大象传媒

I found an old notebook among my father's possessions when he died in 1985. It was a kind of diary, handwritten notes in a small notebook, beginning on the 10th June 1940 ('Afternoon a thunderstorm broke, so wrote this diary....') and the earlier entries were written retrospectively from this day until 2nd June, the day of his evacuation from the Dunkirk beaches. Why he did not write about the days leading up to 2nd June I do not know. I do know that he was serving in the 21st Anti Tank Regiment who were still waiting to be evacuated on 2nd June, the penultimate day, short of food and drink and under enemy fire from the skies.

Here are the entries for 2nd and 3rd June. Their unemotional, understated tone reflects my father's quiet and steady character.

2nd June 1940
Feeling quite dejected, i was making my way back from the mole at Dunkirk when I ran into Ian Alderson. Ideas of taking a boat dissolved when the question of saving large numbers of men were in consideration. Consequently we found an abandoned lorry and with John Hislop who joined us, we and some thirty men camped among the sand dunes. Sat down for a minute and immediately dropped off to sleep, waking to find bombs falling all around and the planes going off again. Looted a lot of stores from abandoned army vehicles and fed well though 50per cent of the fodder was sand.

About 6 o'clock found my way along the beach, often lying low in the oil-covered sands, until I arrived at our new HQ near the Mole, where we proceeded to dig in quickly. Found Major Gurney there in a large trench. About 8.30, after a final raid by some 20 German planes, everyone started forming up preparatory to going. Embarked on a French boat (passenger cross channel type) which couldn't put in for ges and when it did all the hawsers broke. eventually went on board over a five barred gate! Steamed off when full.

3rd June 1940
Landed from the French boat at 8 o'clock after cruising up and down the channel looking for a port. Eventually made Folkestone. Train from there to Bordon(?) Camp near Aldershot arriving 2pm. Had tea and settled into our tent (John Hislop and another chap from another unit). Afterwards jumped a car to Farnham 8 miles away and had first bath for a month at the Bush Hotel, a few drinks and a fine meal. Wrote home - earlier in the day sent off a telegram. Every station we stopped at we found organisers with lemonade, tea, pies, cigarettes, postcards etc.

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