51st Highland Division in Switzerland, 1940

Finally getting to the end of ATB's Blitzkreig in the West and there is a mention of a significant number of French and Polish troops being surrounded apart from Switzerland to their backs.

The books atates that some 42,000 men crossed into Switzerland and were interned until 1941 when they were released into Vicy France. Amongst them were just over 12,000 Polish troops fighting for the French Army in French uniforms and curiously it mentions 99 men from the 51st Highland Division also crossed into Switzerland.

Anyone know who they were, why they were so far away from the rest of the Division and or what happened to them?

Any info greatly appreciated and I'm more than happy to copy files at Kew on this and share them, assuming any exsist and someone knows the file(s) ref.

Cheers
Andy

 

Just checked Saul David's book and nothing in the index. I suspect they were attached to a French Division and were mostly made up of officers.

 

WO 219/4911 Evacuation of 2 Polish Rifle Division from Switzerland 1945 Jan.- May
WO 32/9895 PRISONERS OF WAR: General (Code 91(A)): Treatment of British prisoners of war who escaped to Switzerland 1941-1946
WO 32/10731 PRISONERS OF WAR: General (Code 91(A)): Position of prisoners of war escaped from captivity to Switzerland
FO 371/26457 British and Allied military personnel in Switzerland. Code 62 file 807 1941
FO 371/24541 Repatriation of troops interned in Switzerland. Code 43 file 13044 1940
FO 371/27006 Repatriation of troops in Switzerland. Code 43 file 12 1941

 

Thanks Steve,

FO 371/24541 looks like the best contender. I've emailed the publishers this morning to see if they can share the source as I've drawn a blank everywhere else.

Andy

 

99 men is quite a lot isn't it? Too many for me to think it was just a random group that slipped through the German lines at St Valery. My money is on a ad-hoc company that was a Liasion or as the called them at the time a 'Mission'.

 

The only mix up I can think of is when the div was removed from Condes third Army and placed in the reserve (under the direct control of the French high command) on the 20th of May.

The div was concentrated in Etain on the 23rd to be reunited with the BEF. but there was a period of orders, counterorders from the High command where the jocks were rushed to and fro and beeing sendt in different parties (rail and road party) where gen Fortune did not know where his men were.

I cannot comprehend how 99 Highlanders would end up in Switzerland though. No mention of it in any of the books on the division.

 

Andy,

I suspect those 99 men who made it to Switzerland were escapers from the Highland Division. One such man was Fusilier Joe Purvis 7th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers who escaped to Switzerland and then entered France to fight with the Maquis. Here is his story.


Account of Escape of 4270748 Fus. Purvis. J., 7th Bn. Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

Captured: St Valery-en-caux. 12 Jun 40.
Escaped: Merkers 20 Apr 43.
Left: Marseilles, 5 Oct 44.
Arrived: U.K. 4 Nov 44.
Date of birth: 22 Sep. 1912.
Army Service: Territorial Army Jul 34.
Peacetime Profession: Miner.
Private Address: 51 Maple Street. Ashington. Northumberland.

On arrival at Stalag IX C I was interrogated and remained here for eight days. I was then sent back to the camp at Molsdorf where I was interrogated again and after three weeks was sent to the camp at Romhild.

In Dec 42 I was sent to the working camp at Merkers. The conditions here were appalling and the mattresses and clothing were full of bugs and lice. We complained to the authorities but nothing was done.

There were 47 men in the camp and at the end of two days we all decided to escape. We had discovered a part of the wiring which was weak and worked at it with pickaxes when ever we had a chance. On the night of the third day after I had arrived at the camp all but twelve men got out. I went with Private Dukes and two other men. We were making our way to Fulda but were captured two days later in a snowstorm. We had reached a railway siding and climbed up into an empty goods wagon which shortly afterwards was moved into a near by station where we were caught.

