大象传媒

Friend of WW2 Veteran
I was born in 1936, but having a bad memory remember very little about WW2! However I knew for many years a great friend who signed on for duty at the age of 38. (He was born in 1901 and died in 1990). He left me his extensive personal diaries, and one entry in particular refers to being taken off the beaches at Dunkirk.
His name was Sydney Arrobus, an artist, and although not an 'official wartime artist' sketched his experiences throughout his wartime career. I have these sketch books also in my collection.
Here is one extract:
Here is a transcript of that entry - (Including grammatical errors!)
Excerpts from Sydney Arrobus's Wartime Diary - 1940
Thursday May 30 1940. ADINKIRK (Dunkirk)
Quiet morning - on guard of pontoon bridge over canal. Games with Jones
and
Elderfield. Go in search of bread and cart goes over my foot! Guard the
pontoon again! and sit with drawn pistol over German airman. 1st.
attempt to destroy bikes. Early to bed in straw. Sleep well in cow shed.
Friday May 31 1940. ADINKIRK (Dunkirk)
Foot better. Get ready to go for the millionth time. Adio the cow shed!
- off at last to La Panne - HQ in the Hotel de la Poste. Breakfast at
the Carlton!! Sea at last & destroyers & boats. Then on sand dunes -
teriffic bombing raids - one falls near, & Morgan & French are hit 2
yards from me! - agony of lying in sand while bombers overhead. Later to
Bray Sands - destroy bikes - more bombs & shells. At last down the
boards on lorry roofs in the sea. Embark on the Sandown at 9pm and
arrive at . . .
Saturday June 1 1940
. . . Ramsgate at 6am - tea & cigarettes galore - in bus to station then
train to Farnham. Jones, Elderfield and the S.M. only ones left. Pollard
sprains ankle running for shelter. Wonderful reception all along the
line - food at all stops. I am one of Gorts "unbreakables" (Daily
Mirror). 12 hours train journey & arrive WALSHAW near Bury. Send wire
home by phone. Drink in Lancashire (?) Pub. Give away coins to kids.
Sleep in mill in silk pyjamas.
Geoff Kaye

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