Pre-war postcard of the Viaduct in Bolbec
In the immediate aftermath of 'Operation Astonia', the men of the 49th Division, including the 11th R.S.F. withdrew from the shattered town of Le Havre to reoganise.
As well as allowing these exhausted soldiers a period of rest, recuperation and reorganisation, this interval was strategically necessary in order to enable the engineers to clear debris and burnt out armour off the roads around Le Havre thereby allowing the formations of the 49th to further progress towards Antwerp.
Each of the Battalions involved in Astonia enjoyed a period out of the line that combined elements of retraining, refitting and reinforcement, not to mention a liberal degree of relaxation helped along by French citizens who plied their liberators with an abundance of wine and fruit, which was no doubt a welcome departure from the standard army fayre of hardtack biscuits and the like!
On the 13th September, the 11th R.S.F. passed through their original location prior to the battle of Le Mesnil and settled in Bolbec some 24 kilometers to the north east of Le Havre. During the following four days the Battalion were reorganised. The men had the chance now to pay some attention to their own personal hygiene!
The 'Summary Of Operations' states that in Bolbec 'the pipe band were an entire success in the market square, the kilt drawing a good deal of comment and no little envy from the female population*, who nevertheless presented the Pipe Major with a bouquet of flowers. My Grandfather also recalled that additional troop entertainment was provided by ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association).
On leaving Bolbec on 17th September they concentrated in an area just to the east of Dieppe where they were reinforced with 4 officers 77 other ranks, many of whom were returning to the Battalion after a period of recovery from wounds received in Normandy, notably Fontenay-le-Pesnil.
* As a brief aside, my mother recalls wearing my Grandfather's kilt, in a much altered form, at the end of the war. Whilst I would be proud to wear such a kilt on a special occasion, it is perhaps best for all that these remnants have been lost to history!
