For some searches starting with french archeological trust and local team, I look for any informations about a camp made by British Army in N°1 Base Ordnance Depot areas and closer to the town of Savenay, west side of Nantes-Loire Atlantique. I also look for any mention in books about n°1 B.O.D, places and details about units in those areas from 1939 to june 1940. Thanks.
I've copied No.1 BOD's diaries for 1939/40. This is the only location list that I can see. Does it help ?
I remember passing through the area to access the Loire bridge at St Nazaire when on our way down into SW France in 2003.I noticed that at Savenay that there appeared to be signs of a past military area.On returning home I did some research and found that at Savenay there used to be a very large US AEF Hospital probably a part of the St Nazaire "Service of Supply"base one of five or so AEF supply bases situated down the the coast of western France. I would think that the British Army used the same site for the BEF in 1939/1940 I cannot read Rich's file presentation so I will have to print it off in an effort to identify locations.
Rich, I've found in the diary you sent me some mentions of N° 2 Sub-depot and N°3 Sub-depot at Savenay and I think this is the missing link. Searching goes on... Harry, there was indeed a US AEF hospital in this area.
My understanding is that No.1 BOD was in Nantes, No.2 BOD was in Le Havre, with workshops in St.Etienne-du-Rouvray in Rouen. After the evacuation of Dunkirk, I believe No.2 BOD evacuated Le Havre and relocated to Nantes. There was also intended to be a BOD in Rennes (No.3 BOD?) to service the RAC, but this had only just been completed by the time of the French surrender.
For info 2 Base Ordnance Depot (BOD) Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) | The National Archives Reference: WO 167/1169 Description: 2 Base Ordnance Depot (BOD) Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) Date: 1939 Sept.-1940 Apr. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) British Expeditionary Force (World War II) - Wikipedia The main BEF ammunition depot and its infantry, machine-gun and base depots were around Rouen, Évreux and Épinay History of 3 Base Ordnance Depot HISTORY OF 3 BASE ORDNANCE DEPOT [Not sure if this is the BEF one or not] TD
