Beyond Dunkirk - Part 2 (Leaving Boulogne)

Part 2 of the letter my grandfather, Cpl Edward Arthur Wilkins (1860815) wrote to his wife and son on 12th June 1940 detailing the last few days before his capture by the Germans near Cap Gris Nez, which he left with Madame Urruty, Guesnoy sur Duele and which she posted back to England in April 1945.

We are awakened early on Thursday, 23rd May, and are told we have to stand-by for any duty; presently we are marched off to different parts of the town and we make barricades with cars, lorries and anything we can find. We are then sent off in separate squads to take up positions near the barricades. I go with Sgt. Bullock and Cpl. Campbell and L. Cpl. Twist - we take up position in an evacuated cafe overlooking a barricade. The orders are that we are to wait until the tank or tanks reach the barricade and not to fire until they
get out and proceed to remove the barricade. Well, we settle down at our post each taking turns as look-out, presently we hear plenty of firing and shelling. About 24 of our planes fly over but just carry on; a little later whilst we are listening to the shelling etc., an enormous fleet of enemy bombers arrive and start dive bombing and gunning. I watch these from an upstairs window and notice 10 to 20 very lights go up from the houses surrounding us. These, I learn afterwards, are fifth-columnists. We carry on each doing his turn and drinking wine, rum and cognac - eating biscuits, frying sausages etc, when in comes a Sgt. and six men of the A.M.P.Co, and tell us that he is to man this
Post, so Sgt. Bullock goes out and speaks to our Officer, Lt. Roscoe and asks him what is to happen. He is told to get back and remain there until further orders. The firing gets nearer and nearer. I notice the A.M.P. Sgt. and his men have got the wind-up.

THROUGH THE BARRICADES

Presently the firing commences at the top of our street. Away darts the A.M.P.'s to the door; they stand there arguing what to do. I go down and when I get to them they dash across the street in amongst the barricades and rat-tat, rat-tat, two are killed outright and the others get away. I take a peep up the street and see a large tank coming towards us at walking pace. It is firing as it comes and on each side there are Germans slowly advancing down the street with tommy-guns. I dodge back into the house and am half-way up the stairs when the tank reaches the barricade. He puts about 20 shots into the door-way and then and there puts one or two into the lorries and cars of the barricade which starts a fire and it is only a very few minutes before the barricade is well alight. I do not know when the tank departed as I could not hear owing to the roar of the fire
outside our house. I tell the other 3 what has happened and we decide to obey
orders and wait for further instructions. So we sit down for an hour or two, the fire still raging and I realise the house next door is alight. Things begin to look serious for there is no back door and a raging fire at the front. I dodge upstairs into an attic and have a look at the fire - it is coming through the wall making an awful roar so I decide to see if it is possible to get out by the roof. I find we can get on to the roof so I go and tell the others and I snatch up sheets and blankets to lower ourselves down when the opportunity arrives. I am just getting out when Campbell shouts that it is all clear outside.

There are French soldiers walking about so I dash down and through the fire and get back to H.Q. 10 Rue de Felix Adam. When we get there the door is shut but we find one of the Office staff B. Homer and a Sgt. of the Guards with one or two more Guardsmen. It is now about 11 p.m. so we decide to have a little sleep and then go down to the Docks and find out what is happening.

At 4.30 a.m. on Friday 24th we go down to the Docks and find everything deserted - somebody keeps taking pot-shots at us. We find 2 Guards Officers who have lost half of their Company and are looking for them so the Guards Sgt. and Guardsmen go with them - we go back to H.Q. Campbell, Bullock and myself slip round to the Hotel de Monsigny and have a wine or two and then get back to the Office and there is now a conference on what is best to do. We decide to send out scouts to find out what is happening, so off go Bullock and Campbell. Campbell arrives back
about two hours later without Bullock. He states that Bullock entered the Citadel to make enquiries and never returned. We get more joining us; Sgt. Blackwell and Spr. McVickers, Foley and Lockart of the A.M.P.C have found their way to our door - also another man whose name I do not know. We send out two more scouts. Twist and the unknown fellow — they fail to return. We keep on hearing pot-shots being taken every now and again. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon there is a knock at the door so I go and there are Q.M.S. Naylor, J. Thornton, A. Cacswell, F. Raine, H. Mayne, R.W. Hall, T.R. Rae, W.P. Richards, W.G. Duncan
which with McVickers, Lockart, Blackwell, Hamer, Foley, Campbell and
myself make 16 in all. Bullock, Twist and the other are missing.

