Corner of France which remains ever Norfolk
THE efforts of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment during the Second World War will never be forgotten in a tiny pocket of northern France.
The brave soldiers of the battalion were sent to France in 1939 as part of the expeditionary forces supporting the French Army in the face of threatened aggression from Germany.
When the German advance finally came under General Erwin Rommel, the Norfolks made a final stand in the town of St Valery en Caux before being forced to surrender in June 1940.
Reporter Richard Long looks back at the role of the battalion during the war and how Frenchman Raphal Distante is working hard to preserve the memory of those involved.
ST Valery en Caux will be remembered forever by the men of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment.
The battalion, which was based at Dodds Hill, Dersingham, fought in a fierce battle at the small town on the Normandy coast in June 1940, as the German Army swept through Belgium and Northern France.
With the German advance overwhelming all resistance, a massive naval operation was launched to bring home the British Expeditionary Force via Dunkirk, where 335,000 troops were taken from the beaches.
But the 7th Norfolks, who by this point had become attached to the 51st Highland Division, were not rescued in the evacuation.
Having retreated to the beach, and with ammunition and food in short supply, they eventually surrendered and were taken as prisoners.
Among the 11 men killed in battle were Lance Corporal David Copley, of Lynn, who died aged 19, and Captain Anthony Colley, also of Lynn.
The efforts of the men from the 7th Norfolks are honoured every year in St Valery en Caux, when a remembrance service is held on the weekend closest to June 12 – the date of the battle.
That service is organised by Mr Distante after he accepted the responsibility from Maggy Savoye, who witnessed the battle as a 17-year-old and staged the first memorial in 1984.
He has a keen interest in the 51st Highland Division and the 7th Norfolks and is now working on a second book covering the conflict, which will tell the stories of the British and French combatants involved.
He hopes to complete the book for the 70th anniversary in 2010.
Speaking to the Lynn News during a recent trip to West Norfolk, Mr Distante said: "In recent years I have collected all the information on these soldiers so that their history is not forgotten, I call it the duty of memory.
"My goal is to save the history of these soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom.
"But it is not enough, we must also educate our children. I hope to create a website so people can come to search the history of their father and grandfather.
"As a city it is our duty to remember the men of the 51st Highland Division, they deserve not to be forgotten."Thanks to them, victory was possible because they provided new motivation for troops involved in the struggle for freedom."
When members of the 42F Lynn Squadron of the Air Training Corps arrived in Mr Distante's home town for this year's service with no accommodation, he quickly arranged beds for the night through his contacts in the community.
And those efforts have been acknowledged by West Norfolk Mayor David Johnson, who presented him with a special plaque during his recent visit.
Mr Distante has found a willing ally in his quest to preserve the memory of the 7th Norfolks in John Crowe, whose late uncle Arthur Daw, of Dersingham, fought in the battle and was taken prisoner on June 11, 1940, the day of his 20th birthday.
Mr Crowe said: "This year the service gave particular emphasis to the 7th Norfolks and my uncle always felt they had been forgotten.
"They were a pioneering battalion, like workmen of the Army, but they never operated as that, they were fighting and had to become infantry.
"Arthur was a Bren gunner, he was lying with his gun when he heard a voice from behind say 'your war is over Tommy', he was so grateful that German soldier did not kill him."
With this tight working relationship operating on both sides of The Channel, attention now turns to the battle's 70th anniversary in 2010.
The duo are keen to hear from anyone who may be interested in attending the service, especially the friends or relatives of those who fought in the battle.
Anyone with memories of life with the 7th Norfolks, or stories to tell about relatives who fought in the battle, is also welcome to contact Mr Crowe on 0208 697 2787, or by email at johncrowe@uwclub.net
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Sunday 01 August 2010
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