DUNKIRK POSTCARDS

A 15 year old, I went to school daily from Ashford to Folkestone. