The 51st Highland Division explain how they survived | Dunkirk: The Forgotten Heroes
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- čas přidán 14. 02. 2021
- Made back in 2018 for Channel 4 by the production company that produces all of Guy's adventures. This is the story of the 51st Highland Division, the forgotten heroes of Dunkirk who were left in France when Dunkirk was evacuated, and ordered to fight on against Hitler's war machine, in the face of overwhelming odds. While not featuring Guy, this is still a proper documentary that needs to be seen. To watch in full, head over to All4 - www.channel4.com/programmes/d...
Enjoy...
#Dunkirk #ForgottenHeroes
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Putting adverts in a clip like this should be a crime. These men and women deserve total uninterrupted respect
Well said Sir.
The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. You'd think that was obvious considering the video you're watching
Wholeheartedly agree with you dear Sir. But I guess it's a sign of the times that commerce and greed overrule even the very basics of decency and humanity. And then to think that these fine men fought and saw their comrades fall for the freedom of these self centred egomaniacs.
@@Pincer88 To be fair to the documentary makers, it’s a well put together documentary that would have cost them a reasonable amount of money to make. Obscene as it might sound, someone has to pay for these documentaries to be made, and at least with adverts it’s free to be seen by a much larger audience.
use an adblocker then...I haven`t seen an add on this platform in years now...
3 weeks before my father died. He reached out and said, "the boat, the boat, I should have been on the boat". The sacrifice made, the PTSD pernicious anaemia his whole life from starvation. It was a tragedy overlooked by Wiston Churchill. They talk about the success of Dunkirk but forget the 10,000 taken prisoner the next day. 5 years in prison camps working sunup to sundown on a slice of bread and water if they were lucky.
None of us should ever forget them. Ever.
My Mum's younger brother Lewis Edwards fought with the 4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. he went missing in action in the fighting around St Valery. His body was never found. It tormented my Mum for years that she couldn't go to his grave and say goodbye. RIEP all that gave so much.
My father was a Lance Corporal in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders He was in the rearguard at Dunkirk and later was captured at St Valery. I am 69 years old and although I have watched the complete video more than once I am sitting writing this with tears streaming down my face.I remember my dad with affection and love. I have nothing but respect for the British and French soldiers who fought along side him in the Dunkirk rearguard and later at St Valery. I am a pacifist and I believe in the Bible's promise that one day this planet will be a paradise and there will be no more war. But it still makes me angry that the men of the 51st Highland Division who survived St Valery and like my dad went off into captivity for almost five years not just as POWs but as slave labourers have still never been given any official recognition for their sacrifice and for what they suffered. all my thanks to Guy Martin Productions and to Channel 4.
Man, I've got tears in my eyes watching this..... Thank you to all the men if the 51st and thank you for uploading this.
Aq1
Second chap in the Video Eric Taylor, I used to look after his garden until he sadly passed away, wonderful old boy, loved listening to his stories, I took my grandad's medals for him look at and he gave me hell because they were not polished.. lol
i really miss him and the chats, proud to have called him my friend.
It's so sad to see this. As a young man this is just beyond understanding... So much pain and suffering those poor people had to go through.
I was going to put something profound and poetic here, but when it comes down to it, I could think of only two words : thank you.
Such brave people fighting wars that never should have happened, history lessons that should never be forgotten.
My late father was captured at St. Valery en Cau. In 2014 my brother and myself made a very emotional visit to the town and surrounding area. They were very brave young men.
08:50 bottom right is my Grandad Bill Smith (8th Argylls) he was captured and spent 5 years in Stalag IXC. 11:25 second row down on the left is my Great Uncle Hugh (7th Argylls) He was sadly wounded in the head and died of his injuries. He is buried in St Pol CWG in France.
My uncle Robert Dunbar was in the Gordon Highlanders attached to 51st Highland Division captured at St Valerey, spent the rest of the war as POW in Stalag XXA in Torun Poland. Did talk of some of the atrocities that happened on the march to the camp and some that happened in the camp itself. I watched "The forgotten Heroes" program and a lot of his stories came up in the film.
My wife’s grandfather was also an officer in the 51st and went into captivity there for 5 years.
They not only endured the march to their camps in the hottest summer of 1940 they suffered even worse conditions in the coldest winter of 1945 on the "Long march to freedom" or as some call it the Death March
So was my father in XXB and XXA
@@penhillam5598 I have not been able to source a list of all the detainees at either camp. I would like a copy if anyone has one.
