大象传媒

Submitted by: John Arthur Warry, 7b Orchard Close, Freshwarer |I.W PO40 9BQ

Date of joining Royal Corps of Signals T>A 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�� 4th May 1939
Rank: Signalman No.2582975
Trade: Lineman

On the above date I joined 2nd London Corps Signals. Headquarters were in the Hurlingham district of Fulham., West London.
Training was carried out in huts or in the street each Friday evening. A two week camp took place at Corfe Castle. This was washed out by heavy rain in the second week. The weekly training continued until Friday 1st September.
The Terretorial Army was placed on active service on the afternoon of that day. At this point I became a member of No.11 Line Section, and the section moved across the river to a large house in Putney. Our total gear consisted of a brown suit overall, boots and side cap. In November the unit transferred to Mons Barracks, Aldershot. We had now acquired an overcoat 鈥� either Burtons or Fifty Shilling Tailors. These were of many models. Also our more military gear had been issued: Battle Bowlers, Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifles WW1 pattern. Service type gas masks were issued and ammunition bandoliers, leather, cavalry for the use of.! It rained on the march down to Putney station, some of the coats had shrunk and had opening seams.

I have mentioned the equipment as an indication of how unready we were for the coming task. Of course all was put right and before the Unit moved to Fleet, proper greatcoats, webbing, packs etc were issued. At this point all men under 19yrs were transferred to No.10 Line Section and were replaced with men from No. 10 who were 19yrs. My 19th birthday was on the 25th November 1939. We now had transport: One 3 ton military truck designed for laying cable. The rest were commandeered civil vehicles. A small closed van such as a baker may use to deliver, an open truck with low wooden sides and canvas top, the sort that a greengrocer would use to collect from Covent Garden. A civvies motorbike and one of the latest type Morris 8 cars. To crown our glory we had a large Banana truck, flat top, flat floor, 6 post and canvas sides. With this wonderful display of military equipment and a bunch of young innocents, the unit left for France in January 1940.
As we all know too well, it was a disaster.. After the balloon went up, whilst out laying a cable in Belgium, our truck suffered a death hit and the four of us were on foot. Having been told to make our way to Dunkirk (no idea where that was !) we joined a mixed bag of comrades in arms. A day long drive ended at 23.00 hrs., the vehicles were put out of action as far as could be done without fire. Some infantry were placed at the head of the column and a forced march began, 50mins march, 10mins. Rest, from about 23.30hrs. till 15.00hrs. next day.

On my arrival on the beach at Bray Dune, my other three pals from No.11 were no longer with me. They may have been somewhere along the beach or had fallen out along the way. We never met again. I tried to find any Signals group but with no luck. I managed to join up with a Field Artillery group and with them marched along the beach during that night. At dawn I was below the concrete end of the East Mole at Dunkirk. Getting to the top of the concrete I found order out of chaos. Groups of 50 men were sent down the Mole at the double. At the seaward end was a destroyer loading (name unknown). As 50 men reached halfway along the Mole, another 50 were sent off. One had to jump over the damaged wood or walk the odd plank. Having flung myself and rifle on board I found a place to sit with my back against a torpedo tube, loaded I think. A Matelot came round with bucket and mugs. We had a drink of fresh English water without chlorine. This nectar was followed with a 鈥渄oorstep鈥� of a sandwich of fresh bread filled with cold roast beef. After my first meal for days I went to sleep. I woke up in Ramsgate harbour. I had learned to concentrate on my 鈥渢oday鈥� and take my 鈥渢omorrow鈥� as it comes. A disastrous beginning but I was fortunate to recover some of the shame in later theatres.
Like so many others, this was my first experience of the fears which come in war. As time goes on, as in my case in the Western Desert, Italy and then Normandy, those fears recur, but it seems that the human mind learns to live with it. The difference in the Dunkirk experience was the fact of not being with known comrades to talk with and share. Self dependence was a very good thing to learn and for that I was thankful in later years.

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