Supplement 35305 — Gort’s France and Belgium despatch

17 OCTOBER, 1941 and troop carrying companies were allotted to OPERATIONS—FIRST PHASE Corps in such a way as to complete the move (ioth-i6th MAY) in 90 hours. Belgium calls on Allies for assistance: advance At the same time 44th Division was to march to the River Dyle by British and French to an area north-west of Audenarde, with a Armies: the Belgian anti-tank obstacle is view to organising the defence of the Escaut in found to be sited further forward than had this area. been expected. The enemy penetrates the front Movement in the first phase was to be con- of French gth Army and crosses the Meuse. tinuous by…

59^4 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 of Military Intelligence. The force was known occupied by the French. It was not however as Macforce and its task was to cover the practicable to move the 23rd Division again crossings over the Scarpe between Raches (3 and G.Q.G. were informed to this effect. Yet, miles N.E. of Douai) and St. Amand. It began by next morning no French troops had appeared to assemble at Orchies on the afternoon of i7th either on the right of 23rd Division or to relieve May. them. Later in the day, however, an order was received by which the commander of the French Withdrawal t…

•5916 -SUPPLEMENT TO THE. LONDON GAZETTE, -17 -OCTOBER: Macforce. The remainder of the division was - I .discussed,--these- instructions- with,'.the moved that night (i9/20th) to the same area, .C.I.G.S. at- my Command Post at Wahagnies and was thus suitably placed for the counter at 8.15 a.m.; I put to him my view that attack in which they took part on 2ist May. withdrawal to "the south-westwards, however I also ordered I2th Lancers with a field desirable in principle, was not. in the circum- battery to move to Arras and carry'out necessary stances practicable. ; reconnaissances south and south-westwards, . In t…

-SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON~GAZETTE; 17 OCTOBER, 1941 south-west was' entirely impossible until the •covered" had -already far e'xceeded the estimated situation had been retrieved on the front of the life of the tracks which were now beginning to French ist Army. break through wear. It v/as clear therefore that the attack of 33. 5th Division was therefore "ordered .to Frankforce would not maintain its momentum join 5oth Division in the Vimy area, and its .unless it was reinforced and supported by the commander, Major-General Franklyn, was placed French on its left. • During 22nd May, therefore, in command of all th…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5919 On return from the meeting, orders were issued evacuation was carrie.d out under the orders of to implement these decisions, and that evening the War Office, being completed on the night I moved my command post to the Chateau de of 23/24th May. Premesques, midway between Armenti&res and Lille. The Administrative Situation. 37. During the whole of this period I had The final severance of the L. of C. and the invest- been kept in the closest touch with the adminis- ment of Boulogne. trative situation by the Quarter-Master-General 36. During the gist May the enemy penetra- (Lieutenant-General W…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5921 as it turned out, fatally injured in a motor These moves left only four divisions on the accident returning from the conference which he frontier defences and made'it possible to with- and I had attended at Ypres on the night of draw the headquarters and Corps troops of 2ist May. General Blanchard succeeded him in 3rd Corps for employment on the Canal line command of the French First Group of Armies, where they were badly needed. This was done and presumably succeeded to the function of at 4 p.m. on 23rd May, leaving ist Corps with co-ordination although this was never officially 42nd and is…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5923 The remaining infantry brigade of 48th Cavalry Corps for this attack. Therefore, even Division (i43rd) was later placed under 2nd if no British divisions could be made available, Corps, and a pioneer battalion sent to begin the possibility of carrying out the operation preparations for the defence of Ypres in case would not be entirely precluded. I did realise Belgian measures for the purpose should prove however that the French Were unlikely to take inadequate. the offensive unless British support was forth- The Belgians had at this time one division coming. in reserve between Menin and Ypr…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5925 makes it impossible to extend our boundaries, was likely to prove an exacting one: work which were notified yesterday, further to the had to begin at once, and my own headquarters right. were fully occupied with the withdrawal of the We must therefore, with regret, say that forward troops. we have no longer any forces available to I therefore appointed Lieut-General Sir Ronald fill the gap in the direction of Ypres. Adam to undertake this duty, and sent with As regards the withdrawal to the Yser the. him my Quarter-Master-General and other idea must be ruled out since it would destroy staff…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5927 beaches were organised at La Panne, Bray Dunes While at the Bastion, General Koeltz asked and Malo-les-Bains, one being allotted to each me, shortly after n p.m. whether I had yet Corps ; and military beach parties were impro- heard that H.M. the King of the Belgians had vised on each Corps beach. They carried on asked for an armistice from midnight that without naval assistance for two days, but were night. This was. the first intimation I had hampered by a.shortage of small boats and by a received of this intention, although I had lack of experience in their use. The troops were already fo…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5929 I communicated the gist of this report to the The arrival of these troops, though welcome C.I.G.S. and I asked that H.M. Government from-so many points of view, raised the question should consider the policy to be followed in the of embarkation in an acute form. Admiral Abrial event of a crisis arising, as well it might. had apparently received no orders from his In reply, I received two telegrams which Government that the whole of the British troops .read:— were to be embarked, and he professed great ". . . . H.M. Government fully approve surprise when he heard of my intentions. He ypur wit…

5912 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 I visited H.M. the King of the Belgians and By the night of i5th May the movements General Van Overstraeten and reached agree- envisaged in Plan D were all running ahead of ment that the Belgian ist Corps should be schedule. 4th Division was moving into Corps withdrawn from the area of 2nd Corps and that reserve behind 3rd Division; 5th Division was the left boundary of the B.E.F. should be moving on to the Senne in place of 5oth Division adjusted so as to allow the Belgians the use of as originally planned, and the latter was now the road Vilvorde-Alost for…

5922 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 2qkh May. Preparations for counter attack and the Admiral du Nord, Admiral Abrial, whose strengthening of canal defences. command included Boulogne, Calais and 40. During 24th May, I had simultaneously Dunkirk. Under his authority the command to prepare for a counter-attack southwards on of military forces in these areas was assumed on the 26th and also to press forward with the 24th May by General de Corps d'Arme'e Fagalde, strengthening of the canal line. commanding the French i6th Corps which up To make the detailed arrangements for the to now had been fi…

5924 SUPPLEMENT TO .THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 some sectors were held jointly with the French. I replied that a plan for withdrawal north- The virtual closing of Dunkirk as a port of westward had been agreed with the French entry was making the supply situation ever tha't morning; I added that the news from the more difficult, and the ammunition situation Belgian front was disquieting,' and concluded permitted only of very restricted expenditure. by saying:— . . . " I must not conceal from you that The Plan for Withdrawal. a great part of the B.E.F. and its equipment will'inevitably be lost even in best…

5930 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 On the evening of 2gth May, therefore, the -I judged that it would be imprudent to con- organisation of the perimeter was complete, and tinue to maintain our position on the perimeter Sir Ronald Adam's task was successfully outside the permanent defences of Dunkirk accomplished. He himself embarked that night. for more than twenty-four hours longer, and I By 3oth May, there remained in the area, at therefore decided to continue the evacuation an estimate, 80,000 British troops for evacuation by withdrawing 2nd Corps on the night of and I had now to complete…