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At the outbreak of war, 817658 Dvr. A. J. Hardy was posted to the 58th Chemical Warfare Company, Royal Engineers at Porton Down. There, he was not only given intensive training in protection against chemical weapons but also in their use. He then joined the British Expeditionary Force in France.

The first few months passed quietly but in May 1940 things became more active as the German Army broke through the French line and then, just a few days later both the Belgian and Dutch lines capitulated. This left the British and remaining French alone to face the German onslaught.

On 23rd May the British headquarters at Renescure were under heavy fire and an evacuation was ordered. Dvr. Hardy took a lorry and together with the rest of his company made for a main road. There it was found that two men were missing so he returned to where the headquarters, located in a chateau, had stood. Nothing remained, the whole place had been completely demolished and there were no signs of the missing men.

Again, Dvr Hardy drove back through heavy fire to reach his company. By this time, although his lorry was in a sorry state he was able to keep it going, along with assorted vehicles and masses of refugees on foot heading towards a place called Dunkirk, unknown at that time. By this time German bombers and fighter aircraft were bombing and machine gunning the main road so Dvr. Hardy took his lorry into the surrounding country lanes and woodlands, trying to avoid being seen, although German flares were lighting up the countryside. This proved to be a slow and precarious journey over two days and nights without sleep or food, until reaching Dunkirk on 25th May. Once in Dunkirk Dvr. Hardy joined thousands of other soldiers who were sheltering from the constant bombing in a large, concrete bus terminal. Close to the opening was a lorry laden with ammunition and this was hit by an incendiary bomb causing the lorry to catch fire. Despite his two days and nights without sleep or food, Dvr. Hardy realised that the chances of survival for those in the bus terminal would be very small if the ammunition exploded and so, without thought for his own safety, he climbed up onto the burning vehicle and extinguished the flames.

For eight more days Dvr. Hardy and the Royal Engineers remained in Dunkirk trying to give as much time as possible for the evacuation by blowing up bridges and flooding areas around the rivers, impeding the Germans鈥� progress. Eventually, on 1st June, Dvr. Hardy, together with a remaining few managed to board a coal barge and after an unpleasant crossing reached Folkestone on 2nd June 1940.

In October 1942 at Buckingham Palace King George VI presented Dvr. A. J. Hardy with the Military Medal inscribed 鈥淔or Bravery in the Field鈥� the citation reads 鈥淎t Renescure on 23 May brought his truck away successfully under heavy fire. At Dunkirk on 25th May when parked MT (motor transport) was being bombed and machine gunned from the air he quitted shelter in order to extinguish fire caused by an incendiary bomb in a truck which he knew was laden with ammunition and high explosives. He thereby averted a serious explosion in a crowded area鈥�.

Throughout wars there have been many acts of bravery, some recognised, others not, but we, the grandchildren of Albert John Hardy M.M., a quiet, unassuming man, now almost 90 years of age and living together with our grandmother in a village near Eastbourne, are proud to be related to a man who although trained to take life had his bravery recognised for saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. Part of the true Dunkirk spirit.

Mark; John Paul and Alison Hardy

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