大象传媒

It was getting light I was still walking I had no idea where I was making for, my clothes was in rags and covered with mud and wet through and very cold.
I saw a Town in the distance so I made for that, after another hours walk I reached the outskirts of it I praticilly done for, by this time it was properly daylight.
I noticed when I got to this Town,it was barracaded up I went through it only to be stopped with the point of a bayonet I was relieved to see French Soldiers on Guard.
I put my arms up above my head and walked towards them explaining who I was and showed them the bandages on my chest. They asked me if I had anything to prove it otherwise, so I took my beret off and got my wallet out in there was concealed my identity disks. I showed them, they sorted them out and gazed at them, then they looked me over to see me shaking from head to foot with cold, they said something to one another which I didn鈥檛 understand so one of them took me farther in the Town into a School room which they were using as a Ambulance place. In there was a French Soldier who could speak English. I explained to him who I was and where I had been and happened to me, he understood so he asked me if I should like a drink of course I said yes so he poured me out a cup of Whisky, I drank half of it and it sure warmed me up, he said finish up, I did but it was too much for me I colapsed.

It must have been an hour later when I awoke I would not have woke up then if Jerry wasn鈥檛 shelling the place.
I found myself stripped out and rolled in a blanket laying on a stretcher with nice clean and dry clothes for me to put on. I got into them feeling a lot better, I found these Chaps very decent to me they could not give me anything to eat as they had none there, not as I wanted it, I had a drop more whisky but not so much this time. I was still very shaky I felt like going to sleep but I could not, as Jerry was still shelling the Town, they started to bring in civilian casualties what had been wounded. One old man they brought in who was badly battered and was making an awfull row, then they brought in a poor little Boy about five. I looked at him and thought of my own, he did not murmer while they were dressing his wounds only look round frightened. I could not stay in there while he was there. I felt like breaking down to see him, after a while they took him away, and leaving the old man there still raving.
I asked one of these French if the English were about this way as I was anxious of getting in touch with them, he said that they had moved two days previous so I had to be contented to wait while Jerry was still shelling heavy and they were falling outside and next buildings to where I was. I didn鈥檛 know when it was our turn, these French carryed on their work dressing wounds as if nothing was happening.
A French came up to me after a while, they were taking me away to where I did not know, so they put this old Chap on a wheeled stretcher and off we went. We had to walk through the Town where I came in earlier in the morning the place was standing with no damage and most of the people were in bed, but now everybody was running for their lives and there was hardly a building left, the roads were almost blocked with debri.
Women and Children screaming gathering up a few things but some were to late. I saw some picking up their bundles but they didn鈥檛 rise again, they fell over to stay, that kind of thing was going on all over the place. I wore a French tin hat which they provided me with. I was glad of it.

We moved out of the Town and going up the road with scores of Refugees and over came a swarm of Jerry planes, we all layed in the ditch while he dropped us a few to get on with.
We must have walked about three miles and got down in the ditch about a dozen times owing to Aircraft.
I was meeting a few French Soldiers this time but no sign of any of ours, there was plenty of activity going on everywhere.

We arrived at last to another place what they rigged up as a receiving station. I got on very well there, they treated me well. I had my wound dressed and something to drink.
They offered me some eats but I felt too sick for that.
Things got very hot there, I could hear bullets whizzing everywhere so one French Chap said we are taking you to Dunkirk. I had know idea where that was.
I got up in the Ambulance and it was packed full, about five laying on a stretcher and six standing.
Well anyway we started off at a good rate going round corners almost on two wheels like all French Drivers, they go mad on the road, we were getting knocked about inside. I had to laugh as the Chaps that were right inside had to hang on to the stretcher cases for fear they should fall off and there was a Chap standing next to me crying all the way upsetting some of the others and he was making me bad until I caught hold of him by the scruff of his neck and gave him a good shake and told him to pack it up and he did.
We were tearing along as fast as we could go no doubt, there was plenty doing all the way with the French with heavy guns and A.A. guns in action.
Jerry was bombing the road or trying to but we ignored everything and roared on.
We got on after an hours ride until we came across Hundreds of our fellows laying all over the place and some lucky ones under cover. Jerry was dropping them everywhere. It did cheer me up to think I was coming in contact with them again as I never thought I should again and it seemed to be ages since I left the Boys behind.

