I have been contacted by the son of David Griffiths 1RWF, he is going to France to lay wreath on anniversary of his fathers death. 29 May 1940. Buried Calonne-Sur-La-Lys Cemetary.
Any info on what the Bn was involved in around this time would be welcome.
AM - Orders issued for a move to a Bde concentration area at ST JAN - SER - BIEGEN, N of POPERINGHE.
Route - VIUEX BERGUIN, STRAZULE, HETRE, GODEWAERSVELDE, ABEELE, WATOU.
Having reached THIEUSBOUK, N of HETRE, without incident, the column was fired on by enemy tanks moving south from GODEWAERVELDE. Enemy fire was at this stage ineffective, except for heavy casualties suffered by 67 FD Ambulance, who were leading the columns. HETRE was also being heavily shelled at the time.
It was decided to turn the column and make for METEREN.
1300 - The column was subjected to dive-bombing and shelling attacks. The weather had hitherto been fine.
About 1400 there were signs of an approaching storm. Rain started and continued very heavy until dark. Aerial activity was completely washed out and the column was consequently able to reorganise and move on.
At 1630 the column was on the road running north from METEREN to ST JAN CAPELLE
At METEREN French arty, horse transport and many kinds of MT comong from the south, had got jammed in the Bde column. The column was in consequence completely immobilised. The French eventually cut the traces of their horses and deserted their vehicles.
All efforts now concentrated on clearing the route. Just before dark the column began to move again, making in the general direction of POPERINGHE
Judy.
Ivor here. i have been involved with this thread since the beginning and as John said it is very long (83 Pages). to save you time i will try and find the relevant stuff. But basically by the 27th the battle of St Venant was over.
I will have to recap a bit re this thread. the purpose was to try and find the last resting place of a Private Anthony Corkhill of 2DLI. who was last seen although wounded, not thought to be serious, alive on 27/5/40, on the side of the Canal, by his RSM Goddard. He is then declared Dead,Official records, on 29th. Sgt Griffiths and another also died on that date. There are 14 'Unknowns' in Calonne Sur La Lys and if my memory is correct some of them have the same DoD. Do you know if Sgt Griffiths was wounded. i ask this as there was a German Field Hospital in Calone. We know this from record, it was based in the School. also RSM Goddard was told, by the Germans, that because Pte Corkhill was wounded in both legs and unable to walk he would be treated by the Field unit.
It may be of interest to your contact to know that although Sgt Griffiths is now buried in Calonne Cemetery he was probably Originally buried with the others in the Field behind the School. They were relocated during the ''Field Grave '' Clearances 1941/42.
Judy. this last bit of info is --''For Your Eyes Only''--- there is on record of a Nasty piece of S.S Garbage, i think his Surname was Dix, going around hospitals Shooting wounded PoW's around this time . As the Front had moved on towards Dunkirk the Hospital was to be moved. It would seem that the wounded may not have been considered part of this move
I was at both cemeteries this week including a quick recce of St Venant. I have both the diary and the battalions Missing Men file for this period - I know I'm a little late to the party but if you post up his details I can see if he's in the Missing Men file - It's odd ish that his date of death is a couple of days later than the show at St Venant.
Drew.
if you read my last thread you may realize that it is possibly not at all odd. Sgt Griffiths and 2 known others died that day, as may have some '' unknowns''
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