Beauman Division
Encyclopedia
Beauman Division was a Second World War improvised formation of the British Expeditionary Force
, which fought in the closing phases of the Battle of France
in June 1940.
DSO
based at Rouen
, was ordered by Major-General de Fonblanque (General Officer Commanding Lines of Communication Troops), to strengthen his local defences. He formed a small mobile force, “Beauforce”, consisting of Territorial infantry
battalion
s that had been intended to protect lines of communication and undertake pioneer work. A second formation called “Vicforce” was formed of five provisional battalions made up of troops who had been employed in various depots, together with reinforcement drafts that had recently arrived in France. This second brigade-sized unit was named after its first commander, Colonel C. E. Vicary.
Beauman placed these forces in defensive position along the rivers Andelle
and Béthune so as to defend Rouen and Dieppe
from the east. A further force, known as "Digforce", was created by combining numerous companies of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
into several battalions under Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. H. Diggle. These troops were mainly reservists who were not fit enough to join their front line units and had been tasked with construction and labour in the rear areas.
On 29 May, these three formations were combined to form Beauman Division and Beauman himself was promoted to acting Major-General to command it. The use of the word “division
” was to cause problems later, as it misled the French high command into thinking it was supported by artillery, engineers and signals in the same way as a regular division, rather than a collection of largely untrained troops armed only with light weapons. A plan to withdraw all the improvised forces was dropped at the request of General Georges
, who said that such a course of action have "an unfortunate effect on the French Army and the French people".
). Some units of 1st Armoured Division arrived in support, but remained under under the orders of the Tenth Army
commander, General Altmayer. The difficulty of maintaining communications led General Beauman to issue orders that units would hold on "as long as any hope of successful resistance remained" and that "Brigade commanders will use their discretion as regards withdrawal".
At dawn on 8 June, the 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions renewed their drive towards Rouen
. The first German attacks were at Forges-les-Eaux
and Sigy-en-Bray
. At Forges, refugees prevented the planned blocking of roads and when French tanks appeared, they were allowed to pass through. However, they had been captured by the Germans and once through the road blocks, attacked the British positions from the rear. The units of the division were pushed back and the line was penetrated in many places, despite the support of 1st Armoured Division on their left. Late in the afternoon, Syme's Battalion, only formed from depot troops in the previous week, held up 5th Panzer for several hours outside Rouen before being forced to retire. During the night, the remainder of the division retired across the Seine
.
peninsula; a policy opposed by both Brooke and the British Government. Beauman Division was therefore ordered to fall back on Cherbourg for evacuation; part of Operation Ariel
. This was a relatively straightforward task as, unlike some other British formations, they were not in contact with the Germans; however, it did involve crossing the line of retreat of part of Tenth Army. Arriving at Cherbourg, the division embarked onto the waiting ships with whatever equipment they had; the whole formation had been evacuated by 17 June. On arrival in England, the division was dispersed; an entry in the London Gazette
for 16 August 1940 says simply: "Colonel A B Beauman, CBE, DSO, relinquishes the acting rank of Major-General on ceasing to command a Division - 21st July 1940."
HQ staff and signals drawn from HQ North District
"A" Brigade "Beauforce" (previously 25th Infantry Brigade tasked with Line-of-Communication defence)
NB: "A" Brigade was detached from Beauman Division to Arkforce
on 09 June 1940
"B" Brigade "Vicforce" (provisional battalions formed of reinforcement and depot troops)
"C" Brigade "Digforce" (provisional battalions formed of infantry reservists serving in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
)
Divisional Troops
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
, which fought in the closing phases of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in June 1940.
Raising the division
On 18 May 1940, (Temporary) Brigadier A B Beauman CBECBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
based at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, was ordered by Major-General de Fonblanque (General Officer Commanding Lines of Communication Troops), to strengthen his local defences. He formed a small mobile force, “Beauforce”, consisting of Territorial infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s that had been intended to protect lines of communication and undertake pioneer work. A second formation called “Vicforce” was formed of five provisional battalions made up of troops who had been employed in various depots, together with reinforcement drafts that had recently arrived in France. This second brigade-sized unit was named after its first commander, Colonel C. E. Vicary.
