Black Watch Highland Division. WWII Calne, France?

Question

My uncle was killed whilst serving with the Black Watch, Highland Division at Calne, France. I cannot find any info as to what happend to him or any of the over serving members from the 11th July - 21st July (1944) i cant be completely sure of the year. I do know that they were fighting alongs side the canadians whille waiting for back up from the yanks, who arrived too late and there were very heavy casualties, one of them being my uncle. Ive gone through all the usual channals, Black Watch Museam, Web sites, War graves have even been to the War museam in Calne. There is plenty of info to be found but it all stops at the 11th July 1944. Im trying to find out what happend during those 10 missing days. I have posted messages on many WWII web sites but still draw blanks. Hopefully somebody can help as i really dont know where else to go. Many Thanks

Answer 1

the Allied armies (specifically the UK 2nd Army and Canadian 1st Army both under Montgomery) Launched Operation Epsom on June 25th, 1944 in order to pre-empt a German counterattack. That operation succeeded in capturing Hill 112 and securing the a bridgehead over the Odon river and was stopped on 30 June. Montgomery then took a week to gather his forces before launching Operation Charmwood on July 7th with the intent of capturing all of Caen. This operation ended on 9 July with limited success (limited because although the allies captured parts of Caen, large parts of the town were still under German control.

Monty then took another week to reposition and prepare before launching Operation Godwood on the 18th of July which finally succeeded in capturing Caen on the 21st of July.

In actuality, it wasn't due to lack of support by the yanks that Caen held out as long as it did. Caen was originally scheduled to be secured by D+1. However, no one anticipated to run into the 12th SS Hitler Jugend Division or the 9th SS Panzer Hohenstauffen Division.

Answer 2

I found a free download of Supreme Commander 2 here: http://bitly.com/1rlLSA0

it's the full version, avaiable for free! very fast to install
The action includes complete ground, air and naval combat.
You should definitely try it

Answer 3

[edit] France 1940
The 51st Infantry Division had been stationed at the Maginot Line, and had thus escaped being encircled with the rest of the BEF at Dunkirk. It was then pulled back to the west of Northern France, where it was attached to the French 10th Army. For some time, it was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division. During this period, the 154th Brigade was detached and withdrawn successfully. However, the 152nd and 153rd Brigades were trapped at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, and surrendered on June 12.


[edit] New 51st Division
Later, the British 9th (Highland) Infantry Division, the 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 51st Division, was converted into the new 51st Division, with the 26th and 27th Brigades redesignated as 152nd and 153rd Brigades, and the 28th being merged with the severely under strength 154th Brigade.

New 51st Highland Division was at El Alamein (October-November 1942)
It played a Major Part in Operation Lightfoot, where it was in the center of the Northern Push, between the Australian 9th Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division. It faced the 21st Panzer Division and some Italian units. Initially unsuccessful during Lightfoot, the minefields it cleared were key in achieving a breakout during Operation Supercharge. It was involved in the battle at Wadi Akarit in early April 1943, and took part in the frontal assault on the position, where it was on the far right of the line. Later it took part in the Tunisian Campaign and the invasion of Sicily.


[edit] Battle of Normandy
It landed on the 7 June, as part of I Corps. It was sent across the Orne River, and spent most of its time in Normandy supporting the 6th Airborne Division. Its performance in Normandy was considered disappointing, and it was stated that it "had failed every mission it was given" by Montgomery. In the Netherlands it was involved in the Battle of the Scheldt. Later it was a reserve unit on the Meuse during the Battle of the Bulge. It did not take part in much heavy fighting, and was only deployed as a stopgap in case the Germans broke through. It was later part of Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine.


[edit] Order of Battle at formation
152nd Brigade
2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
5th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
5th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
153rd Brigade
5th Battalion, Black Watch
1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
5/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
154th Brigade
1st Battalion, Black Watch
7th Battalion, Black Watch
7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

[edit] Support Units
1/7th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment
2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps
126th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
127th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
128th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
61st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
274th Field Company, Royal Engineers
275th Field Company, Royal Engineers
276th Field Company, Royal Engineers

[edit] Commanders
Maj.Gen. V.M.Fortune
Maj.Gen. Sir Alan Cunningham
Maj.Gen. Sir Neil Ritchie
Maj.Gen. D.N.Wimberley
Maj.Gen.D.C.Bullen-Smith
Maj.Gen. T.G.Rennie
Maj.Gen. G.H.A.MacMillan
Maj.Gen.A.J.H.Cassels

[edit] Cultural References

Seaforths, Camerons , Blackwatch, Gordons, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

It is interesting to note that very little of the achievement of the 51st Division in fighting a rear guard action to allow the evacuation of the beaches at Dunkirk to take place is recorded. Much was written in the papers of the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’ but little to the men who helped to secure it. Their stand is like the men themselves who spent the rest of the war as prisoners, a sadly forgotten and neglected part of the history of the Second World War.

