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Service Profile of:
1901356
Peter Edward Stevens
MT Driver, Royal Engineers

In a desperate attempt by the Government to enlarge Britain's armed services under the provision of the national service (Armed Forces Act 1939). Thousands of young men received their call-up papers for National Service.

Peter Edward Stevens (known as Teddy) received such an order, and was directed to report to the Enlistment Officer at Chester Castle on November 29th 1939. Thus Teddy continued the family tradition to serve his King and country. (Weather he liked it or not!). Service records reveal Teddy to be 21 years of age, single, and living with his parents at: 8 Willow Road, Lache Estate, Chester. He was a plasterer by trade, and his Father Peter is sited as next of kin. Teddy also held a health policy with the Prudential Insurance Company, Membership number: 9451569. Registered at the Chester branch Office. His religion was also recorded as Church of England.

On completion of a medical examination, Teddy was certified as A1 and fit for Service. His medical record gives the following description: Height - aft, bins. Weight - 145 lbs, Colour of Hair - Fair, Complexion - Fair, Colour of Eyes - Gray. Vision natural R - 6/6 L - 6/6. Teddy was fully vaccinated, and had good Oral and Dental hygiene, and his physical development was very good.

Enrolled into the Mechanical Transport (MT) section of the Royal Engineers (RE), Teddy commenced his basic training at their Aldershot Depot. After completing the initial square-bashing and driver training, Teddy qualified as an MT Driver and was then attached to 'A' Company, 1st. MT. Light, Royal Engineers, Aldershot. On April 4th, 1940 the Company received mobilization orders to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) IN North West Europe. April 6th found Teddy embarking from Southampton aboard SS Archangel, arriving in France the next day. Teddy and 'A' Coy, reported to General Head Quarters (GHQ) when the BEF were still working franticly to strengthen anti-tank emplacements along the Holland and Belgium boarders with Germany.

The water supply at the time was very unreliable. Consequently, Royal Engineers commanded local wells and sank many new boreholes at various sites behind the Allied lines. On April 19th Teddy was attached as MT driver to number 1 Boring Section RE under the command of Captain G.R.S. Stow, RE, who commanded all water supplies and supervised pipelines and other mobile pumping units throughout the BEF sphere of operations.

Between the 10th and 31st of May 1940, the BEF were engaged in operations which ended in its eventual embarkation from Dunkirk involved the withdrawal of forces in the face of heavy bombardment, and finally, the abandonment of guns, transport and other equipment. This then was the tragic backdrop to which Teddy unfortunately found himself during his time in France.

On May 27th, Teddy was working at number 1 Boring Section, which was situated at Les Mores near the Belgium boarder. At about eight o'clock that morning the section was attacked by the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe). Teddy was killed instantly, along with four other soldiers from the Royal Engineers. The Air-raid also seriously wounded four other servicemen.

After the fighting those who died in action were buried where they fell in battle, and later brought into town by local services. It's thanks to the good people of Ypres that Teddy was then buried with the dignity that the war could not afford him at the time of his death. Teddy's gave is situated in: Plot 4, Row A, Grave 18, Town Cemetery Extension, Ypres, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.

The service record of Teddy's engagement is as follows: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ posting: 110 days, Postings abroad: 55 days. Total number of days=165.
Teddy was awarded the 1939/45 Star, 1939/45 War Medal.

WAR DIARY OF: No: 1 BORING SECTION, RE, BEF.
27th, 28th, 29th, of May 1940
Re: WO95/167/901

27/05/1940: LES MORES

Commenced infantry training programme,
07.00: Received new instructions to place vehicles in position for ditching so this could be carried out quickly on receipt of first orders.
Remained at LES MORES until 08:30 hrs, on 27th. During this time, made several reconnaissance’s into DUNKIRK to obtain supplies and find out about shipping. Five killed and four wounded in airplane bombing raid at 08:00 hrs, 27th. Received instructions from Major Bond at 08:30 hrs, to move immediately to the outskirts of DUNKIRK and await further orders. Previous to this, the only Scammell and trailer with the detachment had been taken for use of R.A.S.C.
Burnt official documents except Company Accounts and left at LES MORES all equipment except that carried on the march to DUNKIRK. Continued to use reconnaissance truck, which carried the wounded into C.C.S. HONDSCHOOTE and then carried those men unable to march.
During the afternoon obtained instructions from Commandants Office that evacuation from the beach might be carried out during the night somewhere between DUNKIRK and LA PANNE and that the unit should not move until after dark.

Arrived at a small village 3 miles from DUNKIRK at 11:00 hrs and made further reconnaissance of ST. MALO, LA PANNE and DUNKIRK. 18 men of the original detachment at LES MORES become lost on route to DUNKIRK and could not be found with the reconnaissance truck. Including, CSM Chapman and CQMS Jarvis.

Arrived on beach between ST. MALO and LA PANNE at 23:30 hrs, on 27th, Considerable bombing and machine-gunning commenced on arrival and continued all night. No embarkations carried out from this part of the beach during the night, but embarkation was carried out further south.

28/05/1940: DUNKIRK

Infantry training in progress.
07:30 hrs, Dispersed men widely over the sand dunes, they dug themselves in-in two's and three's to a depth of 5 ft.
11:00 hrs, during the morning continued reconnaissance and at 11:00 hrs received information that embarkation would be carried out during the day from the eastern breakwater near DUNKIRK. Detachment commenced march to breakwater at 11:45 hrs, and embarked at 13:00 hrs.

29/05/1940: DOVER

Arrived U.K. (Dover) 04:00 hrs. O.C. to Reception Camp at Farnborough, and the remainder to Reception Camp at Winchester. Reported to Camp Commandant at 12:00 hrs. All available information collected of men of the unit, and was allowed to proceed home at 13:00 hrs

THE FALL OF BELGIUM, MAY 1940

The Anglo- French Defence Plan:
The Anglo- French defence plan made the disastrous mistake of preparing for a similar war like that of the First World War. Fortified structures ran from Antwerp in the north to the fortress of Namur. Known as the KW (for Koning-shooikt and Wavre, the two sectors of the line of defence) this position backed on to the Dyke and formed a continues anti-tank barrier from Antwerp to Wavre. However, work on the Wavre-Namur section of this line had still not been completed by May 1940. Consequently, leaving a gap in defences, which the Germans could not have failed to notice.

Plan Yellow:
The German High Command issued the first draught copy of 'Plan Yellow (the work of Manstein) as early as October 19th 1939. The plan envisaged Belgium and Holland would be directly attacked without any warning or formal declaration of war. The former because it lay across an invasion path to France, the latter because her ports would prove useful for an invasion of England.

Operation Dynamo:

THE FALL OF FRANCE MAY-JUNE 1940

The Allies had made a disastrous mistake of preparing for another war like the First World War. Consequently, the Belgium French army's were totally humiliated in defeat. The RAF lost the battle of France and the BEF were put to flight, and had to be evacuated after the fall of Dunkirk.

Events:
May 10th 05:30 am Germany invade Holland

May 11th The British Expeditionary Force move into Belgium

May 13th German tanks move through the Arden and cross the river Mares.
The RAF are beaten and destroyed in France.

May 14th 1940 Holland surrenders

May 17th Brussels and Belgium Fell.

May 20th B.E.F. retreat. The Germans reach the Channel.

May 25th Boulogne Falls

May 26th Calais Falls

May 27th Dunkirk Town Falls: Peter Edward Stevens R.E. is killed in action.

May 28th Belgium capitulates.

June 4th Dunkirk falls

June 10th Government leave Paris, Italy join the war.

Written by Mike Stevens

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