We all decide to await events. There is a terrific amount of firing going on in the town - just one continual din. Presently things quieten down and we look round for food and find we have enough here for a week so we have a meal. Campbell goes out and gets some coffee. We notice through the windows that the refugees are looting everywhere. We go to sleep in the cellar, get up and have a meal and find that we shall soon be short of water as this is cut off so we have about 40 gallons in fire pails which we are
taking care of.

LYING LOW

Today, Saturday 25th, the Germans come up the street clearing all the French troops out of the houses. They enter every house but miss ours. Why, we do not know. Tanks pass through, many armoured cars and many vehicles of all descriptions. We decide to lie low as we all think that we shall have the British and French returning within a couple of days, so Q.M.S. Naylor and I decide it will be best to ration everything. We have bully beef and biscuits, Machonicies Irish Stew, Tea, Milk and Sugar, some sweet Biscuits and a few tins of Soup, Jam etc. We stay here unseen by anyone until the following Saturday, 1st June, 1940, when we approach the people next door. By the way, the water has come on so we are alright for water. These people give us food etc.

On Sunday a Belgian Padre arrives and tells us we must get out as the Belgian
Mission require the house on Thursday, so he proposes getting us civilian
clothes and does so. These arrive on Tuesday, 4th June. We split ourselves up into parties and cut the cards for time of departure. On Wednesday Campbell and McVickers go out at 10.30 a.m., Rae and Duncan at 11 a.m., Richards and Blackwell at 11.30 a.m., Thornton, Carswell and Hamer at 12 noon. On Thursday, 6th June 1940, Lockart and Hall left at 9.30 a.m. Raine, Mayne and Foley left at 10 a.m., Naylor and myself at 10.15. What happened to the rest I do not know, but the following is what happened to Naylor and me.
I have been continually worried my Pet about you and Arthur especially you
worried through no news. I cannot sleep at night thinking about you. I do
not know which is best, to give myself up or try and hang on until the British
and French return. We have had the wireless up till now so we have heard all
the news. Well Darling if I have done the wrong thing forgive me my Pet for
I am doing what I consider best.
LEAVING BOULOGNE
Well, to carry on, we walk out of 10 Rue de Felix Adam. I have a suitcase,
one blanket, plenty of handkerchiefs, brown boots, grey flannels, blue shirt
and sports jacket and we pass many Germans. First we proceed to the Hotel de
Monsigny and make enquiries about getting out of town. We have a nice meal
here and Mme. Samprim and her daughter Tony together with Mme. Okeef
make us very welcome and wish us to stay. We refuse to do so as it
would be unfair to them as the Germans are using the Hotel at all times.
We find Rae and Duncan here, they have been here since yesterday so Q.M.S.
Naylor very properly chokes them off for endangering the safety of the
good people. We leave and walk out of Boulogne passing many Germans on
our way. We reach Bainethun and we find that money does not talk here
for we have about 1,400 Francs between us but we cannot buy bread and most
Cafes are short. We have some Bully and Biscuits with us so we feast off
of this. We stop at a stream and wash ourselves, our feet and have a
shave. As we are leaving the stream a German motorcyclist rides towards
us and he starts pulling up as if to speak to us but changes his mind and
passes us so we decide to find a quiet spot to sleep the night. We find
a nice corner in a field and get down to it. I do not sleep much thinking
of you my Dear. How you must be worrying about me.

(To be continued in Part 3)

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.