大象传媒

This story of Dunkirk is an account of the five days spent there by Fred Barker and has been retold in his own words by his wife Elizabeth Barker and published as pamphlet entitled Five Days at Dunkirk. The following is a short precis of her book.

We were the "bridging company" of the Fourth Division - Royal Engineers and had been in Brussels erecting a pontoon bridge for forces use, as all other exits from Brussels were crammed with refugees. Orders had been given to move out and we evacuated during street fighting and followed instructions to assemble in a field just outside the town.
I was in charge of a Coles Crane a valuable piece of equipment which I treated like a friend. After moving out we were preparing to bed down when we were given orders to sleep in our uniforms! I really hated that - being untidy was really alien to me so I disobeyed and slept in my underpants. The next thing I knew orders were being rapped out to evacuate, and I scrambled into my Coles Crane with my trousers in my hand.
Further orders were rapped out - we were to make for Dunkirk Beach with further instructions to be given on the road, but the most important thing now was to move and FAST! About 20 miles or so from Dunkirk the convoy was again halted and we were ordered to drive the whole lot into a field.
We were ordered to leave all our vehicles in the field as apparently the RAF had been given the word to bomb the area after we had left and destroy the whole convoy including my Coles Crane. We were also ordered to smash up the equipment as best we could just in case the enemy got there before us. The order kept being repeated and I felt like a cowboy who had to shoot his horse.I tried three times with a lump hammer to smash its headlight but they wouldn't break and I was relieved that I had failed.
We had to march the final few miles to Dunkirk and as we got closer and closer we could see columns of fire and dirty black smoke coming from the town. Travelling all night had made us tired and hungry. Our officer led us down to the beach through some sand dunes where further down we got a first glimpse of the horror of Dunkirk and the true meaning of the word "RETREAT"
"TRAPPED" would have been a better word to describe the sight which met our eyes. We stood stock still in astonishment at the picture before us. There were lines of men waiting for evacuation by boat. Deperation filled our minds, fear and hopelessness left us speechless. We must all have been thinking that we didn't stand a chance and all appeared numb with apprehension. Many minutes went by whilst the men reluctantly took stock of the situation and then panic seized some of them. They started running towards any boat they could see coming to shore. "STOP" roared the officer "STAND FAST, STAND FAST!" No response. "STAND FAST YOU B*S!" he shouted again, and they came to a halt.
"Get back into line", he shouted. "You'll get nowhere by panicking. Form ranks".
The next moment more men broke the line, running in desperation toward the shore.
The officer drew out his revolver and threatened to shoot the next man who broke rank. We stood there, silent and downhearted, hungry and tired with little hope left, bombs exploding all around us. I shall never know how we got through the first day but get through it we did without food or water!
When our second day on Dunkirk Beach arrived, survival was foremost in all our minds and we found that many bottles left lying on the beach contained a dewy moisture. We collected enough of this to try and quench our thirst. The only other drink we had all the time we were there was rum. One of our men had found it and it was passed around until every drop had been drained and mainly due to lack of food, some of us felt decidedly drunk. It made us feel better and gave us all a bit more courage.
During this temporary boost to our morale six of us talked about making a raft but the order to maintain ranks was being held so the plan had to be shelved for the time being. Whenever we were attacked from the air we would throw ourselves into a bomb crater only to get out in a flash again when it filled up with water. At all times we obeyed orders remembering all too well the revolver he had threatened us with.

The unwritten rule on Dunkirk Beach seemed to be first come first served as far as evacuation was concerned and it did nothing to boost our morale knowing we were among the last to arrive. We watched boats arriving, leaving and occasionally sinking and with some horror men making frantic efforts to swim out to the boats only to drown long before they got anywhere near them, their pathetic water-logged bodies lying face down in the water.
When the third day dawned we lined up as usual but noticed a change in our officer and he voiced his fears that we stood little chance whilst all together and finished off by saying "It's now every man for himself" "try to get into a line nearer the boats".
We shuffled off like a lot of orphans looking sad and abandoned. The six of us who had planned together and had always been close companions started immediately and in an earnestness bordering on panic, our plans to make a raft. It was our only chance as no way could we get a boat from where we were.
