大象传媒

My late grandfather, Frank Fletcher, wrote this story at the request of his family on the 50th anniversary of Dunkirk. We would like to take this opportunity to share it.

2616563 Frank Fletcher. DCM

It was either the first or second of June 1940, as a young Guardsman I was helping to defend the final perimeter of the Dunkirk evacuation beaches.
Before the Germans started the blitz we were stationed in a village just outside Lille called Annaffes, the local Innkeeper referred to my mate and me as Papa et fils, he was one of many reservists called back to the Colours in 1939. It was a fair description, he must have joined up in his mid twenties and had only 12 days to go to complete his reserve service and was almost 40 years old. I had joined up by 鈥榓dding one on鈥� in other words I was 17 but claimed to be 18.
The German air force had dropped a lot of yellow leaflets to inform us we were surrounded and it was in our own interests to surrender. No one even considered the proposal but the leaflets were ideal for a much needed supply of toilet paper. However eventually with the small arms and mortar fire coming from all directions it was time to make a final withdrawal. I don鈥檛 know who gave the final order, it was rumoured that the Generals were already back in England writing their memoirs!
It was a dark night when we pulled out. Orders were, 鈥榥o talking and keep spaced out鈥�. Beyond us the mole at Dunkirk was on fire and the road was being shelled by very accurate German artillery. We were to use La Panne beach to the east of Dunkirk. One of the younger officers had acquired a vintage bicycle and was riding up and down the lines to make sure no-one was left behind, wounded or otherwise.
He must have been doing 20 miles an hour in the dark when he ran into a mass of telephone wire. The bicycle still headed towards the beach but it took several guardsmen about ten minutes to disentangle him. It was the only humorous moment of the night.
About 2am the moon came out and it was possible to see where we were going at the final crossroads. The RSM, Cyril Sheather stood checking and counting how many men had made it to the beach. He was never seen again presumably killed carrying out the final order.
The sand dunes gave a certain amount of cover from the shelling and all we could do was wait for daylight to see if the navy was going to rescue us. The light improved, the tide came in and destroyers appeared off shore. Spirits rose among the troops in the sand dunes. Before the destroyers could collect their quota, the Germans gave them the full treatment, one received a direct hit and sank in a few minutes The second was hit on the starboard side blowing a large hole in its鈥� plates but it didn鈥檛 sink. The troops standing on the port side were up to their knees it water. With one of her propellers out of the water, she turned around and crept away doing about 3 knots.
Next two minesweepers appeared, the troops left on the beach were mainly guardsman, Grenadiers and Coldstreams, the remains of a Scottish regiment and a few stragglers who hoped someone would get them home.
A Corporal and myself swam out and salvaged a Carey Life float , it held 4 of us and we tried to get out to nearest ship. (I later discovered that the life float was made in Frome at the Notts Industries Works!) With the tide coming in we didn鈥檛 make a bit of progress but a lifeboat full of Scottish Troops commanded by a CSM who obviously fancied himself as a sailor threw us a line. We made it to the nearest minesweeper, the Salamander, the other being the Speedwell. We later described the Salamander, one funnel, one gun and one hope to get back. The German planes returned to give us the full treatment, a stick of bombs dropped between the boats, nearly capsizing the Speedwell and causing steam to come out of the Salamander through holes that were never on the Admiralty drawings. However they were built of strong stuff and lived to fight another day. The hoist to the 4.5 gun went up in smoke and the shells had to be manhandled to the gun deck, the empties were dumped over the side burning and blistering the hands.
The morning wore on and we cruised up and down the beach taking on board any of the troops that made it to the nets slung over the sides. The 4.5 kept banging away helped by several Bren guns taken on board by the troops. I did ask the Petty Officer in charge of the gun whether we would get back. He said and I quote 鈥淪on I volunteered for this ship, the British Navy has never lost a Salamander yet through enemy action鈥�. As it survived several Russian convoys later in the war his confidence was not misplaced.
The Germans were still trying to sink us. One ME110 received a direct hit above us and dived into the sea. The final few shells were being manhandled to the gun deck, a few more planes flew over but for once they were ours. The troops on deck gave them a cheer and toasted them in Navy cocoa. It was thick enough to cut but as the first hot drink for several days there were no complaints.
Having loaded our quota we turned and headed to the open sea and the white cliffs of England. As far as we were concerned the Dunkirk evacuation was now history to be talked about for the next 50years and beyond.

Grenadier Guards 1939-1945 2605448 Sheater C. RSM Killed in Action June 1940

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