大象传媒

I joined the Royal Field Artillery in October 1939 at Fort Brockhurst, Gosport. Some training took place, and after a posting hiccup, found myself joining th 115th Field regt. at Bordon on arriving there on a March afternoon was immediately told that we were to travel to France the next day.
We embarked at Southanmpton,arrived at LeHavre, put on to railway wagons label 40 Hommes 8 Cheveux we travelled to Yevtot.
Later journeying to Englebelmer on the Somme a uninteresting village of mud and rats. High light each week was a trip to the Municipal baths in Albert a few kilometres away.
Only entertainment during this "Phoney War" period was a stroll to Mailly Maillet some two kilometres away, for a meal, as the food supplied by the Army was totally insufficient.
A further moved took us to Bapaume (where another time I could tell you a different story.
Onward to the Belgiam border Douai and Marchiennes.
As you well know the German Army invaded on 10th May 1940; we were ordered over the border as far as Halle near Brussels, then doding about the Belguim countryside with little petrol and little food. Through Ath to end up at Mt. Kemmel into Armentier, to save a gun, back to Kemmel and then we were off, no one knew where.
Of course it was in a few miles of Dunkirk to which we trudged to find ourselves on the beach at about 6.00p.m. after shuffling in a queue for 12 hours we finally got to the Mole and boarded a pleasure boat to cross the Channel.
On arrival at Ramsgate, we boarded a train that travelled the Kentish countryside, stopping only once, across London to finally get to Witney in Oxfordshire.
Where a hot meal had been prepared for us, the first in many a long day.
I had an arrangement with my Father that I would let him know where I was when I could so after this very welcome meal, entered a call-box for at transfer of charge call to Leiston, Suffolk.
The operator said that there was an air-raid on London and calls were difficult. I mentioned that I only wish to get a message to my Father, so the operator ask had I just returned from Dunkirk which I replied, "Yes" I have never been connected so quickly as on that night, gave my message and rang off.