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70-523: Following its retreat from the Battle of Dunkirk (where it is reputed that enough equipment was left behind to equip about eight to ten divisions), the British Army introduced a requirement that all officers up to the rank of colonel should be proficient in the use of the motorcycle, and all officers holding the rank of brigadier were required to be able to ride pillion. These requirements came about as

140-404: A ban on pillion riding unless the driver and pillion passenger are married or biologically related. Battle of Dunkirk Estimated total casualties 20,000 killed or wounded Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque )

210-541: A corridor to the sea, about 60 miles (97 km) deep and 15 miles (24 km) wide. Most of the British forces were still around Lille , over 40 miles (64 km) from Dunkirk, with the French farther south. Two massive German armies flanked them. General Fedor von Bock 's Army Group B was to the east, and General Gerd von Rundstedt 's Army Group A to the west. Both officers were later promoted to field marshal. During

280-577: A counterattack. This was to be spearheaded by two battalions, the 3rd Grenadier Guards and 2nd North Staffordshire Regiment , both of Major-General Harold Alexander 's 1st Division. The North Staffords advanced as far as the Kortekeer River , while the Grenadiers reached the canal itself, but could not hold it. The counterattack disrupted the Germans, holding them back a little longer while

350-551: A major counter-offensive, driving the French armies out. Dubail was replaced in 1915. A frantic 1916 saw four different commanders command the First Army; an even more frantic 1917 saw five different commanders at the helm (including François Anthoine during the Battle of Passchendaele ). By the time of Passchendaele, the French First Army was composed of two corps - the 1st Army Corps (composed of 4 divisions) and

420-495: A passenger where physically possible, following the upgrade to the required licence class. For example, in New South Wales, one must carry a Provisional 2 (Green) licence before being allowed to carry a pillion passenger. Pillion-riding is associated with terrorist or criminal attacks in some South Asian countries. In Pakistan, for instance, pillion riding is often banned by local authorities around sensitive times, such as

490-488: A proper seat and foot pegs for the passenger. In the UK, a motorcyclist is not allowed to carry more than one pillion passenger, who must sit astride the machine on a proper seat; it is forbidden to carry a pillion passenger on a motorcycle that has not been designed to do so. In Australia, vehicle operators must have held their licence (not including a learner's permit) for a minimum of one year before being legally allowed to carry

560-413: A result of the large number of motor cars that were lost in action. The requirement for riding pillion was quietly dropped as large numbers of jeeps came into service in the middle of the war. "Riding two up" and "riding double" are common North American phrases for riding with a passenger. "Riding bitch" is a vulgar American expression to denote sitting between two other people in a car or truck, where

630-578: A southward advance against the remaining French forces. Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring asked for the chance to destroy the forces in Dunkirk. The Allied forces' destruction was thus initially assigned to the air force while the German infantry organised in Army Group B . Von Rundstedt later called this "one of the great turning points of the war". The true reason for the decision to halt

700-472: A vital breathing space to the Royal Navy to arrange the evacuation of the British and Allied troops. About 338,000 men were rescued in about 11 days. Of these some 215,000 were British and 123,000 were French, of whom 102,250 escaped in British ships. On 26 May, Anthony Eden told Gort that he might need to "fight back to the west", and ordered him to prepare plans for the evacuation, but without telling

770-583: Is too valuable to shed. Our two peoples belong together racially and traditionally. That is and always has been my aim, even if our generals can't grasp it." Kilzer, Louis C., Hitler's Traitor: Martin Bormann and the Defeat of the Reich On 24 May, Hitler visited General von Rundstedt's headquarters at Charleville . The terrain around Dunkirk was thought unsuitable for armour. Von Rundstedt advised him

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840-451: The 253rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) in the fighting and halting the German capture of Dunkirk for three days. It is estimated that the First Army's last battle allowed the evacuation of an additional 100,000 men from Dunkirk. The First Army formally ceased to exist on 29 May, though a portion escaped with the British soldiers. The First Army was reconstituted as French Army B under the command of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny in

910-720: The 36th Army Corps (composed of 2 divisions). During the Second World War the French First Army, under the command of General Georges Blanchard , formed part of the forces ranged against the German Army during the Battle of France . On 10 May 1940, it included the Cavalry Corps , and the 3rd , 4th , and 5th Army Corps , as well as the 1re Division Cuirassée (1st DCR, effectively an armoured division with four battalions of tanks and one of infantry, plus supporting units) and 32nd Infantry Division . When

