What British Units were in Holland fighting the Germans? I know the Royal Marines and (One for Diane) a Guards Battalion were but was there anymore units/formations? Any books only covering the fighting in Holland in 1940? Would I be correct in assuming these units didn't move into Holland until the Germans invaded for reasons of neutrality. Cheers Andy
In my Portsmouth ROH list I have one bloke who died in Holland on 4 June 1940: Signalman Alfred George Richards, I Corps Royal Signals. He's buried in Cadzand, Holland. Of course he may have been captured in France and Belgium and been en route to Germany when he died.
Andy Here you go. Quite a comprehensive English Language website and the page where it mentions British Forces. They were there primarily to take the Dutch Royal family to safety and look after British interests. It tells you quite a lot. Dbf may be able to tell you something about the IG battalion which was there. British forces in Hoek van Holland [War over Holland - May 1940: the Dutch struggle] (Found a 1940's map of Ypenburg Airfield on there, which was close to where my Mum lived in Delft. She reported a German Woman co-worker (5th Columnist?) who boasted prior to the German attack what was going to happen. The Authorities arrested said co-worker and my Mum was terrified after the capitulation that the incident would come back to haunt her. Luckily for me it did not.) The website also has a pdf with a book about the 5 day (10 - 14 May 1940) war. Books in English are as rare as hens teeth. Find this really frustrating for obvious reasons. Cheers - Rob
Andy 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards were there. Welsh Guards as well. I've copied the details from CWGC about casualties buried at Hook of Holland General Cemetery of which there were 8 IG and 2 WG. "Few Commonwealth troops were in the Netherlands during the 1940 invasion by the Germans, but a small force composed of Royal Marines and Irish and Welsh Guards landed at The Hook of Holland on May 12 and 13, to assist in safeguarding the Dutch Government. It was from this port that, on May 13, Queen Wilhelmina left for England on board a British destroyer. Heavy air raids on the small area defended by our forces caused many casualties, and speedily rendered the position untenable without considerable reinforcements. These could not be spared, and on May 14, the force was evacuated and returned to Dover. A portion of the Hook of Holland General Cemetery was set aside by the local authorities for the graves of soldiers killed in action and the first Commonwealth burials were of soldiers killed in the air raids of 13 May 1940. Two airmen shot down on 12 May 1940, and originally buried near their crashed plane, were moved into the cemetery a fortnight later. Thereafter during the war, casualties washed ashore on the neighbouring beaches, and airmen brought down in the neighbourhood were buried in this cemetery. There were American, Canadian and French servicemen among them, but these have since been moved to other cemeteries. The cemetery now contains a plot of 69 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, nine of them unidentified. There are also five Polish war graves." Cheers - Rob
Found this fellow from the IG as well STEWART, GEORGE Nationality:United Kingdom Rank:Lance Corporal Regiment/Service:Irish Guards Unit Text:2nd Bn. Age:19 Date of Death:14/05/1940 Service No:2718967 Additional information:Son of George and Mary A. Stewart, of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Coll. grave. Cemetery:'s GRAVENZANDE GENERAL CEMETERY
Irish Guards BOLGER T 2717655 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS BURKE JT 2717202 2ND BN 13/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS CARROLL P 2717392 2ND BN 13/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS HAYES JW 6654626 2ND BN 13/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS MCWALTER J 2719674 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS MURPHY T 2719871 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS PARKER LR 2717456 2ND BN 13/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS POWER T 2717586 2ND BN 13/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS STEWART JR 2716746 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS STEWART G 2718967 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS WIGGINS GE 2719968 2ND BN 14/05/1940 IRISH GUARDS Welsh Guards CORNELIUS AW 2733663 2ND BN 13/05/1940 WELSH GUARDS MEECHEM RAW 2733122 2ND BN 13/05/1940 WELSH GUARDS Casualties of the brief time in the Netherlands. Apart from G Stewart of the IG (details in previous post), the remainder were buried at Hook of Holland General Cemetery.
This aircrew inclusive of an Australian in the RAF were killed on 15/5/1940. There are some good photos of the respect shown to the crew by the Germans. Ashfield
This aircrew inclusive of an Australian in the RAF were killed on 15/5/1940. There are some good photos of the respect shown to the crew by the Germans. Ashfield Spidge Are you outstanding any photos from Oosterhout, where they are buried. Didn't know any were buried in that locality when I was staying in Oosterhout last Sept. Typical. I'm staying with Friends this September again if you do. Cheers - Rob
Also Kent Fortress Troops RE TA destroyed oil installations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, see XD Operations by Brazier.
Idler Good find. As the description of the book states, kept quiet at the time and no publicity for their deeds. Regards - Rob
Spidge Are you outstanding any photos from Oosterhout, where they are buried. Didn't know any were buried in that locality when I was staying in Oosterhout last Sept. Typical. I'm staying with Friends this September again if you do. Cheers - Rob Hi Rob, This one is still outstanding. CRAWLEY, CHARLES DOUGLAS Pilot Officer 41380 44sq RAF 15/05/1940 24 Royal Air Force UK Grave 3. OOSTERHOUT PROTESTANT CEMETERY Netherlands Noord-Brabant 15/05/1940: Breda Type: HP52 Hampden Mk.B.1 Serial number: P4286 KM-? Operation: Breda, NL Lost: 15/05/1940 (4 KIA) Flying Officer (Pilot) Leslie J. Ashfield, RAF 40198, 44 Sqdn., age 22, 15/05/1940,Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery, NL Pilot Officer (Pilot) Charles D. Crawley, RAF 41380, 44 Sqdn., age 24, 15/05/1940, Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery, NL Sergeant (Obs.) Francis W. McKinlay, RAF 581187, 44 Sqdn., age 23, 15/05/1940, Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery, NL Corporal (W. Op./Air Gnr.) Frank Preston, RAF 551160, 44 Sqdn., age 20, 15/05/1940, Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery, NL Airborne from Waddington. Crashed at Oosterhout (Noord-Brabant), 8 km NE of Breda, Holland. SHORT SERVICE WITH R.A.F. Twenty-five young Australians left Australia in August last to take up short-service commissions with the Royal Air Force. These men were selected by the Australian Air Board at the request of the British Air Ministry. The list is as follows: Victoria: F. S. Richardson, F. M. Goyen, C. D. Crawley, F. Angus, H. A. Skehill, R. W. Davy. New South Wales: W. Allsopp, C. B. Best, J. H. Horan, R. W. Farrow, G. D. Garland, J. A. Gilbert, R. P. Earl, F. H. Dawson. T. R, Hurley, W. E. Lockley, A. Robson, R. H. Ryall, A. P. B. Hordern, A. R. N. Smith, R. D. Wawn, S. G. Thornton, B. E. Chapman, C. R. Worboys. Queensland: R. G. Frazer. The arrangement by which these men were sent to England differed from that followed in previous years. For some time a limited number of cadets have been selected from the Royal Australian Air Force on the completion of their flying training course for transfer to the Royal Air Force. This arrangement has virtually ceased because of the rapid growth of the R.A.A.F. and the necessity to retain all the cadets who graduated in Australia. Those who had been selected for the Royal Air Force had not received training in the R.A.A.F.
Would you like the rest of the crew as well? That would be great if not too much trouble. Cheers Geoff
