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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 816

A last-stand at Le Paradis killed in action casualty's group of three awarded to Private J. Latta, Royal Scots, who obeyed the order to 'Stand and Fight To The Last Man' during the three-day rearguard action after which many men were executed in cold blood by the SS Totenkopf Division

General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (3055170 Pte. J. Latta. R.Scots.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, contact marks and edge bruising, very fine (3)

J. Latta served as a regular soldier with the Royal Scots before the outbreak of the Second World War, being incorrectly listed as discharged on 25 January 1941 upon the role. During the Fall of France he was stationed with the 1st Battalion when- less than 400 strong- they were committed to the Allied rearguard at Le Paradis, some 30 miles from Dunkirk. It was understood that the longer the position was held the more men would reach the beaches for evacuation and as such the men defending the town fought heroically.

On the first day of the battle the weight of the German attack fell on the men of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment- this was when the famous Le Paradis massacre occurred- before swinging across to crash into the Royal Scots. Worn down by constant attacks units from the Battalion became isolated and were overrun, very few escaped to make the beaches of Dunkirk but the delay cost the enemy dear both in men and time. Notably a recent investigation has turned up evidence that some twenty-one men of the Royal Scots may have also been the victims of the Totenkopf Divisions, frustration with bodies unearthed from a mass grave. Latta himself was killed in the fighting with the date of his death no known but within the three day period that the Battle took place; sold together with copied research including medal rolls, prisoner of war lists and a battalion war diary as well as an article on the Le Paradis massacre and an original 'For Loyal Service' badge.

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Sold for
£320

Starting price
£100