James Louis Moulton, Royal Marine in the BEF GHQ and Dunkirk 1940
- Si Biggs
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
James Moulton was appointed GSO3 in the operations section of the General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 9/1939-6/1940 and was involved in the evacuation at Dunkirk, 1940.
Frustrated by the lack of Naval liaison and coordination on the beach he hitched a ride from the Dunkirk beach to Dover in a sloop to brief Admiral Ramsey on the situation on the beach including the selected embarkation points before returning to France and rejoining the HQ.
His recollections recorded by the IWM contain many interesting comments from his period as a staff officer with General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force 9/1939-5/1940:
Journey from GB to France, 9/1939; staff duties as GSO III Operations; plans for General Headquarters Reserve Line; divisional exercises; organisation of headquarters; daily conferences; communications.
Daily routine; map room; availability of intelligence; memories of Lord Gort; nature of Gort Line, including question of use of pillboxes, wire, absence of minefields and lack of anti-tank guns; French Army liaison officers; French Army attitude towards British Expeditionary Force; liaison with Royal Air Force; security; scares and rumours; plans for advance into Belgium; plans for new General Headquarters for and expansion of British Expeditionary Force; lack of recreational facilities; officers' mess; food and drink rations; visits to divisions.
Recollections of operations as staff officer with General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: start of attack by German forces, 10/5/1940; advance into Belgium; the Dyle Line; Lord Gort's forward command post; return to headquarters at Arras, France; watchkeeper duties; suspicion of French High Command; increasing demands for Royal Air Force fighter cover during retreat; German Air Force attacks on Arras; evacuation by train from Arras, France; position of rear echelon of Forward Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at Hazebrouck; action at Hazebrouck.
Organisation of 'scratch' forces; communications; withdrawal to Cassel, France; German Air Force attack on Cassel; return to Hazebrouck to recover wine; constant nature of German Air Force activity; refugee problem; drive in Lord Gort's car to Prémesques, France; visit to report on evacuation from Dunkirk
Fatigue; sight of aerial combat between Royal Air Force fighter aircraft and German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers; state of port facilities at Dunkirk, France; food supply; formation of Evacuation Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at La Panne, Belgium.
Communication cable link with Whitehall, London; visit by Field Marshal William Ironside; question state of knowledge of British Government and British Army High Command; reasons for collapse of French command; division of beaches at Dunkirk.
Control of movement; defence perimeter; German Air Force incendiary attack.
Division of beach; use of East Mole at Dunkirk, France as main point of embarkation; method of contact with Royal Navy; stopping vehicles at edge of Dunkirk Perimeter; effects of German Air Force attacks; location of General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at La Panne, Belgium; commencement of evacuation; visit to Dover, GB; conference with Admiral Bertram Ramsay; return to La Panne, Belgium; lack of direct communication between ships and beach; situation on beaches; food an water supplies; use of 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers to police beach area; recovery of stranded lifeboat; control of movement on beach; evacuation of General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force
29/5/1940; direction of troops embarking from East Mole at Dunkirk, France; German Air Force attacks on East Mole.
Embarkation and reception on arrival at Dover, GB, 6/1940; lessons of campaign; training duties on return to GB, 1940.
After the evacuation he was appointed GSO1 of Force 121, 1942, and took part in Operation Ironclad, the assault on Diego Suarez and occupation of the island of Madagascar. He formed 48 Commando and commanded them during D-Day and the campaign in northern France and Belgium, 1944.
He took command of 4 Commando in Germany, 1945, and was mentioned in dispatches.
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