Beauman placed these forces in defensive position along the rivers Andelle
Andelle
The Andelle is a river of Normandy, France, in length, flowing through the departments of Seine-Maritime and Eure.- Geography :The Andelle has its source in the Pays de Bray in the territory of the commune of Serqueux...
and Béthune so as to defend Rouen and Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
from the east. A further force, known as "Digforce", was created by combining numerous companies of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
into several battalions under Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. H. Diggle. These troops were mainly reservists who were not fit enough to join their front line units and had been tasked with construction and labour in the rear areas.
On 29 May, these three formations were combined to form Beauman Division and Beauman himself was promoted to acting Major-General to command it. The use of the word “division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
” was to cause problems later, as it misled the French high command into thinking it was supported by artillery, engineers and signals in the same way as a regular division, rather than a collection of largely untrained troops armed only with light weapons. A plan to withdraw all the improvised forces was dropped at the request of General Georges
Alphonse Joseph Georges
Alphonse Joseph Georges was a French army officer. He was commander in chief of the North East Front in 1939 and 1940. Opposing the plan by supreme commander Maurice Gamelin to move the best allied forces into the Low Countries, he was overruled by his superior...
, who said that such a course of action have "an unfortunate effect on the French Army and the French people".
The "Beauman Line"
In the first days of June, Beauman Division continued to construct what defences it could along the 55 mile Andelle-Béthune line. On 6 June they were reinforced by a further three battalions of infantry; some artillery and engineer units arrived in the following days. However, "A" Brigade was detached from line to assist the 51st (Highland) Division; (it became part of Ark force which was formed to cover the retirement of the Highlanders towards Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
). Some units of 1st Armoured Division arrived in support, but remained under under the orders of the Tenth Army
Tenth Army (France)
The Tenth Army was a Field army of the French Army during World War I. It took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. After the armistice it was part of the occupation of the Rhineland...
commander, General Altmayer. The difficulty of maintaining communications led General Beauman to issue orders that units would hold on "as long as any hope of successful resistance remained" and that "Brigade commanders will use their discretion as regards withdrawal".
At dawn on 8 June, the 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions renewed their drive towards Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. The first German attacks were at Forges-les-Eaux
Forges-les-Eaux
Forges-les-Eaux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming and spa town, with considerable light industry, situated by the banks of the rivers Andelle and Epte, in the Pays de Bray, some southeast of Dieppe, at the junction...
and Sigy-en-Bray
Sigy-en-Bray
Sigy-en-Bray is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming commune comprising several villages and hamlets covering a large area of land...
. At Forges, refugees prevented the planned blocking of roads and when French tanks appeared, they were allowed to pass through. However, they had been captured by the Germans and once through the road blocks, attacked the British positions from the rear. The units of the division were pushed back and the line was penetrated in many places, despite the support of 1st Armoured Division on their left. Late in the afternoon, Syme's Battalion, only formed from depot troops in the previous week, held up 5th Panzer for several hours outside Rouen before being forced to retire. During the night, the remainder of the division retired across the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
.
Evacuation
The fragmented remains of the division that had escaped across the Seine were withdrawn to reorganise. On 16 June, the Tenth Army ordered a general retirement with the eventual aim of establishing a defensive position on the BrittanyBrittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
peninsula; a policy opposed by both Brooke and the British Government. Beauman Division was therefore ordered to fall back on Cherbourg for evacuation; part of Operation Ariel
Operation Ariel
Operation Ariel was the name given to the World War II evacuation of Allied forces from ports in western France, from 15–25 June 1940, due to the military collapse in the Battle of France against Nazi Germany...