980-587: The 3rd Division at Freiburg (5th, 12th, and 13th Brigades). The Army controlled the I Corps, the II Corps , and the III Corps as well as Army troops, including Pluton artillery, and three anti-aircraft artillery regiments, the 401, 402, and 403 Regiments d'Artillerie, during the 1980s. After deactivation as the war headquarters for the NATO Central Army Group , Ouvrage Rochonvillers

1050-595: The Army of Africa . These troops had played a major role in the liberation of Corsica (September–October 1943) and the Italian Campaign (1943–44), with about 130,000 men engaged. During the French and German campaigns of 1944-45, these troops formed the core of the First Army. In Autumn 1944, First Army comprised about 250,000 men, half of them Indigenes (Mahgrebian and Black African) and half Europeans from North Africa. From September 1944 onward, 114,000 men of

1120-540: The Ashura commemoration, when there have been violent attacks on worshippers. In the Philippines where policemen are already routinely checking motorcycle riders in response to increased incidence of crimes such as murder and robbery committed using a motorcycle, some cities are already considering ban on pillion riding, known as "riding in tandem" in the country. Some cities, such as Mandaluyong , has already enforced

1190-644: The Belgian Army further to the north from the majority of French troops south of the German penetration. After reaching the Channel, the German forces swung north along the coast, threatening to capture the ports and trap the British and French forces. In one of the most debated decisions of the war, the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk. What became known as the "Halt Order" did not originate with Adolf Hitler . Generaloberste (Colonel-Generals) Gerd von Rundstedt and Günther von Kluge suggested that

1260-638: The English Channel , using Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein 's plan Sichelschnitt (under the German strategy Fall Gelb ), effectively flanking the Allied forces. A series of Allied counter-attacks, including the Battle of Arras , failed to sever the German spearhead, which reached the coast on 20 May, separating the BEF near Armentières , the French First Army , and

1330-631: The French Forces of the Interior were added to the First Army, replacing many African troops. Eventually, more than 320,000 men would form the First Army during its final advances in Germany and Austria. From 26 September 1944, André Malraux 's Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade , formed from the FFI, formed part of the army's reserves. Like other units formed from FFI personnel, Malraux's brigade

1400-658: The French I and II Corps . The French First Army liberated the southern area of the Vosges Mountains , including Belfort . Its operations in the area of Burnhaupt destroyed the German IV Luftwaffe Korps in November 1944. In January 1945 it defended against operation Nordwind , the last major German offensive on the western front. In February 1945, with the assistance of the U.S. XXI Corps ,

1470-597: The French Second Army , in the Invasion of Lorraine . The First Army intended to take the strongly defended town of Sarrebourg . Bavarian Crown Prince Rupprecht , commander of the German Sixth Army , was tasked with stopping the French invasion. The French attack was repulsed by Rupprecht and his stratagem of pretending to retreat and then strongly attacking back. On 20 August Rupprecht launched

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1540-460: The Luftwaffe and we must now stand and watch countless thousands of the enemy get away to England right under our noses. Franz Halder , written in his diary on 30 May General Hans Jeschonnek overheard Hitler explaining his halt before Dunkirk: "The Führer wants to spare the British a humiliating defeat." Hitler later explained to a close friend, "The blood of every single Englishman

1610-666: The Wehrmacht invaded France and the Low Countries in 1940, the First Army was one of the many armies including the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that advanced north to stop the German armies. On 21 May 1940 the First Army was one of the armies trapped in a vast pocket with their backs to the sea that would eventually result in the Dunkirk evacuations . As the Germans moved in, what remained of

1680-486: The 1st, 3rd , 4th and 42nd Divisions escaped along the corridor that day, as did about one-third of the French First Army. As the Allies fell back, they disabled their artillery and vehicles and destroyed their stores. On 27 May, the British fought back to the Dunkirk perimeter line. The Le Paradis massacre took place that day, when the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf machine-gunned 97 British and French prisoners near

