Local History - Action
Highland 51st

The British Army in 1939 was not well equipped to fight a war. Despite this it was decided that if war broke out, a British army would be sent to help the French. Part of that Army was to be the 51st (Highland ) Division. This division included the following famous Scottish regiments: The Black Watch, The Seaforth Highlanders, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, and the Argylle and Sutherland Highlanders.

These were regiments with proud histories and were amongst the best fighting soldiers in the British Army

The Division arrived in France in January 1940 commanded by Major-General Victor Fortune. The Germans invaded France on May13, 1940. They advanced quickly and the 51st Division was soon separated from the rest of the British Army. While the Royal Navy evacuated defeated British and French soldiers from Dunkirk the 51st Division was left to fight on against a better equipped and more numerous enemy.

Many Scottish soldiers were angry at being so badly prepared, nevertheless they fought hard.

The 51st Division found itself facing the 7th Panzer Division led by German General Erwin Rommel.  Rommel managed to cut off their line of retreat to Le Havre.

Instead they were pushed back on the coastal town of St Valery en Caux. Outnumbered, bombarded by Rommel’s artillery and tanks, and with no hope of evacuation from St Valery, the 51st surrendered on 12 June 1940.

At least 8000 members of the division were driven into five years of captivity in prison camps.

           51 st surrender in St Valery.
5th Cameron Highlanders enter St Valery   

This short excerpt shows what conditions were like for the captured soldiers. Many tried to escape and if they succeeded they often met with great support from locals who would take them into their households.

About eight to ten thousand British soldiers were caught by the German blitzkrieg. All the prisoners were forced to march about 19 miles a day from 6am to 4 or 5pm north towards Belgium without proper food or water by brutal German guards. Men who were unable to continue were beaten or even shot. They were given one slice of bread and a little watery soup each day so the prisoners had to supplement their diet with raw sugar-beet and potatoes taken from the fields either side of the road. Prisoners were shot for taking the potatoes.

The local people put out water for the prisoners to drink but the buckets were kicked over by the German guards.
The band beat the retreat for the first time on 3 June 1943 for the King's birthday. One of the soldiers is playing the pipes with broken fingers. The performance attracted the entire attention of the German guards and camp staff. While the performance was going on, twenty-six colleagues were preparing to escape. Inverness is twinned with the town of St Valery in memory of the event. In June of 2000  the 60th Anniversary Pilgrimage to St Valery-en-Caux was held.
The 51st Highland Division Pipe Band at Oflag VII
B Prisoner of War camp, Eichstett, Germany, 3 June 1943.

The purpose of the pilgrimage was to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the battle for St Valery in 1940 or who became prisoners of war and veterans from throughout Scotland, including several from the Inverness Area, visited St Valery. In addition, the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) Regimental Association Pipe Band participated in the visit.