. This was a relatively straightforward task as, unlike some other British formations, they were not in contact with the Germans; however, it did involve crossing the line of retreat of part of Tenth Army. Arriving at Cherbourg, the division embarked onto the waiting ships with whatever equipment they had; the whole formation had been evacuated by 17 June. On arrival in England, the division was dispersed; an entry in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
for 16 August 1940 says simply: "Colonel A B Beauman, CBE, DSO, relinquishes the acting rank of Major-General on ceasing to command a Division - 21st July 1940."
Order of Battle
Division HeadquartersHQ staff and signals drawn from HQ North District
"A" Brigade "Beauforce" (previously 25th Infantry Brigade tasked with Line-of-Communication defence)
- 4th Battalion, The Border Regiment (detached to 1st Armoured Division by 06 June)
- 5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
- 4th Battalion, The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)
- 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's RegimentDuke of Wellington's RegimentThe Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
(attached from 46th Division on 06 June) - Brigade CarrierUniversal CarrierThe Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
Platoon - "D" Machine Gun Company (improvised from No 5 Infantry Base Depot)
NB: "A" Brigade was detached from Beauman Division to Arkforce
Arkforce
Arkforce was an improvised formation of the British Expeditionary Force formed on 9th June 1940, commanded by Brigadier A C L Stanley-Clarke DSO of 154 Brigade and charged with the aiding the defence of Le Havre during the Battle of France. The force's formation was centred on Arques-la-Bataille...
on 09 June 1940
"B" Brigade "Vicforce" (provisional battalions formed of reinforcement and depot troops)
- Perowne's Rifle Battalion (disbanded and split between Ray's, Davie's and Meredith's Rifles by 01 June)
- Waite's Rifle Battalion (disbanded and split between Ray's, Davie's and Meredith's Rifles by 01 June)
- Ray's Rifle Battalion (later renamed "Newcombe's Rifles", then "1st Battalion")
- Davie's Rifle Battalion (later renamed "2nd Battalion")
- Meredith's Rifle Battalion (later renamed "Merry's Rifles", then "3rd Battalion")
- Brigade Anti-Tank Company (2 x 2 pounderOrdnance QF 2 pounderThe Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
guns and 2 x 25mm25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gunThe 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun was a French anti-tank gun that saw service in the first years of the Second World War.-Development:...
guns; later renamed "Z" AT Company) - Brigade Carrier Platoon
"C" Brigade "Digforce" (provisional battalions formed of infantry reservists serving in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
)
- "A" Battalion (Nos 3, 10, 18 and 28 Companies AMPC from RennesRennesRennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
Sub-Area) - "B" Battalion (Nos 5, 21 and 111 Companies AMPC from NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
Sub-Area) - "C" Battalion (Nos 4, 13, 113 and 114 Companies AMPC from NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
Sub-Area) - "S" (Scots) Infantry Battalion (formed from General Base Depot troops on 14 June; joined "C" Brigade 15 June)
- Brigade Carrier Platoon
Divisional Troops
- Syme's Rifle Battalion (formed in late May - retained under Divisional control)
- "E" Anti-tank Regiment (12 x Ordnance QF 2 pounderOrdnance QF 2 pounderThe Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
anti-tank guns (later 14); improvised from base reinforcement details and men returning from leave) - "X" Field Battery (12 x Ordnance QF 18 pounderOrdnance QF 18 pounderThe Ordnance QF 18 pounder, or simply 18-pounder Gun, was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era. It formed the backbone of the Royal Field Artillery during the war, and was produced in large numbers. It was also used by British and Commonwealth Forces in all the main theatres,...
field guns; improvised from base reinforcement details) - Divisional Tank Company (5 x Infantry Tank Mk I and 5 (later 6) x Infantry Tank Mk II, later also 1 x cruiser tank and 1 x armoured car; formed from 27 May)
- Divisional Engineers: 212th, 218th, 291st Army Troops Companies, 271st Field Company and 670th Artisan Works Company, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.