” The Beaches of St Valery” which opened to four star reviews at Oran Mor in March will be touring next year to venues all over Scotland. The play tells the epic story of a young Scottish Soldier of the 51st Highland Division.
The play debunks the “miracle” of Dunkirk, and tells the tale of the 9,000 Scottish Soldiers sacrificed by Churchill in a secret deal with De Gaulle. For them there was no way home. For them there were no little ships. For them there was only St Valery-en-Caux, surrender, and four years incarceration .
But a few of them escaped . We follow one of them , 18 year old Private Callum Chisholm as he ages from a raw recruit in the 4th Cameron Highlanders in 1938, to a war-weary officer on the Rhine in 1945.
He suffers defeat, surrender, escape, and a hollow victory, as the juggernaut of war rumbles on. But through the horrors of war, Callum finds and then loses the love of his life, Catriona. “The Beaches Of St Valery” is Callum and Catriona’s story.
Watch this space for details.
Major General Victor Fortune Surrenders to General Erwin Rommel at St Valery ©Imperial War Museum
9 comments
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October 24, 2017 at 8:50 AM
lifeonasmallislandblog
Do you plan to come to the Uists? We would love to host this through Taigh Chearsabhagh. jane@tiagh-chearsabhagh.org
October 24, 2017 at 8:53 AM
stuarthepburn
Yes we do plan to come to the Uists. Jane Litster at Eden Court is the best person to contact JLitster@eden-court.co.uk
October 24, 2017 at 9:21 AM
lifeonasmallislandblog
Wonderful – thank you!
October 24, 2017 at 9:11 AM
lifeonasmallislandblog
oops jane@taigh-chearsabhagh.org – sorry. We would be keen to talk though to see if we could persuade you here to the beautiful arts and heritage centre in Lochmaddy.
October 24, 2017 at 9:09 PM
stuarthepburn
You are welcome . We want to come to North Uist with the show.
March 4, 2018 at 10:19 PM
Alastair Greig
Mr Hepburn, Is it still your intention to take the play on tour this year and in particular to the Edinburgh area? My father was part of the 51st division at St Valery and with a couple of colleagues managed to escape. He was helped by Belgians and through the Comete Line eventually made his way through France, over the Pyranees and into Spain, finally being transferred to Gibraltar and back to Scotland. Your play seems to mirror his experiences and I always regret I never had the chance to speak to him about those experiences as he died at the age of 40 while still serving in the army. If you have the time, I would very pleased to hear from you.
Kind regards
Alastair Greig
March 5, 2018 at 4:12 PM
stuarthepburn
Hi Alastair
The play is definitely touring and I am hoping it will be performed in the Edinburgh Area in the late Autumn. There are many stories of the men who were captured and escaped, and most of the them never talked much about it. It is to honour them and their sacrifice that my play is dedicated. Which regiment was your father in? I am particularly interested in the soldiers of the 4th Cameron Highlanders.
Best wishes
Stuart
March 7, 2018 at 8:54 PM
Alastair Greig
Stuart,
According to the report my father gave to the Army with his account of his escape marked ‘top secret’, he was in the 4th Cameron Highlanders when captured at St Valery. My hesitancy was because he later served with The Royal Scots and died while still serving in Aden in 1961. I have some papers relating to his escape and those of his colleagues, Sgt Allan Cowan, also 4th Cameron Highlanders, Cpl Enoch Bettley, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (Is it the same?) and Private B Conville 1st Glasgow Highlanders. I also have photos of Dad and those who helped him during his stay in Belgium and his trip over the Pyranees. If you are interested, we could perhaps meet when convenient, and I could let you see what I have. I am conscious that 2020 will be the 80th anniversary, and I am thinking of going to St Valery then just to pay my own personal respects to those who did not make it back home.
If you want to meet, the best number to get me is 01875811310.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Alastair
March 7, 2018 at 8:58 PM
stuarthepburn
Hi Alastair
I am very interested in any material you have . Yes the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders are the same Regiment, though they are often confused with the Cameronians which are a different mob. I’ll give you a call sometime tomorrow for a chat
All the best
Stuart