France 1940

The 7th and 8th (Territorial) Battalions The Worcestershire Regiment arrived in France in January 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and advanced into Belgium in April. As the German Army advanced in May so the BEF started to withdraw towards the French coast. After about two weeks of confused fighting in France in which some 300 men from the two battalions were killed or wounded, the majority were evacuated back to England through Dunkirk, leaving some 300 as prisoners of war.

The wounded prisoners were moved to hospitals and were well cared for. A few who had been severely wounded were eventually sent back to England under the auspices of the Red Cross in exchange for wounded German prisoners.

The remainder started a long journey into captivity.

Typical of the journey by prisoners was one made by a group of officers who marched 220 miles in 14 days through France and Belgium into Holland. They were then moved 130 miles on Rhine steamers and barges and a further 500 miles by train to prisoner of war camps in southern Germany.