Fighting at GORRE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY , May 1940.

Discussion in '1940' started by Owen, Mar 29, 2010.

  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just read this in 'The Children Who Fought Hitler' by Elliott & Fox. page 183-184.
    The men left behind knew their duty and continued working in their cemeteries , some of which sufferd badly in the BEF retreat to the coast.
    Albert Roberts , a head gardener based in Arras...told the Commission later:
    "The German Wehrmacht never interfered with me; that was not their business. I kept steadily working as though nothing had happened up to the day of my arrest....I immediately visited all the cemeteries and memeorial under my care. A great deal of damage had been done in the Gorre British and Indian Cemetery.
    Our troops had held position in the cemetery , dug trenches in many parts. I set about trying to clear debris and was later able to scythe the grass and clear things up in general. The surrounding wall was blown up over nearly it's whole length , a large portion of headstones were smashed to pieces, the tool house had a direct hit...."

    Over the following weeks Roberts gathered up a number of fallen British and German dead and buried them where they had fallen , putting identifying papers in inverted bottles on their graves.


    CWGC - Cemetery Details

    I've looked in Sebag-Montefiore's book on Dunkirk and Gorre was in the sector held by 2nd Division.
    Gorre itself held by 2 Dorsets & 1/8 Lancs Fus, they were attacked by 4 Panzer Div.
    Anyone have anymore on the fighting there & maybe have the war diaries?
    Has anyone been there & taken photos of the damage , assuming any is left showing?
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    CWGC say that there are special memorials to four servicemen whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. I assume from the fighting in 1940.

    Gorre was the connection between the left flank of 4th Brigade (1/8 Lancashire Fusiliers) and the right flank of the 5th Brigade (2nd Dorset) on 24th May.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    The 2nd Division was also given 25th Infantry Brigade, a composite army tank battalion and remnants of the divisional cavalry battalions. Facing them was the 3rd, 4th and 7th Panzer Divisions and the SS Totenkopf motorised division.

    4th Brigade was attacked around 0430hrs with attacks by infantry, dive bombers and tanks all along the front being reported. Communication lines between the individual battalions and brigade HQ were soon cut by artillery and mortar fire with battalions were relying on their radios to stay intouch with each other. Small infiltrations were happening along the front but the battalions held fast with only the Brigade HQ being forced to retreat behind the Bethune Estaires Canal at Lestrem. Sometime after 1200hrs contact was lost with 1st Royal Scots and 1/8th Lancs Fusiliers, orders were sent for them to withdraw behind the Lys canal but they may never have arrived. If the battalions did receive the orders they would not have been able to pass them on to their companies until after dark and they most likely would not have been able to hold out for that long. By 1530hrs contact was lost with 2nd Norfolks too and only a few elements of 2nd Manchester (MG) that were part of Brigade HQ and some stragglers from the three battalions were under command. It was hoped that after nightfall more men would find their way to the brigade after slipping through the enemy lines. Following this action 97 men of the 2nd Norfolks were executed by the SS Totenkopf Division.

    On the 5th Brigades front the 7th Worcesters were the first to be attacked, which was partially successful in gaining some ground on the BEF side of the canal until a counterattack by a company of 1st Camerons supported by 6 French tanks forced the Germans back and allowed the line to be restored. The line held by 2nd Dorset and 1st Camerons remained intact all morning. During the afternoon the battalions were ordered that a retreat to the Lys canal would take place. After 1300hrs the Germans launched their heaviest attack so far with infantry and armour from the La Bassee bridgehead and quickly made penetrations in the area of La Bassee to Voilaines. The order to retreat was given to all battalions as planned but the battalions were loosing communictations with their companies and during the afternoon commucations with Brigade HQ and the battalions was gradually lost. 2nd Dorset withdrew from the Gorre area to Festubert and held it until nightfall when they retreated again through the encircling Germans to rejoin the brigade. Very few of the 1st Camerons and 7th Worcester made it across the canal by nightfall but the 5th Brigades A/Tk Coy claimed 21 tanks knocked out during the battle.

    All Brigades regained contact with the 2nd Division the following day and were ordered to head for Bergues. 4th Brigade could only muster 100 men all ranks and 5th Brigade could muster 26 officers and 263 other ranks.
     
  4. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    CWGC say that there are special memorials to four servicemen whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. I assume from the fighting in 1940.
    .


    More likely to have been lost between April and September 1918, Andy, though the area was pretty much under shell fire (ranging from sporadic to constant) for the best part of 4 years anyway.

