Before the outbreak of war, John [b.1907] was a director of Charlton & Bagshaw, a firm of corn merchants in Liverpool and later at the Chester Northgate Brewing Company, a family-run business where his father served as chairman. Alongside his professional responsibilities, John dedicated fourteen years to the Territorial Army (TA), serving with the 5^th Battn, Royal Welch Fusiliers in various parts of Flintshire.

The Battle of Saint-Valéry-en-Caux

Saint-Valéry-en-Caux became the setting for one of the most significant battles of the War. In June 1940, the advancing German army forced the remaining Allied troops into a confined area along the Normandy coast. Adverse weather conditions prevented rescue ships from reaching the stranded soldiers. Members of the 51^st Highland Division, together with troops from the 1^st Armoured Division and the French 9^th Army Corps, found themselves hemmed in between the sea and the imposing cliffs surrounding the town.

Faced with overwhelming odds—outgunned, outnumbered, and nearly out of ammunition—the situation for the Allied troops grew dire. Major-General Victor Fortune, GOC 51^st Highland Division, considered all possible courses of action, such as mounting a counterattack, continuing resistance, or retaking the town. However, evacuation and support for large numbers were impossible, although some smaller parties did make an escape. The men were exhausted, and there was a complete lack of artillery ammunition. Shortly before 10:00hrs on 12^th June, Major-General Fortune¹ made the agonising decision to surrender to his German counterpart, Generalmajor Erwin Rommel.

Captivity and Liberation

Thousands of Allied soldiers were taken as prisoners of war and marched to camps in Poland, where they remained until their liberation. In a remarkable turn of events, it was the 51^st Highland Division—some of whom had survived the initial battle—who were among the first to re-enter Saint-Valéry-en-Caux and liberate its citizens.

Recognition and Further Service

For his bravery and actions before and during the evacuation from Saint-Valéry, John was awarded the Military Cross (MC).

John later served in North Africa, participating in the Battle of Knightsbridge with 25-pounder guns and subsequently re-equipped with the M7 Priest self-propelled gun for the second Battle of El Alamein. On this day, Friday 29^th May 1942 John became the second Old Wrekinian (OW) to fall in action, and both now rest in the same cemetery, Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya. John was aged 35.

In April 1941 the engagement was announced between Aline Rosemary Hunter-Blair and John Charlton but they never married due to his untimely death. Aline subsequently married Mr.David Dobie in 1944.

Eldest son of John William Charlton & Gwendoline Mary Owen Charlton of Kelsterton, Flintshire, North Wales.

1. Fortune spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. As a senior British officer in captivity in Germany, he worked to improve the conditions of the men under his command. He suffered a stroke in 1944 but refused repatriation. He was finally liberated in April 1945. He was to die in Scotland in 1949 at the age of 65.
    

A copy of this brief story is available for download here.

Revised: November 2025