The British Army In France 1939

A 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and crew near Douai, France, November 1939. A 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and crew near Douai, November 1939.

A soldier from the Cameron Highlanders looks through a periscope in the Fort de Sainghain on the Maginot Line, 3 November 1939. 51st Highland Division in the Maginot Line: A soldier from the Cameron Highlanders More

Men of the Border Regiment enjoy Christmas dinner at Mouchin in France, 17 December 1939. Men of the Border Regiment enjoy Christmas dinner at Mouchin in France, 17 December 1939.

Soldiers of the 51st Highland Division wearing gasmasks while on duty in a fort on the Maginot Line in France, 3 November 1939. 51st Highland Division in the Maginot Line: A British sentry on duty wearing a gas More

The British Army in France 1939 Scout carriers of 13/18th Royal Hussars during an exercise near Vimy, 11 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A Bren gunner of 13/18th Royal Hussars camouflaged in a beet field during an exercise near Arras, 16 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 The carrier platoon of 1st Border Regiment on exercise at Orchies, 13 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of 1st Border Regiment man a Bren gun set up in the back of a 15cwt truck at Orchies, 13 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Lord Gort and General Gamelin at le Cauroy, 13 October 1939

The British Army in France 1939 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles march through Gavrelle in the pouring rain, 17 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Crews of 13/18th Royal Hussars work on their Mk VI light tanks in a farmyard near Arras, October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A predictor crew at work at a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun site of 2nd AA Battery, 1st AA Brigade, near BEF GHQ at Wanquetin, 19 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A 40mm Bofors gun and troops of the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers disembarking at Cherbourg from the steamer 'Royal Sovereign', 16 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Two soldiers pay their respects at a British First World War cemetery, 5 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders constructing trenches at Aix, 12 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A 3-inch mortar of 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers being demonstrated, 4 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers training on a French 25mm SA 34 anti-tank gun, 4 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers disembarking at Cherbourg from the steamer 'Royal Sovereign', 16 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and crew near Douai, November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and crew near Douai, November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Two soldiers peer out from the entrance to their dugout, named '10 Downing Street', made from old car doors and corrugated iron, 28 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A Matilda Mk I tank camouflaged beneath shrimp nets, November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A patient recovering at No. 1 General Hospital in the Casino building at Dieppe, November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Troops from the Royal Berkshire Regiment manning trenches near Mouchin, 29 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Troops from the Royal Berkshire Regiment manning trenches near Mouchin, 29 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Loaves of bread being carried to the stores tent at 2nd Field Bakery RASC at Douellens, 21 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Motor transport of 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards outside Battalion HQ at Conlie, 22 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Bren gun carriers of 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers pass through Chapel St Aubin near Le Mans, 24 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Troops of the 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment, 2nd Division, checking the papers of civilians at Becun on the Franco-Belgian border, 10 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers write letters home from their billet in Chapel St Aubin near Le Mans, 24 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A Morris CDSW artillery tractor and other vehicles of 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade being camouflaged with netting at their HQ near Le Mans, 19 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A mobile workshop lorry comes to the aid of a broken down motorcycle on the quayside at Cherbourg, 29 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 A Morris-Commercial CS8 15cwt truck on the quayside at Cherbourg after being unloaded from a ship, 29 September 1939. Note the 2nd Corps 'fish in a brook' badge on the mudguard.

