HMS Kelvin rescues escaped prisoners of war... December 1940

IWM photos: HMS Kelvin rescues escaped prisoners of war, ending five months of thrills and adventures. December 1940, on board HMS Kelvin…

It looks like a rendezvous between a neutral vessel, Marazul, and HMS Kelvin - does anyone know the details?

 

If you click on the "..." At the end of the title it gives much more detail.

 

Following Chris's lead in his post above (#2) here's the further IWM Collections text that is revealed:

"EIGHTEEN MEN STANDING ON THE DECK OF A NEUTRAL CARGO BOAT, CHEERED THE KELVIN AS IT CAME TO RESCUE THEM, AND END FIVE MONTHS OF ADVENTURES FOR THIRTEEN OF THE EIGHTEEN RESCUED MEN. THE THIRTEEN WERE MEMBERS OF THE 51ST HIGHLAND DIVISION WHO WERE CAPTURED IN JUNE 1940 DURING THE GERMAN ADVANCE ON THE SOMME. ONE NIGHT HEADED BY THEIR MAJOR, THEY ESCAPED, EVENTUALLY REACHING VICHY WHERE THEY SOMEHOW MANAGED TO OBTAIN FRENCH MILITARY UNIFORMS. FROM VICHY THEY MADE THEIR WAY TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, WHERE THEY OBTAINED UNIFORMS OF THE FOREIGN LEGION, TOGETHER WITH FORGED PAPERS, AND GOT TO MOROCCO WHERE THEY WERE INTERNED. THEY ESCAPED AGAIN, REACHING CASABLANCA, WHERE THEY SLIPPED ABOARD THE PORTUGUESE CARGO VESSEL. ONCE AT SEA THEY DECLARED THEMSELVES TO THE SKIPPER, THE SHIP CONTINUED ON ITS JOURNEY TO PORTUGAL DESPITE THIS. FIFTEEN MILES OUT HMS KELVIN ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE THE SHIP, AND TOOK THE MEN OFF ALONG WITH TWO FRENCHMEN ON THEIR WAY TO JOIN GENERAL DE GAULLE'S FREE FRENCH ARMY, TWO BRITISH AIRMEN, AND ONE AUSTRIAN REFUGEE."

An intruiging story.

I know in years past I've seen the officer's account within the E & E awards files held by TNA at Kew. I'll try and dig it out and post it up here (it would help if I could remember the officer's name, but I can't! There may be a thread or two connected on WW2 Talk already, maybe).

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

EDIT: It's turning in my bonce that these escapers/evaders may have then been cross-decked at Gibraltar, with the officer being flown back to the UK.

 

Great find Richelieu. Wonder if there’s a book out there about this, it’s an amazing story. Shall have to have a look see.

Funny seeing Faro on the Mar Azul - I expect many of us have jetted there for our hols!

 

Jim,
You are likely looking for Major W.C.W Potts of 7/Northumberland Fusiliers. He, along with Captain C.R.I Besley, escaped from Fort Saint-Jean in August 1940 dressed in Legionnaire uniforms. However, Besley was caught, along with a Bombardier J. Sennet, as they were boarding a ship at harbour. I believe that Potts was amongst the twenty-odd successful escapes from Marseilles by sea in that latter part of 1940.
Regards,
Col

 

Doh! I had checked the Admiralty War Diaries, the Official History and my usual sources without joy.

The incident is referenced in RAF Evaders if anyone has a copy – Google Books doesn’t show enough to make sense of it.

 

Major W.C.W Potts: Search results: Potts 2144 | The National Archives

Captain C.R.I Besley: Search results: Besley 37810 | The National Archives

 

You can download WO 373/60/492 for free from the above link by Richelieu. Unfortunately it is of poor quality at least to my eye.
Major William Charles Wilkinson Potts was picked up by HMS KELVIN and eventually left from Gibraltar on 7 December 1940 arriving Glasgow 15 December 1940.

Regards
Hugh

 

From Potts’ Escape and Evasion report. It looks as though the other escapers’ reports are in the adjacent numerical sequence

 

Thank you Col, absolutely the chap I had in mind, your memory jogger very much appreciated!

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hello Richelieu.

Major Bill Potts Grandson (Forum member "Chester" and previously "Chesterflyer") was last on the forum in May of this year trying to tie up some final details of the story in the thread here:

The British Club Casablanca

Chester has been researching the story relating to his Grandfather for over twenty years, and beyond the TNA resources listed above by the helpful members of the forum he is likely to have as close as you can get to chapter and verse on it.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

You are most welcome! I have an interest in escapers and had a few notes on this chap's route out of Fort Saint-Jean as it was shortly after his escape that British escapers/evaders found in Vichy France were concentrated in Saint-Hippolyte du Fort - much farther from the coast!

 

And Bill Potts journey took him much further afield too, to Sidi-bel-Abbès (the cradle of the Legion) and on to Morocco and Casablanca no less!

Again, thank you for reminding me of Bill Potts.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hi guys nice to see you have taken an interest in my grandfather Major Bill Potts, I,ve just been to , the Scottish National Library and dug out the telegrams that Rev Donald Caskie sends to the Church of Scotland informing them that he is on his way to Africa. I have not been on this forum for some time due to other matters

 

Amazingly there was a Daily Express photographer onboard HMS Kelvin when the escapers transferred by longboat to the Kelvin and he too these photographs. My grandfather who cant be seen is amongst them somewhere but I expect he came on the last boat