@@gordondunbar9482 I have a photo with 4 names signed on the back. I would also like a list. I have been meaning to upload it onto the Saint Valarie site.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that this was the beginning of the suffering. What lay ahead for the young men who did manage to survive this was captivity in a POW camp for what at the time was an indeterminate length of time and turned out to be 5 long years.
Yes 5 years. We also forget the impact on the families. I will carry his suffering to my dying breath 💔
Ex-2/51 Highland (Gordons) 1985-1991 here. Bydand/Cuidrich n righ/CFGB! Never forgotten lads! RIP
One of the finest brigades and one of the most fearless. True Scottish brigade of hard men among many other more. God bless men each and all.
True heroes,never to be forgotten,despite London's attempts to keep them secret.
“That the soil of France enfolds lovingly the thousands and thousands of Scots whose blood was shed with that of our own soldiers during the last war, I can affirm. The monument to their memory on the hill of Buzancy has, I know, never been more frequently bedecked with flowers than since the new invasion. If the roses of France are bloodstained to-day, they still cluster round the thistle of Scotland. For my part, I can say that the comradeship of arms, sealed on the battlefield of Abbeville in May-June, 1940, between the French armoured division which I had the honour to command and the gallant 51st Scottish Division under General Fortune, played its part in the decision which I made to continue the fight at the side of the Allies to the end, come what may.”
Général de Gaulle.
Man ppl forget to easy.i always shed a tear when I watch these war documentaries..always remember them.
My father-in law Robert Steele was in the 4th Battalion Seaforth Highland division of the 51st Highlanders & was captured at St.Valery en Caux. I wonder if Christopher Nolan who directed the movie Dunkirk will do a sequel of the soldiers who had fallen, fought on & were captured???
My father was in the 51st Gordon Highlanders, he was captured at St Valery and spent five years as a POW in a Polish salt mine.
Now, who the hell would dislike this video? And most importantly, why?!
I have been to a lot of the cemeteries in France from the 1st and 2nd world war.
Its the ages of the lads that really hit home. Justs kids forced to be men
J'ai toujours une pensé pour ces héros quand je passe à côté du cimetière militaire de la ville du Havre.
RIP gentlemen and thank you.
My Grandad(Rip😢) was with the Argylls in the 51st at St Valery?He did 5 years 'In the Bag' and ended the war in Bergen-Belsen,finally liberated weighing 7 stone and lousy in Apr 1945 by his fellow Brits?God bless all who suffered and Died in that terrible Conflict?😢😎✌
Thanks for giving us a free life..
This brings a tear to my eye.
The lack of acknowledgement by the powers that be I find disgraceful.
I'm proud of all of these very brave men who lived and died for us.
It know different to how we get treated today
Grand respect pour les forces armée Britanniques .Ces héros ont toute l'admiration du peuple Français . Ce régiment a participé à la liberation de la ville du Havre en 1944 là ou j'habite actuellement.
We all should take a nod to all these men and women more than we do, we owe them alot, they are proper hero's.
My father was taken prisoner at St Valery , then marched into Germany days with no food or water drinking rain water in pools ,treated badly by the Nazis some German regulars treated him like a solider , can only imagine his feeling when liberated he was in a camp in Poland .
Went up to Scotland As a young man joined up came home in a kilt told this by one of his old friends sadly he died a young man from cancer , proud of him joining up to fight an evil regime ,
A shame non of them were given a recognition or any medals for their bravery
Nothing says it better than Eric Linklater - But against this impressive [German] strength the Highland Officers, Non-commissioned officers and Private soldiers - and the many Englishmen [Northumbrian, Kensington's, Norfolk's and others in the artillery and support units] who enlarged the Division - had revealed, again and again, their sense of responsibility and their gift of initiative. They were compelled to show an almost superhuman endurance.
These are soldierly qualities, and they provide the substance for many heartening paragraphs in a history of misfortune. But what conclusively proves that the Division was a good Division, in spite of misfortune, is its continuing discipline.
There is no sterner test of discipline than a long rear guard action, unless it be the sight of supporting troops who have been broken in the fight. The 51st survived those tests, and the Division remained a Division till the end. It had no luck - the dice were loaded outrageously against it - and so it failed to maintain the legend that its predecessor had made in the first German war, for a legend needs a little luck to help it grow.
