The Battle and Massacre of Wormhout - 28th May 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by Drew5233, Mar 5, 2010.

  1. Tinman07

    Tinman07 Junior Member

    Andy... thanks for the hard work you have put into this.

    If it comes as any consolation to you and the other readers, the Sacred Tree you mentioned is not dead. I have just returned from Wormhout, on the Town Twinning trip from Llandudno, and the tree was in leaf, largely hollow but alive. It is thought that the large number of tributes that had been nailed to it over the years had added to its decline but this has now been stopped with new tributes going into the new barn.

    Stewart.
     

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  2. charlie15

    charlie15 Junior Member

    Andy, many thanks for this wonderful thread. I have always known of the war crimes the SS committed in 1940, but have never read about it in depth until now. Thank you for filling that area of my knowledge bank!

    Lest we forget :poppy:
     
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Charlie Daley - Telegraph

    Charlie Daley

    Charlie Daley, who has died aged 98, was one of the last survivors of the infamous massacre that took place at Wormhout, close to the Franco-Belgian border, in 1940 during the withdrawal to Dunkirk.


    6:36PM BST 26 Sep 2012

    In May 1940, Daley was serving with “A” Company 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (2 RWR) as part of the BEF. Towards the end of the month the regiment was fighting a desperate rearguard action at Wormhout as it faced an enemy advancing in overwhelming strength. The town was in ruins and many of the houses were on fire.

    On May 28 the remnants of the regiment were ambushed in the town’s square by a unit of the Liebstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler Regiment. Out of ammunition, they were forced to surrender. While they were being rounded up, one of the SS soldiers approached Daley and, with a shout of “Englander schwein!”, shot him with a revolver through the left shoulder.

    After being interrogated, together with some Royal Artillery gunners and some men from the Cheshires, they were marched for about a mile at double-time and halted at a barn. On the way, they were stripped of anything that could identify them. Stragglers who could not keep up were shot. Some 90 of the prisoners were herded inside a barn which measured about 10ft by 20ft.

    A German soldier was seen taking a hand grenade out of his boot. Captain Lynn-Allen, a company commander in 2 RWR, protested about what appeared to be about to happen – the cold-blooded murder of the prisoners – and about the fact that the barn was so crowded that the wounded had no room to lie down.

    A German soldier, speaking fluent English but with a pronounced American accent, responded: “Yellow Englishman, there will be plenty of room where you are going to.” Grenades were hurled in and two NCOs, Sergeant Moore and CSM Jennings, with great gallantry threw themselves on top. They were killed and those near them were killed or wounded.

    The explosions forced the Germans to fall back momentarily, and Lynn-Allen, despite being wounded, escaped from the barn supporting a wounded comrade, Bert Evans. They ran for 200 yards and hid near a pond. They were discovered, shot and, as they slid into the water, left for dead. Lynn-Allen had been killed, shot in the forehead at point-blank range. Evans, who had been hit twice in the neck and had a shattered arm, was eventually helped by regular German soldiers and a doctor.
    Meanwhile, those left alive after several grenade attacks were taken out in batches of five and executed. Daley was lying low at the rear of the barn, but he too was dragged outside to be shot. As it then began to rain, the Germans decided to finish off the survivors inside and Daley and his small group were taken back into the barn. There they were ordered to turn around and were shot in the back.
    Daley was hit again by a burst of automatic fire which was sprayed around with the aim of killing anyone who might still be alive. After regaining consciousness, he discovered that, in addition to his other wounds, his right leg had been shattered.
    He lay in the barn for several days. During this period, two fellow survivors crawled outside in search of water. A farmer who arrived to collect milk cans refused to aid them, and it was only when two German medics came looking for their own wounded that they were spotted and an ambulance was called. A dozen men survived the massacre. Daley was taken to a dressing station before being moved to Boulogne, where an English surgeon, also a prisoner of war, amputated his leg.
    Charles Edward Daley (always known as Charlie) was born in Battersea, London, on July 27 1913. He enlisted in the RWR in 1930 and served in India. He was placed on the reserve for a spell but, in 1939, was posted to “A” Company 2 RWR and, in September, accompanied the battalion to France.
    In 1943 Daley was repatriated under a PoW exchange arrangement. In 1947, as a result of investigations by the office of the Judge Advocate General, Daley and a few other survivors returned to Wormhout. They were accompanied by members of the War Crimes Interrogation Unit and the events during the massacre were reconstructed.
    Several important witnesses had been killed on the Russian front. Others invoked the SS oath and refused to talk. It proved impossible to present a case which was likely to lead to the conviction of the guilty parties.
    In 1944 Daley joined John Lewis and worked as a dispatch clerk until he retired in 1978. In retirement in Fulham he was an enthusiastic supporter of Chelsea FC and enjoyed watching Westerns.
    Charlie Daley married, in 1944, Florence James. She predeceased him, as did their daughter, but he is survived by two grandsons and two granddaughters.
    Charlie Daley, born July 27 1913, died June 27 2012
     
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  4. Gooseman

    Gooseman Senior Member

    Every time one reads about this affaire one wonders what fluid ran through the veins of those SS men. A true horror. And that was just the beginning ...
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I think I may re-write this article at some point. I suspect I may have more general info now than I did when I first posted it.
     