We arrived at this Hospital, it was a very large place. I got out and followed the others inside and where they took us was a large Theatre with stage and it was packed. I didn鈥檛 know what to do so I had a walk round thinking there must be somebody in here I could speak to, after a little while I saw a young Chap laying on a stretcher so I went over to him and asked him how he was getting on, he looked at me and said you speak good English, of course I told him. I did feel alright meeting him, he gave me a smoke and I did enjoy that. I was with him for sometime, he was pleased with my company and I am sure I was with him.
I was still with him when another young Chap came up to us and he did look bad and frightened, of course he was surprised to hear me speak, he stood there for a while until he started swaying, I jumped up and caught him so I took him outside in the fresh air as it was bad in there with the smell of blood.
I layed him down, a Frenchman handed me a bottle with rum in it so I gave him a drop which done him good I had to have a drop myself of course.
As we sat there, they were bringing wounded in by the scores, one Chap they brought out of the Ambulance recognized this Chap I was with. What he said I guessed I would soon be here I have lost both feet and he had, I couldn鈥檛 but admire his pluckand his cheerful spirits.
We went inside again and it made me feel quite bad to see the dead and wounded about, you could hardly find room to walk about with stretchers in every corner and down corridors, it was awful seeing them.
It was rotten for me to move about as different French Chaps what were laying down spoke to me and I could not understand them, I said I was an Anglais Soldier, they did not understand it and whenever I spoke to any of our own Chaps they were surprised and it soon got about that I was a Jerry Prisoner and got away and the questions I was asked.
I stuck to this chap who I took outside all the time, a very nice fellow he had shrapnel wounds in his arms. I found out from him that it was Sunday. We walked around talking to one another and taking round drinks for anybody that wanted it. I could get plenty of water but nothing to eat. There were French orderlys taking food round to the ones on stretchers but to us, we could get nothing and I was beginning to get hungry.

The time was getting on and we were both very tired so I said lets find a place where we can sleep for the night and what a job that was until I decided to go on a balcony where there was some seats so off we went, we layed down and no sooner I got my head down I was fast asleep.
We awoke early next morning and wondering how we survived during the night as the bombing was terrific, they were coming over in waves all the time.
The Doctors here were marvelous the way they worked without a stop. I went to sleep and they were working then and when we woke up they were still at it, whether they had any sleep or not I don鈥檛 know, their whites that were covered in Blood and they looked worn out but they kept going. Hero鈥檚 everyone of them under that heavy bombardment.
They were bringing them in as fast as they could and what bad cases, the Doctors in this part of the Hospital received all the cases and patched them up and then put into different wards.
They could not cope with them fast enough. I saw a Chap laying there with a leg off, he must have been laying there an hour before they could see him, I saw another Chap laying conscious and Blood was pouring away from him, I went over to him and tryed to comfort him after a while I went and asked a Doctor if he could see to him as he was getting weaker, he said he would in a minute. I waited with this Chap another half an hour and still he hadn鈥檛 been seen to, he could hardly speak so I went off and asked another and he told me off so I asked another so he came over to him, he rolled him over on his stomach, there he had a huge hole in his back, he went over and got another Doctor to help him, they were cleaning it out and they brought a nail out so they sent him to another ward to be seen to. That upset my mate so we decided to have a walk round which we did, we made for the other end of the Hospital, it was not safe to walk outside even if we had of done, the French would soon order us back. I happened to glance out of a window as I was passing and I had a shock to know this place was on the beach at Dunkirk and what surprised me most, to see thousands of our Soldiers on the beach and out in the water, there were a lot of Destroyers getting them away. I stood gazing there for a long time wondering what was going on. I saw Chaps wade in the water and swim out to the boats, all this time Jerry was still bombing, he must have put everything he had on this place, and the damage being done was terrible and it was just like night with smoke pouring away from some oil wells which were burning and from the Town which was completly done for.

We went back and made a few enquiries of what what was going on, we found out we were evacuating as we were surrounded. I for one knew just how far Jerry was away as I only passed threw there lines a little while before and I knew how fast he could travel in his Tanks and I was getting the wind up proper for fear I should be taken again. I could hardly keep a limb still after that. I hardly noticed the bombs falling.

