page_title: 2nd Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers
section_title: 5th Gloucesters
hierarchical_section_title: 2nd Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers / World War II / 5th Gloucesters
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Expeditionary Force (bef) in France 1939-1940 The Evacuation of the BEF from France, June 1940: A column of British soldiers retreating to the Channel ports.
context_page_description: The 2nd Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers, was a Volunteer unit of the British Army recruited in Gloucestershire from 1859. After becoming a Volunteer and later Territorial Force battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, it fought on the Western Front and in Italy during World War I. Its 1st Line battalion fought a last-ditch defensive action at the Piave and one of its number won a Victoria Cross in the closing weeks of the war. The 2nd Line battalion was involved in an epic rearguard action at Holnon Wood during the German Spring Offensive. In the early part of World War II the battalion distinguished itself at the defence of Ledringhem before being evacuated from Dunkirk. It then served as a unit of the Reconnaissance Corps with 43rd Infantry Division through the campaign in North West Europe. It returned to the Glosters in the postwar Territorial Army until amalgamated with other units in 1967.
context_section_description: 5th Gloucesters were mobilised on 3 September 1939 under the command of Lt-Col G.A.H. Buxton. 48th (South Midland) Division was the first Territorial division to go to France to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), with 5th Gloucesters landing in France on 15 January 1940. It took its place in the 'Ligne de Contact' in March and gained experience of frontline patrolling. On the night of 3 March a patrol was out in No man's land when a serious attack was made on the battalion's front. A Bren gunner in B Company was hit and dropped his gun over the parapet just as the Germans reached the barbed wire. In full view of the enemy Sgt Adlam went out to retrieve it, bringing it back into action and stopping the attack. Meanwhile, the patrol came in while the fighting continued, identifying themselves by singing the Regimental (Where be that blackbird be?) and Battalion (Begger I 'ell) songs. Subsequently, Adlam received the first MMedal awarded to a Territorial in the war.
   
  The Battle of France began on 10 May with the German invasion of the Low Countries. The BEF followed the pre-arranged Plan D and advanced into Belgium to take up defences along the Dyle. 48th (SM) Division was in support of the divisions along the Dyle line, with 5th Gloucesters sent to Glabais (near Genappe) to make contact with the French Army on the right flank. Arriving at 04.00 on 17 May they found no sign of the French and were recalled two hours later. By now, the German Army had broken through the Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again across a series of river lines. From Glabais 5th Gloucesters marched back 30 miles in the day, twice taking up defensive positions and once opening fire on enemy tanks. At 22.00 the tired battalion was ordered to send two companies forward again to cover the withdrawal of other units. By the end of 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut, with 48th (SM) Division, already tired after many miles marching, having raced to get to the river ahead of the German vanguard. By the time it reached Frasnes where it picked up transport for Tournai, 5th Gloucesters had marched 95 miles (153 km) in 83 hours.
  On 21 May 5th Gloucesters was heavily engaged in driving back attempts to cross the river, but the previous day the German breakthrough had reached the sea and the BEF was cut off. 48th (SM) Division was among the forces pulled out of the east-facing Escaut line to form a west-facing line along a series of canals in the Bergues–Cassel–Hazebrouck area covering the approaches to Dunkirk, where the division arrived on 25 May.
caption: A column of British infantry retreating to Dunkirk, 1940.
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