Samuel Wright

In May 1940, the 32nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was deployed as an Army Field Regiment in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Comprising the 107th/121st and 115th/120th Batteries, the regiment was caught directly in the chaos of the German blitzkrieg and played a vital role in fighting a rearguard defense during the retreat to Dunkirk.

Wright was killed during the intense battles that erupted as the 32nd Field Regiment fiercely defended the vulnerabilities of the retreating Allied flanks. Between May 26 and late May 1940, elements of the regiment were heavily engaged near Lille and the surrounding Franco-Belgian border zones. Ordered to hold back the German blitzkrieg spearhead so hundreds of thousands of troops could reach the beaches of Dunkirk, artillery crews fired down their remaining ammunition until they were completely surrounded or bypassed. Gunner Wright lost his life during this final rearguard action.

In May 1940, the 32nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was deployed as an Army Field Regiment in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Comprising the 107th/121st and 115th/120th Batteries, the regiment was caught directly in the chaos of the German blitzkrieg and played a vital role in fighting a rearguard defense during the retreat to Dunkirk.

Timeline of Operations: May 1940

• May 10 (The Blitzkrieg Begins): Stationed around Lille and Bondues near the Belgian border. When Germany invaded, the regiment was immediately alerted and advanced rapidly into Belgium to confront the axis spearhead.
• Mid-May (Action at Louvain): Reached Louvain (Leuven), dropping into active combat positions to support the Guards Division. Gunners used local structures (like coal mine housings) to spot ranges and establish observation posts.
• May 18 (Flank Screen): As the Allied frontline cracked under pressure, the regiment was assigned to form a defensive screen protecting the vulnerable flank of the 4th Infantry Division during the chaotic initial stages of the retreat.
• Late May (The Rearguard at Lille): Fell back to their pre-prepared winter positions near Lille. Because the German forces had rapidly bypassed them, the guns had to be hastily flipped to face backward to hold off attacks from the rear.
• The Final Retreat: Small detachments remained in action alongside other units (such as the 10th Field Regiment) until their artillery ammunition was entirely exhausted. To prevent the equipment from falling into enemy hands, crews sabotaged and abandoned their vehicles, destroying engines and ditching trucks before marching on foot toward the coast.
• May 26–June 1 (The Dunkirk Evacuation): Surviving personnel reached the beaches and promenade of Dunkirk. They were successfully evacuated back to the UK via various vessels, including the destroyer HMS Malcolm and the merchant vessel Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, though they suffered notable casualties during the final week of May.
Following their return to the UK, the battered regiment spent the rest of the summer under Eastern Command rebuilding, reforming, and preparing for an expected German invasion.