No. 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre (BEF WWII)

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hello Members,

I didn´t found the place who was this unit in France in 1939-1940: No. 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre R.A.S.C. (Royal Army Service Corps).

The soldier´s name was Alan Hopkinson and his number was S 159468.

Who know this place?

Thank you.
Ingo

[Jim Etherington]

Hi Ingo

It looks as though the unit was at Lille according to Clarke's account of his wartime experience.

152945 Pte Edward Anthony Clarke, 2BPFC, RASC
10 Feb 1940 – Is posted to the newly-formed 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) at Broadstairs in Kent
•22 Feb 1940 – Has the first of a series of vaccinations (TAB – Typhoid Fever family, TT – Tetanus toxoid). [It's remarkable that his vaccinations were one of the few pieces of documentary evidence we had to work with in compiling this document!]
•16 Mar 1940 - Germans bomb Scapa Flow naval base in the Orkneys
•9 Apr 1940 - Nazis invade Denmark and Norway
•c. 15 Apr 1940 – Tony goes with 2BPFC to near Lille
10 May 1940 – Tony's site near the marshalling yards bombed
•?26 May 1940 – Tony evacuated from Lille by truck, westwards via Armentieres, in the direction of Dunkerque. Wrenches his knee while taking refuge in a farmhouse. [We initially guessed 24 May ex Lille, with 25 May day and night spent in traffic confusion near Armentieres; but the very heavy bombing of Armentieres was on 26 May, and it would have been burning that night, so we now surmise 26 May ex Lille, which is the day before Rommel took the city, and hence consistent with Tony's statement that they were supposed to have been about the last to get out of Lille.]

Source:http://www.rogerclarke.com/Family/AW4/06/2/WWII.html

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hi Jim,

I send you a private mail with the 1st letter in my exhibit collection. These envelope is going to BEF to this adress, and not in Broadstairs.

Can we say the unit in Broadstairs was BEF troops to, but it was stay in britain?

It is an very interresting story.

Ingo

[Michael Dobbs]

No 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre RASC

It so happens that I decided to visit The National Archives at Kew today so I decided to call up the War Diary for the above unit to see what it contained (WO167/1143 - February to May 1940).  As is usual for War Diaries they do not usually mention other ranks name - only officers (largely in respect of postings in and out of a unit).  There was no mention of postal facilities or services.

10 February 1940 - An officer arrived at Broadstairs in Kent and was appointed as Officer Commanding (OC) the unit.
13 February 1940 - The unit began mobilising at Broadstairs (in effect it began forming)

During this period the unit was mobilising and training

23 March 1940 - the unit left Broadstairs and arrived at Southampton for embarkation (the unit comprised 8 officers and 261 other ranks).
24 March 1940 - unit arrived and disembarked at Le Havre and spent the day in a rest camp.
25 March 1940 - unit arrived by train at Lille.
26 March 1940 - unit arrived at Lomme and began to establish a depot.
4 May 1940 - Fire appliance received, thus unit able to start can filling with petrol properly in the Depot.
8 May 1940 - having built up a ground stock of 100 tons, issues commenced to various petrol companies.
21 May 1940 - French Army HQ at Lille closed, the OC having been told that the depot was on the list of places where the French were going to destroy.  The OC managed to stop this but the unit was ordered to begin dismantling plant at Lomme
22 May 1940 - Unit moved to La Gheer.
24 May 1940 - Unit returned to Lomme and ...
25 May 1940 - re-erected three can filling machines at the Depot.
26 May 1940 - Ordered to destroy all non-essential unit stores; equipment engines were smashed and vehicles pushed into the canal.  Re-erected plant smashed and essential parts thrown into canal.  Unit moved in two parties to Houtkerque (near Watou).
27 May 1940 - Unit had acquired 100 additional men, stragglers, etc.  As his transport was incapable of carrying more than 100 men and as OC of 1st Corps Petrol Park could not loan the unit any vehicles, OC collected approximately 42 abandoned vehicles and located them at his billets in case of emergency.

Later than evening (2100 hours) the OC was instructed  to report to OC 1st Corps Petrol Park who showed him instructions that his unit (1st Corps Petrol Park) was to move to Lerfringk Houche and to abandon all vehicles at Bergues.  As unit OC (2 BPFC) could not locate 1st Corps HQ he decided to follow these instructions as well.

28 May 1945 - Arrived at Bergues and instructed by APM (Assistant Provost Marshal) to drive all vehicles into a large field where there were already hundreds of other vehicles parked.  These were all due to be destroyed by the Royal Engineers.  The unit marched to Lerfringk Houche and from there to St Malo le Bain beach.  The unit was split into three parties and by 0830 hours the next morning they had all eventually embarked into small boats initially and arrived at various south east coast ports during the morning.

This is a very brief story of the confusion and chaos which surrounded the British retreat and evacuation and it also shows the lack of co-ordination between the British and French military.  The unit was actually only operational in France for less than a month.

Regards, Mike  ;)

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hi Mike,

I send Jim my first frame from the new exhibition collection. The titleside is a envelope to this unit from 25th March 1940 and the 2nd envelope stamped from 11th May 1940.

You has got a big work for an answer with your answer and I say thank you very much for this.

Tomorrow, I´ll load the two envelopes tomorrow.

Ingo