The4thBattalion of the Border Regimentwere part of theTerritorial Army. In August 1939MajorWGubins,Commanding ‘B’ Company, recalled that year’s summer campin his diary:

“Training this year, as comparedwith previous years, was of amore strenuous nature. Longer routemarches, more nightoperations including digging by night, and the use of ourmorerecentweapons - the .55 Anti Tank Rifle, the BrenGun and theBren Carrier.”

Less than amonth later the Territorials began tomobiliseand at the end of September 4 Borderwere on the

Northumberland coast as part of 126th Infantry Brigade,42nd (East Lancashire) Division.

FranceInOctober 4 Border left the Brigade andwent to France as

lines of communications troops.Theywere one of the first TAunits to go to France.Thebattalion sailed fromSouthamptonand arrived at Cherbourg on 17November.Theywereallocated the area aroundMorlaix, in Brittany. For sixmonthsthey guarded ammunition stores and petrol dumps.MajorGubbins, described the dumps as

“...situated along roadswhichwere not often frequented by the

TheLion&theDragon

Territorialsagainst the odds

£1 Free toMembers of the Friends of theMuseum Summer 2021

ContentsTerritorials against the oddsBrigands and PiratesA family in the RegimentGentlemen's Cavalry - 4Ferreting for sparesBookshelf'History's waiting room''Still serving' newsMuseum, Friends &Reenactors newsDiary'ENDEX' - miscellany‘Lest we forget’

SITREPThis is an edition of

coincidences.Page 6 carries an

update on the recentIntegratedDefenceReview. Underwhich theDuke of Lancaster’s willcontribute to a newRanger Regiment. Butalso on page 6we havean extract fromnews ofa defence review thatwas reported in theoriginal ‘TheLion and theDragon’ in 1969. And thenon page 7 there’s a referenceto one of the originalRanger units.I don’t believe that

history repeats, but I dobelieve that it echoes downthe years.The55th Footunder LordHowewerearguably the first British unitto act as Light Infantry,having trainedwithRogers’Rangers in late 1756, early1757.it is a fine tradition and I

am sure thatwe all lookforward to ColonelHowe’s21st Century successorsachieving great things.

Peter GreenEditor

TheMagazine ofCumbria’sMuseum ofMilitary Life, published bythe Friend’s of theMuseum.

general public andwerenowhere near any railways.The guardswere on duty for24 hours. From9.00 am twoNCO’s and 6menwere oneach dump...”

Guard duties left littletime for training. It was thePhoneyWar. A timewhenPrimeMinister Chamberlain”could claim that “Hitler hadmissed the bus.” It was presumedthat action, when it came,would be in BelgiumorHolland.TheAllied planwas to respect Belgian neutrality untilBelgiumwas attacked. 4 Border’s role, if this happenedwouldhave been to take-up guard duties south east of Lille.All the line of communications unitswere short of

weapons, ammunition and vehicles. General Kerslake, whotook command of the Corps of lines of communication troopinMay 1940 as the disaster in France unfolded, found that atypical battalion had nomore than 3Boys anti-tank rifles andfive bren guns.

The Bus arrivesOn16May 1940 it became clear thatHitler had not

missed the bus. Germany began its offensive against Franceand the LowCountries.Within two daysTheNetherlandshad surrendered.On the same day 4Borderwere ordered toconcentrate at Rennes tomove to Rouen by train.Theywerenowpart of ‘BeaumanDivision’ under the command ofActing Brigadier Beauman.Thiswas an ad hoc grouping and, despite its title, not a

Division in the normal sense of theword, though it did havethree Brigades. ‘A’ Brigadewas considered themost effectiveas the unitswere themost highly trained. Aswell as 4 Borderthe Brigade contained:

4th Battalion Royal East Kent Regiment (Buffs)1/5th Battalion, Sherwood ForestersBrigade Carrier PlatoonMachine Gun Company (Cheshire &ManchesterRegiment)

TheBorders reachedRouen in the evening of 18May.Most of the battalionwere immediately taskedwith guardingbridges over the River Seine 12miles south of Rouen,however ‘B’ Coywas sent to guard a large ammunition dump20miles to the northwest at Saint-Saëns.Thebattalion now

had anRASC companywith 3 ton lorries attached andwasdesignated a ‘motor battalion’. An urgent search started tofind the BeaumanDivision some artillery.

