germans wanted to shoot him as a spy.

The RWF Musem has a personal account of Jack Willes who later was Colonel of the Regiment, he was captured at St Venant and spent his war as a PoW.

There is a french contact, Dominique Le Fevre who lives at St Floris and runs the local history group. He knows just about where every action involving RWF in the area and where most of our guys are buried. The local Mairie (Mayors office) at St Vennant will have his address.

You must get a copy of the 1998 journal which gives quite a lot of detail including a sketch on the cover drawn of the final stand, depicting soldiers running the gauntlet of fire from panzers crossing the canal lock before it was blown.

I hope this helps with your research

warm regards,

Bob

[ap1]

Thanks for that detail Bob,

Im about to fly back to Kabul today, however if any member has a copy of the 1998 journal and could scan the particular page and attach it to this thread, it would be a great help to Dave, and also would help paint a better picture for the rest of us.

Bob I hope all is well with you, and please feel free to contribute to these threads. You have been fortunate to know the WW2 veterans on a personal level, as evidenced in your post, which adds another very welcome dimension.

Thanks again

Al