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My name is Bert Meakin and I was a gunner with the 51st Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery. I joined the Territorial Army in March 1939 as part of the 51st Medium Artillery Regiment based at Hartshill barracks, Stoke on Trent. We were called up for the regular army on the Friday before war was declared on Sunday 3rd September 1939.

We reported to barracks on the Friday and were told to wait for news on the Sunday and then report to barracks first thing Monday morning. We were marched to Stone, Staffordshire (about 12 miles) and billeted into various buildings, I went to the Kay’s shoe factory. We trained at 2 firing camps in Wales. The guns were 1st world war 6inch howitzers on Iron wheels, pretty useless really!

In November we moved down to Trowbridge in Wiltshire. There we trained more with other regiments from Newbury and received armfuls of injections for every know disease. We were informed we would be going to France in early 1940 so half the regiment went on leave for Christmas; the other half went when they returned.

We sailed to France from Southampton on 1st February 1940 (I think the ship was the Duke of York) and Landed at Cherbourg. We were transported by train to Vivion, we were there for about a month training including a couple of night schemes. We then moved on to Boisleux, about 15 miles from Arras. From there on to Metz and there we saw our first action providing harassing fire in defence of the Maginot line. We had been told the Germans would never get through the Maginot line, they came found it through Belgium.

With the breakout we were rushed out to the Somme to stop the German advance and we were in action for about a week But we were eventually told that it was useless and we would be retreating. Notice was sent to the transport lines to send scammels to recover the guns and all the ammunition we could manage but we were also instructed that if the transport didn’t arrive it was every man for himself. The transport did arrive and we set off west for Dunkirk being sporadically dive bombed by stukas. As we reached Rouen we discovered that the Germans has got there before us. An officer was dispatched to see if there was a route past the town but he never returned, captured by a German patrol. The colonel rerouted us past the town and on to Le Harve.

Before we reached the port we abandoned our guns in woods and camped in woods near Le harve for 4 days waiting to see if the navy could provide transport. There was talk of building pontoon bridges over the Seine but eventually we were able to depart Le Harve on the Isle of Man Ferry ‘Lady of Man.’ We sailed over night, about 3000 men on a boat designed for a lot less, as dawn came we thought we were safe at the English coast but we had actually arrived at Cherbourg. We disembarked and went to a transit camp for something to eat and drink. We sailed that afternoon and arrived at Southampton without attack. We were put on to a train to Rhyl, North Wales. We were given a rail warrant for 7 days leave, but no money, and I managed to get home. I had been home for 2 days when I received a telegram to return to duty and the unit went to the Isle of Man to guard internees.

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