Attacking bridgesOn the 23rd, the Battalion, less ‘B’ Company, were

transferred to the newly arrived 2ndArmoured Brigade partof 1st ArmouredDivision.Theywere to replace the theDivision’s own infantry, some ofwhich had gone to garrisonCalais with one of its tank brigades. 1st ArmouredDivisionalso lacked artillery.TheBorders, with tanks from the 2ndDragoonGuards (TheQueen’s Bays,) were to attack threeGerman-held bridges over the Sommewest of Amiens, atDreuil, Ailly-sur-Somme andPicquigny.TheBays’ tankswerelightly armoured ‘cruisers’ designed to exploit breakthroughs,not take part in assaults on prepared positions.The attackswent in on 24thMay. ‘C’ Company

successfully crossed the bridge at Ailly despite strongopposition and two platoons reached Saint-Sauveur on themain road fromAmiens to the coast. Butwithout furthersupport their successmeant little. Heavy shell andmortar fireforced them to retire back over the river. CaptainThompsonwon theMilitary Cross during the action. Despite localsuccesses the attacks, at Savuese and Picquigny, failed toreach their objectives. At Picquigny 2nd LieutenantDeighton,‘D’ Company, won theMilitary Cross for organising theunloading of ammunition fromburning trucks, whilst undershell fire.

MajorHopkinson, ‘D’Company in his diarydescribed the confusion that4 Border found themselvesin as they attacked theSommebridges.

“...the headquarters of thetank unit concernedwasunable to tell us which troopwewere cooperatingwith oranything about them and

when orders tomove camewe still did not knowwho theywere, their route or their plans, beyond the fact thatwewereboth due to cross the starting line at the same time and thesame place...”

For a fewdays theGermanswere content to hold theSomme line.Their attentionwas focused further north onCalais and the BEF atDunkirk.

Defending BridgesThe battalion remained attached to 1st Armoured around

Forêt duHellet.Theywere joined by ‘B Coy’ who had nowrelieved fromguard duties at Saint-Saens.Thewoodlandprovided cover from the Luftwaffewhohad the skies almostto themselves. 1st Armouredwere on the inland flank of 51stHighlandDivision.The51st although part of the BEFhadbeen in the Saarwhen theGerman attack began. It had beenrushed north to the Somme.They eventually came under thecommand of French 10thArmy. But the Borderswere not tostaywith theArmouredDivision for long.On5 June they rejoined ‘A’ Brigade of BeaumanDivision.

Their task nowwas to provide a defence line on towhich the51st could retire. It was a confused andfluid situation.On the5 June orders for them to retire to the rear being almostimmediately countermanded. As elsewhere theGermanadvancewas faster thanAllied decision-making andinadequate resourcesmade defensive plans unrealistic.4 Borderwere nowordered to clear the enemy from the Forêtd’Eau andmaintain control of the bridge across the River

CaptionsCover: 4 Border assemble atKendal Railway station beforetravelling toNorthumberlandin September 1939. PictureCMOML

1. An ammunition dump inwoodland nearNantes inBrittany. Picture ImperialWarMuseum

2. 4 Border in one of theirattached RASC vehicles nearthe Somme. Picture ImperialWarMuseum

3.The 4th Battalion, BorderRegiment on the Somme.Picture ImperialWarMuseum

4.Major J FHopkinson, ‘D’Company 4 Border, from ‘TheLion andTheDragon’, Spring1969

Page 2 Page 3

France 1940

10 May‘Fall Gelb’, the German attackin the West starts with theinvasion of The Netherlandsand Belgium.

12 MayGermans launch attack onFrance from the Ardennes

15 MayThe Netherlands surrender.

18 MayGermans reach Amiens

26 MayEvacuation from Dunkirkstarts.

5 June‘Fall Rot’ the German attacksouth of the Somme starts

6 JuneDunkirk evacuation ends

25 JuneThe last British troopsevacuated from St Jean-de-Luz on the Bay of Biscayclose to the Spanishborder.

Bresle at Incheville.Whilst troops struggled to disengage andreach LeHavre , otherGermanunitswere scything throughsouthernNormandy.

Six days at Incheville‘D’Company underMajorHopkinsonwere given the task

of holding Incheville. It would became the scene for one ofthe Regiment’smost courageous actions.The village ofIncheville is on slightly higher ground than the river and itsbridge.The railway line fromTreport south ran between thevillage and river. ‘D’ Company now consisted of threeplatoons – 16, 17 and 18.MajorHopkinson hadCaptainBuchanan as his second in command and Lieutenants Clancy(16 Platoon), on the north of the village, Crossley (17Platoon), as reserve and to cover the rear, andDeighton (18Platoon), covering the bridge from the railway station. In alltherewere less than 100men. ‘A’ Companywere a littlefurtherwest behind the village.

“See noone comes over that bridge”The bridge over the Bresle had been blown, but although

damaged it was passable by infantry. Lieutenant-ColonelTomlinson arrived and confirmed the bridgewas passable. Hepromised reinforcements and left with the order, “ForGod’ssake see no one comes over that bridge!”Moremen arrived inthe formof LieutenantWatton and hismortar platoon, andlater LieutenantWilliamson andhis carrier platoon, butwithno carriers, they had been left at Rouen.It soon became clear that Incheville was surrounded.

