154 Brigade
Dunkirk 23rd September 1944 to 9th October 1944
(Extract From The History Of 154 Infantry Brigade In North West Europe).
On 23rd September the Brigade Commander was informed by the Divisional Commander that he had been ordered to send one Brigade to invest Dunkirk and to contain the enemy garrison in that port, as it was thought that there was a possibility that, if the garrison were not kept severely in hand, they might sally forth and interfere with 21st Army Group's lines of communication routes which ran through Cassel, about 15 'miles south of Dunkirk. The task was at present being carried out by 4th, S:S. Brigade who had to be relieved to enable it to start special training for the Walchern operations. 154 Brigade was detailed for the Dunkirk task, being' put under direct command of 1st Canadian Army for this purpose, and on 24th September the Brigade Commander went to Canadian Army Headquarters and received his orders for the role which the Brigade was to carry out.
The dispositions round Dunkirk were found to be on a very wide perimeter and the relief of 4th S.S. Brigade in these dispositions was successfully carried out on 26th September without incident. The whole Divisional Artillery had, soon after the capture of Le Havre, been sent off to Calais to shoot in support of the Canadians' attack on that town, and an A.A. Brigade of four Regiments, already deployed on the Dunkirk perimeter, was accordingly put under command of 154 Brigade with the task of supporting the Brigade in a ground role. The Brigade lay-out was as follows:-
7th Argylls-Bray-Dunes Plage, about 4 miles to the east of Dunkirk. This was one of the places from which a considerable part of the B.E.F. was evacuated in 1940. 7th Black Watch-Ghyvelde, about 3 miles south of Bray-Dunes Plage. 1st Black Watch-Loon-Plage, about 4 miles west of Dunkirk.
The perimeter held by the Brigade extended to about 25 miles, but a considerable part of the area was flooded and was impassable for either infantry or tanks. It was found that the above dispositions covered all "dry" exits from the town with the exception of the main road running south through Bergues and, in order to defend this, a composite force consisting of the carrier platoons from each Battalion and some tanks was formed under Major 1. Campbell, 7th Argylls, and was located at Bergues. Brigade Headquarters was established at Wormhout.
The Brigade remained at Dunkirk carrying out its containing role there until 9th October when it was relieved by the Czech Brigade, supported by a British Tank Regiment. During the period at Dunkirk the following matters of special interest occurred:-
(a) The enemy made a strong raid against 7th Black Watch on the night 26th/27th September and succeeded in setting fire to several houses in the village of Ghyvelde and demolishing the windmill there which was being used by the Battalion as an O.P. Later in the same night the enemy also attacked 7th Argylls, the attack penetrating as far as Battalion Headquarters which was situated in a large concrete redoubt which had been part of the enemy coastal defences in this area. 7th Argylls sustained a number of casualties, including the Adjutant who was wounded. The situation was very difficult and unpleasant until the C.O. was able to reach one of his Company Headquarters and to control the engagement from there, his own Battalion Headquarters being, by that time, partially occupied by the enemy. Both these attacks were, however, successfully beaten off during the night but they showed that the enemy was in a very aggressive mood and that no chances at all could be taken. It was learned from prisoners taken in these attacks that they had ascertained that a relief had just taken place and the attacks were accordingly staged at that time in order to take advantage of the fact that the newly arrived troops would be unfamiliar with the area.
History Section Reference :
Return to St. Valéry
Museum Reference :
Documents - Return to St. Valéry