大象传媒

MY NAME IS ROSS BARNES, I HAVE SPENT A SHORT TIME IN THE ROYAL ARTILLERY IN 1978-1980, I LOST AN UNCLE IN THE SECOND WW, HE WAS A SUBMARINER, LOST ON THE MALAKEN STRAITS, SUBMARINE WAS CALLED, 'THE STRATERGEM', HIS NAME WAS DEREK DRACUP...I'M SENDING IN A STORY TOLD ME BYE A SURVIVER OF BOTH DUNKIRK AND MIRACULOUSLY THE ILL-FATED S.S. LANCASTRIA,.

JUNE 1940, A MOST REMARKABLE TRUE STORY TOLD ME BY AN EXTRORDINAIRY MAN, 'BILL', NOW BLIND, IN HIS NINETIES AND LIVING IN CANTERBURY. HIS DUAL ESCAPE OF HIMSELF AND HIS COMRADE IN 1940 WHEN BEING HELD BY THE GERMANS AS A P.O.W. ON AN ABANDONED FARM JUST INLAND FROM DUNKIRK (AREA KNOWN AS 'THE DUNKIRK PERIMETER'). AS I UNDERSTAND IT THEY WERE IN THE ROYAL SIGNALS CORP AND HEADING FOR THE BEACHES AT DUNKIRK, WHEN THEY WHERE CAPTURED.
THEY HAD MISSED THE EVACUATION COMPLETION ON THE 3RD AND 4TH OF JUNE, WERE STARVING HUNGRY, AS WERE THEIR GERMAN CAPTURES, THE DESERTED FARM THEY WERE HELD UPON HAD VARIOUS LIVESTOCK ROAMING ABOUT IT, USING THEIR WITS, CAUGHT AND MANAGED TO KILL AND COOK SEVERAL CHICKENS, THE GERMANS RESPECTED THEIR HUNGER AND INGENUIETY, 'ASKED' IF THEY MIGHT SHARE SOME WITH THE PRISONERS, KNOWING THE GERMANS HUNGER ALSO, 'ASKED', IN RETURN, IF THEY MIGHT TURN A BLIND -EYE' LATER IN THE EVENING , SO AS TO 'DISSAPEARE', WHICH , CANNILY THEY DID,. BILL AND ANOTHER SOLDIER BROKE OUT FROM THERE CAPTURES AND MADE THERE WAY 100'S OF MILES DOWN THE FRENCH COAST SOUTH,WHILE EN-ROUTE, THEY HAD HEARD THAT THE FRENCH 'VICHY' GOVERNMENT HAD SEVERED RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN AND THE GERMAN ARMY'S WERE ENTERING PARIS, BY NOW THOUSANDS OF OTHER FRENCH AND ENGLISH SOLDIERS WERE ALSO FLEEING SOUTH, UNABLE TO GET TO DUNKIRK, BUT HAD ALSO HEARD OF THE EVACUATION FROM OTHER FRENCH PORTS. BILL AND HIS PAL MANAGED TO GET TO St NAZAIRE, FAMISHED ONCE MORE, THEY WERE ONE OF THE VERY LAST MEN TO BE HURREADLY BOARDED UPON 'TROOP CARRIER, THE ILL-FATED S.S. LANCASTRIA, MIRACULOUSLY, DUE TO MASSIVE OVERCROWDING ALREADY ON BOARD (AND UNBEKNOWN TO THEM AT THE TIME) THEY WERE AMAZED TO FIND THEM SELVES ORDERED BACK OFF AND ONTO THE SISTER SHIP ALSO IN PORT(SORRY NO NAME AS YET?)AND BOUND FOR LIVERPOOL....
BILL CONTINUED, ONCE ONBOARD THE SMALLER SISTER SHIP, THEY WATCHED HELPLESSLY AS THE GERMAN BOMBERS CONTINUALLY TRIED TO SINK THE S.S. LANCASTRIA, FROM VERY EARLY MORNING OF THE 17TH OF JUNE, TELLING ME OF THE DIRECT HIT UPON IT'S FUNNEL LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, SEALING IT'S FATE AND MOST OF THOSE ON BOARD, AS WE NOW NO , THE REST IS HISTORY.
BUT, BILL WAS SAFE ONCE MORE, SAILING OUT EVENTUALLY AROUND LANDS END AND UP TO LIVERPOOL, WHERE TO THEIR CONTINUING PLIGHT, WERE THEN BOARDED INTO LORRY'S AND DRIVEN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LEICESTER, WHERE THEY COULD EAT ,DRINK AND REST PROPERLY, THEY HAD BEEN SAVED GOOD AND PROPER.
ESCAPING DUNKIRK IN THERE OWN BRILLIANT FASHION AND THE CHANCE THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY TAKEN BACK OFF THE S.S. LANCASTRIA,!, AN AMAZING STORY I HOPE YOU AGREE,.
I WAS A CARE WORKER FOR 'BILL' AT THE TIME HE TOLD ME THIS , AND DO NOT KNOW IF HE'S ABOUT ANY MORE? MORE THE REASON I FELT COMPELLED TO SHARE THIS WITH THIS SITE,
THANKS Mr ROSS BARNES, CANTERBURY.