It is known as the forgotten Dunkirk, the little known plight of the 51st Highland Division who were left in France.
On June 12 1940, days after the mass-evacuations at Dunkirk, 10,000, mainly Scottish soldiers were captured and forced to surrender at the French fishing port of St Valery. The events that occurred that day have been largely forgotten by history.
And as the 80th anniversary was marked last year, it came with a promise that the men and their legacy would be remembered.
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Now as this year anniversary approaches next month, a resource to help future generations learn about bravery is being launched.
Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland is working with educational platform Twinkl Scotland with the aim of inspiring younger generations to learn about the incredible story of the 51st Highland Division during the Second World War battle of St Valery.
Piper Louise Marshall plays the pipers' march "Heroes of St Valery" and leads the procession down Edinburgh's Royal Mile in June 2020.
Poppyscotland alongside Legion Scotland, British Army’s 51st Brigade, and RCET: Scotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity, are working hard to ensure that future generations learn about the bravery of the men that fought that day.
Gordon Michie, head of fundraising and learning at Poppyscotland said: “Last year saw the 80th anniversary of St Valery and we endeavoured to raise public awareness by organising a number of events to commemorate the gallantry of the ‘Forgotten 51st.’ In addition to the virtual tributes of more than 500 pipers around the world, we launched a suite of learning resources tailored to the Scottish curriculum that could help teachers educate students about the battle.
“Commemorations for the Battle of St Valery will now take place annually. Ahead of this year’s anniversary we’re delighted to announce our partnership with Twinkl Scotland and to launch our new collection of St Valery education resources. The Twinkl Scotland platform allows us to reach an even wider audience of schools and other education providers, and means that we can continue to teach the importance of remembering St Valery and learn from its legacy.”
Michelle and Iona MacKinnon-Rae. Photo credit: Mark Owens/Poppyscotland
After being taught about St Valery last year, 12-year-old pupil Iona MacKinnon-Rae, from Edinburgh was inspired to learn more. Through her own research she uncovered that her great-grandfather was part of 51st Highland Division, fought at St Valery and was subsequently captured. On her discovery, she said: “My great-grandfather was Neil MacKinnon he was a Major in the Royal Artillery which was part of the 51st Highland Division. He was captured at St Valery and held as a PoW for five years.
“Thankfully he returned home in 1945, but it makes me sad to think of all of those who didn’t come back to their families. The resources from Poppyscotland taught me that we need to remember everybody that suffered during the war, from the men that lost their lives, were captured, came back home and their families. I’ve learnt so much about my family that I didn’t know before and I think they are all heroes and should never be forgotten.
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Jonathan Seaton, CEO and Co-founder of Twinkl added: “We are pleased that Twinkl Scotland, Twinkl Alba and Poppyscotland Learning have come together to create a range of resources in English and Gaelic to highlight the legacy of the 51st Highland Division. These accessible resources use personal accounts, poetry, songs, and a range of classroom activities to help learners understand the events leading up to the Battle of St Valery and the experiences of soldiers. We hope that these resources will help pupils learning about the event to reflect on and remember those who were there.”
HRH, the Prince of Wales taking a salute as a piper plays during a St Valery commemoration at his Birkhall residence in Scotland. Photo credit should read: Mark Owens/Poppyscotland.
Neil McLennan, St Valery Committee Chair and Director of Leadership Programmes at the University of Aberdeen, said: “The events of June 12, 1940 had a profound impact on every town and village in the Highlands, with most families having one or more male relatives enlisted in the 51st Highland Division. Educating our young people is crucial to ensure we keep the memory and legacy of their sacrifice alive.
“The resources produced by Poppyscotland in partnership with Twinkl Scotland are a welcome addition to their extensive library. They will hopefully inspire more of Scotland’s learners like Iona to become genuinely inquisitive about our nation’s past, and perhaps a handful of these students will be so captivated that they go on to become our military historians of the future.”
To find out more about Poppyscotland and Twinkl Scotland’s learning resources please visit poppyscotland.org.uk/learning. For more information on the history of St Valery or to register interest for the piping tribute visit poppyscotland.org.uk/stvalery. To find out more about Twinkl go to www.twinkl.co.uk.
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