German troops had crossed the river elsewhere. On9 Junethe battalionwas ordered towithdraw. Attempts to reach ‘D’Company failed. A small party from theCompany, led by

Major J FHopkinson, did get out, butwere told by theBrigadeHQ that nobody could possibly be still holdingIncheville. In fact the villagewas held until 16 June, long afterthe rest of the battalion had either been captured orevacuated.

Evacuation fromLeHavreThosewhohad got out struggledwestwards.The roads

were clogged as 51stDivision desperately tried to reach LeHavre. Around 250men of 4 Border eventually reached theport. Along theway ‘B’ Company ran intoGerman troops atFecamp coming towards them from the direction of LeHavre.Theywould join ‘D’ Company in captivity. Captivitywhichwould last for 5 years.The lucky fewwho reached LeHavre, were put onto a

boat on 14 June and taken to Cherbourg.

Evacuation fromCherbourgAtCherbourg 4 Borderweremoved inland before half the

battalionwere put in a train to Brest.Theywere eventuallyfound a boat and reached Southampton on 19 June.Theremainder had already left Cherbourg for Poole, which theyreached on 17 June.The last days of the battalion in Francewere confused.Thebrothers of PrivateThornton, havingbeen told hewasmissing in action, were shocked tomeet himwalking along the front at Arnside.4Border’sNormandyCampaignwas at an end.Their

performance, especially that of ‘D’ Company in holdingIncheville, was over and abovewhatwas expected ofTerritorial Army battalions in 1940.

The Editor

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Saint-Saens Ammunition Dump 22 May

Seine Bridges 20May

RIVER SEINE

RIVER SOMME

RIVER BRESLE

Forêt du Hellet 26 May

4 Border by train from Brittany 18 May

Incheville 6-16 June

Evacuation complete by 6 June

Forêt d’Eau 6 JuneFecamp 11 June

51st Highland Division surroundedand captured 12 June

Picquigny 24 May

Dreuil 24 May

AMIENS

ARRAS

ABBEVILLE

4 Border locations

German attacks

4 Border actions

Le Havre 13 Junethen by ship toCherbourg

DIEPPE

TREPORT

ROUEN

ST VALERY EN CAUX

CALAIS

BOULOUGNE

DUNKIRK

Ailly-sur-Somme 24 May

©‘Th

eLion&Dragon’

Thewords ‘RegimentalFamily’ havemoremeaningfor Erica Elliot thanmost.She knows of sixmembers ofher familywhohave servedinTheBorder Regiment fromthe end of the 19thCenturytoWW2. But there is also amystery.

Hermaternalgrandfather, Cecil CharlesNicholls had perhaps themost colourful life.

Windsor ChoirboyHis family came from

Windsor, but hewas born inPimlico, in 1895. Cecil wasgood singer and amusician.He sang in the choir of StGeorge’s ChapelWindsorCastle. Being amember ofthe choirmeant that heattended StGeorge's SchoolatWindsor.TheNichols family had a

tradition of joining theGuards, but Cecil was tooshort. So, for reasons Ericahas not been able to discover,when hewas 16 he joined theSecondBattalion of theBorder Regiment.In September 1914 the

Regimentwere included in anewunit, the 7th InfantryDivision. Amonth later theywere rushed to Zeebrugge inan ultimately unsuccessfulattempt to help the Belgianarmy to defendAntwerp.TheDivision fell back intonorthern France and thentook part in the First Battleof Ypres.

CapturedSomewhere on the

retreat fromBruges, Cecilwas captured.Hewas takenfirst to a prisoner ofwarcamp atGöttingen. For someof the next four years heworked in a saltmine inPoland.

With the end ofWWI,came the end of four years ofbloody confrontation.Modernweapons and tacticshad shown that the use ofhorses inwarfarewas all butover. Additionally, it was feltthat therewere toomanyYeomanry regiments in theTerritorial Force¹.The end ofWWI, brought about the endof theWestmorland&Cumberland Yeomanry, in itshistoric and original form.

The fourteen seniorYeomanry regimentsremained, whilst the vastmajoritywere converted toother types of unit,manybecoming artillery units.TheWestmorland&CumberlandYeomanry becoming part ofthe 93rdWestmorland andCumberland YeomanryBrigade, Royal Field Artillery(R.F.A.) as the 369thWestmorland Yeomanry&370thCumberland Yeomanrybattery’s R.F.A.In1922, it became part of

the 51st East Lancashire&CumberlandBrigade R.F.A.1924 saw theRoyal Field

Artillery (R.F.A) Renamed theRoyal Artillery (R.A.), and in1938, the RABrigadeswerere-designated ‘Regiments’.

WWIIThroughoutWWII

51st Field Regiment servedwith distinction in alltheatres. Indeed, except for ashort break in Scotland forre-fitting, they servedoverseas until November1944. April 1940, saw203

Battery, taking part in theshort-livedNorwegianCampaign.The end of theyear saw the regiment on itsway toNorthAfrica, AtTobruk the 51st engagedGermanArtillery over opensights at only six hundredyards!

