May 26-29th 1940

The situation that had formed since the 10th of May, was getting steadily worse for the allies and within a matter of short weeks it seemed that the only option left was to save as many of the British Expeditionary Force as possible by withdrawing to a perimeter around Dunkirk, abandoning most of their equipment and evacuating back across the Channel to England.

 

To make this escape possible, a delaying action needed to be fought near Ypres and sacrifices made.

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On the evening of May 27th orders were received by members of the 5th Division, that their position must be held at all costs for the next 24 hours.

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The message was passed through 17 Infantry Brigade and onto the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. The Brigadier received a heartening reply from Lt Col Tod—that the Scots Fusiliers would do all that was required of them and that

“Tell Brigade, I’m not going a foot back!”