Many years ago I worked a while for WC French (Civil engineers) in Essex Now there was a tale told among workers that very early in WW11 the Company, that had been building air fields in UK sent a group of volunteer workers to the continent to build temporary runways,they were nicknamed Frenchie's Battalion,the tale is that they were overrun and spent the rest of the war as (Civ) POW's. I know that Lt.Col Newman VC worked for this Company but whether Pre or Post war I do not know. Is there any substance to this tale?
UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007 Name: Augustus Charles Newman Birth Date: 19 Aug 1904 Birth Place: Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Essex Death Date: 26 Apr 1972 Death Place: Sandwich, Kent TD
I remember the French company civil contractor who were involved in many civil engineering contracts in airfield,motorway and power plant contracts....one of those many civil contractors whose name has disappeared over the years due to acquisitions The list of construction of British wartime airfields is quite extensive and apparently they were also involved in the delivery of the Mulberry Harbour components. Comprehensive history here...W. & C. French - Wikipedia. The claim that the civil contractor was involved France might be factual as there were extensive works carried out in France during the phoney war, constructing military storage sites and fuel dumps ..some airfields may have been improved and made ready for the BEF RAF contingents.
So good chance it may be true,guess we will never know as the youngest involved would be pushing 100 years old.
If you trawl through the BBC wartime accounts you might find reference to these works....some individual accounts related the destruction of these stores as the BEF withdrew from western France in June 1940. As I see it there were a great number of these depots in from Brest down to the Loire at St Nazaire with a large number concentrated in the St Nazaire hinterland.I think that they were chosen to be near to the western ports to ensure that there were safe well behind the lines.....that was until the BEF was overwhelmed and the St Nazaire area became in easy reach of the Luftwaffe. The placing of such depots was not a new concept for the US AEF in the Great War from 1917 built a very large depot at Savenay on the road from St Nazaire towards Nantes....drawings of the time reveal the massive base as it was.....looked around the place some 15 years ago and it appears nothing remains of the vast hutted base.