BurmaFebruary1942 saw the

Regiment in Ceylonwhilst inFebruary 1943 they joined

the 70th InfantryDivision inIndia.September the same

year saw themplaced in‘suspended animation’ onlyto have themattached asinfantry to thewell knownlong range penetration group,better known as the Chindits,where theywere jokinglygiven the name of ‘Theamateur infantry’ by some oftheir regular infantrycolleagues. Once again, theregiment performed in themanner forwhich they hadbecome rightly lauded.

As the Regimental SignalsOfficer in the 1st Battalion, Icame across two FerretMkIIs (I think) being used astargets onWarcop TrainingArea.

My very enterprisingRadio Sergeant, AlanMoses(RIP), took some of the Boysforward, and like a pack ofhyenas, stripped the vehiclesof anything thatwas of valueto us for the provision ofcomms to the Battalion.

We left the TrainingAreawith radio-trays, ‘armoured’cables, junction boxes,antenna bases andmuchmore.

Initiative notrewarded

Shortly after our returnto Barracks inWeeton, thethenQuarterMaster (Tech) –a formermember of theSignal Platoon – confiscatedthe Platoon’s ‘workingreserve’ of Larkspurequipments.Boywas I angry.I even complained to the

CO, an ex-Regimental SignalsOfficer, but to no avail.Wewere, after all, a

UK-based ‘Type B’ Battalionwith little call on spares orreplacements!

[If you have anyLarkspur Radio spares

DON’T send them toDavid –try Ebay – Ed]

Captions1. FortMalden, (formerly FortAmherstburg).The site ismanaged by the CanadianNational Parks Service. Picture© John Stanton

2.Huthart’s haberdasheryshop Carlisle, from an oldpostcard.

3. “Motor scouts of theWestmorland&CumberlandYeomanry” from ‘Kitchener’sArmy& the Territorial Forces’,Newnes, 1916(?)

4. 25pdr gun/howitzer thatequipped the Regiment fromthemiddle ofWW2.©AlbertMoffat

5. A detachment from ‘F’ Troopand their Quad, 1942©MrsValerieMcIntosh

6. Larkspur radio spares weregold dust. Test your knowledgeby naming this one.

Notes¹TheTerritorial Force,established in 1908 from theVolunteer Battalions becomethe Territorial Army inOctober1921.

‘Fifty-First Field: the story ofthe 51st Field Regiment RoyalArtillery (Westmorland&Cumberland Yeomanry), in theSecondWorldWar’ThomasThompsonPriory Ash£14.50 plus P&P

Is available from theMuseumShop

Laurie Brett

Laurie Brett is a freelance writerfrom Ontario in Canada. She isthe former editor and publisherof The Essex Free Press,Ontario.

She is the author of ‘Colchester225: 150 Historical Facts’ andshe maintains a family historyblog, ‘Hanging on a Limb’.

The loyal inhabitants ofEssex County, Upper Canada,were thrown into a state ofhigh anxiety in the spring of1838. After three incursions¹by American-based ‘brigands’and ‘pirates’ claiming to offerliberation from the yoke ofBritish rule, the removal ofHerMajesty’s troops andartillery from the garrison atAmherstburg seemed tosignal that thewestern

frontier had been abandoned.The localmagistrates –

men of the highestdistinction empowered to acton behalf of the governmentin far-away Toronto –gathered as an ad hoc councilamid rumours of a newvillainous scheme takingshape on theAmerican sideof theDetroit River.Theyissued a public resolution toSir George Arthur,Lieutenant-Governor ofUpper Canada, expressing“the deepest anxiety, alarmand astonishment” at theircurrent state ofdefencelessness and raisingconcerns about the seemingindifferencewithwhichofficials treated the borderregion.

34th Foot arriveIn response, Lt. Gen. Sir

JohnColborne and fourcompanies of the 34thRegiment, commanded byLt. Col. RichardAirey,deployed fromHalifax.Whenthey arrived at FortMaldenat the end of July, the local

newspaper,WesternHerald,31 July 1838), reported that

“thewhole frontier is to beshortly put in a completestate of defence.”

MalariaOne can only imagine

what Lt. Col. Airey thoughtwhenhe inspected the fortand found it uninhabitable.This passage fromaParksCanada report – ‘The Impact

of theUpper CanadianRebellion on Life in EssexCounty, 1837-42’ byKatherineMcKenna – paintsa grimpicture of thesituation:“WhenAirey and the

34thRegiment arrivedwithColborne in late July, theyfoundMalden a shambles.He had over 450men andnowhere to house them.Aireywas forced to

quarter themall over thearea, with disastrous results.They had arrived in Essex atthe peak of themalariaseason and suffered severely.By late August, 127menwere ill.”