1750-422: The 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards of the 3rd Division, rushed to reinforce the line near Furnes, where the British troops had been routed. The Guards restored order by shooting some of the fleeing troops and turning others around at bayonet point. The British troops returned to the line and the German assault was beaten back. In the afternoon, the Germans breached the perimeter near the canal at Bulskamp , but

1820-423: The 3rd and 50th Divisions as well. The historian and author Julian Thompson calls it "astonishing" that they did not, but they were distracted, investing the nearby town of Cassel . Gort had ordered Lieutenant General Adam, commanding III Corps, and French General Fagalde to prepare a perimeter defence of Dunkirk. The perimeter was semicircular, with French troops manning the western sector and British troops

1890-453: The Army appears to have controlled I Corps (HQ Nancy, France) with the 4th Armoured Division with its headquarters at Verdun , the 7th Infantry Division with headquarters at Mulhouse , and the 8th Armoured Division with headquarters at Compiègne (2nd, 4th, and 14th Brigades). II Corps was at Koblenz with the 1st Armoured Division at Treves (Trier) (1st, 3rd, and 11th Brigades), and

1960-465: The BEF retreated. The route back from Brooke's position to Dunkirk passed through the town of Poperinge (known to most British sources as "Poperinghe"), where there was a bottleneck at a bridge over the Yser canal. Most of the main roads in the area converged on that bridge. On 27 May, the Luftwaffe bombed the resulting traffic jam thoroughly for two hours, destroying or immobilising about 80 percent of

2030-483: The British and French sustained heavy casualties and were forced to abandon nearly all their equipment; around 16,000 French and 1,000 British soldiers died during the evacuation. The British Expeditionary Force alone lost some 68,000 soldiers during the French campaign. On 10 May 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . By 26 May, the BEF and the French 1st Army were bottled up in

2100-784: The First Army collapsed the Colmar Pocket and cleared the west bank of the Rhine River of Germans in the area south of Strasbourg . In March 1945, the First Army fought through the Siegfried Line fortifications in the Bienwald Forest near Lauterbourg . Subsequently, the First Army crossed the Rhine near Speyer and captured Karlsruhe and Stuttgart . Operations by the First Army in April 1945 encircled and captured

2170-479: The French 150th Infantry Regiment ); they were taken prisoner on the morning of 4 June on the beach of Malo-les-Bains. The flag of this regiment was burnt so as not to fall into enemy hands. The War Office made the decision to evacuate British forces on 25 May. In the nine days from 27 May to 4 June 338,226 men escaped, including 139,997 French, Polish, and Belgian troops, together with a small number of Dutch soldiers, aboard 861 vessels (of which 243 were sunk during

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2240-458: The French First Army near Lille . Although completely cut off and heavily outnumbered, the French fought on for four days under General Molinié in the Siege of Lille , thereby keeping seven German divisions from the assault on Dunkirk and saving an estimated 100,000 Allied troops. In recognition of the garrison's stubborn defence, German general Kurt Waeger granted them the honours of war , saluting

2310-544: The French forces, including the French 12th Motorised Infantry Division from the Fort des Dunes , had bought time for the evacuation of the bulk of the troops. The Wehrmacht captured some 35,000 soldiers, almost all of them French. These men had protected the evacuation until the last moment and were unable to embark. The same fate was reserved for the survivors of the French 12th Motorised Infantry Division (composed in particular of

2380-568: The French or the Belgians. Gort had foreseen the order and preliminary plans were already in hand. The first such plan, for a defence along the Lys Canal, could not be carried out because of German advances on 26 May, with the 2nd and 50th Divisions pinned down, and the 1st , 5th and 48th Divisions under heavy attack. The 2nd Division took heavy casualties trying to keep a corridor open, being reduced to brigade strength, but they succeeded;

2450-406: The French troops as they marched past in parade formation with rifles shouldered. The defence of the Dunkirk perimeter held throughout 29–30 May, with the Allies falling back by degrees. On 31 May, the Germans nearly broke through at Nieuwpoort. The situation grew so desperate that two British battalion commanders manned a Bren gun , with one colonel firing and the other loading. A few hours later,

2520-510: The French, and the Royal Navy returned on 4 June to rescue as many as possible of the French rearguard. Over 26,000 French soldiers were evacuated on that last day, but between 30,000 and 40,000 more were left behind and captured by the Germans. Around 16,000 French soldiers and 1,000 British soldiers died during the evacuation. 90% of Dunkirk was destroyed during the battle. French First Army The First Army ( French : 1 Armée )

