Kensington to St Valery en Caux

Kensington to St Valery en Caux PDF Author: Robert Gardner
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752483617
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
This is a story of summer 1940, of a little known territorial battalion and an almost forgotten British military disaster. In April 1940 the Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment left England to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. It was attached to the 51st (Highland) Division which was moving to the Saar region to defend the Maginot Line. From May until mid-June the Kensingtons were in continuous action, first on the Saar, then on the Somme, and finally in a fighting withdrawal along the channel coast in an attempt to reach Le Havre. Outnumbered four to one the division was cornered at the little seaside town of St Valery en Caux and forced to surrender on 13 June. Three companies of the Kensingtons launched a daring escape through Le Havre to return to England and take part in the invasion defences on the Kent coast.

Kensington to St Valery en Caux

Kensington to St Valery en Caux PDF Author: Robert Gardner
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752483617
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
This is a story of summer 1940, of a little known territorial battalion and an almost forgotten British military disaster. In April 1940 the Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment left England to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. It was attached to the 51st (Highland) Division which was moving to the Saar region to defend the Maginot Line. From May until mid-June the Kensingtons were in continuous action, first on the Saar, then on the Somme, and finally in a fighting withdrawal along the channel coast in an attempt to reach Le Havre. Outnumbered four to one the division was cornered at the little seaside town of St Valery en Caux and forced to surrender on 13 June. Three companies of the Kensingtons launched a daring escape through Le Havre to return to England and take part in the invasion defences on the Kent coast.

The Defence of St Valery-en-Caux 1940

The Defence of St Valery-en-Caux 1940 PDF Author: Jerry Murland
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1473852307
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description
Supported by eleven maps and over 150 photographs, this is the story of Scottish Troops fighting for survival in Normandy. The story of the 51st (Highland) Division during 1939 and 1940 is a short and largely tragic one and although it firmly burnt itself into the minds of Scotsmen it has never been granted the recognition it deserves. Even in Scotland it is often forgotten that the men, and attached troops, of the 51st Division, were fighting for survival in Normandy for some ten days after the evacuation from Dunkerque had been completed. Most present-day accounts of the Second World War in 1939/40 deal with the ‘Phoney War’ and the evacuation from Dunkerque but few mention the rearguard action at St Valery-en-Caux, other than a giving it a passing mention. Nevertheless, the action of the 51st Division against the might of German forces won the admiration of General Erwin Rommel and Charles De Gaulle, who fought against and alongside them. One of the enduring beliefs is that Churchill deliberately sacrificed the 51st Division in an attempt to keep France in the war; this, apart from being palpably incorrect, fails miserably to address the intricacy of the circumstances that overtook the 51st Division after they returned from the Saar. In a situation where units were repeatedly changing affiliation, communication between the French Supreme Command and British forces suffered language difficulties and the inclination to blame each other for the debacle that inevitably ensued. Nevertheless, for all the criticism that is thrown at the French Army, it is clear that a number of French units fought hard and with great courage, the main fault with the French command lying with poor leadership and lack of tactical planning. As far as the Highlanders were concerned it was bad luck that their term of duty on the Saar coincided with the beginning of Fall Rot. The speed and extent of the German advance from Abbeville took their own High Command and the French by surprise and it was with little wonder that Allied military thinking failed to keep up with actions on the battlefield. The theory that Churchill sacrificed the division to keep the French in the war owes a great deal to the Scottish need to attribute all the misery of the world to one scoundrel, a trait that exists to this day! Supported by eleven maps and over 150 photographs, the book traces the history of the 51st Division from its inception until its final surrender at St Valery-en-Caux and deals with the fighting on the Saar and the often ragged skirmishing though Normandy. The book also touches on the actions of the 1st armored Division and the Battle of Abbeville. There are three walks and a car tour included in this volume which allows the battlefield visitor to base themselves firstly in Abbeville and, secondly, further into Normandy.

We March Against England

We March Against England PDF Author: Robert Forczyk
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472814878
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 453

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Book Description
We March Against England tells the thrilling tale of Operation Sea Lion, Hitler's plan to invade Britain and end its involvement in World War II. In May 1940 Nazi Germany was master of continental Europe, the only European power still standing was Great Britain – and the all-conquering German armed forces stood poised to cross the Channel. Following the destruction of the RAF fighter forces, the sweeping of the Channel of mines, and the wearing down of the Royal Naval defenders, two German army groups were set to storm the beaches of southern England. Despite near-constant British fears from August to October, the invasion never took place after first being postponed to spring 1941 before finally being abandoned entirely. Robert Forcyzk, author of Where the Iron Crosses Grow, looks beyond the traditional British account of Operation Sea Lion, complete with plucky Home Guards and courageous Spitfire pilots, at the real scale of German ambition, plans and capabilities. He examines, in depth, how Operation Sea Lion fitted in with German air-sea actions around the British Isles as he shows exactly what stopped Hitler from invading Britain.

From Bouncing Bombs to Concorde

From Bouncing Bombs to Concorde PDF Author: Robert Gardner
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752496034
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Book Description
George Edwards' name is synonymous with the Vickers Viscount, the world's first turboprop airliner; the controversial TSR2 project and the legendary Anglo-French Concorde. During the Second World War, it was Edwards who made the Dam Busters' bouncing bombs bounce.

Notes and Queries

Notes and Queries PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic journals
Languages : en
Pages : 564

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Notes and Queries: a Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc

Notes and Queries: a Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 664

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The Black Watch

The Black Watch PDF Author: Victoria Schofield
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1784979961
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 876

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Book Description
The heroic and inspiring story of the fortunes of the Black Watch, whose soldiers have distinguished themselves in theatres of war across the world. Formed into a regiment in 1739 and named for the dark tartan of its soldiers' kilts, The Black Watch has fought in almost every major conflict of nation and empire between 1745 and the present, and has a reputation second to none. Following on from The Highland Furies, in which she traced the regiment's history to 1899, Victoria Schofield tells the story of The Black Watch in the 20th and 21st centuries. She tracks its fortunes through the 2nd South African War, two World Wars, the 'troubles' in N Ireland and the war in Iraq – up to The Black Watch's merger with five other regiments to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006. Drawing on diaries, letters and interviews, Victoria Schofield weaves the many strands of the story into an epic narrative of a heroic body of officers and men. In her sure hands, the story of The Black Watch is no arid recitation of campaigns and battle honours, but a rewarding account of the fortunes of war of a regiment that has played a distinguished role in British, and world, history.

The Army List

The Army List PDF Author: Great Britain. Army
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Retired military personnel
Languages : en
Pages : 1100

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The Sphere

The Sphere PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Navy and Army Illustrated

Navy and Army Illustrated PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 1336

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Book Description