大象传媒

I was one of the unlucky thousands of the British Expeditionary Forces that was left in France after the evacuation of Dunkirk. We were left to fight a rear guard action, along side of the French Army. This was in May/June 1940.
Our Officvers and senior N.C.O.'s told us nothing of what was going on. All that we knew that we had to fight a modern german Army with all of our outdated weaponry, which was from the 1914-1918 War. We were told not to do anything about it except to return rifle and machine gun fire when engaging the enemy.
Men were being wounded and also killed but all that we could do was to fall back. This we did.
We carried on the movementuntil we reached St Valery in France. It was here that we found other Units of the British Army and we also met up with the 51st highland Division, which had been fighting a rear guard action from the Maginot Line. We had been fighting in the North of France.
With the 51st Highland Division and what remained of the other Units, we formed a great fighting force along side of the French Army, thatwas also present in St Valery.
We were under the command of the French Army and on 12 June 1940, the French ordered the surrender of French and British troops that was in the same area.
Field marshall Rommel took over the surrender of the French and British troops.
One noticed, that the British soldiers that was taken Prisoner of War at St Valery on 12 June 1940, they came from all parts of Great Britain, Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.
It is now 64 years on since then and the courage, heroism and the sacrifice that these Officers and other Ranks made for their Country and they have still not been recognised for this action.
When the 100 year Chronicle was printed and also when the Daily press reported, there had been no mention, not one word printed about the surrender of what remained of the B.E.F in St Valery on 12 June 1940.
To add insult to injury, when the film, which was made about the evacuation of Dunkirk, it ended that was the last of the B.E.F.
When the B.B.C. presenters speak about Dunkirk and War Walks, they always end up saying that this was the end of the B.E.F in France, yet there were thousands of British B.E.F. Officers and other Ranks that was still fighting and being killed or wounded and alos being taking as Prisoners of War.
It does not matter which Government is in power, they have all made sure that this has been well and truly hushed up.
We received no medals for doing our duty, we could not even claim the Defence medal. We were told that we was not defending England,if we was not doing this then what had we been doing since being called in August 1939.
Then there was the Rifle Brigade and the K.R.R. that landed at Calais in May 1940 and not one word was told of this, because the Germans were already in Calais.
Even in 1990, when the men returned to visit the War Graves of their friends and fallen comrades. they were entertained by the French people of St Valery, but the B.B.C. was not there to cover this, WHY NOT!!!
The French Television covered the story and also the French sent soldiers and there was a March Past, which included the French and British Ex-Prisoners of War.

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