Territorials against the odds 1940

The 4th Battalion of the Border Regiment were part of the Territorial Army. In August 1939 Major W Gubins, Commanding ‘B’ Company, recalled that year’s summer camp in his diary:

“Training this year, as compared with previous years, was of a more strenuous nature. Longer route marches, more night operations including digging by night, and the use of our more recent weapons - the .55 Anti Tank Rifle, the Bren Gun and the Bren Carrier.”

Less than a month later the Territorials began to mobilise and at the end of September 4 Border were on the Northumberland coast as part of 126th Infantry Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division.

France

In October 4 Border left the Brigade and went to France as lines of communications troops. They were one of the first TA units to go to France.The battalion sailed from Southampton and arrived at Cherbourg on 17 November. They were allocated the area around Morlaix, in Brittany. For six months they guarded ammunition stores and petrol dumps. Major Gubbins, described the dumps as

“...situated along roads which were not often frequented by the general public and were nowhere near any railways. The guards were on duty for 24 hours. From 9.00 am two NCO’s and 6 men were on each dump...”

Guard duties left little time for training. It was the Phoney War. A time when Prime Minister Chamberlain could claim that “Hitler had missed the bus.” It was presumed that action, when it came, would be in Belgium or Holland. The Allied plan was to respect Belgian neutrality until Belgium was attacked. 4 Border’s role, if this happened would have been to take-up guard duties south east of Lille.

All the line of communications units were short of weapons, ammunition and vehicles. General Kerslake, who took command of the Corps of lines of communication troop in May 1940 as the disaster in France unfolded, found that a typical battalion had no more than 3 Boys anti-tank rifles and five bren guns.

Hitler's bus arrives

On 16 May 1940 it became clear that Hitler had not missed the bus. Germany began its offensive against France and the Low Countries. Within two days The Netherlands had surrendered. On the same day 4 Border were ordered to concentrate at Rennes to move to Rouen by train. They were now part of ‘Beauman Division’ under the command of Acting Brigadier Beauman.

This was an ad hoc grouping and, despite its title, not a Division in the normal sense of the word, though it did have three Brigades. ‘A’ Brigade was considered the most effective as the units were the most highly trained. As well as 4 Border the Brigade contained:

4th Battalion Royal East Kent Regiment (Buffs)

1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters

Brigade Carrier Platoon

Machine Gun Company (Cheshire & Manchester Regiment)

The Borders reached Rouen in the evening of 18 May. Most of the battalion were immediately tasked with guarding bridges over the River Seine 12 miles south of Rouen, however ‘B’ Coy was sent to guard a large ammunition dump 20 miles to the north west at Saint-Saëns. The battalion now had an RASC company with 3 ton lorries attached and was designated a ‘motor battalion’. An urgent search started to find the Beauman Division some artillery.

Attacking bridges

On the 23rd, the Battalion, less ‘B’ Company, were transferred to the newly arrived 2nd Armoured Brigade part of 1st Armoured Division. They were to replace the the Division’s own infantry, some of which had gone to garrison Calais with one of its tank brigades. 1st Armoured Division also lacked artillery. The Borders, with tanks from the 2nd Dragoon Guards (The Queen’s Bays) were to attack three German-held bridges over the Somme west of Amiens, at Dreuil, Ailly-sur-Somme and Picquigny. The Bays’ tanks were lightly armoured ‘cruisers’ designed to exploit breakthroughs, not take part in assaults on prepared positions.

The attacks went in on 24th May. ‘C’ Company successfully crossed the bridge at Ailly despite strong opposition and two platoons reached Saint-Sauveur on the main road from Amiens to the coast. But without further support their success meant little. Heavy shell and mortar fire forced them to retire back over the river. Captain Thompson won the Military Cross during the action. Despite local successes the attacks, at Savuese and Picquigny, failed to reach their objectives. At Picquigny 2nd Lieutenant Deighton, ‘D’ Company, won the Military Cross for organising the unloading of ammunition from burning trucks, whilst under shell fire.