Building BarracksAirey received

permission to renovate thedecrepit fort without beingsubject to the usual systemofrequisitions and estimates.The34th spent the next fourmonths raising barracks,restoring fortifications, andbuilding an additionalblockhouse onBois Blanc

Island, strategicallypositioned at themouth oftheDetroit River.Despite extensive

defensive preparations atAmherstburg, the rebels stillmanaged to surprise theCanadians. On4December,they crossed on a stolensteamer, landed north ofWindsor, and attacked thetemporary barracks housingamilitia unit.

American spectatorsThe close proximity of

the two countrieswasunderscored in the accountof the battle printed thefollowing day in theWesternHerald:“On arrivingmidway

between Sandwich andWindsor, our earswereassailedwith vociferousshouts of encouragement tothe pirateswhohad landedon our soil, by the ‘free andenlightened’ citizens ofDetroit, which thronged andblackened their cursedshore.”

Red CoatsAccording to the

newspaper report, when therebels caught sight of redcoats approaching, theypanicked andfled into thewoods.The “red coats” wereactually Capt. Sparke’smilitiamen,whoweremistaken for the 34th.TheBattle ofWindsorwasessentially over before the34th arrived fromAmherstburg.

Frozen lakeThePatriot schooner

Anne bombardedAmherstburg in January1838 butwas taken by thelocalmilitia when it ranaground. In February, rebelswalked over the frozenDetroit River and occupiedFighting Island but failed toland on themainland due tothin ice. InMarch, a largerebel force left Sandusky,Ohio, walked across the large,frozen expanse of Lake Erie,invaded Pelee Island andwere quickly expelled byBritish troops andCanadianmilitia.

Brigands, Piratesand the 34th FootTheLion& the Dragon is pleased to welcome thiscontribution from Laurie Brett a writer fromOntario,.

Erica Elliotts’ Carlisle familyhasmore reasons thanmany to think of theRegiment as her family.

David Allardice adds to hisFerret article in the lastedition.

Ferretingfor spares atWarcop

Gentlemen’sCavalry - 4

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y

Nowwe come to themystery. Erica believes thathe repatriated to theNetherlands on 9April 1918.Was hemedically repatriatedor did he escape fromGermany?He spent the nexteightmonths inTheNetherlands, not arrivingback in theUKuntil 18November.His first post-Warpostingwas a physicaltraining instructorwith theRegiment at Carlisle, whichargues against himbeingmedically repatriated fromGermany.

Around theworldHe continued in the

battalion. Serving inMalta,thenKhartoumand thenback toMalta, before beingsent to Shanghai. Hewent onto serve in India and theNorthWest Frontier beforereturning to Carlisle.

Duringhis earlier timeat Carlisle he hadmetCatherineWhelanwhoworked atHuthart andCompany’sHaberdasherybusiness in the town.Catherine’s father had alsoserved in the Regiment.Theymarried andCatherinefollowedCecil on his foreignpostings. A daughter, Evelyn,was born inAldershot, butsadly died in Shanghai; theirsonRoywas born inMalta in1926; and a second daughter,Mona, in Shanghai.

TheMuseumEricawas aware that her

family had connectionswithTheBorder Regiment but itwas only brought home toherwhen she visited theMuseumandwasmet by aphoto of Cecil by the frontdesk.Ericahas donated items

fromher families’militarypast to theMuseum.Including a collection ofCecil’s favouritemusic in itsmaroon leather cover.

TheEditor

AFamilyin theRegiment

Ted Carter brings us almost up-to-date with the Yeomanry

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BookshelfNew books and ones thatyoumay havemissed forall ages. All can be orderedfrom 'Bookcases', CastleStreet, Carlisle.

History'swaitingroomExtracts from originalcopies of 'The Lion and theDragon', in this case fromSpring 1969.

To theEditorTheEditor is alwayspleased to have comments,and corrections via email,Facebook or post.

Still servingNews from the Duke ofLancaster's Regiment, oursuccessor regiment,and the local Cadet Force

Museum,Friends andReenactorsNews from those whoproudly support ourheritage.

Behind thedesk andbehind thescenesOccasional pen portraitsof people from theMuseum and the Friends

‘BrownBess’MusketJamesFerguson, Royal

Armouries. “... ‘BrownBess’could be the name of a cow,or for a low-statuswoman.…The twowords combinedreinforced themessage; ‘Bess’might suggest that awomanwas not necessarily a ‘lady’,but ‘BrownBess’ wasdefinitely not a girl that arespectable youngmanwould take home tomother...”

Imperial SpellingErnieWise “My name isColonel NapoleonDavenport, DSOMCOBE”

EricMorcambe “That’s afunny way to spellDavenport.”

