Some years ago I worked out the route the 51st HD POW's took in June 1940 on their way to captivity in the camps in the east. Most of the information I took off escape and liberation reports, you could tell that the men remembered signposts etc. but that did not neccesarily mean that the columns went through that particular town. I did drive the route back then and it did seem fairly logical, avoiding major cities etc. and keeping off major highways. I've started the route at Neville as that's where the Camerons were. Next year I hope to drive the route again and wondered if any one had any extra information or comments on the route. The route around Lille was difficult to work out but I assumed they would have avoided the city. I never got much information on what happened when they reached the Brussels area, some seemed to get on trains, some on barges, anybody got further information on what happened to them when they reached Brussels? I've put the route on a google map which you can see here Route taken by 51st HD POW's 1940 - Google Maps John
The google map does not seem to work very well so I'll list the towns on the route. Saint Valery en Caux Nevelle Yerville Totes Neufchatel Aumale Poix de Picardie Airaines L'Etoile Domart Doullens Frevent St Poll sur Ternoise Bruay Bethune La Bassee South of Lille Tournai (Belgium) Ronse (Renaix) Brakel Ninove Brussels
Good day Sanglier, The suggested route you have worked out from St Valery to Bruxelles would seem to be about right. You have an interesting, if ambitious, project in mind! I have a copy of an account by a fellow who managed an escape along this route. He was with the 42nd Division, but the POW route seems to be similar to that of the 51st H.D. Possibly the following may help you with some of the extra information you ask for: This fellow's statement to M.I.9 says he was taken from St Valery to a POW camp at Tournai. Because he had been wounded he was in hospital at Tournal for a time (which I presume this was just the 'usual' General Hospital he was taken to. When he was a little better he was taken to the POW camp at Tournai. Unfortunately, the account does not give the specific location of the camp. Possibly you could ask at the Town Hall or Tourist Information Centre at Tournai when you get there. There is often someone in these places who knows where the various wartime events took place in their own locality. That is as far as I can assist you. It was at Tournai where this fellow managed to make his escape. He then headed back to France and eventually back home. Good luck with everything.
He was with the 42nd Division, but the POW route seems to be similar to that of the 51st H.D. Hi, Do you know what unit within the Div by any chance? Cheers Andy
Do you know what day he was captured? Sorry for the Q's. I have the diary and I'll post the day up he got captured. A
Hello Drew. I know the date he he was captured :3 June 1940, escaped on 26 August and arrived in the UK on 4 December.
I've put the route on a google map which you can see here Route taken by 51st HD POW's 1940 - Google Maps John Hi John, Thanks for sharing, the first page seems to be a bit better mate: Route taken by 51st HD POW's 1940 - Google Maps In your experience were they marched as a Div or broken down to Bde or Bn levels, officers seperated from the OR's I presume? I'm wondering if they went as a Div did they have a collection point before the march started proper? Cheers Andy
Hi John, In your experience were they marched as a Div or broken down to Bde or Bn levels, officers seperated from the OR's I presume? I'm wondering if they went as a Div did they have a collection point before the march started proper? Cheers Andy Andy i've never worked out what, if any, order they were in, I kind of thought that the Germans wouldn't be bothered about that. So I thought it would just be the place they were captured and some sort of collecting point in the St Valery en Caux area that would determine what column of POW's they marched in. Also I assumed the officers weren't with them, never having seen an escape report of an officer. That's two things I'll have to research. John www.belgiumww2.info - Escape and Evasion in wartime Belgium
Bad news I'm affraid-The diary stops at 2100hrs on 2nd June 1940. OK, Drew. Thanks for trying. The last of his battalion (5th Border) were only evacuated on 3 June, and he was left behind in hospital (machine gun and shrapnel wounds).
