Recently, Queen Camilla paid tribute to her late father, Bruce Shand, by inviting her mother’s former estate manager to the coronation. In an emotional tribute, she noted his military service in World War II. The tribute marked the 85th anniversary of the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk. Shand was instrumental in making this historic event happen.
Bruce Shand was born on January 22, 1917, the son of architect Philip Shand and Edith Marguerite Harrington. He started his military career in 1937 as a second lieutenant in the 12th Lancers. He started his new military life with extreme training. Before long, he was thrust into direct combat in one of the world’s most chaotic periods in history.
Yet barely a month later, in May 1940, Shand was one of the troops evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. Chief among those memories was a still-vivid recreation of the trauma of having to wade out to onsite cement ship to take shelter. In his memoirs, Shand described the ship’s command structure humorously, noting that it was “commanded by a midshipman who looked about twelve, assisted by a boatswain aged eighty.”
Even after the Dunkirk evacuation, Shand remained on active service during different campaigns, including in Africa. Sadly, his service took a more sinister turn when he was taken prisoner by German troops on November 6th, 1942. Surprisingly, he lived to break out himself when the Germans evacuated his prison.
Shand’s military service ended in 1947 due to a disability suffered during service. After retiring, he transitioned into civilian life as a wine merchant and authored several military books, sharing his experiences and insights.
Queen Camilla acknowledged her father’s legacy during a meeting with veteran Michael de Burgh, who is now 99 years old. She beamed as she talked about her connection to the Royal Lancers. Her father had served with this regiment throughout his military service.
“My father just longed for me to be associated with this regiment and here I am.” – Camilla
At her emotional farewell, she remembered how important the Dunkirk evacuation was to the country. She said her father would have really loved the lifeline that was given to those soldiers.
“I know that my father, together with his comrades of the British Expeditionary Force and the allied armies that were fortunate enough to find safe passage, would today be grateful beyond words for this lifeline.” – Camilla