Major Hopkinson, ‘D’ Company in his diary described the confusion that 4 Border found themselves in as they attacked the Somme bridges.

“...the headquarters of the tank unit concerned was unable to tell us which troop we were cooperating with or anything about them and when orders to move came we still did not know who they were, their route or their plans, beyond the fact that we were both due to cross the starting line at the same time and the same place...”

For a few days the Germans were content to hold the Somme line. Their attention was focused further north on Calais and the BEF at Dunkirk.

Defending Bridges

The battalion remained attached to 1st Armoured around Forêt du Hellet. They were joined by ‘B Coy’ who had now relieved from guard duties at Saint-Saens. The woodland provided cover from the Luftwaffe who had the skies almost to themselves. 1st Armoured were on the inland flank of 51st Highland Division. The 51st although part of the BEF had been in the Saar when the German attack began. It had been rushed north to the Somme. They eventually came under the command of French 10th Army. But the Borders were not to stay with the Armoured Division for long.

On 5 June they rejoined ‘A’ Brigade of Beauman Division. Their task now was to provide a defence line on to which the 51st could retire. It was a confused and fluid situation. On the 5 June orders for them to retire to the rear being almost immediately countermanded. As elsewhere the German advance was faster than Allied decision-making and inadequate resources made defensive plans unrealistic. 4 Border were now ordered to clear the enemy from the Forêt d’Eau and maintain control of the bridge across the River Bresle at Incheville. Whilst troops struggled to disengage and reach Le Havre , other German units were scything through southern Normandy.

Six days at Incheville

‘D’ Company under Major Hopkinson were given the task of holding Incheville. It would became the scene for one of the Regiment’s most courageous actions. The village of Incheville is on slightly higher ground than the river and its bridge. The railway line from Treport south ran between the village and river. ‘D’ Company now consisted of three platoons – 16, 17 and 18. Major Hopkinson had Captain Buchanan as his second in command and Lieutenants Clancy (16 Platoon), on the north of the village, Crossley (17 Platoon), as reserve and to cover the rear, and Deighton (18 Platoon), covering the bridge from the railway station. In all there were less than 100 men. ‘A’ Company were a little further west behind the village.

See that no one comes over the bridge

The bridge over the Bresle had been blown, but although damaged it was passable by infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson arrived and confirmed the bridge was passable. He promised reinforcements and left with the order, “For God’s sake see no one comes over that bridge!” More men arrived in the form of Lieutenant Watton and his mortar platoon, and later Lieutenant Williamson and his carrier platoon, but with no carriers, they had been left at Rouen.

It soon became clear that Incheville was surrounded. German troops had crossed the river elsewhere. On 9 June the battalion was ordered to withdraw. Attempts to reach ‘D’ Company failed. A small party from the Company, led by Major J F Hopkinson, did get out, but were told by the Brigade HQ that nobody could possibly be still holding Incheville. In fact the village was held until 16 June, long after the rest of the battalion had either been captured or evacuated.

Evacuation from Le Havre

Those who had got out struggled westwards. The roads were clogged as 51st Division desperately tried to reach Le Havre. Around 250 men of 4 Border eventually reached the port. Along the way ‘B’ Company ran into German troops at Fecamp coming towards them from the direction of Le Havre. They would join ‘D’ Company in captivity. Captivity which would last for 5 years.

The lucky few who reached Le Havre, were put onto a boat on 14 June and taken to Cherbourg.

Evacuation from Cherbourg

At Cherbourg 4 Border were moved inland before half the battalion were put in a train to Brest. They were eventually found a boat and reached Southampton on 19 June. The remainder had already left Cherbourg for Poole, which they reached on 17 June. The last days of the battalion in France were confused. The brothers of Private Thornton, having been told he was missing in action, were shocked to meet him walking along the front at Arnside.

4 Border’s Normandy Campaign was at an end. Their performance, especially that of ‘D’ Company in holding Incheville, was over and above what was expected of Territorial Army battalions in 1940.

Peter Green