2590-562: The German XVIII S.S. Armee Korps in the Black Forest and cleared southwestern Germany. At the end of the war, the motto of the French First Army was Rhin et Danube , referring to the two great German rivers that it had reached and crossed during its combat operations. The First Army was mainly composed of North African troops ( Maghrebis , French Pied-Noirs and a significant number of escapees from occupied France) drawn from

2660-612: The German armour on 24 May is still debated. One theory is that Von Rundstedt and Hitler agreed to conserve the armour for Fall Rot ("Case Red"), an operation to the south. It is possible that the Luftwaffe 's closer ties than the army's to the Nazi Party contributed to Hitler's approval of Göring's request. Another theory—which few historians have given credence—is that Hitler was still trying to establish diplomatic peace with Britain before Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of

2730-497: The German forces around the Dunkirk pocket should cease their advance on the port and consolidate to avoid an Allied breakout. Hitler sanctioned the order on 24 May with the support of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German high command). The army was to halt for three days, which gave the Allies sufficient time to organise the Dunkirk evacuation and build a defensive line. While more than 330,000 Allied troops were rescued,

2800-590: The La Bassée Canal. The British prisoners were from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment , part of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division. The SS men lined them up against the wall of a barn and shot them all; only two survived. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe dropped bombs and leaflets on the Allied armies. The leaflets showed a map of the situation. They read, in English and French: "British soldiers! Look at

2870-525: The Soviet Union). Although von Rundstedt after the war stated his suspicions that Hitler wanted "to help the British", based on alleged praise of the British Empire during a visit to his headquarters, little evidence that Hitler wanted to let the Allies escape exists apart from a self-exculpatory statement by Hitler himself in 1945. The historian Brian Bond wrote: Few historians now accept

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2940-532: The Ypres-Comines canal as far as Yser , while the rest of the BEF fell back. The battle of Wytschaete , over the border in Belgium, was the toughest action Brooke faced in this role. On 26 May, the Germans made a reconnaissance in force against the British position. At mid-day on 27 May, they launched a full-scale attack with three divisions south of Ypres . A confused battle followed, where visibility

3010-473: The boggy ground on the far side of the canal and sporadic fire from the Durham Light Infantry halted them. As night fell, the Germans massed for another attack at Nieuwpoort. Eighteen RAF bombers found the Germans while they were still assembling and scattered them with an accurate bombing run. Also on 31 May, General von Küchler assumed command of all the German forces at Dunkirk. His plan

3080-585: The contemporary record. Directive No. 13, issued by the Supreme Headquarters on 24 May called specifically for the annihilation of the French, English and Belgian forces in the pocket, while the Luftwaffe was ordered to prevent the escape of the English forces across the channel. Whatever the reasons for Hitler's decision, the Germans confidently believed the Allied troops were doomed. American journalist William Shirer reported on 25 May, "German military circles here tonight put it flatly. They said

3150-791: The east, the German Army Group B invaded the Netherlands and advanced westward. In response, the Supreme Allied Commander, French General Maurice Gamelin , initiated "Plan D" and British and French troops entered Belgium to engage the Germans in the Netherlands . French planning for war relied on the Maginot Line fortifications along the German–French border protecting the region of Lorraine but

3220-561: The eastern. It ran along the Belgian coastline from Nieuwpoort in the east via Veurne , Bulskamp and Bergues to Gravelines in the west. The line was made as strong as possible under the circumstances. On 28 May the Belgian army fighting on the Lys river under the command of King Leopold III surrendered. This left a 20 mi (32 km) gap in Gort's eastern flank between the British and

3290-536: The fate of the great Allied army bottled up in Flanders is sealed." BEF commander General Lord Gort VC , commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the BEF, agreed, writing to Anthony Eden , "I must not conceal from you that a great part of the BEF and its equipment will inevitably be lost in the best of circumstances". Hitler did not rescind the Halt Order until the evening of 26 May. The three days thus gained gave