We tried to join a line nearer the main evacuation points at first but we were eyed with great suspicion as we neared some of the queues of men as if they knew we were hoping to jump their queue. We tried another line but each time the same response and we were met with a barage of bad language. Then we made one final attempt and we approached the 13th Survey Division's officer, a sympathetic Scot who agreed to take us on.(Research to establish the existence of a 13th Survey Division have proved inconclusive but Fred Barker's account has been left as he described it)
This meant we were far nearer the boats although now of course we were committed to obey his every command without question.His orders were delivered in a voice of fearless authority and we were ordered to stand fast while others around us were taking cover and then the order came "O.K. Thirteen,take cover"
We were put through this nerve wracking ordeal for hours. As further bombs fell the same order stood firm and we clenched our fists and gritted our teeth while all around had taken cover, but we were still alive and the six of us owed him and obeyed him.
An uncanny pause followed one of these boring sessions - a silence that screamed into the ears and practically split the brain into fragments - more trrifying than a million megatones, while we all waited for the quiet to shatter and then, suddenly, we all looked at each other in complete amazement.
"Right, Thirteen! Take cover in the town!"
His tone left no time for questioning. We ran like the wind and took cover down a side street in the town, rounded a corner and hid, shaking like leaves, under some collapsed railings.
There was a sickening roar, and thunderous bang and stones and bricks came hurtling through the air where the bomb had struck a nearby house. The noise was deafening and the next sight was among the most sickening we had encountered. Three injured horses came stampeding just a foot or so away from us, one poor creatures intestines were hanging from his gashed guts and he ws actually stamping on his own insides.
We got to our feet dazed and sick and started to trudge our way back to our place on the beach. Weary from lack of food and shaking with shock we almost tumbled the last few yards onto the beach.
I have already said that whenever we scattered we stood a chance of losng our precious places in the boat lines.
This had happened - our places that we had guarded and defended for so long had indeed been stolen. But at what a cost!
Everywhere where we had stood only minutes before, lay dead men. There were bodies everywhere. Exactly where I myself had stood only a short time before, lay a man of approximately the same age - DEAD!
How had our compassionate Scots Officer known and where was he?
We wandered away dispirited and puzzled. We had seen quite enough and now knew that the raft ws our last chance of survival.
We were now into our fourth day on Dunkirk Beach and towards evening we began to assemble materials for the raft. Fortunately there was no shortage - many vehicles abandoned along the front contained the assortment of items we needed. We took the rubber cushions from Jeep seats, collected petrol cans, a tailboard from a nearby lorry, tyre inner tubes from trucks and finally several reels of signal wire from a Royal Corps of Signal's van.
Due to lack of food we were soon fatigued from the effort and had to keep resting in between each effort we made.
Our plan was to use all the items which could effect buoyancy and top them with the wooden tailboard from the lorry. The coils of thick coated wire were of vital importance to wire the articles together and secure the raft top. We looted as much as we could carry - it was so important to our plans.
When the raft had been assembled we would use the remaining coils of wire to bring the raft back after the first lot had made their escape. The raft was too small to take us all at the same time. We had seen too many men strike out bravely from the shore (and some were excellent swimmers) only to be washed up again stone dead. None of us was prepared to take that risk and at all times we must be able to gain support from the raft. The non swimmer was a big problem but we had decided that he would travel on top of the raft while the others remained in the water, swimming or treading water and at the same time able to take a rest by grasping the raft for support.
Everything was ready and we snatched a few hours sleep before the great day dawned.
It was here the fifth day at Dunkirk! We were absolutely famished and very weak - we were very depressed at the extreme effort needed to face the work we had to do.
It was decided that rather than beg for some food from a French truck we would distract them while one of us pinched something out of the back. It seemed mean and underhanded but we knew noone would part with even a few scraps of food. All we managed to get was a small tin of sardines in oil which we shared between the six of us.
