Badges and rank insignia of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).
The ATS was an all-female corps founded in 1938 covering a diverse range of trades. In 1940 a force of 300 telephonists were in France, running a number of switchboards for the BEF, in places such as Paris and Le Mans.
Our research indicates that this unit was evacuated from the French ports of Cherbourg and St Malo, on or around the 16th June, virtually two weeks after Dunkirk had fallen.
This was part of Operation Ariel, the evacuation of the remainder of the BEF from France and assorted Polish and Czech units.
The operation took place from the 15th-25th June using the ports of Cherbourg, St Malo, Brest, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Bayonne and St Jean de Luz.
The operation rescued a total of 191,870 allied troops and civilians.
The ATS was an all-female corps founded in 1938 covering a diverse range of trades. In 1940 a force of 300 telephonists were in France, running a number of switchboards for the BEF, in places such as Paris and Le Mans.
Our research indicates that this unit was evacuated from the French ports of Cherbourg and St Malo, on or around the 16th June, virtually two weeks after Dunkirk had fallen.
This was part of Operation Ariel, the evacuation of the remainder of the BEF from France and assorted Polish and Czech units.
The operation took place from the 15th-25th June using the ports of Cherbourg, St Malo, Brest, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Bayonne and St Jean de Luz.
The operation rescued a total of 191,870 allied troops and civilians.