Beyond Dunkirk - Part 5 (Standard British Army Issue Lilos)

Part 5 of the story of the my grandfather, Cpl Edward Arthur Wilkins (1860815) last few days before his capture by the Germans near Cap Gris Nez, continues on from the letter he wrote to his wife and son in his diary..

That Sunday night (16th June) at 10 p.m. we three, Naylor and myself (with M. Urruty
as our guide) walked with our home-made oars through fields and across
country avoiding all roads as a curfew was on and the Germans shot first
and asked questions later after nightfall. We reached our destination Wimereux
and quietly dodged through the streets until we reached the seashore where
two boats were lying on the hard about 50 yds from the water's edge.
It is now about midnight. 50 yds inland were houses lit up which we could
see were occupied by the Germans. In the darkness we chose one boat and
turned it keel upwards as it was easier to get a grip to carry it as we did
not dare drag it as it would have made too much noise. We had carried it
within a few yards of the water's edge when we stopped for a rest. I was
out of breath and leaned over the boat when I saw something move under me.
Looking more closely, to my dismay, I realised what I had seen move was my
own foot - I was looking through a gaping hole in the bottom of the boat.
This we had not seen till then owing to the darkness. I pointed this out
to the others and we soon realised we could not repair it so we crept back
upshore to the other boat. This we found was holed also. They had been
holed by the Germans. We conferred and decided we would get back to
M. Urruty's.
We arrived back at approx. 2 pm. We found Mme. Urruty eagerly awaiting
the return of her husband but, when she saw we were still with him, I saw
by her expression fear and disappointment. I made up my mind
then and there that we should not impose upon. these good people any longer.
After we had refreshments I put it to M. and Mme. and they agreed and said
stay the night and leave in the morning.. This we did. I left my letter
(to my dear Wife and Son) with Madame to post after the War was over and this
she promised she would do. So off we went and hid out in a culvert which
ran under the railway line within sight of the house for we thought we ought
to hang on there in case Hall returned. He had gone to Boulogne to fit
himself out with khaki uniform but as he had been gone so long we could
not wait any longer for him re the boats). We made ourselves comfy in
the culvert keeping an eye open on the cottage and, within hours of our
departure from the cottage, I saw German troops enter the house and search
the rooms and garden sheds etc. I thanked God we had left in time.
M. and Mme. knew we were in the culvert but did not give us away.
That afternoon Hall returned. He had obtained a uniform from our old
office at Boulogne. We explained to him that we had to leave for the
boat without him as Monsieur could only take us on a Sunday. We spent a
day or so in the culvert. Whilst we were inside the Germans came along the railway
line repairing the telegraph wires. They climbed up the pole adjoining the
entrance to the culvert and spent half a day repairing the wires but not one of
them looked into the culvert or we would have been seen. After they had gone
we had a conference and decided this dodging the Germans was not worth it. (We
were very short of food and I had developed a bad throat - I could not eat or
talk). We decided to give ourselves up, so next morning we took off our
civilian clothes and walked along the line in our uniforms on to the main
road where we attempted to stop German cars and lorries by waving them down.

