I'm looking for information on the garrison of Arras in 1940 and in particular any reference to the 9th West Yorkshires. They were a veterans unit (youngest casualty was 37, oldest a 55 yr old private)and lasted less than a year from formation to disbandment. My grandfather served with them and the battalion won a battle honour but there doesn't appear to be any record at Kew or in the regimental museum archive about what they did to earn it. I do know they fought alongside the Welsh Guards and as part of an ad hoc unit known as the Station Rifles and escaped as scattered groups in the breakout. Any info would be very welcome. Cheers Tim
Hello Tim, It's often quite difficult to find information on units within literature relating to the BEF if they didn't form part of an established Division. In addition to what you already know, Blaxland refers to "detachments of the 9th West Yorks forming part of Petreforce" for the defence of Arras and states that they were "from airfield defence" which might explain what an older reserve unit were doing in France. It may be that if you can trace War Diaries relating to Petreforce (under the GOC of 12 Div, Major General Petre) you'll be able to find more. 12 Div in itself might give some clues to the type of unit as they were a duplicate of 44 Div and were employed in France on labour and training duties. Rich
There is a War Diary for them at Kew: WO 167/854 9 West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) 1940 May
From Geoff's Serach engine there are 5 dead for May 1940, the youngest 39 and oldest 55. I suspect most would be WW1 veterans. Sounds like a very interesting battalion. 001 BAKER, HF 7813450 20/05/1940 002 CLOUGH, JW 4540786 21/05/1940 003 DRANSFIELD, T 392469 20/05/1940 004 KIMPTON, HP 4541444 20/05/1940 005 PATRICK, GR 4525736 06/05/1940 006 SMITH, G 4541007 20/05/1940
Thanks for that guys. I tried getting the war diary from Kew and there were four pages - a cover sheet and three letters saying nobody knew where the records were! I have found a few admin docs misfiled in other diaries but nothing about their activities. Petreforce records sounds like a good idea. Cheers Tim
Just googling "petreforce" brings up quite a listing especially in Axis forum. Please disregard if you have this info already! Axis History Forum • View topic - British Army & CW ad-hoc 'Force ... 1) Petre Force Maj-Gen RL Petre 2) 12th Infantry Division 3) May 21 1940? 4) ? 5 ) 36th Infantry Bde/23rd Inf Div, plus from the Arras garrison- 1st Btn ... forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=40054&start=45 - 42k - Cached - Similar pages Axis History Forum • View topic - British Army & CW ad-hoc 'Force ... 15 posts - Last post: 8 Aug 2004 Petre Force (4) Pin Force (6) Pol Force (4) Porter Force (1) ..... Eventually it would swallow up the components of Petre Force (Pg 3). ... forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=40054 - 48k - Cached - Similar pages More results from forum.axishistory.com » HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Index] Petreforce : 65, 139. Polforce : 118, 123, 130, 136, 139, 179. Usherforce : 123, 136, 180, 206. Vicforce : 253, 263. Woodforce : 123, 130. X Force: 121 ... HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Index] - 83k - Cached - Similar pages HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Chapter IV] ... Division and one brigade (the 36th) of the 12th Division were grouped under the command of Major-General R. K. Petre and became known as 'Petreforce'. ... HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Chapter IV] - 53k - Cached - Similar pages Osprey Publishing - Military History Books - The Error that lost ... In order to secure his southern flank he wanted to hold Arras, and the defenders of the town, Petreforce, under Major-general R. L. Petre, needed help. ... Osprey Publishing - Military History Books - The Error that lost the War? - 90k - Cached - Similar pages Dunkirk. Anatomy of Disaster - TURNBULL, PATRICK From d/j flap - "The author - who served as a Motor Contact Officer attached to HQ Petreforce throughout the Battle of France, won a Military Cross and was ... Dunkirk. Anatomy of Disaster - TURNBULL, PATRICK - 5k - Cached - Similar pages Biography of Major-General Roderic Loraine Petre General Officer Commanding Petreforce, France. 1940. General Officer Commanding 12th Division. 1940. - 1941. General Officer Commanding 48th Division ... Biography of Major-General Roderic Loraine Petre - 6k - Cached - Similar pages Dunkirk. Anatomy of Disaster by Turnbull, Patrick: Find or Buy ... The author, who served with HQ Petreforce throughout the battle of France, analyses the 10 months of a campaign that ended in defeat. ... Dunkirk. Anatomy of Disaster by Turnbull, Patrick: Find or Buy Book Now! - 16k - Cached - Similar pages Their Finest Hour: Their Finest Hour - Google Books Result by Winston Churchill - 1986 - History - 683 pages ... Dendre for the day, and forming the detachment "Petreforce" (a temporary grouping of various units under Major-General Pet re) for the defence of Arras. ... books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0395410568... User:Skysmith/Missing topics about World War Two - Wikipedia, the ... ... Panzer Gruppe Afrika - (wp gwp g | eb 1911 co en gct sw); Petreforce - (wp gwp g | eb 1911 co en gct sw); Polish Independent Grenadier Company - (wp gwp ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Skysmith/Missing_topics_about_World_War_Two - 892k - Cached - Similar pages THE BRITISH BATTALION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES AND THE ... Petreforce,Macforce or Frankforce.See. Chapter 2, by Brian Bond on LordGort,. in John Keegan (ed), Churchill's Generals,. (Weidenfeld StNicholson, 1991). ... www.informaworld.com/ampp/siteindex?request=%2Findex%2F791619268.pdf - Similar pages by M Hughes - 1998 - Related articles No Time for Dreams: A Soldier's Six-year Journey Through World War II - Google Books Result by Robert W. Metcalfe, Jan Buchanan-Redden - 1998 - History - 202 pages ... DSO, MC, arrived from Arras with his 5th Bn. Green Howards who had been part of the Petreforce (under Maj.-Gen. RL Petre, DSO, MC) defending Arras with ... books.google.com.au/books?isbn=1896182798...
Thanks Spidge, much appreciated. I don't think the West Yorks were ever actually a part of Petreforce as such but these references might at least help narrow down the search. Tim
I'm looking for information on the garrison of Arras in 1940 and in particular any reference to the 9th West Yorkshires. They were a veterans unit (youngest casualty was 37, oldest a 55 yr old private)and lasted less than a year from formation to disbandment. My grandfather served with them and the battalion won a battle honour but there doesn't appear to be any record at Kew or in the regimental museum archive about what they did to earn it. I do know they fought alongside the Welsh Guards and as part of an ad hoc unit known as the Station Rifles and escaped as scattered groups in the breakout. Any info would be very welcome. Cheers Tim Hi Tim, I just came across this thread looking for any about W Gds I have Major Ellis' book The Welsh Guards at War, and in the Chpt on Arras, is listed amongst the other Regts: ... numerous other ranks back from leave and stranded in the town - to be dubbed "the station rifles"; and, last, about a company and a half of the 9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) - "oldish men who had come out as aerodrome guards" - under Lieutenant-Colonel R.E.C. LUXMORE-BALL, a Welsh Guardsman, who had been with the 1st Battalion at Arras in the last war.... Might be worth looking up 1WG WD for a reference there, but in meantime if you want this 7 page account, send me a PM with your email address and I will try and scan for you. Regards, D
9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) I'd have thought that a Major should have spotted that error!!!! dave.
The 9th Bn. West Yorkshire's were original defending the airfield at Arras and when the town came under direct attack from Rommels 7 Panzer Div they were tasked with reinforcing the 1st Bn. Welsh Guards. Dunkirk-Retreat to Victory. There is a bit on them in the 1st Bn. Welsh Guards War Diary too.