Athletic Battalion9Borderwonmany of the

Army athletic events held inthe early part of 1915 asKitchener’sNewArmytrained.Here Lieutenant VAGrace, 9 Border, receives thetrophy for best battalionafter anAldershotmeeting.PictureBritishNewspaperArchive

the Ipswich JournalJune 1811

This day 200 of theHertfordMilitia and 500 ofthe CumberlandMilitiamarched from their Barracks,the former to Shotley, andthe latter to Felixtow (sic),where they are to encamp.Themen are to be

employed on the towers andbatteries erecting on thatpart of the coast.

ENDEXAmiscellany ofmilitarysnippets from all periodsand places; some serious ,some not.

EditorialIt is at last possible to

record that the regimentwasin itself unaffected by the1968 infantryreorganisations, but thisphase saw the demise ofLancastrian brigade and thebirth of King’s Division.Thislatter guide is the destinies ofan amalgamof the formerLancastrian, Yorkshire andIrish Brigade is of infantry. Itwould seem to be the lastpractical grouping short of aRoyal Corps of infantry.Thepowers that be have put onrecord that aDivision ofInfantry is the optimumsize"for convenience ofadministration” and,therefore at themomentthere is nomovementtowards a Corps.

4th (Territorials)Border ‘D’

(Westmorland)Company

It is with extremelyheavy heart that your scribeattempts towrite these finalnotes for the companywhosename is synonymouswiththat our AuldGrey Town andits surrounding districts. ...Our role has varied over

the last few years andwiththe reorganisation in 1967we accepted the challenge ofmaking our homedefenceforce gowith a bang. In thisrolewe could be of active usein the true communityservice sphere, aswell as thepuremilitary...Our sincere hopes for the

future are that the presentpolicywill not beer provedwrong and that the Cadre,whichwill carry forward thename of a fine regiment, willlive up to the high standardsexpected of them.

Eight Army versusRommel: Tactics,Training andOperationsin North Africa 1940-42James ColvinHelion2021£29.95Eighth Army VersusRommel is a rivetingaccount of the DesertWarfrom 1940 throughMontgomery's celebratedbattle of Alamein in 1942.

Rich in previouslyunpublishedmaterial, itexamines the undertrainedand underfunded pre-warBritish Army, contrasting itsleadershipwith its oppositenumbers inGermany, anddemonstrates how andwhyEighthArmyhad difficultiesin its first 18months offighting theAfrika Korps.This volume also

examines the battles fromthe perspective of thecommanders, the decisionstheymade and how culturalinfluences effected tacticsand decisions of the EighthArmyhigh command.

PeterGreenIn the continued absence

ofMuseumevents due toCovid, here’s another shortbiography.This time theEditor.

My father, AlanGreen,commanded 20Platoon, ‘D’Company at Arnhem. I grewup very aware ofMarketGarden, but knew little abouthis precise involvement untilhewrote the history of thebattalion during the battle.Sowhen Stuart Eastwood

suggested, whilst I wasrelaxing in a Carlisle pubafterwalking theHadrian’sWall path, that Imightbecome the next editor of thenewsletter I couldn’t refuse.My background is that I

was aGovernment PressOfficer. I trained as aGraphicDesigner atManchesterCollege of Art andmyfirstjobwas inKellogg’sadvertising department. Ihaveworked inGovernmentpress relations or advertisingcovering the countryside,space research, overseas aid,transport, evenMP’smorals.Iwrote an account of the

final days of the POWcamp,that heldmy father afterArnhem, ‘TheMarch East1945’, published byHistoryPress.And latterly I created an

online science news servicefor theworld’smedia‘AlphaGalileo’.I amnow retired and live

in Swindon.

Curator’s ReportAs I write this piece, the

Museum isworking towardsa re-opening date ofMonday17thMay. Since Christmas,staff have been furloughed,or partially working fromhome, and individuals havebeen going into theMuseumto check the collections andrememberwhyweworkwithin the heritage sector.Sadly silent, the building

and collections are allfine…justmissing one vitalcomponent – people! Ofcourse, the staffhave beenbusymakingmodelaeroplanes, walking dogs,decorating houses andresearching their family treeso its not all beenNetflix andbaking cakes.

Reopening 17thMayHowever, there is

plenty to do beforereopening.Wehave toreassess the building andupdate the risk assessment,schedule a deep clean andcomplete half-finished tasks.Frommid-April, staff

will be safely returning to theMuseumandwewillwelcome our first KickStartplacement, Anna, who isjoining the teamon theGovernment funded schemefor the next sixmonths, tolook after our socialmedia.Wewill once again be

workingwith EnglishHeritage on joint ticketing,but please remember as aFriend you have free access totheMuseum - do phone01228 532774 to book yourvisit direct.

Thank youAnd lastly, thank you for

all your support over the past12months.Wewould lookforward towelcoming youback at theMuseum.