The Ross-shire Journal of the June 7th tells of ‘An epic of bravery’ at Dunkirk’ and on June 21st in Churchill’s survey of events so far he says,

”Our army and 120,000 French troops were rescued by the British navy from Dunkirk, but only with the loss of their cannon, vehicles and modern equipment. This loss obviously took some weeks to repair and in the first two of those weeks the Battle of France had been lost. When we consider the heroic resistance made by the French army with heavy losses in this battle and the enormous losses they inflicted on the enemy, it may well be thought that these 25 Divisions of the best and finest troops might have turned the scale. However, General Weygand had to fight without them.”

The Weygand line was the line of defence from Abbeville to the Ainse formed to hold back the German offensive. He regrets their not being the divisions taken off at Dunkirk being there to help the French but there is no mention of the fight put up by the Highland Divisions left in France or the part they played in keeping the advancing Germans from Dunkirk.

Two weeks later in the notes and comments section of the Ross-shire there appeared a short article letting the public know about the capture of some of the British forces.

Part of the British Division Trapped
Many Prisoners

Last weekend the War office issued the following announcement

“ One of our divisions which was operating with its left on the north coast ofNormandy had its communications cut by German forces which hadpenetrated the line further to the south. A part of this division with other Allied troops was eventually surrounded bysuperior forces. Attempts to evacuate these troops by sea were only partially successful andit is feared that a number of them have been made prisoners. The remainder of this division has been embarked and landed again in France. It is estimated that about 6000 men must have been made prisoners by thesurrounding of the British division.”


During June, Highland papers, such as the People’s Journal and the Ross-shire started putting in information regarding casualties and missing soldiers of the Seaforths or any soldiers with a Highland connection. There was never any mention made as to where they had been killed or where they had gone missing. The first notice in the Ross-shire Journal with any real detail of what had been happening was when a letter appeared on 28-06-40 written by the Lieutenant Colonel of the Seaforth
Highlander's Tenacity

In this action the Camerons and the Seaforths specially distinguished themselves for fearless tenacity in driving ahead.
But the most supreme courage could not stand against the tremendous firepower of the enemy which was later supported by intense aerial low-dive bombing attacks. Although an almost incredible advance was made in the face of such opposition, only certain objectives could be reached and the small salient in front of the bridgehead was not wiped out.





Sketch showing how the 51st were positioned around St Valery

On the 5th of July in the notes and comment section there appears the first article in the Ross-shire, which will inform their readers of the fight of the 51st.


First part of article from the Ross-shire journal reporting the 51st divisions battle
Second part of article from the Ross-shire journal reporting the 51st divisions battle
Third part of article from the Ross-shire journal reporting the 51st divisions battle

More information was made available by the Press and Journal on Monday 15th July:

HIGHLAND DIVISION’S GALLANT FIGHT

How the famous 51st Highland Division fought with a gallantry in keeping with its glorious traditions is told here by arrangement by the only officer of the 152nd and 153rd Brigades, which were captured by the Germans at St Valery-en-Caux on June 12 to escape to England.

That officer, accompanied by a naval officer, who had been sent out to superintend the proposed evacuation of the two brigades by the Navy, succeeded in getting away from a German prisoners-of-war camp in France on the eve of the removal of the prisoners by train into Germany.

After obtaining civilian clothing they managed, after walking for days, to reach the coast of England after being two days and nights in rough weather in a small boat, which they had appropriated.

On May 20th ten days after the Germans invaded Holland and Belgium writes Douglas Williams, “Daily Telegraph” war correspondent the 51st (Highland) Division was holding a portion of the French line in front of the Maginot forts in the Metz area.

Three weeks later in the storm of the German blitzkrieg two of the brigades found themselves prisoners of war: the third, the 154th (Black Watch and Argyll’s), was on its way home to England, having been evacuated from Havre on June 11.

The French High Command had decided to send this division north to the Somme.

After delay and much confusion owing to repeated change of orders, in the course of which the division’s artillery and transport became temporarily lost, it finally arrived on May 27, on the line of the River Bresle from which it was sent forward to the Abbeville area to defend the Somme bridgeheads, in conjunction with units of the French Ninth Corps.




GORDONS’ GALLANT FIGHTING

Very heavy fighting developed from June 1 onwards and combined attacks by the French assisted by the 152nd and 153rd Brigades, at dawn on June 4 failed to secure the bridgehead and the division suffered heavy casualties, especially the 152nd Brigade (Seaforths and Camerons).

A particularly brilliant incident of this day’s fighting was the highly successful attack by the Gordons against enemy forces, strongly entrenched in the Grand Bois: the position was carried after the most gallant fighting, and the whole wood cleared of the enemy.

