大象传媒

There was a thick cloud of black smoke to our left over Dunkirk, often blocking out the sun. We arrived at a cross roads, really a T junction I suppose because the road ahead was a track. It was left to Dunkirk the signpost said and there was a military police sergeant there, very smart who said no one was allowed to go to Dunkirk and that everyone had to turn right towards Belgium. There were a number of small groups sometimes with an officer and they were directed to the left which we guessed was to the beach. 鈥淪tragglers and deserters keep going鈥� was shouted by another M.P. I thought murder would be done. Who on earth briefed these characters but nobody could raise the energy for physical assault but there were plenty of remarks about his legitimacy and again he retired in some discomfort. Of course the majority of the B.E.F. were regulars and knew all sorts of words which we had never heard before.

We passed through Bray Dunes and then into Belgium and the next seaside resort La Panne. We knew we had been near the sea for some time with the sand dunes on our left. Gradually we peeled off and passed through groups of soldiers ensconced in the dunes. Then at last, there was the sea, a few vessels off shore, but we were horrified and depressed to see five or six destroyers, mostly flying the white ensign and two I think with the tricolour aground, obviously sunk in the shallow water. What a sight, the bombers had been busy. It was evening, we couldn鈥檛 really see the sun because of the smoke. Bruce and I settled down in the dunes well away from the sea. I suppose we dozed on and off after some initial air activity which we thought was directed at shipping off shore.

In the morning nothing seemed to be happening, nothing at sea anyway. There was a large red brick building on the road, looked like a large school or hospital or similar 鈥� not a hotel. There was a tap outside and a long queue filling up water bottles which we joined. We had no idea of the date or the day except that the Belgians had surrendered some days previously. It was a pleasant day. The weather had been changeable, some days quite cloudy which limited air activity. We noticed that there was quite a lot of air activity very high up. Planes obviously fighters too high to identify were obviously engaged in combat. It was good for morale because at last the R.A.F. were in evidence. We had still only identified the Lysander which had been shot down and some troops were very vocal and bitter in their anger at the lack of air support.

We dozed in the dunes for some hours and woke to find that there was a paddle steamer and a destroyer anchored off shore, obviously crowded with troops. We were told that they had come from the direction of Dunkirk and presumed they had been taken off the beach in the Bray Dunes area. It was late afternoon and we thought they were waiting for escorts, or the dark. But nothing was happening where we were. Bruce was very tired and my right foot where the shell had been dropped on it from a lorry was sore. That seemed ages ago but I said I would walk towards Nieuport along this wonderful sandy beach at the water鈥檚 edge.

We had seen the previous day that someone at the water鈥檚 edge had been spotted and reunited with some comrades. There had been some desultory shelling towards Nieuport so I presumed that the Germans were quite close in that direction. A few Heinkels appeared and bombed the beach and ships in the area I had just left. I continued along the hard sand and lo and behold came face to face with Second Lieutenant Foster, an old Askean I knew, a star rugby player perhaps two or three years older than I, who was in 362 battery, the other half of the regiment. He agreed that nothing was happening and I said that I could easily swim out to the destroyer and he said that he would if he could. I don鈥檛 remember if he was with others in the dunes. I decide to return to where I鈥檇 left Bruce. I had carefully noted the position in relation to a beached destroyer and the red brick building but to my dismay I couldn鈥檛 find him. I searched and shouted in the area for some time. Someone said that a bomb had fallen in the vicinity and that casualties had been removed to the road. I went up to the road and saw some RAMC personnel who told me that some casualties had been moved inland. I wandered again more in hope than expectation and without success. I sat in a hollow in the dunes and made another effort to find Bruce. It was hopeless.

I decided to desert. I wandered down to the water鈥檚 edge. The sea was very calm, gently lapping the sand and there was a remarkable phosphorescence on the edge of the little waves. I had never seen anything like it before and I think only once since but I can鈥檛 remember where it was. I tore up my pay book which was rather foolish as the Germans must have had thousands of them from P.O.W. anyway. I removed my battledress top and shirt both of which had three small holes in the back, took off my socks and boots for the first time for well over a week and was pleased to see that my right foot, although after the first incident had given me little trouble, was less swollen and was mostly a fetching shade of blue and purple. Then I finished by removing my trousers and of course I was starkers because the drawers cellular or under pants as we would call them nowadays were fixed to the trousers by braces which were slipped through the tabs on the top of the pants and buttoned on to the trousers. I must have been quite conspicuous as everyone else seemed to be scattered in the dunes.

I waded between two beached destroyers in the mucky water avoiding the floating debris. Eventually I started swimming towards the destroyer. More bombers, A.A. guns on the destroyer blazing away and spouts of water in the area of the destroyer. I thought, having seen the wrecked destroyers that this lot of pilots were not very good. Perhaps they were novices and by this time the experienced crews were resting. I could feel the shock waves in the water. I could see the crowds of troops on deck and to my horror white foam at the stern. It moved off. So, plan 2, the paddle steamer which was about the same distance from the shore in the direction of Dunkirk was the goal. I swam parallel with the shore for some distance because I knew it was very shallow and if I became tired I could turn towards the beach and be able to stand up.

I was offered a lift. A whale boat crammed with troops, complete with tin hats and packs and rifles came alongside. There was very little free board and I decided that a near miss from a bomb would be a disaster so I declined. I didn鈥檛 go as far west as I intended but made a right turn, about 120 degrees and made straight for the paddle steamer, with shouts of encouragement from those on board. There was a small open hatch to the aft of the paddle. I reached it and immediately arms grabbed me and I was hoisted on board. I found I was on an iron grating, a sort of raised platform with the engines below, the whole area was crowded with troops.

My appearance livened up things considerably. There were cheers and jeers and laughter and some unrepeatable remarks about my matrimonial prospects. A ship鈥檚 engineer with a white cover to his cap, I remember that white cover so clearly, obtained a sack, wedged it under his left arm and cut the two bottom corners off and told me to make myself decent. So I put one leg in each hole. The A.A. machine guns on deck opened up and the ship rocked to loud explosions and some one shouted 鈥淕et up on deck you鈥檙e trapped down here鈥� and made for the companion way. I had a wonderful view. Someone hit him on the head with a shovel 鈥� a lovely clanging noise and he collapsed. I stretched out on the grating and the next thing I remembered was being shaken and someone saying 鈥淲ake up we are in Sheerness.鈥� I found that someone had folded a sack and rested my head on it. I had had twelve hours sleep.

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