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The situation in France was now becoming critical. The evacuation from Dunkirk was under way and the Cadet Course virtually abandoned. The Cadets themselves were mobilised into general defence activities, and in particular became involved in the construction of a sandbagged pillbox on the edge of a cliff outside Ramsgate. This work was duly completed and some sort of gun, which nobody knew how to fire, installed. The Cadets manned the post from dusk to dawn. Military dawn was 7am.

On one such occasion news was received that the site would be ceremoniously inspected by a Visiting General. This was regarded as very bad news as it meant that the pillbox could not be vacated at 7am, but Cadets would have to remain until after the inspection, i.e. with no breakfast, as Generals were not normally visible until after 10am. But worse was to follow: shortly after 10am an imposing posse of Military Brass appeared. The inspection itself was hardly noticeable, except that on leaving, the General was heard to say to the accompanying entourage 鈥渂loody silly place to put pillbox鈥�, and he pointed vaguely up the hill. The result was that the luckless cadets spent the rest of the day dismantling the pillbox (and gun), and relocating same 50 yards away and nearer to the cliff edge. Work was completed about 7pm and the extremely fed-up Cadets left for the night shift to take over.

But just at that moment, what must have been one of the first enemy aircraft to threaten the English coast, probably more in fright than anything else, dropped two bombs in the nearby sea. It was not a very big aircraft, and the bombs were not very big either, but the net result was somewhat spectacular and extremely satisfying to the Cadets, as the brand new repositioned pillbox and its gun slowly collapsed and vanished, along with the small bit of cliff upon which it stood.

Shortly afterwards, all pretence about the Cadets鈥� official Training Course was abandoned. However the six week timetable was adhered to, and representatives from Gieves the tailors travelled specially from London to measure those Cadets who were not already commissioned, for two sets of RASC Officers鈥� Uniform (one better quality for official occasions). This necessitated two fittings.

And so the great day arrived. There emerged from the Cadet chrysalis an instant 2nd Lieutenant in all its glory. One day later this important addition to the armed services was summoned to Dover, and put in charge of a train full of Dunkirk evacuees, without any information as to its destination. It nevertheless rumbled slowly westwards through the peaceful English countryside, amid much speculation from its passengers that it was going to Plymouth so that the miscellaneous soldiery could be re-mustered and dispatched to North Africa. Actually the train stopped in late afternoon at a small station in Wiltshire labelled Savernake Forest. One newly appointed 2nd Lieutenant promptly handed over his train to a more responsible authority.

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