Four guards and an Officer came for us and marched us three kms to the town with our arms above our heads. If we lowered our hands we were hit on the fingers with rifle butts while the two guards behind kept prodding us with their bayonets. When we arrived at our destination we were made to stand with our faces to the wall for another hour with our hands still above our heads. Then we were marched to our house where we were made to strip while our clothes were examined. We were put into a civilian prison for three days and then sent back to Merkers.

The 12 men who had been unable to get out of the camp at the time of our escape were severely beaten up. All the escapers were eventually rounded up.

As a punishment for escaping we were made to work an extra two hours a day digging trenches. This was an addition to the eight hours we were already doing in the mine. Our food was very bad during this time. We received two meals a day consisting of dry bread and coffee for breakfast and sauerkraut or potatoes for our evening meal.

About Feb 43 Gunner Martin R.A. and I planned to escape again. We collected food for the next six weeks by taking a sandwich to work with us each day. I hid mine in the salt factory in which I worked.

Martin was working on the railway a quarter of a mile away from the salt mine.

We decided to wait for a misty morning when we could escape and hide independently in the woods close by for the day. We intended meeting at midnight that night at the power station. We were then to hide ourselves in a salt wagon bound for Switzerland.

On 29th April we decided to put our plan into effect. That morning I went to the latrines with two other men while the guard waited outside. My two companions covered me while I eluded the guard by going round the back of the latrines. I had intended to hide under the salt trucks but seeing several German civilians there I changed my mind and ran straight for the 12 foot wire fence and heaved myself over. As I reached the top I was seen by an engine driver who shouted at me. I dropped down on the other side and ran hard for the woods where I remained in hiding for the rest of the day in spite of search parties with dogs.

At midnight I returned to the power station and waited till 0130 for Martin but he did not turn up. I returned to the factory unobserved collected my food, stole a bottle of coffee from the civilians canteen which was unlocked and returned to the woods. I stayed in the woods for the whole of the next day (30 April) and once again returned to the power station at midnight. I waited till 0200 and then went back to the woods for the whole of the next day. (1st May) That night I came back past the Power station in case Martin should show up. I climbed over the fence into the salt factory which was not guarded and hid under a weighing machine. I remained under the weighing machine until 0930 the next morning. (2nd May) when the Germans went to the canteen for breakfast. I then left my hiding place and made my way towards the salt wagons. I chose one marked "Ausland Italien" and got into it, covering myself with salt. Half an hour later the guard came along and sealed the wagon.

Shortly afterwards the wagon was hitched to an engine and we started to move. We reached Fulda where we remained till nightfall. For the next few days we travelled between 2000 and 2300 and 0200 and 0630 hrs. We went through Vacha, Meiningen, Mannheim, Rastatt and Freiberg.

We arrived at Basle on 6th May. Here the trucks were inspected and resealed. Six hours later we crossed into Switzerland though I did not know this at the time. I was desperately thirsty by this time and had almost decided to risk getting out of the wagon when we started to move again. After two hours we stopped again. I listened to the people talking and heard only German spoken, so I remained where I was. We continued our journey for another hour and then stopped once more. This time I heard both German and French spoken and left the wagon through a small window. I approached a railway worker and asked first in English and then in German for some thing to drink. He took me to a hut where he gave me some wine. While I was drinking the wine the Swiss Military Police entered.

I was given some food and then taken to Barasone where I spent the night in the local prison. The next day I was sent to Berne where I contacted the British Legation. I remained in Switzerland till Jul 44. I worked at the press dept. of the British Legation for a few months and then went to stay at Le Basset on Lake Geneva till July 44.

On 24th July 44 I left Switzerland accompanied by two Belgians. We arrived in Toulouse on 29 July. Here we stayed in a boarding house for two days. A woman then called for me and took me back for the night at her house. The next day a man came and took me to a house two miles outside Toulouse where I remained for two days. I was then told it was impossible to send me back to the U.K. and that the only alternative was to join the Maquis. I was taken to the station where I met an Officer of the Maquis who took me to a small town which was at that time held by the Maquis. From here I was taken to a small town which I think was La Bastide du Salat S.W. of Toulouse. I remained fighting with the Maquis till 30 Sept. and took part in four battles with them.

