13/06/2026
Yesterday’s Dance of the Day.
Jun 12 - Scottish Country Dance of the Day, "Reel of the 51st Division" for Remembrance of the 51st Highland Division, 1940! 🕺 🕺 💙 🤍 💙 🏴 ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ 🎗️
“I started thinking about dance tunes to keep my mind clear of grisly thoughts, and I began to get this idea for a dance."
~ Lieutenant J. E. M. Atkinson of the 7th Battalion, 51st Division, POW
On June 12, 1940, at 10 a.m., the 51st Highland Division was captured in the French fishing port of St. Valery-en-Caux. This somber moment followed the more widely remembered evacuation of Dunkirk, which took place between May 27 and June 4, 1940. That operation rescued over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches of northern France and became a symbol of resilience and unity during the darkest days of World War II.
But while Dunkirk dominated the headlines, another desperate struggle was unfolding just 80 miles south of Dunkirk. On June 4—the very day after the final boats left Dunkirk—10,000 Scots of the 51st Highland Division were engaged in fierce counterattacks in Normandy to slow the advancing German forces threatening Paris. Among them were the 7th and 8th Battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, fighting under the command of the French 10th Army and General Maxime Weygand.
Unlike the rest of the British Expeditionary Force, the 51st was ordered to remain behind. The goal was to support the French and encourage them to continue the fight. But it was a doomed effort. As German forces pressed forward, the division was cut off from retreat, isolated without reinforcements, and forced to fight on with dwindling supplies and ammunition. Despite their bravery and determination, they were ultimately overwhelmed at St. Valery-en-Caux.
Many survivors faced an arduous march of more than 1,000 miles to German POW camps, where they would remain for the duration of the war. Yet from this long and bitter captivity emerged a lasting tribute to their fallen comrades and enduring spirit: the Scottish country dance The Reel of the 51st Division, created and danced by the prisoners themselves.
In the camp, the men used music they knew by heart, often dancing to the traditional tune My Love She's But a Lassie Yet. Over time, the lively reel The Drunken Piper became the tune most closely associated with the dance and remains the accompaniment most often heard today. Together, the dance and its music stand as a testament to resilience, camaraderie, and the enduring Scottish spirit of the men of the 51st Highland Division. 🕺 🕺 💙 🤍 💙 🏴 ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ 🎗️
Photo: Donald Smith took this picture of his friends in the 51st Highland Division before the war, all of whom died at St Valery-en-Caux
See below for more information about this dance's origins.
