大象传媒

I was in 4th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. No. 6402232.
May,1940: Having fought for ten days, we were ordered to push forward in an endeavour to slow the German advance. Arriving at Wortegem in the early afternoon, we came under intense shell fire and dispersed into the ditches around a field for about two hours whilst a German spotter plane directed the artillery fire in our direction. Ordered to proceed, we pushed forward into a cobbled street: having taken up firing positions, we proceeded into the centre of the town, still under very heavy shell fire. Then a shell fell right on top of us killing several and wounding myself and many others. Complete mayhem was all around us, I passed in and out of consciousness as I lie in the middle of the road. Suddenly the tanks appeared and started firing. A nun rushed into the road and dragged me onto the pavement. The remainder of the Company tried to continue forward but were pushed back with the Germans in pursuit firing continuously, several bullets went straight through my ankle. The next thing I remember was coming to in a convent - thinking I had been killed and had arrived in Heaven! A nun was bending over me: her white head dress made her look like an angel, she was crying and her tears fell onto my unshaven cheeks. Passing in and out of consciousness, I remember very little of the next couple of days, I came too on a stretcher being carried to an army ambulance already full with wounded. How I came to get there I have no idea, weak from the loss of blood, and without food or drink I was beyond caring. Somehow the driver managed to dodge the Germans and arrived on the perimeter of the Dunkirk beaches where he was ordered to leave us. (Churchill had ordered that all the wounded were to be left behind). A German recce unit surrounded us and a suicide squad was formed in an endeavour to get us out. The Officer who led this was killed##. My comrades dragged me out and left me with the other wounded. I managed to roll and drag myself a few yards when a French soldier gave me a firemans lift nearer to the waters edge. I layed on the beach under terrific air assault for the next two days. A small boat looking for survivors amongst the hundreds of dead and wounded, found me and ferried me to a ship anchored in the channel. The captain of the rescue ship informed us he had orders to make for Newhaven in Sussex as Dover Ramsgate and the other ports were full to over flowing. I spent eighteen months in hospital undergoing five major operations.
P.S. I was reported missing in action. When my mother visited me in hospital she told me of the nuns rescue: one of my comrades, Laurel Taylor, had witnessed it. He was on compassionate leave and visited my mother to tell her what he had seen.
## This Officer who was killed:
I have met his son - his mother was pregnant with him at the time - He is deputy head master at a Tunbridge Wells School.

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