St Floris Churchyard
Location
St Floris is a village and commune 40 kilometres north-north-west of Arras and 10 kilometres north-north-west of Béthune.
It is situated just off the D 916 road running north between Lillers and Hazebrouck. At St Venant you turn off along the D 186. St Floris will be reached within a couple of kilometres. The church is on the left of the main street. There is a café just before on the right with parking space.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.62724 | 2.56891 | Map |
Historical Information
In the churchyard, east of the church and near the local war memorial, are the graves of 7 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 3 of them, whose graves could not be precisely located, are commemorated by special memorials, i.e., inscribed Buried near this spot.
On the 10th May 1940 Hitler’s forces invaded France. The subsequent Blitzkrieg saw his Panzer Divisions traverse Northern France in a matter of ten days to reach the coast.
The British Expeditionary Force as well as a large part of the French Army was trapped within a pocket and forced to retreat on the port of Dunkerque.
Following the forced abandonment of Arras the 2nd Division of the BEF was ordered north to cover the area south of Hazebrouck. Its 6th Brigade included the 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers who were ordered to hold Robecq, Saint Floris and Saint Venant.
Hard pressed the RWF found themselves already in combat on the 24th against the SS Germania Regiment (Part of the infamous Totenkopf Division) at St Floris and the following day at Robecq against the 3rd Panzer Division.
The 3rd Panzers launched their attack from Robecq on the 27th May at 0800 hours accompanied by the SS Germania.
The soldiers within this plot were amongst the first to fall in the fighting for St Venant.
Fusilier Charles Clegg 3651679
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 25
Son of John and Martha Clegg, of Liverpool
Grave: 1
Fusilier Reginald Davies 4189928
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 29
Grave: 2
Fusilier Brian Lloyd 4192186
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 30
Grave: 3
Fusilier Harry Clamp 4077653
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 21
Adopted son and nephew of George Way,
of Abersychan, Monmouthshire
Grave: 4
Serjeant Frederick Spilsted 4192017
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 24
Son of Herbert and Helen Spilsted
Husband of Martha Spilsted, of Wrexham, Denbighshire
Grave: 5
Lieutenant John Garnett 71383
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 23
Son of Lt-Col W Garnett, DSO, DL, JP, formerly of The Royal Welch Fusiliers,
and of Eleanor Garnett , of Clogher,
Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Grave: 6
Fusilier Daniel Perkins 4192708
1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
Died on 23rd May 1940 aged 24
Son of David and Hannah Perkins,
of Glyn Neath, Glamorgan
Grave: 7