  6. Peccavi

    Peccavi Senior Member

    Gunner Richard Parry, 69th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
    Not all the soldiers captured were defenders of Wormhout. Gunner Parry was part of a column retreating north from Cassel to Dunkirk. Like many British units retreating to the coast they passed through Wormhout.

    The circumstances of Parry's capture aren't particulary that clear as there are several very similiar accounts, no doubt gradually told over time but from using atleast three sources this one seems the most plausable to me however I will as always bow to someones superior knowledge.


    I have made contact with the son of a survivor from the 69th Med RA - 242 Batttery who visited the area with his father in 1983.

    They were not travelling up the Cassel Road into Wormhoudt which woudl have led them onto the Cheshire machine guns.

    In fact this group led by Captain the Earl of Aylesbury were coming from Popinghe and had taken a wrong turning ending up on the Herzeele road into the North East of Wormhoudt.

    They were ambushed by a German MG from the bend as the Town Square is entered - see the photos below.

    Unfortunately for Parry, when he jumped into the Peene Becq he went upstream South towards the Church (in fact, Rommelaere when I read him again does say UPSTREAM as well).

    Other members of 69th (like the survivor) who dived into a farm followed the Peene Becq Downstream to Dunkirk.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Drew,

    This really is amazing. Have you considered turning this into a book?

    I saw you had the statement by Baxter from the 53 Atk Regiment. I happened to read a copy of his 1990(?) statement held in Firepower last Thuirsday. I was trawling through the Worc Yeomanry's records for their Normandy story but could not help stop what I was doing to read the material on 1940.

    The individual battery war diaries are quite detailed and contaion a lot about the battle for Wormhout itself and Cassel as well as adding more personal accounts to the excellent story you have assembled.

    One thing that makes the 53rd Worcs Yeomandy interesting is that of all of the gunners who served in 1940 BEF they are the pones that most people will have heard of, because of Esquelbec and they are the first Gunners to land on D Day.
     
  8. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    The Battle and Massacre of Wormhout - 28th May 1940
     
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  9. DameDeDunkerque

    DameDeDunkerque New Member

    A little comment from a civilian French reader : Thank you so much, so much, gentlemen, for this amazing work of memory. I shall be honored, with your permission, to translate these posts for my sons and others to read. One must never ever forget. I have refused to take German lessons in high school. Those villages are familiar to me, but little of this horror was transmitted, for, my late mother, grand-parents etc...had run along the roads to find shelter further south. (My late mother, aged 6 in 1940, was sent to a family in Burgundy, where they nicknamed our "les Boches du Nord..."(the northern jerries...). Best regards to all.
     
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  10. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Deleted
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
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  11. temptage

    temptage I thought it would only take a few weeks......

    Stunning piece of work. I just wish I had known about it as I was in the area back in March and actually drove down the Wormhout - Esquelbecq road but failed to noticed the memorial.
     
  12. Peccavi

    Peccavi Senior Member

    Massacre on the Road to Dunkirk is a fine book and Leslie Aitken, Padre to the Royal Warwicks. writes beautiful English.

    Unfortunately, I found it impossible to trace the wanderings of those captured and despatched to the Barn ,despite having visited Wormhoudt and read the book.

    However, Aitken makes a few mistakes. The place that Aitken shows Parry entering the Peene Becq is incorrect – in fact this is where he exited.

    Also (with the help of a French contact) I believe that I have identified the footbridge taken by Evans - everything more or less then falls into place.

    Evans, a member of D Company Royal Warwicks, was trapped at the Peene Becq Stream – probably not far from where Parry exited the stream (Parry then went through a house and emerged on the Cassel Road, where he was captured).

    Here is the route that I believe was taken – modern Google map, and 1940 map (GSGS 4041 40 SW)
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]




    Also the footbridge is identified and shown on a “blown up google map.
    [​IMG]

    Here is the testimony of Evans:


    The pillbox has never been identified to my knowledge although a line of pillboxes (blockhaus) were in the process of being constructed – the famous one being 3 miles down the Cassel Road which Lt Cresswell held despite continuous German attack for over 3 days.