Heavy enemy pressure, however, finally made a withdrawal inevitable and the division fell back again to the line of the Bresle, where at one time it occupied a front more than eighteen miles long.

These positions, however could only be held for three days and on the night of June 8 a further withdrawal was carried out to the line of the River la Bethune.

Next morning (June 9) the 154th Brigade, later christened the Ark Force, was detached and ordered back to defend the Havre area, to take up a line running due south from Fecamp in the hope that it could hold it until the other two brigades could join them.




Heavy Attacks

Finally, on the evening of June 10, the remaining two brigades moved back along the coast line via Dieppe, to take up their final positions round St Valery-en Caux. A bridgehead was formed around St Valery, the southern portion being held by units of the French Ninth Corps. The eastern face by the 153rd Brigade and the western area by the 152nd Brigade.

The following days the enemy appeared in force and launched heavy attacks with large numbers of tanks assisted by very accurate mortar fire and the co-operation of masses of aircraft against which, apart from found fire, we had little protection.

Heavy casualties were suffered by the 153rd Brigade (Gordon Highlanders and Black Watch).

The men, however, held on gallantly throughout the day and the enemy failed to break through at any point on the eastern wing.

Increasing fire, however, especially from heavy mortars, guided by accurate directionfrom the air, made the line increasingly difficult to hold.

At night the order was received to withdraw to the beaches and for the troops to embark at St Valery where vessels were to be sent to receive them.The Ross-shire Journal of June 21st 1940 carries an article addressing the relatives of POW’s discouraging them from listening to German broadcasts.
Names:

Names of Prisoners

Sorely distressed people, anxious about the unknown fate of their own, are encouraged to listen in because now and then names of prisoners in Nazi hands are doled out in driblets – half-a-dozen or so at a time. The method is designed to secure an audience in this country. But relatives of men need not allow their natural anxiety to be thus exploited. All such broadcasts are checked in Britain. Names are noted and if the information given is sufficient, the next of kin is immediately informed and otherwise made public through the Press. It is not to allay anxiety that names are thus broadcast; it is with no such humane or kindly thought that it is done. Were it so, it would not be done in driblets but day by day, in lists some of which alas might, in the light of recent events, be very long indeed. Besides, through the International Red Cross agency, there is a ready, swift and humane way of conveying fully the name and description of every prisoner in enemy hands, a way open to all belligerents.


All articles are reproduced with the kind permission of the Ross-shire Journal, Press and Journal and the People’s Journal.













During June, Highland papers, such as the People’s Journal and the Ross-shire started putting in information regarding casualties and missing soldiers of the Seaforths or any soldiers with a Highland connection. There was never any mention made as to where they had been killed or where they had gone missing. The first notice in the Ross-shire Journal with any real detail of what had been happening was when a letter appeared on 28-06-40 written by the Lieutenant Colonel of the Seaforth.

June the 15th saw the first article in the Press and Journal.

HEROIC CAMERONS AND SEAFORTHS


Men from every part of Scotland and every profession and trade are fighting with the same tough spirit, writes “Eye-Witness” with the British Army in France. Solicitors, bank managers, barristers, business men from Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth, are showing themselves magnificent officers.

When the German advance drove south west and cut off the main British Expeditionary Force in the north, the French Higher Command decided to transfer the Division from the south to help in defending the new line runningfrom the Somme to Switzerland. The Division was rushed across France and within a few days of leaving put into the line at the mouth of the Somme.

Its task was to hold positions south of the river from the sea to a point east of Abbeville.

EXTENDED FRONT

Owing to the urgent need of massing French troops elsewhere, the Division was obliged to hold a front twenty-four miles long, whereas normally it would only hold six miles of line. So extended was this line that there were necessarily quite considerable gaps between the different posts and strong points.

When the Division took up its position the Germans held some bridge heads across the Somme, notably, at St Valery at the mouth of the river and at Abbeville. Despite the comparative weakness of the force along the front, the Division planned to attack the Abbeville bridgehead, in conjunction with French tanks, the day after they took up positions.
This attack was launched at 3.30 in the morning with great dash and determination, but unfortunately the Division met the first of its series of misfortunes, which dogged it to the end.


Murderous fire

The Germans preparing for their own attack on the following day had brought up masses of men, machine guns, artillery and armoured motor cycle formations.

French tanks rumbled ahead into the enemy lines, but the German infantry lay low in the dim light until they had passed right through, in accordance with their anti-tank training.

The Scots battalion followed them confidently and was suddenly met with murderous fire, while the French tanks were attacked by anti-tank guns in the German rear. Despite the storm of machine-gun fire and heavy trench mortar bombardment, the men at some points gained their objective, although suffering heavy losses.