大象传媒

Memories of World War II
By G.G Munroe (Sapper)

May 21st
France. Evening; Left trench and went exploring, past deserted tent hospitals, complete with luxuries (new bikes, radios), food on tables. Then deserted Salvation Army Depot, packed suit-cases left by door, - took large packs of cigarettes and biscuits. A train full of our own wounded soldiers stopped close, they shouted out 鈥淲here are we?鈥� 鈥淛ust outside Etaples鈥�. Train went into Etaples. 8 dive-bombers bombed Etaples, where I assumed the train was, maybe in the station- Though clearly marked 鈥淩ed Cross鈥�. Each dropped 9 bombs- presumably anti-personnel. I got expert at guessing where they landed after big arching curves. They went- one more came- its鈥� bombs looked like hitting me on the road, but went harmlessly into sandy soil nearby.

May 22nd
Our party blew up the bridge over river Lanche and we left hurriedly. Our despatch riders then stopped us, because the Germans had crossed somewhere and were on the road ahead. Crossed fields to another road and joined crowds of civilian refugees- who were strafed by air. Later, after waiting in woods, we returned to our trucks and entered Boulogne, but due to the blasts of our navy, plus shelling- or perhaps orders- we left, luckily because the lorry I was in held our explosives and was being rocked about. Spent the night with shells from both sides overhead. Next morning 12 or 20 volunteers went to join the Irish Guards at the South West outskirts.

May 23rd
Where we had entered Boulogne the Night before, I had made a makeshift roadblock. Way below, looking like swarms of ants were Germans- vehicles moving back and front. Stayed all day, instructions to wait until the tanks had gone through and then fire at the infantry. Kept improving the road block despite mortar fire. Evening; Told to retreat. Most left by the front door- some machine gunned by tanks as they did- I went via the back and after a while a tracked vehicle came nearer but left when I lay in a dip. Came to tunnels and a railway depot (full of corpses) but 2 customs officers asked if I would 鈥渂oire un coup鈥� and broke a crate of good champagne and gave me a bottle, said 鈥渢he Hun would get the rest鈥�. Hundreds of soldiers were there saying they had been told to wait for a boat. Months afterwards, Brig. Stanier said he, 鈥淐ouldn鈥檛 find one of his companies which had moved without orders鈥�. I鈥檓 sure Germans in guards uniforms had conned them, they stayed until captured. Came across 2 marine officers; along a canal a Guards Sergeant and Private, dropped out of a house saying 鈥測ou can鈥檛 go down there, go back, those are the Germans down there firing鈥� The noise was terrific. The marine said 鈥淏alderdash and bunkle- we only landed there today, and that鈥檚 the navy and our men!鈥� The guards disappeared, and a machine gun opened fire from across the canal, bullets bouncing harmlessly off the cobbles all round us. Reached the quayside defensive lines- no food- waited for destroyers for several hours. And annoyed officer handed over a sergeant to me, to be on a charge for refusing to go to the edge of our defences. The Sergeant, in shock, told me that a man had been sent out to see what he could see. He had been shot- probably by our own men and the sgt had had to go out and get his disc for identity purposes. He returned with both discs, from the cord around the man鈥檚 neck he said the officer said 鈥淵ou fool, take one back and put it back on the man鈥�. He couldn鈥檛 do it- I told him to disappear. Some men were firing at anything.
Eventually the officer in charge who I believe was acting Brigadier Stanier ordered all Bren gunners to go outside and stay. They were all Irish or Welsh Guards. Our R.E. Lewis gunner said, 鈥淚鈥檓 going鈥�. Since joining up we had only 2 days embarkation leave, and we would all like to see home again- but he insisted and went out to stay behind. Another of our group said, 鈥淚鈥檒l move my lorry to block the entrance. A direct hit blew him and his lorry up.
(One of our duties in the 鈥淏.F.E Details鈥�, 鈥淥dds and Sods鈥�, camp would be to move some infantry 鈥淭he Loyals鈥� to expected German landings on the East Coast. They were to approach the German Tanksetc. On old fashioned sit-up-an-beg 28鈥� wheeled back pedalling bikes, crates of Molatoff Cocktails (Bottles) were fixed to the handlebars. Imagine it, across rough surfaces- Suicide. We had orders to destroy all petrol stations etc as we retreated. No one of us seemed to worry about it. Soon after the camp was set up German planes distributed newsletters all over us. Saying they liked us and wanted us to join them in fighting the real enemy, Russia. I had one until recently).

The Brigadier came to our little group and asked me what we were, when I said Royal Engineers, he said 鈥淕ood, just what we want, riflemen鈥�. He then took both remaining lots of guards off on the last boat. We had been conned, but he was the boss.

May 24th
Many hours later, next morning, firing was still heard in England- a scratch crew was raised and a destroyer came. We had to rush out from the doorway and across to the ship, because some earlier troops had been mowed down by tanks round the harbour- so destroyers were the only ships to approach. I was a good runner and only 20 so I came out at the end. As I passed a hut I saw a soldiers leg sticking out so stopped and wrenched the door open. It was full of bodies all dead- so I sprinted to the ship and crossed a plank held by a sailor which makes me believe I was the last man on. As we left, I pointed out an approaching plane to a sailor who said 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry, it鈥檚 one of ours鈥�. As it鈥檚 bombs went off it felt as if the ship lifted up but it was o.k. Coaches took us to Fleet- Passing people cheering, I felt terrible at being cheered for retreating!
Next morning dozing after several sleepless nights I awoke with a ring of military police surrounding me. Someone had told them I was firing at our troops from behind German lines. When earlier at the outskirts our sgt. Had said 鈥淗ere come the bastards, let them have it鈥�. I said, 鈥淭hey are Belgians with no weapons鈥�. They asked me if we could give them some arms and I picked up a Bren gun and showed them it had no magazine. It鈥檚 possible someone down the hill had seen me, plus flashes and bangs. Later I decided that these two, whose lives I鈥檇 saved, were Germans in disguise. They had run from the area that had been firing mortars and where would two Belgian soldiers come from? My bad mistake.

Yours Faithfully
George Geoff Munroe (Sapper).

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