大象传媒

Charlie Williams was a friend and neighbour who I knew for over 40 years. When I took my annual school battlefields tour on a special visit to Dunkirk in 2000, Charlie kindly wrote out his memories of the evacuation for me. We read them out at the exact spots he described, 60 years later. Charlie went on to serve in North Africa, Italy and Northwest Europe. He died in February 2004 aged 85 and I am submitting this story in his memory.

T/141701 Driver Charles Vaughan Williams, Royal Army Service Corps January 1940-April 1946:

I was one of six drivers and vehicles that were on attachment to a Royal Engineer Company. We joined up with them in France and at once were sent into Belgium. After a few hours we were ordered to make for Dunkirk as they were to stand and fight. We were told: 鈥淓very man for himself鈥�. We set off but soon got split apart, as the roads were full of families with carts, prams, horse and carts. The German planes caused panic among them simply by flying overhead. In time I was directed onto a road that was clear of civilian traffic but soon came upon abandoned vehicles. I was told 鈥楾his is as far as you go鈥�, so with full pack off we went. A Stuka dive-bomber did have a pop at us but was 陆 a mile off target with his bomb. At one time, owing to a fire we had to take to the fields that had about a foot of water in them and crossed a canal by way of a plank. We arrived on the beach at dawn. I was standing there looking out to sea when an officer appeared with a revolver in his hand threatening to shoot me, what鈥檚 more he meant it! I was ordered to join a party of 40 with a senior NCO in charge. In two days I was in three different parties and got kicked out because members of the NCO鈥檚 own company turned up. I then found another NCO. I was first on his list, was there another two days but as we were to move forward I suddenly found that I was no longer included in his party. I went mad, I called him every foul name I could think of as I could see I had no chance of getting into another party.
The beach was now in range of the German guns. I met up with about 15 other RASC chaps, dug in near an asylum, where we were refused water. We spent the night there but I had noticed ships going into the harbour at Dunkirk so in the morning we weighed up the situation and I pointed out the ships. We had had our last meal five days ago, we had no water and we all knew we had no chance of getting away here at Bray Dunes. We got permission from the beach commander to make for Dunkirk. It did not look far, but after walking 3 hours it did not seem to have got any nearer but looking back you could see we had covered quite a distance. There was a dogfight above us, both planes came down. Our RAF plane crashed in the sea, the pilot got out but the German plane crashed in the dunes, the pilot did not get out. We were all feeling pretty low when up came a 15cwt truck. The driver was looking for his mates. We could not help but I asked for a lift towards Dunkirk till he found them. He did not and he decided to go back to have another look. I said he would not get away if he did. I do hope he got away as he had taken us within a mile or so of the jetty (or Mole as it was also called). I think he was upset at seeing so many bodies in the sea about to be washed up on the shore. I was in the dunes about two or three days before and a raid was on. I saw a Stuka put a bomb down the funnel of a ship. There was a mighty explosion so I guess the bodies were from that.
We were soon browned off when we were able to see the jetty crammed with French troops. After no more than 15 minutes there was such a noise-I should think the Germans had every plane they could on this raid. One chap suggested we take cover in the dunes but I very nicely explained to him that we were bound to be attacked when there were battleships and other shipping nearby. I had a good laugh at that, turned round to face the jetty and saw that it was empty. I guess all the French had fled into the town because of the air raid. It took us no time to reach the jetty and climb up. At one point we had to cross a bomb crater by plank. We were greeted: 鈥淭his way!鈥� Ships were tied up alongside the jetty. We reached the end one, got on that, crossed to another and there was HMS Icarus floating with the tide. We were told we had to jump for it: 鈥淭ime your jump. If you go in the sea you will not be helped鈥�. I was first. I jumped so far I nearly finished up the other side of the boat. My rifle and ammo was taken off me. We left Dunkirk harbour, guns blasting away and were given our first drink for a couple of days. The sea was kind to us and we arrived in Dover two hours later. As we left the boat I could not help but think of the crew. They were to go out again and face those air raids. I found out only recently that Icarus was sunk doing the same thing in Denmark a few weeks later. Coming over we heard the six o鈥檆lock news on the radio. It was Friday, all evacuation ended on Tuesday.
I would like to mention that after Dunkirk our company of the RASC was made into a motor coach company. We carried infantry as passengers in 1923 vintage coaches. Each weekend we were out on the move in case of invasion. In our company, which at full strength was 270 men we had precisely 24 rifles. Each of us had a bayonet but nothing to put it on. Believe it or not we were the second line of defence for the whole country and it stayed like that for the best part of two years.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.