British Soldiers Murdered at Forêt de Nieppe / Nieppe Forest 1940

A detailed account of the ordeal of Corporal Bell to survive after the murder of his comrades and his long journey to achieve a "home run".

The Vichy internment centres for Allied escaped personnel were set up from the pressure of the German-Italian Armistice Commission in their role of instructing the position that Vichy should adopt with Allied POWs. Saint Hippolyte du Ford held 1000 Allied internees and anyone escaping from such internal camps usually made for Marseille where safe havens were usually found in the Vieux Port.Later when the Germans occupied the whole of France from November 1942,they demolished the Vieux Port on 23 January 1943.With the aid of the Vichy police over 6000 people were arrested out of 40000 living in the area.

From the Vieux Port, escapes into Spain via the Pyrenees were organised by clandestine groups.Corporal Bell while in Marseille may have passed through one of the "safe houses".....the flat of the Rodochanachi's,Georges Rodochanach, a Liverpool born doctor of Greek extraction) or the Nouveau's.....very brave people

Many years ago we had an overnight stop at the Auberge De La Foret at La Motte Au Bois and before leaving the area for Belgium and Zeebrugge the following day we went to the cemetery and noted the 1940 graves among the Great War casualties....withdrawal of the BEF as I concluded...from this excellent thread, the fate of some has been revealed.

 

Thanks for the recent posts in bringing this thread to light again - as I'm sure I won't be the only one who missed it first time around.

Andy, if you have/do find the pictures and ever get chance to uploading them again I'm sure there would be a great interest.

 

Is this the same Lieutenant Parkinson at:

Levee at St James Palace Lieutenant Parkinson and Lieutenant Hodgson 4th Royal Sussex - Photo Prints - 11263833 - Media Storehouse

 

[QUOTE = "Drew5233, post: 217559, member: 6786"] Déclaration de Jule Dupont, agricultr:

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[QUOTE = "Drew5233, post: 217559, member: 6786"] Déclaration de Jule Dupont, agricultrice:

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[QUOTE = "Drew5233, post: 217559, member: 6786"] Déclaration de Jule Dupont, agricultrice:

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bonjour je suis le petit fils de jules dupont j habite devant le nieppe bois cimetière Mons grand père a nourris et donner des vêtements civil a deux soldats britaniques en mai 1940 jacques haltson et robert cameron bonvale cordialement philippe dupont

 

I was going to post a new thread asking for information as to what British units were near Vieux-Berquin on 29th May 1940 as I have a Wehrpass to a member of 11./SS-Rgt 'Germania' who was wounded near that area on that day (and died of wounds a few days later). Having found this thread I assume it to be the men of Queen's Own Royal West Kent Rgt that were facing the SS-VT on that day.