3360-423: The following days... it became known that Hitler's decision was mainly influenced by Goering. To the dictator the rapid movement of the Army, whose risks and prospects of success he did not understand because of his lack of military schooling, became almost sinister. He was constantly oppressed by a feeling of anxiety that a reversal loomed... Halder, in a letter of July 1957 The day's entry concludes with

3430-535: The harbour entrance) were intact. Captain William Tennant —in charge of the evacuation—decided to use the beaches and the east mole to land the ships. This highly successful idea hugely increased the number of troops that could be embarked each day, and on 31 May, over 68,000 men were embarked. The last of the British Army left on 3 June, and at 10:50, Tennant signalled Ramsay to say "Operation completed. Returning to Dover". Churchill insisted on going back for

3500-464: The infantry should attack the British forces at Arras, where the British had proved capable of significant action, while Kleist's armour held the line west and south of Dunkirk to pounce on the Allied forces retreating before Army Group B. Hitler, who was familiar with Flanders ' marshes from the First World War , agreed. This order allowed the Germans to consolidate their gains and prepare for

3570-406: The left, thereby freeing the 10th and 11th Brigades , both of the 4th Division, to join the 5th Division at Messines Ridge. The 10th Brigade arrived first, to find the enemy had advanced so far they were closing on the British field artillery. Between them, the 10th and 11th Brigades cleared the ridge of Germans, and by 28 May they were securely dug in east of Wytschaete. That day, Brooke ordered

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3640-630: The line did not cover the Belgian border. German forces had already crossed most of the Netherlands before the French forces had arrived. Gamelin instead committed the forces under his command – three mechanised forces, the French First and Seventh Armies and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) – to the River Dyle . On 14 May, German Army Group A burst through the Ardennes and advanced rapidly westward toward Sedan , turning northward to

3710-464: The map: it gives your true situation! Your troops are entirely surrounded—stop fighting! Put down your arms!" To the land- and air-minded Germans, the sea seemed an impassable barrier, so they believed the Allies were surrounded; but the British saw the sea as a route to safety. Besides the Luftwaffe ' s bombs, German heavy artillery (which had just come within range) also fired high-explosive shells into Dunkirk. By this time, over 1,000 civilians in

3780-420: The once-formidable First Army was hopelessly surrounded at Lille but counterattacked and resisted fiercely in a delaying action aiming to buy time for the beleaguered Anglo-French defenders of Dunkirk. General Jean-Baptiste Molinié 's 40,000 remaining men engaged seven German divisions (including the 4th , 5th , and 7th Panzer Divisions , roughly 110,000 men and 800 tanks), capturing General Fritz Kuhne of

3850-460: The operation). B. H. Liddell Hart wrote that Fighter Command lost 106 aircraft over Dunkirk and the Luftwaffe lost about 135, some of which were shot down by the French Navy and the Royal Navy. MacDonald wrote in 1986 that the British losses were 177 aircraft and German losses 240. The docks at Dunkirk were too badly damaged to be used, but the east and west moles (sea walls protecting

3920-472: The outnumbered French and British stood their ground. On 2 June (the day the last of the British units embarked onto the ships), the French began to fall back slowly, and by 3 June the Germans were about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Dunkirk. The night of 3 June was the last night of evacuations. At 10:20 on 4 June, the Germans hoisted the swastika over the docks from which so many British and French troops had escaped. The resistance of Allied forces, especially

3990-418: The remark: "The task of Army Group A can be considered to have been completed in the main"—a view which further explains Rundstedt's reluctance to employ his armoured divisions in the final clearing-up stage of this first phase of the campaign. Major L. F. Ellis Brauchitsch is angry ... The pocket would have been closed at the coast if only our armour had not been held back. The bad weather has grounded

4060-453: The sea. The British were surprised by the Belgian capitulation, despite King Leopold warning them in advance. As a constitutional monarch , Leopold's decision to surrender without consulting the Belgian government led to his condemnation by the Belgian and French Prime Ministers, Hubert Pierlot and Paul Reynaud . Gort sent the battle-worn 3rd, 4th and 50th Divisions into the line to fill

4130-598: The space the Belgians had held. While they were still moving into position, they ran headlong into the German 256th Division , who were trying to outflank Gort. Armoured cars of the 12th Royal Lancers stopped the Germans at Nieuwpoort itself. A confused battle raged all along the perimeter throughout 28 May. Command and control on the British side disintegrated, and the perimeter was driven slowly inwards toward Dunkirk. Meanwhile, Erwin Rommel had surrounded five divisions of

