I am researching my family on my mothers side. An uncle, Norman Broughton served in the 2nd Batallion Lincolnchire Regimnet from 1939 to 1940. He was killed in action around 29th May to 31st May and is buried in Oostduinkerke in Belgium.
As I'd expect there a a number of anomolies surrounding his last few days and I would like to try to clear some of them.
The 2nd Lincolns were part of 9th Inf Bde, and fought on 29th May at Zuidschote along side the 1st Suffolk's, 1st Middlesex and 4 Royal Berkshire's. These were a mixture of 8th and 9th Inf Bde sent to protect the Eastern flank when Belgium surrendered.
On the order to withdraw on 29th May the 9th Inf Bde were to rendevous at Elsendamme then go onto onto Bulskamp to defend the Dunkirk perimiter, along the Burgues - Veurnes canal. The 8th Bde were to defend near Wulpen - some 6 miles to the North East.
My main question is that my Uncle is buried amongst soldiers from the Suffolks, in fact I think he is the only Lincoln in the cemetary. I am trying to pinpoint the date he was killed and eseek some options as to why he was with the 8th Bde. I have soem thoughts, was he wounded at Zuydschoote and carried back to Wulpen by the Suffolks or maybe he just tagged along with them when he got separated from his own guys.
I klnow he is unlikely to have died on the beaches at Da Panne as those casulatie sare mainly buried there. Oostduinkerke has soldiers who defended the Dunkirk perimiter.
A real sadness is that his Mother, my own mother and all his siblings beleived he actually died when the Lancastria sank and his body washed up later. This is how I became involved - clearly the Lancastria could have had nothing to do with his death. It was two weeks later and 600 miles away on the Atlantic coast at St Nazaire.
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