They just waved back at us and carried on. We then walked up the road '
towards the place where we had seen the road block a few weeks ago but
they had dispersed so we went on to a little village where there was an
Estaminet. We walked in; there were German soldiers and Belgian refugees
eating and drinking so we joined them and tried to explain who and what
we were but failed to raise anyone's interest in us. We bought refreshments
and some bread and decided to go back to the culvert. My throat was still
very bad, I couldn't eat and found it painful to drink.
When we arrived back at the culvert we had a long talk and one of us
remembered the Lilo Beds we had left behind at the Rue de Felix Adam office -
(could we make a raft out of these?). It was decided one of us would return
to the Office in Boulogne and get what Lilos etc., we could find. We tossed
for who should go. I was too ill so it was left to Naylor and Hall. Hall
lost the toss and proceeded to Boulogne whilst we waited in the culvert.
He returned with three Lilos, a pair of wire cutters and, I think, a Machette.
This is a long-bladed fearsome-looking knife which would be handy for cutting
off boughs from trees to enable us to construct a raft. Naylor climbed
up the telegraph poles and cut a considerable length of wire which we could
use to bind the boughs together to make an airborne raft with the Lilo Beds.
We decided we would make for Cap Gris Nez where the Channel swimmers start
from; get there and hide up and look for boughs or timber to make the raft.
So, with the coil of wire, the wire cutters and machette, we started off
after dark. We had to go across country avoiding the roads. We cautiously
made our way - I remember being amazed when going through one field which had
a herd of cows in it how they followed us across the field. I never realised
how curious cows can be at night - in fact they were a nuisance as Dick Naylor
was a little scared of them. However, we carried on and reached an empty
building. We went in after ensuring there were no Germans inside. We
decided to spend the remainder of the night and next day there. This must
have been approx. 2 a.m. in the night - there were beds in the house which
would have ensured us a comfortable night's sleep but we decided to sleep in
an empty stable on the straw which was there. Dick and Hall dropped straight
off to sleep. I could not as my throat was getting worse. As I lay awake I heard a motor vehicle draw up outside and the slamming of car doors, so I
listened intently then I heard Germans searching the house. They came out
and, as they passed the stable, they opened the top door of the stable,
glanced in with their torches, never saw us and went away.
The next morning, when we got up, I told Dick and Hall of our narrow escape
as best I could with my sore throat. I could see they did not believe me.
However, when we looked out it being daylight now, we could see a farmhouse
with chicken running about. Dick said he would go down there and see if
he could buy some eggs. He came back with milk, eggs and bread and said
the Farmer and his wife could not believe we stayed at this empty house as
not only had the Germans searched the farmhouse they had searched the hideout
as well.
We were now only a few miles from Cap Gris Nez so we decided once more to discard
our civvies and take a chance in Army uniform covered with Officers' mackintoshes
which we had brought with us from the Office. These had been left behind by our Officers.
Very early on the 22nd June, 1940, we started off. We met no one and as we
got nearer to the coast, avoiding houses, we made our way down a lane
towards the seashore. We then came upon a farmhouse and buildings we had
not noticed before. We decided to be bold and walk straight on by the
farmhouse. The lane passed right by the front of the farmhouse with a farmyard
with a wall around it. We passed straight through the farm gates being open.
We saw no sign of the farm being occupied even though we passed within a few
feet of the windows. We carried on towards the shore. Here we found the
last half mile consisted of just sand dunes. A path leading us to the
shore went through a valley with sand dunes each side but sometimes we had
to walk over a dune. When doing this I looked towards the cliffs on my
left and spotted Germans on the cliff top about half a mile away. One was
focusing his fieldglasses upon us. I said "get down we are spotted". This
we did by slithering down to the bottom of a dune. After a while I crept up to
see if the Germans were still interested in us. At that moment a naked man
approached us from the seashore. He hadn't a stitch on him. He was a German
soldier who had been for an earlv dip in the sea. He said in broken English
"Are you Tommies?" - Dick replied in broken French that we were French and then
said to me (who was still on the top of the dune, - "shall I slash his head off
with the machette?". I said "Better not" just in time to prevent him for I
had spotted, out of the corner of my eye, two Germans with rifles covering us
about 20 yds. away up the path towards the farm. They approached us and we
gave ourselves up. The nude German searched us for weapons etc., when he
found the machette he went berserk.
We were marched back to what we thought was a deserted farm and found it was
billetting a whole section of Germans. We were interrogated by their Officer
who spoke English. He said things looked serious for us as we were in civilian
clothes but, when I removed —my mackintosh and revealed the uniform underneath,
he appeared very much relieved and told us to discard them - which we did (the
Macs were taken away - we never saw them again). We were given a good meal
and made comfortable. Had a good wash and brush-up and later on in the day
we were taken by lorry inland to a German Army Headquarters. There we were
separated for the night. I don't know where Dick and Hall were kept but I was
put in a small solid brick cubicle about 6'0" long and 4'0" wide with a narrow
bench running along one side. Fortunately I still had my Lilo with me, so
also did Dick and Hall. This I inflated and placed it on the bench and settled
down to whatever fate decided for me. The only door was secured with a padlock -
there was a peephole through which I was observed periodically throughout the
night. I slept well considering. I think I was a little relieved this cat and
mouse game was over and could sleep without having to keep one eye open.
The next morning I was given food and taken for interrogation. I was asked my
name. "Wilkins" I said. The interrogator said "Vilkins - Jew". I said
"No - Wilkins" continually throughout this interrogation. He kept on accusing
me of being a Jew until at last I said "Well, examine me and you will find
I have not been circumcised". This they did and he was satisfied I was not
a Jew. I have often thought since, would I have been able to recount this if
I had had that operation in my younger days. After a thorough interrogation
which lasted all the morning and part of the afternoon - you see they knew I, or
we, must have been helped by someone while on the run and they wanted to find
out who, they continually questioned me as to how we managed to eat and drink
etc., since the middle of May. I denied we had had any help and that we
had managed to survive on the food we took with us when we left the Office.
What intrigued them most were the Lilo Beds. They thought they were British
Army Issue and part of our standard equipment - I let them think so.

(To be continued in Part 6)

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