Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign
    Unavailable
    Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign
    Unavailable
    Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign
    Ebook254 pages3 hours

    Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign

    By Jerry Murland

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    On 10 May 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), under the command of Lord Gort, moved forward from the Franco-Belgian border and took up positions along a 20-mile sector off the River Dyle, to await the arrival of the German Army Group B. Their expected stay was considerably shorter than planned as the German Army Group A pushed its way through the Ardennes and crossed the Meuse at Sedan, scattering the French before them. Little did the men of the BEF realize that the orders to retire would result in their evacuation from Dunkirk and other channel ports.

    The line of the River Escaut was seen as the last real opportunity for the Allied armies to halt the advancing German Army, but the jigsaw of defense was tenuous and the allied hold on the river was undone by the weight of opposing German forces and the speed of the armored ‘Blitzkrieg’ thrust further south. As far as the BEF were concerned, the Battle for the Escaut took place on a 30-mile sector from Oudenaarde to Bléharies and involved units in a sometimes desperate defense, during which two Victoria Crosses were awarded.

    This book takes the battlefield tourist from Oudenaarde to Hollain in a series of tours that retrace the footsteps of the BEF. With the help of local historians, the author has pinpointed crucial actions and answered some of the myriad questions associated with this important phase of the France and Flanders campaign of 1940.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPen and Sword
    Release dateNov 30, 2016
    ISBN9781473852624
    Unavailable
    Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign

    Read more from Jerry Murland

    Related to Battle for the Escaut 1940

    Related ebooks

    Wars & Military For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Q&A YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

      Aug 5, 2021

      Q&A YOU ASK, WE ANSWER
      8 min read

    • Article

      Edinburgh’s Burning

      Nov 7, 2021

      Edinburgh’s Burning
      3 min read

    • Article

      Hero’s Return

      Aug 24, 2022

      Hero’s Return
      9 min read

    • Article

      Rivals For The Crown

      Sep 13, 2023

      Rivals For The Crown
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Remarkable Rescue

      Dec 9, 2022

      Here’s a stamp question for you. What makes a common and inexpensive Newfoundland 1919 3c Brown Caribou stamp outrageously more valuable? If you answer: ‘the overprint’, then you are partly correct, in that the Postmaster J.A. Robinson of St. John’s

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Ultimate Walk Of Shame

      Aug 23, 2023

      The Ultimate Walk Of Shame
      5 min read

    • Article

      Ships Library

      Dec 22, 2023

      Ships Library
      3 min read

    • Article

      Kern, Gallowglass, And Demi-lancers

      Dec 8, 2023

      Kern, Gallowglass, And Demi-lancers
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Big Year, 1939

      Dec 18, 2022

      Not only were even more major yachts and launches being produced but it was a vintage year for centre-boarders too. The first international yachting event in this country since 1898 was about to be held on the Waitemata. In January 1939, apart from H

      5 min read

    • Article

      Butcher Cumberland

      Nov 27, 2017

      Butcher Cumberland
      14 min read

    • Article

      Greystoke Castle Cumbria

      Nov 9, 2023

      Greystoke Castle Cumbria
      6 min read

    • Article

      Book Of The Month

      Nov 24, 2023

      Celebrating 130 years of the Norwegian Coastal Voyage John Bryant Published by Ferry Publications, Ballachrink Beg, Jurby East, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM7 3HD; tel 01624 898446. info@lilypublications.co.uk, www.ferrypubs.co.uk. 428-page A5 softback Pric

      3 min read

    • Article

      Saleroom

      Dec 8, 2023

      Let’s face it, though he was widely regarded as the first modern celebrity Nelson was certainly no David Beckham in the looks department. Reckoned to stand just 5ft 4in (1.62m) tall, his face described as “pale and interesting,” his frame as “delicat

      2 min read

    • Article

      War And Peace

      Dec 21, 2023

      War And Peace
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Battle Of Bryn Glas, 1402

      Mar 23, 2021

      The Battle Of Bryn Glas, 1402
      6 min read

    • Article

      HRH The Duke of Edinburgh The sailing prince, 1921-2021

      May 14, 2021

      During his 99 years, HRH Prince Philip, the longest serving prince consort in British history, made a significant contribution to many walks of life from commerce to the environment, sport, industry, science and youth challenges. He also had two pers

      5 min read

    • Article

      Aussie Spirit

      Nov 10, 2023

      Walter Marks, Commodore of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Sydney, was a high powered influencer: pre-war, he was working on three major schemes to raise the profile of Australian yacht racing. The first involved negotiating for an ‘Ocean Race’

      7 min read

    • Article

      Northumberland Through The Ages

      Apr 5, 2022

      793 The Vikings raid Lindisfarne after “fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of the Northumbrians”, according to the 9th-century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1237 Scotland renounces its claims to Westmorland, Cumberland and Northumberland in a tre

      1 min read

    • Article

      MUSEUMS & EVENTS

      Dec 27, 2018

      MUSEUMS & EVENTS
      3 min read

    • Article

      These Final Days

      Apr 2, 2019

      These Final Days
      10 min read

    • Article

      Saleroom

      May 1, 2020

      Saleroom
      2 min read

    • Article

      Chartroom Ships Library

      Sep 30, 2022

      For 45 years, Warship has been the leading annual resource on the design, development and deployment of the world’s combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, this latest volume

      3 min read

    • Article

      Heroes, Wolves And Scallywags

      May 4, 2022

      With conflict raging again in eastern Europe, we might do well to reflect on the tremendous contribution made to the defence of these islands by those involved in fieldsports. It may seem obvious that those practised in deerstalking or gamekeeping mi

      5 min read

    • Article

      Exploring El Alamein

      Jun 3, 2022

      Exploring El Alamein
      4 min read

    • Article

      Crimean War VC

      Mar 14, 2024

      Crimean War VC
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Dunkirk Evacuation Had Failed?

      Dec 2, 2021

      Joshua Levine practised as a barrister before becoming an actor and writer. He has written several books on the subject of the two World Wars and served as the historical consultant on the 2017 film Dunkirk. Between 26 May and 4 June 1940, a vast ope

      5 min read

    Reviews for Battle for the Escaut 1940

    4/5

    2 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A quaint little book, this publication is part of the series Battleground Dunkirk. They are intended as guides for people wishing to explore the battlefield of the 1940 campaign involving the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders.Chapter One is an twelve page introduction called ‘The First Steps to War’. It is brief, and states wrongly that the Munich Agreement was in 1936, when it was in fact in 1938. There is a brief overview of the higher formations and their commanders. Chapters Two, Three and Four cover the actions of the three corps level formations on the Escaut Line, with Chapter Five about the role of artillery. Chapter Six provides details of four car tours and two walking tours of the area. The four chapters on the historical actions in May 1940 are interesting and informative, and obviously focus on just the actions on the Escaut Line.The car tours and walking routes are very useful if you intend to visit the area. They provide much detailed information, which should make visiting the area relaxing and logical. Directions are included, and places to stop for a specific event or reason. The book contains several useful, interesting and relevant photographs, which assist in understanding the nature of the area and what a visitor will see some seventy-six years after the event.In conclusion, if you are considering visiting this area to view the battlefields of May 1940, I consider this book to be essential reading. If not, the details of this battle are valuable, although readers may find other accounts more comprehensive. My last observation is whether this format of publication is better on the internet, as changes may affect the tours that cannot be reflected in the book, and the internet is more dynamic.