My father Frank Bentley was a regular soldier (RRA) pre-war and called back to colours Sept. 1939 to become 53rd Worcester Yeomanry Ant-Tank Regiment 210 battery. He went with the BEF and was evacuated from "Dunkirk" I am trying to find his "general" movements during this campaign. All I know is he was in the battle at Wormhout and I understand his battery (210) destroyed a large number of enemy tanks. He made his way to the coast and was evacuated from Bray-Dunes (La Panne). He was for may years Chairman of the Manchester Branch of the Dunkirk Veterans Association and went on many reunions to Dunkirk and also visited Wormhout where I understand he befriended the town Doctor. He went on to partake in the D-Day landings (D-Day +3), Battle of the Bulge, Rhine crossing and finished as WOII BSM 6th Airborne 53rd Worcester Yeomanry Air Landing Light Regiment in gliders. He passed away in Sept. 1982. I am visiting France and Belgium in June of this year to the Caen area and to Dunkirk. I have a detailed day-by-day record of his unit in the D-Day landings but very little on Dunkirk/Wormhout. It would be nice if anyone had any suggestions. Thanks Charlie Bentley
Hi and welcome to the forum CJB. Good luck in your research I'm sure you will get lots of help and advice Lotus7
Hello Charlie Forum member Andy is the resident expert in this field and will be along shortly Regards Clive
Hello Charlie One of Andys thread below to assist http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/20061-the-battle-and-massacre-of-wormhout-28th-may-1940/ Regards Clive
Hi Charlie I have a copy of the regiment and battery diaries coveing their time in France during 1940. There's around a 100 pages in both so too much to post on here. The link posted by Clive gives a fairly good account of what happened at Wormhoudt.
Many thanks for the prompt responses. To Lotus7, I have a copy of my dad's army records which is fairly comprehensive also copy of his medical records (about 30 pages). He was wounded on March 24th 1945 (Rhine crossing) and was a POW for 6 days. He went on to have medical treatment and wasn't demobbed until July 1946. Thanks to Andy for the Wormhout thread which brought me to this site. I do have some scraps of info from a letter from one of his comrades after my dad's death regarding Wormhout. Most of my visit to France will be to follow dad's route after landing at Luc-Sur-Mer D-Day +3? His pay book shows 06th June crossed out and 09th added. The war records show 210 Battery landed on 13th June 1945? I don't know if he went in prior to the main group? Regards, Charlie Bentley
Wishing you well on you visits to and through France, would it be possible for you to keep us posted, even some pictures would be nice. All the best for your travel. David
