- Contributed byÌý
- samisdad
- People in story:Ìý
- Herbert Grindrod
- Location of story:Ìý
- Salford
- Background to story:Ìý
- Army
- Article ID:Ìý
- A2023985
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 11 November 2003
Among the last to leave
My grandfather was at Dunkirk. His job was destroying the equipment they were leaving behind, and because of this he was one of the last to leave.
Meanwhile, my grandmother, who was very heavily pregnant with the baby who was to become my uncle, had not heard anything about him for a week. She was beginning to fear the worst.
Going to the pictures
On 8 June, her cousin persuaded her to go to the pictures to take her mind off it. During the Pathe news, there was an article about French and Belgian soldiers who'd been rescued from Dunkirk. There, leaning out of the train, sporting a Belgian helmet — he'd lost his own — was my granddad.
My gran's cousin went to see the cinema manager. He kindly arranged for a still photo from the newsreel for my gran.
No rest at home
My granddad finally arrived home on 10 June. He collapsed into his first bed for more than a week, only to be woken up an hour later and kept awake for most of the night as my gran went into labour.
My gran, who is 90, has a video copy of the Pathe newsreel to go with her photo, thanks to my uncle who tracked it down for her birthday a few years ago.
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Story with photo