4200-443: The summer of 1944. It landed in southern France after Operation Dragoon , the Allied invasion of the area. On 25 September 1944, French Army B was redesignated French First Army . Liberating Marseilles , Toulon , and Lyon , it later formed the right flank of the Allied Southern Group of Armies (also known as the U.S. Sixth Army Group ) at the southern end of the Allied front line, adjacent to Switzerland . It commanded two corps,

4270-442: The town had been killed. This bombardment continued until the evacuation was over. Gort had sent Lieutenant General Ronald Adam , commanding III Corps , ahead to build the defensive perimeter around Dunkirk; his corps command passed to Lieutenant General Sydney Rigby Wason from the GHQ staff. Lieutenant General Alan Brooke , commanding II Corps , was to conduct a holding action with the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 50th Divisions along

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4340-425: The transmission housing often forms a hump in the front or back analogous to a pillion. "Bitch seat" and "bitch pad" are North American slang for the pillion on a motorcycle; "riding bitch" is North American slang for "riding pillion". In the Philippines, riding pillion is called "riding in tandem". To carry a pillion passenger in the United Kingdom, one must hold a full licence for the vehicle and there must also be

4410-402: The vehicles. Another Luftwaffe raid, on the night of 28–29 May, was illuminated by flares as well as the light from burning vehicles. The British 44th Division in particular had to abandon many guns and lorries, losing almost all of them between Poperinge and the Mont. The German 6th Panzer Division could probably have destroyed the 44th Division at Poperinge on 29 May, thereby cutting off

4480-414: The view that Hitler's behaviour was influenced by the desire to let the British off lightly in [the] hope that they would then accept a compromise peace. True, in his political testament dated 26 February 1945 Hitler lamented that Churchill was "quite unable to appreciate the sporting spirit" in which he had refrained from annihilating [the] British Expeditionary Force, at Dunkirk, but this hardly squares with

4550-500: Was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II . It was also active during the Cold War . On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the charge of the First Army, which comprised the 7th , 8th , 13th , 14th , and 21st Army Corps , two divisions of cavalry and one reserve infantry division. It was massed between Belfort and the general line Mirecourt-Lunéville with headquarters at Epinal . First Army then took part, along with

4620-501: Was clear—good flying weather, in contrast to the bad weather that had hindered air operations on 30 and 31 May (there were only two-and-a-half good flying days in the whole operation) Although Churchill had promised the French that the British would cover their escape, on the ground it was the British and mostly the French who held the line whilst the last remaining British and then French soldiers were evacuated. Enduring concentrated German artillery fire and Luftwaffe strafing and bombs,

4690-415: Was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War , between the Allies and Nazi Germany . As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the Western Front , the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and other Allied forces to Britain from 26 May to 4 June 1940. After the Phoney War , the Battle of France began in earnest on 10 May 1940. To

4760-457: Was low because of forested or urban terrain and communications were poor because the British at that time used no radios below battalion level and the telephone wires had been cut. The Germans used infiltration tactics to get among the British, who were beaten back. The heaviest fighting was in the 5th Division's sector. Still on 27 May, Brooke ordered the 3rd Division commander, Major-General Bernard Montgomery , to extend his division's line to

4830-411: Was simple: launch an all-out attack across the whole front at 11:00 on 1 June. Strangely, von Küchler ignored a radio intercept telling him the British were abandoning the eastern end of the line to fall back to Dunkirk itself. During the night of 31 May to 1 June, Marcus Ervine-Andrews won the Victoria Cross in the battle when he defended 1,000 yards (910 m) of territory. The morning of 1 June

4900-574: Was subsequently incorporated into the French Army as a regular unit (and was retitled the 3rd Demi-Brigade of Chasseurs). During the Cold War the First Army was again active. Army headquarters was at Strasbourg , and may have also been at Metz for a period. For a time the army commander was also the Military Governor of Strasbourg (see Hôtel des Deux-Ponts ). Among army commanders were Generals Emmanuel Hublot  [ fr ] (1969–72), André Biard  [ fr ] (1977–79) and Claude Vanbremeersch  [ fr ] (1979–80). In 1970

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