But the 51st had the other virtues of the old Division, and proof of this - that would prove the virtues of any division - that in spite of all its weariness and frustration of all its hopes, the failure on its flanks, and its grievous losses, its spirit was unbroken. It suffered many casualties, but not the fatal one.
ITS HARD CORE WAS FIGHTING TO THE END, AND DISCIPLINE WAS THE LAST IN THE FIELD.
Nice story. Let us not forget.
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was to form part of The reformed BEF along with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, 1xt Atmoured Division and the Canadian 1st Infantry Division, with the 3rd Division to follow as soon as re-equipped. Only the 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Division was landed (departingtge UK on 7th June 3 days after Operstion Dynsmo had ended). But the Getman advance was to swift and with the French surrender, they had to be withdrawn (Operation Cycle). There were also evacuations from the Atlantuc coast, Operation Ariel.
This brought tears to my eyes 😢 I can remember being in cadets 20+ years ago n hearing the local ex service men talk on 11/11 about those day's...
This should have millions of views not some stupid tic tok video
Thank-you for your service, our lives would have been very different without you.
Thank you for sharing this Guy
"old enough to fight you B****s" this man is incredible.
I cannot fathom how scary and depressing this must have been, all the emotion.
I feel without the small clips from the real war, people just wouldnt be able to comprehend just how bad it was, it would sound like there exgadurating.
very touching, incredible to think that there were 4 generations of 20 year olds since that day. 4 generations =0
My dad, was in this world. So young. He died so young. Anne McCarthy MBACP 🙏.
Completely Different breed of blokes back then. Absolute hero’s.
No !!!!!!!!!
Feige Verlierer !!!
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
I wonder what these men in their prime would think of the lives we live now
Maybe just glad there's no draft or war going on in Europe.
What my father would see now is history repeating itself in the loss of freedom.
they would not recognise it,they might like it they would be a lot that they would not like,as my old man used to say"you do not know you are alive"and we have taken that much for granted over the years I think now I can finaly understand that,a quite beer on a sunny day,being one cheers Da and Granda tae ye both
Oooh, the wonderful Celts! What damn magnificent bastards they are. I love them!
Watched with a tear in corner of my eye!brave young lads... heroes!like it was mentioned,sad that they didn’t get the praise they deserved, unfortunately governments are good at forgetting about their heroes!!
This wasn't forgotten,these men were betrayed and the UK government kept it covered up until just before the program.
Heart breaking stuff.
Total respect 🙏
When you wake up tomorrow, remember that you’re here because of men like this.
Bless `em all. The long and the short and the tall.
Truly the greatest generation
That was a tough one!
I was a wee boy of seven when the message was delivered to our home, stating that my brother John was missing, presumed dead. Much later, I don't know how long, the official word came that he had been killed in action, it came with a "supposed letter" from the king and queen, "expressing their regrets".
A few years ago, my best friend, not knowing how much it still hurts, gave me a book written by Saul David, "Churchill's Sacrifice of the Highland Division" France 1940.
I have now spent most of my life as a United States Citizen, nevertheless, it still angered me seeing the words, "Churchill's Sacrifice", to sacrifice something is to give something you treasure, something you dearly love, and that was only the 51st. Highland Division... Scots, when the hell did Churchill ever give a rat's rear end about Scots?!
The Highland Division consisted of The Black Watch (42nd Highlanders) The Gordon Highlanders. The Seaforth Highlanders.
The Gordon Highlanders. The Cameron Highlanders. and The Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders.
The British Army's evacuation at Dunkirk began in the last eight days of April 1940, my brother a Seaforth Highlander was killed in Blangy sur Bresle, June 8th, 1940, I and my dear wife visited his grave about thirty years ago, that is why I know the date of his death, it sure as hell wasn't given to our family by the British War Office... my brother John, was twenty years old.
The Highland Division was left without food or ammunition and finally had to surrender at St. Vallery on June 12th 1940... Ten thousand of the forty thousand Highland Division were killed in action; the rest, many severely wounded were taken prisoner...
It was all covered up by the BBC, which in fact should be, the EBC English Broadcating Corporation, all the world ever heard about at that time, was The Miracle of Dunkirk...... while Scotland wept.
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder and tell a very one sided story. A good friend of mine, his father served in the 51st and was there in France during the war (He himself served over 20 years in the Scots Guards and fought in the Falklands) his father told him a very different story. There was no prejudice against the 51st although they did see a lot of action in every theatre.
