大象传媒

Home on a Coal Barge
My father, Len Ellis, was known as 'Tiny' during the war on account of being 6'4". He is 83 now and still going strong. He was a member of the Southport Dunkirk Veteran's Association until its recent disbandment. He has travelled back to Dunkirk several times with the Association. He has a medal presented by the Mayor of Dunkirk, from the people of Dunkirk. This was given to all those serving in the B.E.F. in 1939/40.
As a driver for the RASC he was detailed to collect some troops at night from one point and then to drop them off at another. You were then dismissed to find your way back from whence you had come. This was all done in pitch black, no headlights,no street lights, and no idea were you where. When dawn came they pulled over, got out of the vehicle and went to sleep on the grass. When they awoke the road was very busy with military traffic all going in one direction - the opposite way from where they were facing. A Corporal stopped a staff car full of 'Brass Hats' and asked what was happening and he said to leave as soon as possible because the Germans were just down the road. Dad had to carry on in the direction of the enemy until he could find a place to turn the vehicle round - much to the upset of his comrade! They turned and retreated, and were later stopped by military police who ordered them to drive the vehicle into a nearby field and destroy it. Dad hated doing this because it had been his home! They continued on foot, which blistered their feet because as drivers they were not used to long marches in army boots. Eventually a gun carrier offered them a lift and after another couple of miles they were stopped at a bridge and told it was mined. They then had to walk back over much of the road that they had just had a lift down. Days previously, they had received a leaflet drop from the Germans telling them they were surrounded but none of the soldiers had believed it, thinking it to be propaganda - but it was true.
Eventually Dad ended up on the beach near De Panne and walked towards 'The Mole', at Dunkirk. He joined the end of a queue of thousands of men. Whilst waiting a soldier collapsed in front of them. He was wearing a gas cape. Dad saw that he was injured and bleeding, so he and another soldier carried the wounded man to the front of the queue. There they saw 3 coal barges. They took him on board one of them. The civilians on board let Dad and the other soldier stay on board. They were told to go below deck. They stripped off their wet clothes and fell asleep on the coal dust. Helping the soldier probably saved Dad's life. In the morning they felt the boat was moving and Dad went on deck to see what was going on. He assumed they were being taken to Cherbourg to continue the fight. He saw white cliffs, and he knew they were no white cliffs at Cherbourg. They realised it must be Dover, and they were going home. Dad got home on 28th May, shortly before his 20th birthday. At no time in this story did Dad know, where he was, where is was going, or what he would be expected to do next. I just can't imagine 19 year olds today coping with what previous generations did. I admire those soldiers greatly. Dad said he saw men in trouble in the sea, because they did not want to lose their guns or back packs, because they knew they would be fined, when they returned to base!!
In 1941 my Dad was on his way out East (he served in the 8th Army). He heard a boat on the Mersey, which he said he recognised the sound of. He certainly recognised the name. It was The Duurswold - the Dutch coal barge that had brought him home from Dunkirk the year before.

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