143 Field Ambulance

Discussion in '1940' started by Angus Watson, May 3, 2020.

  1. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    Sharing because I am proud of my Grandpa: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1rmRl5hVjSVhtvPF2.

    These are letters and telegrams, exchanged between my Grandpa and Grandma end-May/start-June 1940 after he had escaped Dunkirk and been disbursed to Bristol.

    For me they are very emotional but for any researchers there may be some value in the content. Perhaps not. (I have the originals).

    Jerry Murland's book, "Cassel and Hazebrouck 1940: France and Flanders Campaign (Battle Lines)", inspired me to post here.

    My Grandpa (born in 1893) kept (pocket) diaries during the war (first and second). Sadly he lost everything at Dunkirk ... except for his life!
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I do like the Swindon postmark.
    Thanks for sharing.
     
    Angus Watson likes this.
  3. John West

    John West Active Member

    Dear Angus
    Thanks for the posting, really interesting. I've posted details of the 1940 campaign at Cassel, including some of the Field Ambulance corps on my website about the 140th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (in which my Dad served). Cassel 26th-27th May 1940 – 140th (5th London) Army Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. If you have anymore information about your Grandpa's time in Cassel particularly I'd love to hear about it. John
     
  4. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    John,
    What a superb website. I need to study it in more detail.
    My Grandpa was 143rd Field Ambulance. I know from the correspondence (first post above) that he arrived Dover 31-May. In his letter he explains about being "blown out of his dressing room". When I was young I misunderstood that to mean his "bedroom", obviously it was a field-dressing room. I wonder whether that was the Stuka dive bomber.
    Having said that he wrote, "I am one of six left. I was blown out of my dressing room, which was in a barn, at a place called 'Cassel' which was blown to dust, there got badly wounded and I got away with a few splinters which are now finished"
    The "barn" reference suggest it may not have been the first aid post in the centre of Cassel.
    I have a photo of him (aged 46) in a garden in Bristol (we think) where he was billeted immediately after getting back.
    Cheers!
    Stanley Watson 1940 Bristol.png
     
    4jonboy, ecalpald and Owen like this.
  5. John West

    John West Active Member

    Dear Angus, that's brilliant (and new) information! Would you mind if I included it and your Grandpa's photo and his map into the site. I'd attribute it of course. Regards John
     
  6. Dave H

    Dave H Junior Member

    Angus,

    Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your Granpa's Letters.
    Like John, I have an avid interest in the Battle of Cassel and always keen to find out anymore detail that becomes available. Your Granpa's comment about being blown out of his dressing station in a Barn has also raised my interest. That would suggest his dressing station may be somewhere other than where I previously thought or perhaps an additional one. Do you have any other written memoirs of his time in France? My best guess of being blown out of the dressing room would have been from German Mortar bombs. The Germans were well known for their uncanny accuracy with their Mortars from the outset of the invasion into France, although the British highly suspected that there were 5th Columnists in the Town (Informants I guess we would call them today)
    The Stuka's did bomb the town both before and after 143 Fd Ambulance arrived. They actually hit a bus full of British Soldiers and there was a terrible cost. This was witnessed by Padre David Wild who watched in horror as the bombs hit the transport.
    If you have any questions that John has not already answered on his site then feel free to ask on here and we will see what we can do.
     
  7. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    Gentlemen, you're welcome to use the information as you see fit. The map is also available on this site already ... though perhaps not part of the Christmas card (see photos). The letters are a a legitimate source and the only source that I have to hand. You can freely quote from those. Whether or not the photo above is the one mentioned in the letter by Mrs Buttler (where he was billeted after Dunkirk) to my Grandmother I am not 100% sure. The original is with my uncle (who is 90). I'll call him today for more facts about this.
    We (father, uncle, brother & cousin) visited Cassel in 2009 as part of a tour/homage to Stan.
    There are pocket diaries from WW1 and WW2 but nothing from this episode. I think everything he had in France was dumped "I had to swim for my life to the boat - we landed here with nothing".
    I would be delighted to help you in any way that I can but the sources are limited and sadly my Grandpa died in 1980 ... after a very eventful life!
     
  8. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    Photo of Stanley Watson, second from left on photo, larking around. Pre BEF posting to France, I don't know. I'll try to find-out.
    It's possible there are notes on the back of these photos.
     

    Attached Files:

    PackRat and Owen like this.
  9. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    In the letter it mentions this ... I am wondering whether they are the "six left" ... he is still in the same uniform as the first photo.
    upload_2020-5-5_7-33-22.png
     
  10. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    Sorry to disappoint but my imagination was in over-drive.
    Photo of Stan alone is in Martock, Somerset visiting relatives. July 30, 1941 - by which time he had two stripes.
    Photo of group of six is at RAMC Boyce Barracks, December 1, 1939 - Stan had been demobbed from there in 1919!
    Now, I did locate the Christmas 1939 menu from Boyce Barracks which includes a bunch of signatures...
    upload_2020-5-5_10-40-16.jpeg
    upload_2020-5-5_10-40-25.jpeg
    I wonder what happened to them all...
     
    PackRat likes this.
  11. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    This was taken at Boyce Barracks, December 1939
     
  12. John West

    John West Active Member



    Brilliant many thanks! John
     
  13. John West

    John West Active Member

  14. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

  15. krees

    krees Member

    Bonjour je me présente je m appelle krees et je suis francais de cette belle ville de Cassel
    dans ce post vous avez mentionné la destruction d'un bus par un stukka il me senble que c etait des civils Belges
    pour c eux qui connaisse cette ville la destruction est juste en face de l hotel du Sauvage
    Amicalement Krees
     
  16. Angus Watson

    Angus Watson Member

    Bonjour Krees,

    C'est onze ans depuis mon dernier (et premiere) visite a Cassel. C'etais une visite biens mémorable.

    Je veux biens visiter avec mon fils en 2021 ... a bientot.

    Angus
     
  17. krees

    krees Member

    Bonjour Angus ce serai avec plaisir de te rencontrer de plus j ai oublier de vous dire dans mon Post que je suis un Historien Local et que nous voulons faire savoir que cette bataille
    de Cassel fut importante et que vous avais perdu beaucoups de vos soldats Merci
    Amicalement Krees
     
  18. John West

    John West Active Member

    Hello I introduce myself my name is krees and I am French from this beautiful city of Cassel
    in this post you mentioned the destruction of a bus by a stuka it seems to me that it was Belgian civilians
    for those who know this city the destruction is right in front of the hotel du Sauvage

    Cher Krees-J'ai également hâte de revenir sur Cassel en 2021, le verrouillage et les restrictions de voyage le permettant bien sûr! Peut-être pourrions-nous prendre contact par e-ma

    I also look forward to revisiting Cassel in 2021, lockdown and travel restrictions allowing of course! Perhaps we could make contact by email?
     
  19. krees

    krees Member

    Ok ont prend rendez vous mais mon anglais est limité je vous balladerai sur le site des combats avec un interprete
    Bonne soiréé
     
  20. Dave H

    Dave H Junior Member

    Intéressant, je pensais que les occupants du bus étaient des soldats britanniques des Sherwood Foresters. Cela s'est produit à l'extérieur de l'hôtel Sauvage et a été vu par le révérend David Wilde de l'autre côté de la place (Par la croix)

    Interesting, I thought the occupants of the bus were British Soldiers from the Sherwood Foresters. It did happen outside the Sauvage Hotel and was witnessed by Rev David Wilde from a house across the square (By the Cross)
     
    John West likes this.

Share This Page