Zooming throughlockdown

Friends committeemeetings have continuedthroughout lockdown.Wehave taken the opportunityto sort out a fewadministrative niggles andrenew the Committee aswellas supporting themuseumwith grants for new laptopsand confirmation of thefunds for the refurbishmentof the CrimeanWar picture.In collaborationwith the

Museum’s Trusteeswe havemade some technical changesto the Friends structure. Andas part of this we havewelcomedMark English tothe Committee as a fullcommitteemember but alsoto represent the Trustees andDavid Allardice to representthe Regimental Association.OtherCommittee

changes have seenDoreenParsons, Geoff Stitt andBarbara Stitt and JimHenderson retire aftermaking long and fruitfulcontributions.WehavewelcomedKhalMoualemandGeorgeMcGarr as newordinary Committeemembers.There are stillvacancies on the committeefor anyonewhomaywish tohelp us.More details about the

new structure of thecommittee, its personneland relationshipwith theTrustees in the next editionof Lion&Dragon.TheFriends hopes to

restart its fund raising in theAutumn.

A little Piece of theBorders in SussexThe gravestone of

‘Harlequin’ the foxhoundmascot of 9 Border, whowaskilled by a car in Eastbournein February 1915, has been

damaged by a falling tree.The grave is in the grounds ofthe ComptonCroquet Club,Eastbourne.TheCroquet Club is on

part of Saffrons SportsGround, where 9 Borderwerebilleted fromDecember 1914toMarch 1915.TheEastbourne Local

History Society are hoping torestore the headstone andthe Friends have offeredtheir support.

The CarlisleMilitaryFestival June 2022Planning continues for

this Festival with ourpartners ‘Bookends’,Carlisle’s independentbookseller and publisher.Originally planned for

2020, but postponed becauseof Covid, the Festival will be amix of speakers, displays,sales stalls, VIP guest and areception. Please letme knowif youwould like to have astall or participate in anyway<peter.castra@gmail.com>.

Snowand IceMembers of the ‘55th

Regiment, Company. of LightInfantry (1759-1764)’reenactors, who are based inWisconsin, USA, spent timein the snow recently at ‘FortsFolle AvoineHistorical Park’alongsidemembers ofRogers’ Rangers reenactors.Itmust have been very

like the training that Rogersgave ColonelHowe and aparty of officers andmenfrom the 55th in the autumnandwinter of 1757.Picture©BrandonMoses Enck

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Germany 1955-57

The photos showmystep-dad, AlickMoor, duringhisNational Service inGottingen, Germanybetween 1955-1957.Heservedwith theMachineGunplatoonwithin a riflecompany of the BorderRegiment. Although hewasa Proud Prestonian, hewasshipped up to Carlisle Castlefor his training. I think thatthe Regiment had recentlymoved fromEgypt?Thepicture of the lads having adrink (nothing changes!)shows the LCpl sitting nextto Alick, with the BorderRegt patch onhis shoulder(glider) and the 4thDivisionFlash. Is that correct? Alickloved his short time inGermany and latermarriedmyMum, aGermanNational fromLunen.

YvonneNeville

Overseas“thenewsletter is great,

I spent sixmonthsworkingat a coalmine nearPittsburgh and the place issteeped in history of theAmericanWar, hope you areall OK? See you soon.”

David Carr

(ThanksDavid, a perfect leadin to remind everyone that you

canbecomeanOverseasMembers for £10and receive aPDFversion of themagazine.

You can join online athttps://bit.ly/39ZgB16–Ed)

TheChanging of theGuardSimonAkamScribe£25.00Over the first two decades ofthe twenty-first century,Britain has changedenormously. During thistime, the British Armyfought two campaigns, inIraq and Afghanistan, atconsiderable financial andhuman cost. Yet neither warachieved its objectives.Thisbook questions why, andprovides challenging butnecessary answers.

Composedfromdocumentary research, fieldreportage, and hundreds ofinterviewswithmanysoldiers and officerswhoserved, aswell as thepoliticianswho directedthem, the allies whoaccompanied them, and thefamilymemberswho lovedand—onoccasion— lostthem, it is a strikingly rich,nuanced portrait of one ofour pivotal nationalinstitutions in a time of greatstress.Journalist Simon

Akam,who spent a year inthe armywhenhewas 18,returned a decade later to seehow the institution hadchanged.His book examinesthe relevance of the armedforces today—their social,economic, political, andcultural role.This is asmucha book about Britain, andabout the politics of failure,as it is about themilitary.

IntegratedDefence ReviewThe results of the

Reviewhave beenannounced and thewelcomenews for us is thatthe Regimentwill live on.There appears to be nochange for either the 1st or4th BattalionsTheDuke ofLancaster’s Regiment.AnewRanger Regiment

of four battalions is beingformed from the currentSpecialist InfantryBattalions. As one of these,the 2ndBattalionwillcontribute to the newRegiment.

SandhurstCongratulations to

Colour Sergeant Smithfrom2ndBattalion andSergeantDearden from1stBattalion whohave beenselected to becomeinstructors atTheRoyalMilitary AcademySandhurst.

