Erwin Rommel and the Surrender of the British 51st Highland Division, June 1940

June 22, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

German General Erwin Rommel with captured British officers including Major-General Sir Victor Morven Fortune, following the surrender of the 51st Highland Division.

Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Normandy, June 1940.
The moment captured in this rare photograph carries the weight of a military disaster — and a significant propaganda victory for Nazi Germany. Erwin Rommel, the rising star of the Wehrmacht and commander of the 7th Panzer Division, is seen here standing beside his prisoners: British officers of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, including their commander, Major-General Sir Victor Morven Fortune.

While the world’s eyes were fixed on Dunkirk, another chapter of the Fall of France was unfolding quietly — and tragically — on the northern coast. Tasked with supporting French troops, the 51st Highland Division found itself cut off and surrounded by fast-moving German armor under Rommel’s direct command. Refusing evacuation, Fortune stayed with his French allies until the bitter end.

On June 12, 1940, outnumbered, outgunned, and with no hope of reinforcement, Fortune surrendered. Over 10,000 British troops followed him into captivity — a bitter blow to British morale and a humiliation that Winston Churchill never forgave. The image of Rommel, calm and victorious, standing beside a defeated general became one of the enduring icons of the early German Blitzkrieg triumphs.

Sir Victor Fortune would remain a POW for the duration of the war, respected even by his captors for his sense of duty and loyalty — but his decision remains controversial to this day.

📷 Technical photo data:
📸 Photographer: Unknown German war correspondent
📅 Date: June 1940
📍 Location: Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Normandy, France