Supplement 35305 — Gort’s France and Belgium despatch

17 OCTOBER, 1941 ^5901 was provided at these river crossings. The certain French technical troops continued to weather was fine throughout the whole period of work in the sector under the command of the the move. French Commander of the Defensive Sector The first stage was one hundred and of Lille, Colonel (now General de Brigade) twenty miles. An average of five hundred Bertschi. vehicles moved daily over each stage of the route, While defences continued to develop on the maintaining a distance of one hundred yards lines of the original plan, based on the close between each vehicle as a precaution against defenc…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5907 28th March; 44th Division, on disembarkation, The sub-machine gun was taken into experi- moved into 3rd Corps reserve in the St. Pol area, mental use by patrols in the Saar front: its and 50th Division into 2nd Corps reserve, south- value had already been recognised and I trust west of Lille ; 42nd Division, on arrival, moved that a weapon of this type will be permanently to the area south-west of Amiens, in G.H.Q. included in the armament of the infantry. reserve. Preparation for Further Expansion. 5. The German invasion of Denmark and 7. In the meantime I had been preparing for Norway on g…

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 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 5931 SOME LESSONS OF THE CAMPAIGN Our anti-tank armament was more ample than that of the French, but did not extend further The importance oj equipment; the time factor; back than the division. No guns were available liaison; dejence in depth; the employment for the defence of Corps or rearward areas or for of air forces; river crossing and demolitions ; the three " Pioneer " divisions, except by with- signal communications; traffic control; drawing weapons from the formations to which security; supply and transport; the behaviour they had been allotted in War Establishments. of the troops. These…

17 OCTOBER, 1941 5933 creation of a road control organisation under APPRECIATIONS the Quarter-Master-General, on the linos of that The Royal Navy; the Royal Air Force; in use in the French Army, had already been Commanders and Staffs submitted, but unfortunately too late for more than preliminary results to be achieved. The Royal Navy. 70. I have already referred to the embarkation Security. of the Force from Dunkirk and its transport to 67. Akin to the foregoing problem is that of England which evoked the wholehearted admira- security/ Until loth May the work of the tion of the Army. The operation was carried ou…

5904 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 OCTOBER, 1941 The initial scheme provided for the formation The Welfare of the Force of temporary maintenance dep&ts near the ports 23. The health of the Force has been good of Brest and Nantes, but it was soon evident and the number of troops in the care of medical that, with so long a line of communication, units has never exceeded 2-8 per cent, of the an advanced base was required. strength of the Force, despite the unusually The use of the port of Havre had at first severe weather conditions in December and been considered undesirable owing to certain January. geograp…

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…