The Scots are over represented in the British military and political structure (up to the highest level), do you really think they would have tolerated their own being used in such a way? of course not. Are you unaware of the other units that were left without food or ammunition?, the Norfolk regiment were as well, they stopped SS Totenkopf regiment in their tracks killing their commanding officer,very nearly defeating them until they ran out of ammunition. The survivors were then executed in what is known as the Le Paradis massacre.
A point worth mentioning as well is the 51st actually mutinied later on in the war after thinking they were being unfairly treated, that was the largest mutiny ever in the British Army. The NCOs and officers pleaded with them not to shame the honour of the great regiments but to no avail.
I need to clarify. He was an Argyle Sutherland Highlander and I believe they were the 10,000 taken prisoner. Never acknowledged or recognised for their sacrifice. It is criminal.
No braver than the fighting 51st 🏴🇬🇧
Known as the "thin red line" when Steven Spielberg took that title for his film my father was devastated. After no recognition it added insult to injury. Shame on him.
@@penhillam5598 The thin red line was during Crimea. Also, it was Oliver Stone
Wow wow wow these veteran who was able to remember the small details was crystal clear. At least a general had the decency to try and save so many many men who did the right thing. Even being POWs they got to live the life they greatly deserved, they gave it their all to help their brothers in arms escape! To receive no medal or recognition is the treatment of deserters they got. This is a stain that needs removed from these men. Someone has to lobby for them on this.
Government didn't appreciate but the public do!
George and Johnny Maclennan, both sons of the legendary 51st HD Pipe Major G.S. Maclennan, both fought in the 51st around St. Valery-en-Caux. Johnny, along with a number of his comrades, held off the German advance through Manneville-es-Plains until heavy artillery hit the barn from which they mounted their heroic action, killing all inside... George was a medical orderly, but was captured by the Germans and force-marched all the way to Regensburg. Johnny and his brave comrades lie today in the beautifully maintained churchyard at Manneville-es-Plains, at the insistence of the people of this hamlet, who consider that these young Scottish soldiers are their responsibility, more than the CWGC.
Good for them at Manneville-es-Plains. A younger brother of mine served with the Queens Own Highlanders. Same motto as the Seaforth Highlanders Cuidich N Righ. Means help the King.
No army has a history more gallant and courageous, than the British army.and still to this Day they are the best and most professional soldiers in the world.
Heroes no other words needed makes me proud and sad at the same time the youth of today should be ashamed
lest we forget
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Rest in peace Donald
Also worth noting is that the 51st was a Territorial Army Regiment during WW1 and 2. So all of those extremely young men (who couldn't have possibly understood the scope and size of the Nazi Military strength and their campaigns across Europe and Africa) were all part time plumbers, builders, and welders.
when films are made about dunkirk the 51st highland division are never really mentioned its always about the little boats that came over and not about the men who were sacrificed so the rest could get away at dunkirk always makes me angry
Why would they be mentioned ? .
Yes. Never mentioned it's criminal.
@@iroscoe why do you think muppet ....
@@bigboaby555 Not really an answer mate .
@@iroscoe well it is not really a question mate,they where British soldiers who happened to be Scottish,and they where left and given no recognition let alone a mention,and you can not see any thing wrong with that.......I see bigboaby has your measure muppet
Mon grand père Henri Gruart était Brigadier chef de la DGC1 , pendant les batailles de mai et juin 1940.... Pourrions nous le mettre dans les livres d'histoire svp..... merci d'avance
I like to see a documentary on how the British army reorganized, refitted and redeployed those troops. It had to a mess after the evacuation, especially with the loss of a lot of equipment and needed to be done quickly to repel an invasion.
sorry I don't think you understand, the 51st division, my grandfather was a cpl of artillery, were not redeployed they were captured and spent 5 yrs in captivity
this made me sad
Alba Gu Brah!
...least we forget
Mental how my Great grandfather went from the hell of a full on route, to being marching to Poland, coming home and working his arse off building housing as a mason, all at the age of 16 to his 20's (he lie about his age to sign up 😂 "such Mad lad you are papa Brown") from POW to patriarch of my a mental family ...
Mental man. Thanks Papa Brown. And my whole bloodline owes its continued existence to life Major General Victor Fortune. RIP
Very sad that the 51st were just forgotten by those who sent them
Dunkirk movie: 44M Views & 300,000 Likes. The real thing and veterans: 10.35K. Go figure.
