1 RWF at St Venant, France, 1940
The battalion was ordered to capture four bridges. St Venant was taken on the 25th and because of the enemy strength this was where the battalion was forced to concentrate, without adequate anti-tank weapons. On the 27th it was attacked by German tanks and the bridge captured. Engineers had left it unattended. The Commanding Officer was killed as he crossed the bridge. Only five officers and 263 men returned to the UK.
The remarkable sequence of the attached photos show the SS Germania Regiment (Part of the infamous Totenkopf Division) attacked at St Floris and the following day at Robecq against the 3rd Panzer Division. The Germans advanced on the town with their armor, their transport crossing the canal close to the present RWF Memorial, a Panzer MkII in the town Square at the end of the battle, RWF and DCLI PoWs and Casualties most of them would spend the war in a PoW Camp. The final colour photo of the RWF Memorial.
The battalion was ordered to capture four bridges. St Venant was taken on the 25th and because of the enemy strength this was where the battalion was forced to concentrate, without adequate anti-tank weapons. On the 27th it was attacked by German tanks and the bridge captured. Engineers had left it unattended. The Commanding Officer was killed as he crossed the bridge. Only five officers and 263 men returned to the UK.
The remarkable sequence of the attached photos show the SS Germania Regiment (Part of the infamous Totenkopf Division) attacked at St Floris and the following day at Robecq against the 3rd Panzer Division. The Germans advanced on the town with their armor, their transport crossing the canal close to the present RWF Memorial, a Panzer MkII in the town Square at the end of the battle, RWF and DCLI PoWs and Casualties most of them would spend the war in a PoW Camp. The final colour photo of the RWF Memorial.
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