WW2 Memorial near Ypres

Discussion in '1940' started by Paul Reed, Apr 16, 2007.

  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Just spent a few days in the WW1 battlefields around Ypres with some friends and finally got a chance to photograph this WW2 memorial I came across near Dadizeele, commemorating an action there in May 1940. It mainly records Belgian units but appears to have a 12th Lancers cap badge on it. Any thoughts?
     

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  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Looking at that Offical History , Paul.
    The 12th Lancers, holding Ypres till infantry arrived, had found there only a few Belgian engineers preparing bridges on the west of the town for demolition, for on this front Belgium had signified her neutrality by preparing defences which faced France.


    while the 12th Lancers made touch with the Belgian Army nar Roulers. The Belgians were found to be swinging back in a north-easterly direction so that the gap between them and the 50th Division was widening. For the time being it was covered by the 12th Lancers with a detachment of the 101st Army Field Company of the Royal Engineers,



    If I remember rightly weren't 12th Lancers holding the area to the east of the Dunkirk perimeter?



    Those are too late and wrong area, here you are.


    But throughout the day messages in regard to the Belgian front grew more and more disquieting. The first was sent by the Needham Mission at Belgian Headquarters half an hour after midnight of the 24th and reached General Headquarters early in the morning.
    It read:
    Position serious Belgian front between Menin and canal junction N.W. of Desselgham … Enemy penetration on this front everywhere exceeds one mile. Belgians are NOT repeat NOT counter-attacking this morning but may later in day ….[30]
    At half past six the 12th Lancers were ordered to watch the left flank of II Corps north of the River Lys and to get into touch with the Belgian forces on the Halluin–Ypres area. By nine-forty that morning (25th) the Lancers made contact with the enemy near Lendelede and touch was established with II Corps south of the Lys Canal and with the Belgians near Iseghem. They found that Courtrai was still held, but the enemy had crossed the canal near Harlebeke and were advancing westwards on the north bank; enemy infantry were also met in Moorseele.[31]
    Meanwhile a further report had come in from the Needham Mission:
    Heavy German attack developing against Belgian 4 Corps front east and west Courtrai. Enemy report captured Lendelede …[32]
    A liaison officer sent from Lord Gort's Command Post to Belgian Headquarters confirmed the seriousness of the situation and reported urgent appeals from Belgian Headquarters for Britis air cover.
     
  3. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks Owen - I should have looked at my own link to that source in greater detail!
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Camilla's dad Bruce Shand won his first MC sometime around then with 12th Lancers.

    They used Morris CS9 armoured cars see IWM photos O 594 & O 617

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE 1939-40. © IWM (O 594)IWM Non Commercial Licence

    Morris CS9 armoured cars of 'C' Squadron, 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales' Own) at Villiers St Simon, 29 September 1939.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE 1939-40. © IWM (O 617)IWM Non Commercial Licence
    A Morris CS9 armoured car of 'C' Squadron, 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales' Own) receives attention parked in a farmyard at Villiers St Simon, 29 September 1939.
     
  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks for that - nice photos. I had imagined for some reason they would have Vickers Light Tanks, but those Morris CS9s are very much '1940'.
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Can't find citation but Shand's MC listed in London Gazette Friday 5th July 1940.

    Gazette: Archive View=
     

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  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  10. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Not really related , but probably of interest, another '12th Lancers MC' could (loosely) be the one attributed to Lt.David Arthur Smith (Royal (Monmouthshire) Engineers) who was attached to the XII Lancers at the time of his bridge blowing exploits (the particularly famous one being the one at the Menin Gate).

    Dave
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Owen- Any chance you can edit those IWM pics back in please ?
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen- Any chance you can edit those IWM pics back in please ?

    Your wish is my command .
    Photos put back into post #4.
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Many thanks-I will do some more digging when I get home from work. 12 Lancers didn't leave Southampton until the 15th October 39. I should be able to get a accurate date for the pictures using the Regts history and diaries.

    Thanks
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    So those captions are wrong in date then?
    Also I cant find Villiers St Simon.
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    So those captions are wrong in date then?
    Also I cant find Villiers St Simon.

    Had a quick skim through the Regts history and war diaries and the two main places they appear to be at during the 'Phoney War' are Houdain and Hebuterne with a couple of trips to Lannoy.
     
  16. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

  17. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Last edited: Sep 18, 2016
    Owen likes this.
  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've just zoomed in on the arch in the google maps image and that is definitely it, well done mate
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    ??
    Nothing matches up, top of arch is different, windows & chimney doesnt match, there's an entire barn missing as well as roof being different .
     
  20. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Oh well. It looks the same to me :lol:
     

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