    Dave
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Mouchn 24th May

    0030hrs Bn left Mouchin. 0900hrs Bn arrived in Festubert. On passing through La Bassee women and children refugees were laying on the pavements, where they had been machine gunned by the Germans. 1130hrs B Echelon joined unit. 1930hrs orders received to move at one hours notice. 2000hrs no move to take place.

    Festubert 25th May

    Bn have taken up defensive positions along the La Bassee canal facing south A, B, and C Coys forward with D Coy in reserve. 7th Bn Worcesters right and 4 "I.B" left. A number of wounded being brought in. 'A' Coy out of touch. 2115hrs Bn HQ now situated in an old German pillbox. 3 OR's killed by shrapnel. 2140hrs Capt. P H W Brind wounded and evacuated. Capt. H A A Bray has taken over duties of Adjutant. B Echelon moved to Delville. 'A' Coy in touch with Bn.

    Festubert 26th May

    0723hrs 2nd Lieut. R Lewis and 3 OR's wounded. Leaflets picked up in 'A' Coy area "YOU ARE SURROUNDED WHY FIGHT ON?" Bn on half rations , must live on country as much as possible. 0900hrs enemy try to cross bridge at 437267 using civilian refugees as cover. 1100hrs French ammunition train in enemy lines blown up by our mortars, sory to say some casualties were caused amongst our own men. At least 100 planes have passed over our area. General Sir Edmund Ironside appointed Colonel in Chief of Home Forces. General Sir John Dill appointed Chief of Imperial General Staff. 2115hrs approximately 60 casualties since 0900hrs 25th May.

    Festubert 27th May

    0700hrs 2/Lt. J S V Asser and 3 OR's in Carriers missing. 0730hrs Bn HQ heavily shelled. 1000hrs 'D' Coy moved from reserve to right flank in Gorre. (?) numbers of wounded from Coys. 1300hrs Mortar truck ditched and had to be abandoned. 1430hrs Orders received to standby to withdraw, to be carried out on the word 'JIMMY'. 1700hrs Bn MT left. Soon after leaving Festubert they were attacked by hostile AFV's, only very few believed to have got through. 1800hrs Coys withdrew to defensive positions round Festubert. 1830hrs 12 enemy tanks appeared about 400 yards away, only support we have is 3 A/Tank guns. 8 tanks believed to have been put out of action. 'D' Coy less Major R E C Goff MC and 5 OR's have got lost. 2130hrs CO Lt. Col. E L Stephenson MC decides to lead the Bn bu compass to Estaires and try to get in touch with Brigade. While crossing a field the CO Lt. Col. E L Stephenson MC who was 40 yards infront of the Bn shot a German sentry and thus managed to keep the Bn moving. Approaching a main road we heard a large number of German vehicles. The CO Lt. Col. E L Stephenson MC gives the order to lay quite still. Thought our time was up. Managed to move on. After wading ditches and two canals we reached Estaires.
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  7. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    More likely to have been lost between April and September 1918, Andy, though the area was pretty much under shell fire (ranging from sporadic to constant) for the best part of 4 years anyway.

    Dave

    When was the cemetery constructed? I thought it was for casualties of WWI, and as such, built after the end of that conflict.
     
  8. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    When was the cemetery constructed? I thought it was for casualties of WWI, and as such, built after the end of that conflict.

    This should explain it. The beautiful CWGC cemeteries with stone headstones, Cross Of Sacrifice , Stone of Remembrance and English country garden look were indeed built post-WW1 but don't forget they were started during the war itself with wooden grave markers.
    Therefore they would have been damaged from further fighting in that area during WW1 itself.

    CWGC :: Cemetery Details

    The chateau at Gorre was occupied early in the war by troops from the United Kingdom and India and the cemeteries, in the south-east corner of the chateau grounds, were begun in the autumn of 1914. The Indian part of the cemetery was closed in October 1915, when the Indian Corps left France. The cemetery was used by units holding the sector until April 1918, when, in the Battles of the Lys, Gorre became a support post close behind the front line. The 55th (West Lancashire) Division, which held this front before and during the German attack, buried many of their dead in Plots V and VI. A few graves were brought into the cemetery later from near Gorre and from MESPLAUX FARM, near Locon. There are now 934 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 41 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to four servicemen whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery also contains nine war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.
     
  9. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    This should explain it. The beautiful CWGC cemeteries with stone headstones, Cross Of Sacrifice , Stone of Remembrance and English country garden look were indeed built post-WW1 but don't forget they were started during the war itself with wooden grave markers.
    Therefore they would have been damaged from further fighting in that area during WW1 itself.

    CWGC :: Cemetery Details

    Thank you, Moose; that clears it.
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Images added and enlarged.
     

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