Hi Everyone I,m researching my uncle who served with the royal engineers in france 1940, He served with the 679 Artisan works coy in the rennes area of france. I was lead to beleve he was evacuated from the beaches at dunkirk and in his service records he is down as leaving france on the 1st of june and back in england on the 2nd of june however the 679aw coy did not leave france until around the 17th of june from breast, does anybody know if there are any lists of names of people returning from dunkirk, any help would be much appreciated. Thanks Tim
I can start by telling you they have a war diary but only for June 1940: WO 167/1046 679 Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers. There is no list that I'm aware of.
Sadly that is as much as I can tell you. It is strange that he left France on the 1st June being with that unit and the date of departure would suggest a Dunkirk departure unless he was wounded or sick. Units in the Rennes area and ofther LoC units in the main didn't leave France until after Op Dynamo and a lot further west than Dunkirk. I think the diary maybe your best bet to try and figure out what they were doing and where.
Thanks drew I have all the war diarys for the unit in 1940 and the war diarys for the main rennes base sub areas which gives me alot of information on what they and other units in the area were upto. but most of the pages for the 679 were destroyed as per there orders, ill have to keep digging cheers.
Do you know what the company was doing then on the 1st June? Have you contacted the RE Museum at Chatham? Other than that I can't think where else you could try.
Tim72 What was your uncle classed as was he a Driver or a Sapper, if he was a driver then yes its possible he left from Dunkirk as a sapper then there will be either a good story or a simple explanation as to why. Post a bit more detail for us to work with and also apply to Glasgow for his service records they may give you more information.
Hi drew there are no diary pages for the begining of june all there is is the field return for the 2nd of jund for C.R.E Rennes sub area which it has got that 4 O.R`s of the 679aw coy were attached to the base other than that there is no information until thay`re back in england in leeds. I havnt tryed the royal engineers museum i think ill have to try there.
Hi oldman ive already got his service records form glasgow and all the war diarys for the unit, This is whats confusing that in his service records that he is down as a sapper and he was sent to the 679aw coy who arrived in france on the 30th of january and he arrived back in england on the 2nd of june, However the 679aw coy didnt leave Bruz Camp which is south west of the main rennes base until the 16th of june where thay left breast at 2100hrs on a ship called the GLEN ANGUS i think. They disembarked in falmouth at 1300hrs on the 17th of june.
"Units in the Rennes area and ofther LoC units in the main didn't leave France until after Op Dynamo" 6Lincolns were in Rennes (Polygon) from 28th April to 16th May before being rushed North to eventually depart from Dunkirk. Might your fellow have been attached to one of the units in 46th Division?
Tim 72 I am really intrigued by the diary entries you have. I wondered if you had anything on my grandad Walter W Thompson 1902709. Many thanks in advance
