60th ANNIVERSARY VISIT TO ST NAZAIRE
27 - 29 MARCH 2002

Tiger Watson and I attended the 60th Anniversary of the Raid, in St Nazaire, on 27 and 28 March 2002, having crossed Portsmouth - St Malo by the night boat on the 26th. Having met up with Bob and Elizabeth Montgomery on board ship, Tiger and I made our way independently, in Tiger’s car, to the Hotel du Berry. En route, we passed the French Colonial troops’ hospital in Rennes, where those of us who were wounded were housed.

The Montgomerys took us in their car to Escoublac British Military Cemetery, which is so peaceful, and beautifully looked after. Here Tiger, Bob and I put crosses on the graves of all our Fallen. That evening Pat Barry and Dorothy, who were staying nearby, joined us at our hotel, and we four Committee members, on behalf of the Society, hosted a very enjoyable dinner party.

The guests were our French President, Henri Bédon MBE, Michel Euxibie, Charles Nicol - Ecomusée - and their wives, the Reverend and Mrs Bill Baker lamb (Gina’s brother, Lieutenant G. MacNaughton Baker RCNVR, ML447, was killed during the Raid) and Ian Alexander, and his South African agent. Later we were delighted when Associate Member Tony Kennedy joined us.

10.30, Thursday 28 March, saw us at our Memorial on a bright sunny morning. A larger crowd than usual had gathered and this year we were honoured by the presence of M. Joel Batteux, the Mayor. He is a charming man, and made us all feel most welcome.Here Ralph and Jacqui Batteson joined us, with son Neil, and Ralph’s fine grandson in his Sea Cadets’ uniform (he plans to join the Royal Navy). The ceremony began with my presenting medals to M. Roger Herve, who had served in the French cruiser Montcalm at the D Day landings in Normandy. He was immaculately turned out, a credit to his country.

Henri Bédon, who had organised the ceremony, gave an excellent address, after which came a recording of ‘Au Morts’, followed by the British and French National Anthems. The Mayor, the Sous Prefet and a Royal Marine Major, representing the British Ambassador, laid wreaths at our Memorial. Then Henri Bédon, Tiger Watson, Bob Montgomery, Pat Barry, Ralph Batteson, Mrs Gina Baker Lamb and I, went forward and placed the Society’s wreaths in front of our Memorial. Ian Alexander, a magnificent, imposing kilted figure then played ‘The Flowers of the Forest’ on his bagpipes, a moving moment.

After a brief interview with a French television team, we were invited by the Mayor to a Vin d’Honneur at the Hotel de Ville. The Mayor, M. Joel Batteux made a charming speech in perfect English, to which I replied in French, Once again, we were made to feel so welcome by the town authorities and the Anciens Combattants. I met a man who was present in the docks area at the time of our Raid, then aged 19, driving an ambulance. He thought it was an air raid until he saw tracer crossing over the bonnet. He said that if only he had known where our wounded were, he would have got them out of the dock area and into the escape network!

Henri Bédon then kindly hosted a lunch party, after which Tiger and I visited the submarine pens. The view from the top made us wonder that our casualties were not heavier, as we must have shown up clearly whenever the searchlights illuminated the area. On our way, we saw a crowd of people at the Old Mole, surrounding Bob Montgomery, obviously enthralled by his account of the Raid.

That evening Michel and Nicole Euxibie collect Tiger and me in their car, and very kindly drove us round the vast dockyard area, where three huge ships are being built, including the new ‘Queen Mary’. We crossed the very impressive bridge over the estuary, and afterwards the Euxibies invited us, and the Bedons to a delicious dinner.

Everywhere we were received with the greatest kindness. The Memory of the Raid is kept alive and honoured every year by the French. Our Fallen rest in peaceful, beautifully kept cemeteries, and our Memorial and gun are looked after with great care. St Nazaire and its people are very special. Vive la France!

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