大象传媒

I am Douglas Owen Steel and I am 84 years of age. Before the 2nd World War started in September 1939, I lived with my parents, two brothers, and one sister at 55 Mayhill Road, Charlton, London, SE7. I am also one of those, who in June 1940 was fortunate enough to escape capture by the German army, which was attacking Dunkirk, Belgium, at that time. If it is of interest, here is a brief account of how that came about, that is, my escape from Dunkirk.

On the 15th May 1939, I enlisted with the Territorial Army and joined up with the 92nd Field Regiment R. A., at Bereford Street, Woolwich, London, SE18, close to the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18. It was never my intention to join the army, I was quite happy with civilian life, in which I was helping to run and play for a local football team, and we played on Sunday mornings, mainly at and on Belvedere Marshes. I worked in the offices of G. A. Harvey and Sons Ltd, Charlton, SE7. One of my friends was Richard Burley, who played for our team, and he worked in a shop, whose early closing day was Thursday. On Friday, 10th May 1939, he told me he had joined the 92nd Field Regiment R.A., the previous day, and that he had to go and have his medical examination on Monday 15th May and he asked me to accompany him down to Woolwich, which I did, and on arriving at the Woolwich drill hall, he went inside, and I waited for him, by standing on the pavement outside. Whilst so doing, a uniformed army man, who I found out later, was Permanent Staff Instructor Sam Watkins, asked me what I was doing, so I told him, and he said 鈥淕o inside the drill hall and wait鈥�, which I did, and I joined about 50 other men already in there, and got medically examined and sworn in, as they were too, and that is how I joined the Territorial Army.

On the 1st September1939, I received my calling up paper, our regiment was sent to Cheam, Surrey, and in late September 1939 we were sent to France with the first B.E.F., Troops, and for the next seven months whilst the 鈥減honey war鈥� was taking place, waited for the real war to start, which it did on the 10th May 1940, and then on, the German army chased us from pillar to post around Northern France and Belgium. On the 31st May 1940 we were at Adinkerque, and on the 1st June 1940, Rosendaal, where we left our guns and equipment. Dunkirk was 2 miles away and we were told to make our way there which we did arriving at about 2 pm on the 1st June 1940. We waited on the beach, watching boats come and go, hoping that we would be allowed to get on board one of them, and eventually at 2am, 2nd June 1940 we were shepherded along Dunkirk jetty and got on board 鈥淭he Royal Daffodil鈥�, being given a Mae West lifebelt as we boarded. We were told by the crew that the three boats being loaded with troops at that time were the last boats coming for troops, we were allowed below deck and using my lifebelt as a pillow I laid down and fell asleep and was woken up by a crew member who told us we were pulling into Ramsgate harbour. From Ramsgate we were taken by train to Clay Cross, near Chesterfield.

We, the 92nd Field Regiment R.A., had the dubious honour of being the first British troops to land in France in September 1939 and the last to leave Belgium, on 2nd June 1940.

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