A different breed of men rip to the brave Scottish men the 51 👌
It should not be forgotten that the flotilla was sent against Churchills specific orders.
I read somewhere that the" Quality of the resistence" after Dunkirk was one cause of the Germans never invading.
What breed of men were they? 😢 I look at this country now and l wonder what these men would think. Was it worth it? Yes, then it was. And what a sacrifice they made. My dad joined the Black Watch in 1943 aged 17 years and six months. He landed in Normandy 1944 aged 18. Now dead, l hold him and all the men like him in the highest regard. We will never see their like again. God help us if we ever forget them. Like the ravens forsaking the Tower of London, it will be the end of our once great nation. Bless ‘em All…
He needs to make a series on the Eastern front. For instance the 13th Guards Rifle Division "Most accounts state that of the 10,000 men of the division that crossed the Volga into the Battle of Stalingrad, only between 280 and 320 of them survived the struggle. This profligacy with life seems incredible to Western eyes, but was unremarkable during the conflict on the Eastern front."
Lest we forget.
Oh the poor guys. Such a sad story. France should have done better than this. But it was probably impossible. Who can now that now ? Long live the Scots ! Great men.
They were reborn, a large part of the 8th army in Egypt . Watch a wee vid,' Tunisian victory' .
Brave brave men, everyone! Served in RAF Regiment during the 80's, remember good & bad times, will never forget the brotherhood
Why is this battle not taught at schools
Just how much time do schools have to teach history? We have about 2,000 years of recorded history in the UK alone.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 still the least they could have done is mention it
@@bradleywelch9201 there is simply too much history for the school curriculum after all they failed to mention the other evacuations from France in the summer of 1940 (these are Operations Cycle and Aruel). At the school I attended we covered the Atlantic slave trade and it's abolition, but not the anti-slave trade patrols carried out by the Royal Navy in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Nor were we told that one consequence of the Norman conquest was the banning if the selling abroad of the English as slaves (approx 10% if the population of England were slaves in 1086 and recorded as such in the Donesday Book, but within 100 years there were no recorded slaves in England).
@@neiloflongbeck5705 I mean they could fit atleast a mention o it in schools since the evacuation of Dunkirk is taught in Schools
@@lordferbus2970 there isn't time in the school history syllabus cover all events. They only gave time to focus on a few major events. How many hours are given over to the shelling of Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough in December 1914? None, and I grew up close to all 3 ports.
i respect all we would not be here if these brave men did not fight
My Grandfather escaped from this, Private James Cromar, look Him up
Any 51st left alive ? I’ve got questions
🇱🇦
The greatest generation. God bless
They are heroes but atleast none of them suffered atrocities such as the massacres of 200 soldiers at wormhoudt and Le Paradise
Quite poignant to think that this was Scotland honouring the Auld Alliance with France for the last time :)
Bloody Churchill fed the 51st to the meat grinder just to appease the French...
To the 51st who held the line. Thank you.
Thank you de Gaulle for remembering their sacrifice.
May HM Government remember her fallen and honour the 51st.
Amazon how Winston Churchill is only seen as a hero in England! The guy was living 24/7 in a bunker while sending anyone he can to fight his dodgy plans! A would never fight for some one so cowardly. Just like the loyal family… who was actually the last royal to be on the front line and not living a life if luxury for nothing.
George VI who was King during WW2 had served aboard HMS Collingwood during the Battle of Jutland , Churchills had many faults but a lack of physical bravery was not one of them .
Thank you to the Scots
:(
What a amazing force the germans were.
And yet they got beaten soundly in every theatre.
🤷🏻♂️
@@JammyDodger45 Pretty much one versus the world and didn't exactly get steam rolled. What was poland? 2 weeks wasn't it?
So you're basing your opinion on a single activity where they unilaterally invaded an unprepared country?
Err, Okay.
Let's not mention North Africa, the Russian Front, the Balkans, Greece, Italy, the Allied invasion of France etc.
@@HEDST8 Oh then who was Italians and Japanese and Romanian and Hungarians who fought the allies in many fronts alonside the Wermacht on the Russian front fighting with as there allies if not Germany....yes they where alone and they still got beat on every front
@@jamestheman1962 Sorry thought the title mentioned Dunkirk.
yeah they survived because the Germans held back.
Quite a few Northumbrian and norfolk accents for a scottish highland division...
not all Scots have Scottish accents. I'm Scottish and I have an English accent