The British Army in France 1939 Men of the BEF being transported from Cherbourg to their assembly area in a railway goods wagon, 29 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939 Lorries carrying troops of the BEF through Brebieres, 11 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Light Tank Mk VI on board a trailer being towed by an FWD R6T (AEC 850) recovery tractor, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A Morris 15cwt truck being winched from a ditch by a FWD R6T (AEC 850) recovery tractor, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A War Department railway locomotive at the Royal Engineers base supply park depot at Rennes, November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A 25-pdr field gun and crew in action during an exercise, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A 25-pdr field gun and crew in action during an exercise, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 25-pdr field guns and carriers of 2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery at La Bassee, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 The Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain inspects a 25-pdr field gun at Bachy, 15 December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Troops reading copies of the Army newspaper 'Blighty' outside their dugout, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 The Grenadier Guards building breastworks on flooded ground at Hem, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 British and French troops sharing Christmas drinks at Kedange-sur-Canner, near Metz, 21 December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Injured soldiers open Christmas presents with nurses in their ward at a military hospital, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A soldier tucks into his Christmas pudding, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A Bren gun carrier of 13/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) on exercise near Arras, 16 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Matilda Mk I tanks of 4th Royal Tank Regiment being transported by train from Cherbourg to Amiens, 28 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Matilda Mk I tanks of 4th Royal Tank Regiment being transported by train from Cherbourg to Amiens, 28 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Men of the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders marching into a blockhouse at Aix, 12 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Morris CS9 armoured cars of 'C' Squadron, 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales' Own) at Villiers St Simon, 29 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Men of the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders man a Bren gun inside a blockhouse at Aix, 12 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 40mm Bofors gun of 152nd Battery, 51st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, near Arras, 13 November 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Motor transport lined up beneath Le Mans cathedral prior to moving forward to GHQ at Arras, 27 September 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A French farmer driving a horse-drawn water cart waves his cap at the crew of a Light Tank Mk VI of 13/18th Royal Hussars, 1st Infantry Division's recce regiment, near Arras, More

The British Army in France 1939-40 Light Tank Mk VIs of 13/18th Hussars in the Vimy Ridge area, 12 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 The crew of a 13/18th Hussars scout carrier wash down their vehicle near Arras, 16 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Bren gun carriers of 13/18th Hussars on exercise near Arras, 16 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Matilda Mk I tanks and crews of 4th Royal Tank Regiment in a farmyard at Acq, 19 October 1939

The British Army in France 1939-40 Crews of 4th Royal Tank Regiment work on their Matilda Mk I tanks beside farm buildings in Acq, 19 October 1939

The British Army in France 1939-40 Men of the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the march at Gavrelle, near Arras, 17 October 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Men of the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the march at Gavrelle, near Arras, 17 October 1939. The two men in the foreground are carrying a Boys anti-tank rifle.

The British Army in France 1939-40 A Morris 15cwt truck being winched from a ditch by a FWD R6T (AEC 850) recovery tractor, December 1939.

The British Army in France 1939-40 Morris-Commercial CS8 15cwt trucks under repair in a vehicle workshop, December 1939.

The British Expeditionary Force (bef) in France 1939-1940 The BEF arrives in France, September - October 1939: French civilians at Bernay wave as a British transport convoy passes through the village.

The British Expeditionary Force (bef) in France 1939-1940 The BEF arrives in France, September - October 1939: Signals wireless vehicle being unloaded from a transport ship at Cherbourg.

The British Expeditionary Force (bef) in France 1939-1940 The BEF arrives in France, September - October 1939: A British soldier is greeted with flowers by a French girl at Rouen.

The concert party of 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light infantry rehearsing at La Belle Porte near Mouchin in France, 28 December 1939.

The concert party of 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light infantry rehearsing at La Belle Porte near Mouchin in France, 28 December 1939.

The concert party of 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light infantry rehearsing at La Belle Porte near Mouchin in France, 28 December 1939.

Troops of 51st Highland Division march over a drawbridge into Fort de Sainghain on the Maginot Line, 3 November 1939. 51st Highland Division in the Maginot Line: British soldiers pass over a drawbridge into For More

3-inch anti-aircraft guns of 2nd AA Battery, 1st AA Brigade, near BEF GHQ at Wanquetin, France. Comment : They are each mounted on a "cruciform traveling platform" which was a 4-wheeled trailer.

Morris CS9 armoured cars of 'C' Squadron, 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales' Own) at Villiers St Simon.

A Morris CS9 armoured car of 'C' Squadron, 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales' Own) receives attention parked in a farmyard at Villiers St Simon.