The day passed very slow. I had had nothing to eat only drink and I was getting very hungry. I tried to get some but nothing doing so we decided to get down to it somewhere. We found a corner and I found two blankets so we layed down and soon asleep.
We were awakened about one in the morning with a terrific explosion, everybody screamed expecting the roof to fall in. I guess I was too frightened to scream, I jumped up and rammed my tin hat on and we both stood there and shook.
The panic soon cooled down, we sat down and had a smoke and then fell off to sleep.
I found out it was a boat got blew up carrying munitions just laying outside in the harbour.

It was Tuesday. I awoke feeling very hungry, the last I had was about Saturday and that was but very little. I said to my Mate I must try and find something. I looked around for sometime but nothing doing.
In this Hospital there was an Officer who was going to see if we could get away from here so he told us all to keep together, he was gone about four hours, he told us the boats were packed but we must be ready to go at nine next morning. I was very anxious to get away for I knew jerry could not be far away by this time. It was like Hell let loose. I thought that if ever I did get away from here I should be very lucky, we were expecting the place to get bombed any minute.
I was feeling rotten with the want of something to eat. I walked all over the place to see if I could get anything. The place was packed worse than ever, the floor was like a lake of Blood, and there was all sorts in here of Nationalities and a good many Jerrys.
I went round and spotted a piece of Bread and Jam on a stretcher. I pounced on it, I see it was covered in Blood but what mattered, I was hungry so down it went and I did enjoy it, I should have liked more.

The day wore through very slow we got down to it and slept like a top. We got up early and went to see about moving, we found all the others, and the Officer. He was saying that he was going to find out what time we could go, and would we that could carry all the stretcher cases outside so they could be picked up by ambulances.
We got them all out and there was a big crowd of us when we were together. Two hours passed and he came back and said, I am sorry Boys they can鈥檛 take us today, my Heart sank, but he said those that can walk can go but we should have to walk six miles along the beach. There was about two dozen of us set off leaving those poor Chaps behind, whether they ever got away in time I never knew. Off we went, I saw a Chap in a pair of shorts and a smashed foot so I and another Chap carried him between us, he said don鈥檛 leave me and we didn鈥檛. It was hard work going along that beach on an empty stomach lugging this Chap with us, it was very painful for him but he didn鈥檛 make a fuss. We were half way along when I saw an old bike. I ran over and got it, we put him on and pushed him the remainder of the way.

The last three days was Hell, bombs everywhere, but today walking six miles to the boat it was not so bad, just one now and again, the beach was littered with Rifles, Respirators and complete kits where Chaps had thrown them down to swim for it, there was some stuff about. I reached the boat and it was a job for me to get on because they didn鈥檛 know who I was.
Once in the boat I was alright, they gave us nice hot tea. I had no idea where we were going when somebody said England. I couldn鈥檛 believe it, how happy I was to know that. The word soon went round I was a prisoner and I had a lot of officers round me. At last we put in at Margate. What a relief,I never thought I would see it again. I stepped off to be stopped by the Police, and questioned. I must have looked awfull in those old clothes and dirty and I wanted a shave bad. They took us to an A.R.P. Depot in the Town and gave us a much needed meal. An hour later we went to the station, caught a Train in which we went to London. The people could not do enough for us. It was rotten for me because the Police took me for a Spy and questioned me too much, it was making me ill. It was early morning when we arrived at Westminster Hospital. I had a bath, a nice hot drink and into a nice clean bed. I lay there thinking, have I been dreaming. I fell to sleep with a contented mind.

After I arrived at Westminster Hospital they notified May she came the next day with Pam and Mum, then Ern brought Brian, & May came again with Pam and her mum. I was there for about 1 month. (May came with Pam & Brian) after that I was taken to Horsham War Hospital a very nice place all wounded soldiers (May visited again with Pam & Brian a few times) there for about six weeks after that I went to Sutton Emergency Hospital and was there about 5 or 6 months, we had a very bad time there as it was near London when they bombed London and all around we had a Bomb right through the middle of the hospital I was in the far end, it was a very long hospital no upstairs at all, it gave me a nasty shake up again & made my nerves very bad. May & the family came quite often then, it was nice to have visitors, I was allowed in the grounds only with a nurse until my visitors came, when it was time for them to go they had to get a nurse to take me back inside, after all that I got well & was discharged from hospital & the army & went home after a long time home I went back to my work & H&P鈥檚. Huntley & Palmers)

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