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51St Highland Division St. Valery 12Th June 1940

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51St Highland Division St. Valery 12Th June 1940 51st Highland Division St. Valery 12th June 1940 Major-General Fortune with General Erwin Rommel St. Valery en Caux On 21st April 1940 the Highland Division was separated from the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. It came under the command of the 3rd French army and was stationed in front of the Ouverage Hackenberg Fortress on the Maginot Line. As the German army advanced through Holland and Belgium on 10th May, the Division was pulled back to form a defensive line along the river Somme. It was now attached to the 10th French army. As the Division moved towards the Normandy coast, German forces cut off their line of retreat near St. Valery. British and French troops now retreated into the town. Overlooked by steep cliffs, the Division face a clear line of fire as the German forces closed in. As fog came down on the night of 11th June, the last chance of evacuation was lost. Most of the Division, numbering 10,000 1 surrendered at 10.00 on 12th June. Many faced the arduous journey to POW camp Stalag – XX-T north of Warsaw in Poland. In 1942, Free French leader General Charles De Gaulle declared that the ‘valiant 51st Highland Division under Major-General Fortune played its part in my decision to continue fighting unto the end, no matter what the course of events.’ Andrew Thomson Noble 2068328 Territorial Army Field Company 236 Royal Engineers 20th March 1939 Attested Sapper My father, Andrew Noble, embarked for France on the 23rd of January 1940. 2 He was with 51st Highland Division as they retreated from the line of the Somme towards St. Valery. On 9th June General Fortune Brigadier Stanley Clark to take a force for the defence of Le Harve. It was formed in the village of Arques-Le-Bataille, taking its name from there. Arkforce was required to take up a defensive position about 20 miles east of Le Havre on a line Fecamp – Bolbec, through which the 51st Highland Division might withdraw. However, Brigadier Clarke was informed that the Division was cut off and on 12th June had been forced to surrender. He did therefore arrange the evacuation of Arkforce from Le Havre, by the Royal Navy, first to Cberbourg and thence to England. Field Company 236 of the Royal Engineers was one of 16 units and a further 4 detachments serving in Arkforce. My father’s Army Records notes that he was evacuation from France on 16th June. On 29th May 1942, he took part in the assault on the port of Diego Suarez on Madagascar. The guns of the battleship Ramilles opened up on the town and the Vichy French garrison quickly ran up the white flag of surrender Following the capture of the island, he sailed across to Durban in South Africa. Then on 8th January 1943, he sailed across the Indian Ocean to Bombay, where he arrived safely on 22nd January 1943. Next, with Field Company 236, he travelled across India to Calcutta. From there he took ship to Cox’s Bazaar in the Bay of Bengal. From then onwards, he served in Genera William Slim’s 14th Army. His first action took place in the Arakan and was involved in the battle of the Administrative Box. He took part in the battle of Myitkyina in northern Burma, lasting from 17th May to 3rd August 1944. Then he advanced towards Mandalay and on to the port of Rangoon. However, Field Company 236 were taken out of the line just before the fall of Rangoon. My father’s last period of service covered a brief time in Palestine and then back to England on 1st December 1945. He married my mother, Ann Murray McDonald in Innerleithen Old Parish Church on 14th December 1945. The Minister was the Reverend Johnny Walker. My father transferred to the Army Reserve on 16th June 1946. 3 Andrew and Ann Noble on their wedding day. My father’s medals: · 1939 – 1945 medal · Defence Medal · Africa Star · Burma Star · Dunkirk Medal (issued by the French Government). 4 Final comment before release from the Army in 1946: Military Conduct – Very Good. Testimonial – Has had 6 years general Sapper experience during which he has proved reliable and hard working. 51st Highland Division Commemorations on the 80th anniversary of the surrender at St. Valery 12th June 1945 This will take the form of piping sets across the UK and beyond at 10.00 on Tuesday 16th June 2020. It will be filmed and shared on social media, using hashtagStValery80. There will be a linking of this to designated charities. The event is supported by Legion Scotland, PoppyScotland and the Royal Caledonian Education Trust. 5 References A Time of Tyrants Scotland and the Second World War – Trevor Royle St. Valery the Impossible Odds – Edited by Bill Innes Return to St. Valery - Derek Lang https.//51hd.co.uk Army Records for Andrew Noble Malcolm Noble 6.
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