Hi Someone should there information about British unity of these soldiers died June 9 in the Seine Maritime. near St Saens. "On June 9, 1940, a bloody battle pitted the German troops to French and English soldiers. Thirty-one British soldiers and five French soldiers died. Several English soldiers taken prisoner were shot after the battle, on the farm du Colombier. In March 1945, the priest of Critot, J. Teysonneyre, recounted these events in a small book that tells that bloody day: "French and English are the link in the quiet, suddenly the German tanks arise, they advance to the plain where are the French soldiers. Machine guns rattle, five of us who defend themselves fiercely, to the last breath, fall heroically struck down by enemy bursts. " The columnist also said "the Krauts that tree to tree fold screaming like wild" then the turnaround with the arrival of new enemy tanks. Many Britons fall, ten folded in a farm are slaughtered ..." I find nothing on the graves in this area. Best regards Mathieu
The problem is that to outsiders, there is neither rhyme nor reason in how graves were concentrated after the war. They could have been moved fifty or more kilometers away. Is there nothing in the church records or those relating to burials at the time ? (Presumably they were buried locally initially ?)
There's a bit on page 170 of Saul David'sbook, Churchill's Sacrifice of the Highland Division. No specific units are mentioned. Since its arrival on the Somme , the 51st Division had been drawing ammunition from the huge BEF dump at St Saens, about 13 miles west of Forges-les-Eaux. But during 9 June , elements of the German 2nd Motorised Division had advanced from the south beyond the line of the Totes-St Saens road, pushing back a battery of anti-tank guns and some infantry , and cutting off access to the ammunition dump.
Hi Found on a French book: Les Soldats de 40 dans la première bataille de Normandie. “A company of British soldiers stood by, in Beaumont groves. At 0300 hrs in the morning hunters on foot marched along the hedges towards the plain of Rocquemont. How many are they ? What is their battalion? Some misguided probably during the decline of the blue divison. At 0830 hrs armored advance against them in the plain. Their first five gusts slaughter, including Warrant Officer Bernard Charles. One of them will die alone in a field of oats; his body will be found to harvest. At noon a German convoy of thirty vehicles headed to Saint Saens turned around. It is camouflaged in a grassland and infantrymen he was carrying encircle Beaumont and his groves ... The Scots react, go on the attack, advancing to the Ferme du Colombier. The officer who leads them is killed. The German is also the officer whose men, not enough of them and surprised perhaps, retreated from tree to tree, so he had to call for reinforcements. When this reinforcement - shielded - intervenes, fires crush the resistance of Scots density, depletes their tenacity. They must lay down their arms. 200 prisoners - including one hidden in a farmhouse ten were shot on site - a hundred wounded, 31 dead. The Germans fell 16 For their part, they carried their wounded - how much? - At the farm of Beauvais. ” Best regards Mathieu
I'm not in the frame of mind at the moment to look at this in any detail. However to get your interest I suspect this may be men from the 2/6 East Surrey Regiment. I'm still researching LCpl Walker although I've not looked at this much since September. Early this year, I had an inkling that he may have been murdered but can't remember why now, I think there may have been a hint/clue in the Missing Men file that made me think it. If I remember rightly there was a SS unit in the region of Aumale as well, possibly Totenkopf? I can't remember now and I'm probably not going to look at him again until the new year with another trip to the Aumale area again possibly around March/April.
Hello and best wishes to you for the new year some information that the municipality of Rocquemont sent me on this case
all soldiers are buried in the cemetery of St Valery en Caux. the problem is that it lacks 9 names of soldiers (be shot by the Germans) I think it was men from Rouen to strengthen deposit of 51 HD units that could not reach this one saw the Germans advanced. Best regards Mathieu
It may help - not sure Someone was awarded a posthumous Military Medal There is a note about a Scottish Officer 200 prisoners and 100 wounded 10 were killed after the Germans demanded that any 'English' found hiding would result in basically the village/town would be burnt. I guess these 10 are the ones that Jericho mentions above, although that is not a certainty. I am sure other members have French better than I TD