    Evans reports seeing soldiers machine gunned:
    [​IMG]

    I was sceptical about these being Cheshires but I think the circumstantial evidence is very strong.
    [​IMG]


    1. Evans did not recognise them as Warwicks

    2. 13 platoon of 4th Cheshires was split into two sections (see the report by Humphreys). One of these sections includes Humphreys and was captured and taken to the Barn

    3. The other section would have numbered about 15 men and it included Lt Glasspool.

    4. 7 Cheshires including Glasspool, of which at least three of whom are from 13 platoon, are buried at Ledringhem (there are 21 unknown soldiers buried at Ledrighem – source Rommelaere).

    Parry joined the Evans Group which was stopped and roughly searched 40 yards up the Cassel Road into Wormhout. They were then marched to the Church where they were held for some time – with their arms in the air.

    As this post is already very long will add more information about the Church in my next post.
     
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  13. Peccavi

    Peccavi Senior Member

    In 1940 the area in front of the Church and Rue d'église was more open as the photo below (compared with today) shows.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


    This was the area where Parry, Evans Group and also the Tombs Group were compelled to hold up their hands – for at least a quarter of an hour according to Parry until an Officer came out of the Estaminet St Hubert, across the road (nice owners today – excellent coffee) and gave permission for them to rest their arms. Today this does not look possible but in 1940 the view was less restricted.



    Tombs says that they were marched towards the church which had been damaged and then left out of town (confirming the route already shown for Evans) to SSLAH Command Post at Fort Rose.

    [​IMG]

    The “Bank” that my father Southern Section 15 Platoon Cheshires says was behind their position is in fact the Presbytery of the Church and thanks to my French contact here are a few bullet holes that still remain in this building. This building was more prominent in 1940 and not dominated by the adjacent building (see photo from 1980) above. The Cheshires deposited their wounded in this building.

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Peccavi

    Peccavi Senior Member

    [​IMG]


    This plaque commemorates the surrender of the German forces in Dunkirk 1945 - the surrender took place at the Chateau Maes in Wormhout - the plaque is still there on the remaining bit of the château on the Wylder Road.

    By supreme irony - Parry's RA regiment (including my contact's father who had survived the 1940 battle andmany others in NA and Italy) were the troops bottling up the German enclave at Dunkirk and were present to witness the German surrender.in 1945.

    What goes around - comes around.
     
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  15. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Hello Andy,

    I found this link to German Army documents about the shooting of British PoW in May-June 1940 whilst trawling through the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives and thought it would be of interest:

    http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/info/index.shtml and then scroll down the catalogue list to:

    German Army Documents concerning the shooting of British prisoners of war, May-Jun 1940 - miscellaneous collection: MISC 06.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  16. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    A documentary about The Waffen SS and interviews with old Waffen SS veterans and their mentality. It touches on their involvement in The Massacre at Wormhout, and there are inputs from Bert Evans and Alf Tombs (2nd Battalion Royal Warwicks) who were victims of the massacre. Officers of The German army give their opinions about The SS.
    Also other battles/incidents that they were involved in.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOEuR0GCJOc
     
  17. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    Drew 5233

    A tragic story very well put together.

    Thanks
    avigliana
     
  18. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    BBC have tried to recreat the Incident at Wormhoudt and what was happening with the retreat to Dunkirk.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xh4G6ZBAro&list=PLE8RsfrnTEpA280czr45XVz1iUmStQVst
     
  19. millyb44

    millyb44 Member

    My fathers brother Cpl William Jack Millard was in this battle with the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he was eventually evacuated on the 30/5/1944. Jack latter returned with the regiment in B company on D Day. Jack was killed in action on the 20/7/1944 while attacking the village of Emiville as part of operation Goodwood. I found this in the history of the regiment by Marcus Cunliffe. “There were several other gallant acts during this period, the next day, for example, B Company were losing men to a German machine gunner firing close range from Emieville, the next village just beyond Cuillerville wood. Corporal W.J Millard crawled towards the enemy Spandau with his Bren gun, then got up and rushed it, firing from the hip. He killed two of the enemy, only to be mortally wounded himself.” I have read that Emieville was found to be unoccupied by a patrol on the 21 July. Jack is buried in the well maintained grounds of the cemetery at Rainville. I have a picture of Jack with his regiment, he is back row the last man left hand side family 033.jpg
     
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  20. millyb44

    millyb44 Member

    jack.jpg Cpl William Jack Millard 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
     

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