HAZEBROUCK  - A BATTLEFIELD TOUR

BATTALION HEADQUARTERS - HQ COMPANY - A COMPANY -

The Orphanage: As the battle approached the town centre during the 27th May, Battalion HQ and HQ Company barricaded themselves into the “Keep” with the remains of the stragglers from A Company. Throughout the night of the 27th May, patrols were sent out to make contact with the remaining companies only to find that they had been overrun or dispersed.

During the 28th, the Germans bombarded and attempted to take the orphanage against a very determined defence, their tanks being at a disadvantage in the very narrow streets.

Eventually, the building was set on fire. Attempts were made to find an alternative position but the CO and the Adjutant were both kilied and the survivors, who had taken refuge in the walled garden of the orphanage, were discovered and captured together with the wounded who were recovered from the cellars of the building before it collapsed completely.

The "Orphanage" at the turn of the 20th century.

The Orphanage after the battle.

This photo was taken on my first visit to Hazebrouck in 2007 and shows the front garden that has now been turned into car parking.

The "new Orphanage" in 2012.

The rear of the orphanage as it looked after the battle.

The plaque on the wall of the new orpanage dedicated to the Defenders of Hazebrouck in 1940.

The church tower was used as an OP by the battalion Intelligence section and Artillery Observers. It was hit by enemy artillery and the remains of the steeple were demolished by the Germans after the battle.

A COMPANY


Early on, Capt Saunders OC D Company demanded that a Platoon from A Company be positioned on the level crossing to his right rear and 9 Platoon was detailed to this task. 

A further Platoon from A Company -7 Platoon - occupied a farmhouse to the north of the railway, possibly on the Cassel Road, offering further protection against an outfianking movement from the north.

B COMPANY

The railway station (La Gare) was the heart of B Company’s position.
The  Calais - Lille East -West line was regarded as a reasonable anti-tank obstacle and B Company (Capt. J. W. Kaye) covered the level area and underpass next to the station and the approaches from the north.

The town north of the railway - the “Cite des Cheminots” - was much smaller in 1940 than today.

B Company HQ was in a hotel opposite the station and the three platoons were positioned along the railway. During the battle, German tanks outflanked the town to the north and came down to attack B Company.

Reinforcements from A Company were sent to B Company during the evening of the 27th May.

Although hard-pressed, B Company was not completely overrun and most managed to escape on the evening of the 27th May by withdrawing east and then north.

The railway line runs behind the houses on the left of this photo.

The railway line runs behind the building on the right of this photo. RUE DE VIEUX BERQUIN = D53 on maps.

C COMPANY

C Company (Capt Rupert Barry -the only Regular Army Officer in the Bucks Battalion) was positioned round the Morbecque Road (now the Rue D'Aire) in the southwest. Although Morbecque was garrisoned. by the Royal West Kent Regiment of 132nd. Brigade, the enemy pressure in the southwest was seen as a serious threat.


With 14 Platoon on the road and 13 Platoon on high ground to the north, C Company also had two 25pdrs and an Anti-tank gun covering the road and the approaches. A road-block, probably including mines laid by the Sappers, was built on the road itself.

During the morning of the 27th May 1940, the Royal West Kents were driven out of the Bois de Huit Rues on the high ground to the south west and then from Morbecque. An armoured column approached across the open ground from the west and ran into anti-tank and artillery fire from C Company and the supporting battery of 98th. Regiment. Several tanks were knocked out. A further attack was made up the railway line from the south but was halted by the guns on the southern edge of the town and the canal.

The enemy attacked across this ground.

The German armour attacked up this road. RUE D'AIRE = D916 on maps

RUE DE MERVILLE = D946 on map

D COMPANY

D Company (Capt. Hugh Saunders) was ordered to cover the roads from the west. His three platoons were positioned outside the town on the high ground overlooking the St. Omer Road and the railway, the road to Wallon Cappel and Sercus, and his HQ was in a farm covering the road junction behind them. Two field guns and an antitank gun were in D Company’s area.

Early on, Saunders demanded that a Platoon from A Company be positioned on the level crossing to his right rear and 9 Platoon was detailed to this task.

A further Platoon from A Company -7 Platoon - occupied a farmhouse to the north of the railway, possibly on the Cassel Road, offering further protection against an outfianking movement from the north.

During the 27th. May 1940, starting in the early morning repeated tank and infantry attacks were made against D Company’s position from the west and later from the north. Artilery and mortar fire drove off several attacks but early on one of the 25pdrs was knocked out, 7 Platoon were driven from their farmhouse and 18 Platoon on the left of the company area were forced to withdraw from their exposed position.

Eventually, D Company was overrun and in the evening German infantry and tanks flowed past towards the town centre to run into B Company around the station and Battalion HQ in the Orphanage. Hugh Saunders and the survivors escaped by breaking out westwards after dark and walking through the German lines.

HAZEBROUCK TOWN

1940. The Grande Place after the battle.

The Grande Place 2012.

Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery Extension circa 1950 showing the Second World war Plot.

Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery Extension showing the Second World war plot. 2012.

The main text on this page is based on extracts from Battlefield Tour notes written by Lt Col Ingram Murray and are reproduced here with his kind permission.