- TITLE
- Pilgrimage to St Valery (4 of 6)
- EXTERNAL ID
- PC_VALERIE_FRASER_STVALERY04
- DATE OF RECORDING
- June 1961
- PERIOD
- 1960s
- CREATOR
- Ronald Miller
- SOURCE
- V Fraser
- ASSET ID
- 2730
- KEYWORDS
- pilgrimages
Second World War
This short video film from 1961 recounts the journey made by a group of ex-servicemen from The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (51st Highland Division) to the area in and around the town of St Valéry-en-Caux in northern France. The film was made by Ronald Miller.
Twenty years previously, in 1940, the 51st fought on in France after the main part of the British Expeditionary Force had been evacuated from Dunkirk on 4th June. German counter-attack forced the men to withdraw to the coastal town of St Valéry-en-Caux. Dense fog delayed the Navy's rescue attempt and the 51st, surrounded and out of ammunition and supplies, were ordered to surrender to General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division on 12 June 1940. More than 10,000 were taken prisoner and spent the remainder of the war in prisoner of war camps.