Tribute to heroes
The Viator • Published 22 Nov 2011 12:00
2 Comments
GREENOCk reader Iain White was greatly interested in a story in the paper last week about the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at the small French harbour town of St Valery en Caux.
The article was written by Charles Young, chief executive of Greenock Medical Aid Society, who visited the area with his wife Doreen in the summer.
It told of the heroics of men from the 51st Highland Division who lost their lives in 1940 trying to resist a German onslaught while, farther north, British troops were being evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk. Iain White was among local pupils who travelled to France in 1971 as part of what was the then annual exchange visit to Veulettes.
Former High School pupil Iain, who is now head teacher of Govan High School, told me: "The group visited the clifftop memorial and the cemetery, and there was a reception in the town hall at St Valery.
"A wreath was laid by Walter Holmstrom from Gourock High School and I played the lament - The Flowers of the Forest - on the bagpipes."
My thanks to Iain for sending the accompanying photographs of the exchange party's tribute at the cemetery.
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Argyll1854
61 posts
Dec 7, 12:32
Report commentThe 51st were sacrificed so that the rest of the Divisions could make their way back to the UK. As Field Marshall Montgomery stated whilst the fight was going on in North Africa " Of all the Divisions that have served under my command during WW2, none were more finer than the 51st Highland Division ".
Many thanks for publishing the above, nice read Iain
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ralph01
11 posts
Dec 10, 12:23
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