大象传媒

The British Epeditionary force was now contained in a perimeter some 30 miles long It ran from the mouth of the Yser to Nieuport. Inside this narrow perimeter which was held by weary but determined men The British epiditenary force waited patiently to be embark on the gallant Armada of ships. During the night of the 30th May orders came that the first Surreys were to embark to England at 12.00 noon the next day. We marched to a pre arranged lying in area at Coxyde Bains got there T 6.00AM THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHERE WE ATE BREAKFAST WITH the prospect of home before us but it was not yet to be.A message came that the Battalion was to move at once to Nieuport where th 10th Infrantry Brigade were holding the perimeter teh battalion was moved in its own transport which we had refused to jettison. The 1/6th Surreys were under attack and desperately holding part of the Brickworks A counter attack was launched with B and D companys and A and C for some support the attack was succesful with about 30 men. At midnight we were ordered back to the Beach near Le Panne to await embarkation at dawn on June 1st the orders came that we were to embark at \Dunkirk as Le Panne was being heavily shelled and was on fire.The battalion managed to get through with only a few casualties The C.Os car was caught in heavy fire outside the town and both Major Bousfield and his driver were wounded. The majority managed to reach the beaches at Bray Dune safely and what a sight we encountered the beaches were crowded with men waiting their turn to be taken to the ships laying of shore the sea was full of small boats ferrying them.Enemy aircraft dive bombed and machine gunned us and the men in the boats men fired defiantly and an RAF Fighter dispersed fifteen bombers and shot one down. We the Surries kept together and dug slit trenches around a large sand dune which we named Surrey Hill after a long wait we formed up on orders and marched of in parties at intervals of five minutes along the beach towards Dunkirk where we embarked on various craft Some were killed on the beaches and on the way to the ships others were drowned when boats sunk. The medical officer got aboard a ship that was severly damaged and could not leave harbour so Lietenant \bird gallantly went back to the beach and devoted himself to attending the injured men He was never heard of again and was presumed dead The last casualty of the 1st Surreys was Lieutenant Hayfield who was mortally woinded during a bombing attack on his rescue ship he failed by a few minutes to reach England Alive .I was 20years of age at the time and had been in the regiment as a band boy from the age of 14.

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