We worked on assembling the raft knowing that time was running out. We were already weak and defenceless with no food and hardly any water. We either escaped on the raft or stood the chance of being killed or taken prisoner. Not one of us voiced these fears but worked with feverish haste now that we could see the result of our efforts. However we were soon glancing at each other in sheer horror as the stock of wire began to diminish. It was our lifeline and we soon realised that we had to have lots more to complete our plans.
Two of us volunteered to go and get some more but as we neared the Signal Corp truck, we were approached by a party of troops carrying a stretcher with a seriously injured soldier.
They needed someone to take the man to hospital and as I could drive I said I would use the Signal Corps truck to take him if someone showed me the way.
I took several reels of wire and gave them to my friend.
I drove the truck into the town along the road which was riddled with craters. It took some time and I realised that I may be giving up my only chance of escape. When we eventually got there as soon as the injured man and his friends were safely in the hospital I drove back like a bat out of hell.
My fears were realised when I got back to find my friend and the wire were gone. I rushed to where I had left the raft - it had also gone and so had my five companions.
It was the loneliest experience of my life and I stood there dumb with panic. Surely they had not abandoned me. I then made for the planned launch spot on the seashore and there they were! And there was I just in time for the launch!
God had silenced the waves and hardly a ripple disturbed the water. The completed raft was ready and a good supply of reels of wire lined up beside it.
Carefully securing the end of the first coil of wire to the raft we launched our raft onto the next swell with our non swimmer on the top and the three men in the water. The two of us left on the beach stood back elated and proud as the raft made steady progress away from us. It worked! We could all get off Dunkirk Beach!
In our excitement we almost forgot the vital job of playing out the reels of wire and securing the end of one to the beginning of another. It seemed hardly any time at all before we were looking at the final circle or two of wire left on the first reel, and we hastily removed it and started fastening it to the next one.
We watched the swimmers making good progress beside the raft and kept an ever watchful eye on the state of the coils, our spirits soaring.
We had used up several of the reels and the raft was becoming more obscure - lost in a mass of other small boats and craft taking men to the ships. We scanned the sea trying to keep an eye on them and in the end they became lost from view.
"They must have got there by now", I said trying not to show any anxiety. It was becoming obvious that we had underestimated the distance between us and the ships and our nerves were tested to capacity. We got to the final reel and were both feeling a bit piqued that we were now facing the possibility that the plan had worked for the others but would not succeed for us.
"What shall we do?" What shall we do?" said my friend choked with disappointment and emotion. "The wire's finished - it's finished there's none left!"
"And we are finished too", I couldn't help saying as we watched with aching throats and shaking hands as the last little bit of wire slithered from the reel and made its way out to sea.
Both of us threw ourselves down and buried our faces in the sand.
I stayed that way for a long time and not moving when the sea washed over me hoping that a wave would take me out to sea and finsih me off once and for all.
I glanced sideways to take another look at the ships that still lay there which would all sail back to England without me! I could not rejoice that four of my companions would be saved. All I felt was jealousy and rage.
Staring, almost unseeing now, out to sea, I hammered my hands onto the sands and then banged my head with them in sheer temper and exasperation.
But there was something heading towards us across the calm rippling of the water. It was a small white painted canoe with a youth paddling like mad towards us.
"Anyone for the boats?" he said cheerily.
We stood there stupefied, staring at him, amazed and speechless.
Well do you want to get off Dunkirk Beach, or don't you?" he shouted.
Not waiting for our reply he shouted
"Wade out as far as you can. When the swell levels out one of you get in front of me. Then wait for the next swell and the other one get in behind me. O.K?"
"Yes" we both shouted and then under our breath "Thank God. Thank God"
We were soon heading out towards the vessels - there they were - much larger and much further away than we had ever visualised. No wonder we had miscalculated the distance. Our rescuer paddled his canoe like fury until we reached one of the ships which from what I can remember was a Dutch Trawler.
Rope ladders had already been placed over the ship's sides and we scrambled up gratefully, collapsing onto the deck.
When we got up we glanced overboard and saw this plucky young man heading back towards shore for his next rescue.
For safety reasons we were made to hand over our weapons and then were helped below decks, given a bowl of lovely hot soup, told to get into the engine room to dry out, and then both dropped off to sleep, not waking again until we reached home.

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