On 30 Sept. I contacted a British Officer at Decize. On 1st Oct I left Maquis and made my way to Marseilles by American transport. Here I met up with the first contingent of repatriates from Switzerland and reported to a British Officer.

I left Marseilles about 5th October for the U.K. via Naples.

 

Cheers

Without getting the book off the shelf again (I'm sure someone can check for me) I'm sure I read it as they were 99 men together and crossed over in to Switzerland in June 1940 as a group of men not individuals.

I can't see that there would be any logic mentioning it otherwise. The book is a 1940 Campaign Book.

 

Well I have been studying 51 Div for 7 years now and I have not heard of this at all???

 

Well I have been studying 51 Div for 7 years now and I have not heard of this at all???

Na, neither had I hence why I threw it up there. I've emailed the publishers and they've passed it onto the author who I don't think I'm going to hear from.


At the moment I think this posted by Steve is the best bet:

FO 371/24541 Repatriation of troops interned in Switzerland. Code 43 file 13044 1940


I can't think many outside of 51 Div were near enough to Switzerland to make the border and be interned in 1940.

Cheers
Andy

 

The division was not all that far from Switzerland on 10th May and 99 is not a huge number from the strength of a division. Could there have been units that didn't move in time or which were liasing with the French further south and who were effectively cut off ?

It's only 160 miles from Metz to Basel.

Where was the French command over the British sector of the Maginot line situated ?

 

Someone needs to have a look in Blitzkreig in the West (I can't reach up to my copy) to confirm but I'm sure it was after St Valery near the end of June.

 

I've found it Andy, page 571. It was the period 20th -24th June and the implication (as I read it) is that they crossed the border with the French XXXXVème Corps - "42,300 men entered Switzerland, among them were about 12,500 Poles and 99 men from the 51st Highland Division" - This clearly suggests to me that they were with the French corps.

If you refer to page 537, it states that XXXXV Corps moved south to keep the line of retreat for 2nd Army Group open (they were holding the Saar).

We're none the wiser as to how the British troops came to be there and whether it was intentional but it seems clear that they didn't arrive from the coast.

I wonder if they were sick and wounded who didn't travel with the Division ?

 

I wonder if they were sick and wounded who didn't travel with the Division ?


Good point-I guess they could have been evacuated to the French rather than the British as they were passed down the medical line.

 

I've had a look at the Swiss press for this. Plenty of mentions of French and "Franco-Polish" troops, Spanish Republicans, International Brigaders and even some mysterious "Austrian combatants", but nothing so far specifically on British. Oh, and lots of equipment, plus about 12000 horses!

However, there are mentions of several hundred wounded being transferred to Swiss hospitals and also of a convoy of military ambulances being allowed in: I'll hunt further tomorrow.

 

Okay, here's a possible lead: this report refers to events on the evening of June 23rd. A truckload of approximately 50 British soldiers arrived at Môtiers, cleaned up in the public fountains, went for a haircut and then drove off into captivity!

 

I know that the move from the SAAR by 51 Div was chaotic could it be that this unit got lost and followed the French??

 

I have just received an email form Jean Paul Pallud:

Dear Sir,

It took some time, sorry, I had to check back old files to find the information,

I had this information (Highland Division and 99 men) from a Swiss post war book (1946), in a chapter dealing with the internment in Switzerland of the French XXXXVème Corps d'Armée,
You'll find more as to who were these men in archives in Switzerland,
Where precisely, I do not know sorry,
Possibly at the Archives Militaires de la Confédération Helvétique?

Very respectfully yours,
Jean Paul Pallud,


Kate..............Can I ask a favour