Dukeof Lancaster’sAssociationweb site

Duke of Lancaster’sAssociation has a newwebsite. <https://bit.ly/2PI8HT5>The site providesaccess towelfare support,aswell as the Associationand theRegiment’sheritage.

Penrith LocalMilitiaearly 19th Century

55th Foot belt bucklemid-19th Century

Border RegimentOld Comrades AssociationRule Book, early 20th

Century

Lest weforgetEvents, distinctions andmemorials of our localregiments and their men.

8May 1915, Frezenberg,France, 2nd BattalionBorder RegimentAGerman counter attackduring the 2nd Battle ofYpres.

16May 1811, Albuhera,Spain, 2nd Battalion34th FootA French attempt to relievethe siege of Badojaz wasrepulsed by GeneralBeresford leading a divisionofWellington’s army.

21May 1940, Rest inPeace, Private J. GeorgeReid, 5th BattalionBorder Regiment,3595908Private Reid died 21May1940, aged 27.Her was fromCockermouth and is buriedin Dunkirk Town Cemetery, .Picture CWWG

22–26May 1940, theRiver Escaut, Belgium,1st Battalion BorderRegimentThebattalion along with therest of 4th Infantry Brigadefought a four-day rearguardaction during the BritishArmy's retreat from Belgiumtowards Dunkirk.Picture IWM

18 June 1855, PrivateJohn Joseph Sims VC,Sevastopol, Crimea, 34thFootThe citation reads: Forhaving, after the regimenthad retired from the

trenches from the assault onRedan, gone out over theopen ground under a heavyfire in broad daylight andbrought in wounded soldiersoutside the trenches.Picture Creative Commons

21 June 1813, Vittoria,Spain, 2nd Battalion34th FootThedecisive battle of thePeninsularWar that saw theend of the French in Spain.Picture byHeath& Sutherlandin the A.S.K. Brown collection

July 1-13 1916, Albert,France, Border RegimentThebattle, ‘Albert’, was thenorthern opening action ofthe battle of the Somme.Unlike the Anglo-Frenchattacks further south, fewgains weremade. Britishcasualties included 10,000men killed.Picture IWM

9 July 1943, OperationLadbroke, Sicily, 1stBattalion BorderRegimentTheBorder Regiment withthe South StaffordshireRegiment, attempted toseize the Ponte GrandeBridge at Syracuse at night,as part of the invasion ofSicily. Most gliders werereleased too early andlanded in the sea.Picture IWM

The regiment thatbecame the 34th Foot andthen the 1st Battalion of theBorder Regimentwas raisedin Essex in 1702, as Robert,Lord Lucas’s Regiment.From themid 18th

Century regiments becameknownby their number. In1782 it was given theregional title (Cumberland).The55th Footwere

raised in 1755 byCharlesPerry Esquire.Theywereoriginally the 57th Foot, butwhen two lower numberedregimentswere disbanded inthe summer of 1756, theybecame the 55th Foot.In1782, the 55th Foot

were given the territorial title'WestmorlandRegiment'.The34thwere combined

with the 55th in 1881 toform ‘TheBorder Regiment’.At the same time theCumberland andWestmorlandMilitia werere-organised as the SpecialReserve and in 1908 theRifleVolunteer battalions becamethe Territorial Force.TheKing’sOwnRoyal

Regiment (Lancaster) joinedthe Border Regiment tobecome theKing’sOwnRoyal Border Regiment in1959.In2006 theKing’sOwn

Royal Border Regimentweremergedwith other regimentsto create ‘TheDuke ofLancaster’s Regiment’.In1923 the 51st Field

Regiment, Royal Artillerywas created that included theWestmorland andCumberland Yeomanry. Intime theGunners joined theTerritorial Army battalion oftheKing’sOwnRoyal BorderRegiment.

OurHeritageCumbria’s militaryheritage includes theMilitia, the Yeomanry,Territorials, as well as theregular battalions andspecialist units.

ContactsCumbria’sMuseumofMilitary LifeAlma BlockCarlisle CastleCarlisleCumbriaCA3 8UR01228 532774enquiries@cmoml.orgOpening hours1 April–30 SeptemberEvery day 10 am-6 pmOctoberEvery day 10 am-5 pm1November to 31MarchSaturday toThursday10 am-4 pm closed onFridays

Friends ofCumbria’sMuseumofMilitary Lifec/o Alma BlockCarlisle Castle

Duke of Lancaster’sRegimentFulwood BarracksWatling Street RoadPrestonPR2 8AA

Cumbria Army CadetForceHQCarlisle CastleCumbriaCA3 8UR

‘The Lion& theDragon’Published by the Friends ofCumbria’sMilitaryMuseumEditor: Peter Greenpeter.castra@gmail.comWriting team: DavidAllardice, Ted Carter, andJohn Conway

Printed byStramongate PressKendal 01539 72044