A medal case containing a French 1939-45 Combatant's Cross and War Commemorative Medal. The medals are attributed to Jean Duverlie, resident of Ghyvelde (east of Dunkirk), a member of the 3eme Regiment of Engineers and the 511eme Battalion Régional.
He was 39 years of age at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation and would have been a reservist. His unit was a regional regiment stationed as part of the French rearguard at Bourbourg to the south-west of the Dunkirk pocket in May, 1940.
Poorly equipped, the unit suffered heavy losses in the Battle for the Aa River and the vast bulk of the force was trapped and captured. This appears to be the fate of Jean Duverlie who spent the rest of the war as a PoW in the appalling conditions of Stalag VIII C at Sagan.
He was 39 years of age at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation and would have been a reservist. His unit was a regional regiment stationed as part of the French rearguard at Bourbourg to the south-west of the Dunkirk pocket in May, 1940.
Poorly equipped, the unit suffered heavy losses in the Battle for the Aa River and the vast bulk of the force was trapped and captured. This appears to be the fate of Jean Duverlie who spent the rest of the war as a PoW in the appalling conditions of Stalag VIII C at Sagan.