1st Bn RWF - May 1940 (Dunkirk)

[ap1]

Myself and Bob are currently adding the War Diary for the 1st Bn at Dunkirk in 1940. Its a slow process and the text is added a bit at a time. Its well worth reading the segments as we add them, you get a better sense of the build up from phoney war to the all out maelstrom, with our 1st Bn right in the middle of it.

It also reminds you that the guys writing the diaries had no idea that the battalion was facing near decimation and embarking on a war journey that would take them from the battlefields of France, eventually finishing in the jungles of Burma 5 long years later.

You can view the page at http://www.rwf-forum.co.uk/vBulletin...n-RWF-May-1940

[roy dadge]

I believe that Lieut Boyle was killed in action on the 24th May in the ambush that "D" Company suffered at the hands of the germans.

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Notes From Robecq Visit 27<SUP>th</SUP> May 2007

The battle for St Venant was effectively lost on the evening of the 24<SUP>th</SUP> May 1940. The failure of the BEF to capture the four bridges over the La Basse Canal, at Robecq, deprived the Royal Welch Fusiliers of a viable tank defence. This doomed their subsequent defence of the southern end of the BEF Escape corridor. The Bourne Canal behind St Venant is not sufficient of an obstacle to discourage a determined attempt by tanks to forge a crossing, for just behind the town the Canal has a lock and weir complex easily navigable, with a little ingenuity.
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The Germans needed to secure the bridges over the La Bassee Canal, to allow their tanks to close the southern end of the escape corridor to Dunkirk. This they achieved on the afternoon of the 24<SUP>th </SUP>May. The Royal Welch Fusiliers orders had been to secure the bridges and to deny the Germans access, to ensure the BEF escape corridor was kept open. The La Basse Canal is an extremely effective tank deterent. Unfortunately the Germans arrived first, to secure the bridges and the village of Robecq. Failure to take the bridges meant that the coming battle, as the BEF struggled to keep the corridor open to Dunkirk, would be fought over the flat country in front of St Venant, with the Bourne Canal behind the village. This is ideal tank country with little natural defensive positions.
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Clearly understanding the urgent defensive requirements of the BEF and importance of his objectives, Lieutenant Boyle, with “D” Company, took the direct route to Bridge “A”, down the Calonne-s-la-Lys to Robecq Road (D69). Platoon 16 led the way as an advance guard, Platoons 17 and 18 (with Frank) followed checking the farms, on either side of the road. Then, just outside Robecq “D” Company were ambushed by the Germans who were entrenched in a farm on the road to Calonne-s-la-Lys. The fire fight was fast and furious with “D” Company taking severe casualties. It is here, I believe, that Dave Evans was wounded. Frank said that they were heading towards a farm when the Germans opened up from the farmhouse and buildings. The company immediately took cover in the ditches on either side of the road. It is here that Dave Evans rose to cross from his side of the road to the ditch on the other side. Just as he was crossing the road a mortar round exploded on the road severely injuring his legs. (This is the injury from which he spent two years in hospital, much of the time in Liverpool. The severity of the injury can be judge by the fact that Dave wore a calliper on his right leg for the rest of his life). The company extracted themselves, retreating towards Calonne-s-la-Lys, taking their wounded with them. Frank last saw Dave Evans being taken away in a wheel barrow. As he said many years later he never expected Dave to make it home. With the failure of “A”, “B”, and “C” Companies to also obtain their bridge objectives, the Battalion were condemned to fight in front of St Venant on unsuitable ground and with a totally inadequate tank defensive plan.
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The order to halt the advance of German tanks, issued by Von Runstedt and agreed by Hitler, was implemented on the 24<SUP>th</SUP>, after resting and reorganising for three days the German resumed their advance to attack St Venant on the morning of the 27<SUP>th</SUP> May at 08.00hrs. They immediately started to probe and push forward. The Royal Welch Fusiliers orders were to now deny the Germans access to the bridge over the Bourne Canal, a far more difficult task than the La Basse Canal.

Kindest regards

Roy

[ap1]

Hi Roy, its taken you over two years to post, but its been worth waiting for. An excellent post and a warm welcome to you.
Can I ask what your interest is in the Royal Welch. I'm assuming either Dave or Frank were relatives of yours?

Kind Regards

[roy dadge]

Hi Roy, its taken you over two years to post, but its been worth waiting for. An excellent post and a warm welcome to you.
Can I ask what your interest is in the Royal Welch. I'm assuming either Dave or Frank were relatives of yours?

Kind Regards

Hi,

Yes, Frank is my father Frank Dadge and Dave is 4189858 Sergeant D.P. Evans DCM. Dave was a friend of my fathers who I knew as a small boy and young man. Dave won his DCM in the fighting at Ottenburg on the 12th May 1940.

Kindest regards

Roy

[LynneE]

I found this very helpful too. My father, John Hugh Edwards, and his cousin, Llewelyn Lewis were both Fusiliers in B Company, taken prisoner on 26 May. Llewelyn Lewis died in Stalag XXA the following year, leaving a small collection of poems in Welsh about the retreat from the Dyle and life as a prisoner of war. My father never spoke about it, like so many. I lived in Brussels for 6 years in the 1990s and was aware that I was constantly crossing their tracks since I lived in the south of the city and my weekend walks and cycle rides more often than not took me into the sector between the Wavre and the Senne.

[ap1]

Thanks Lynne,


Thanks for your response. Not sure if you've seen this older thread, that includes some passages from the Red Dragon, in relation to the Bn's initial action at the River Dyle

http://rwf-forum.co.uk/vBulletin/sho...hlight=dunkirk

[LynneE]

Thankyou very much. I had not noticed this thread.

[roy dadge]

My father was a member of Platoon 18, D Company, 1^st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers on the River Dyle, 15th May 1940. I believe that at least 4, if not all the 5 fusiliers buried in Wavre are from my father’s platoon. They were putting in an attack, led by Lance Sgt. Dave P. Evans who was given a DCM for the action, against the Germans when they were killed. I wondered if anyone has any information with regard to the action that took place, photographs of the soldiers or other information that may help provide background and a full story to the fateful day. The five buried in the Sint-Agatha-Rode church yard are as follows:-

LEWIS Fusilier 4189535 JAMES
MASON Fusilier 4197065 ALBERT
PRICE Fusilier 3961254 JOHN ANTHONY
ROWE Fusilier 4192896 WILLIAM
WATKINS Fusilier 4071474 LEWIS THOMAS DANIEL

I will if I can gather further information be able to record on the forum at least a partial account of the events of that day.

Roy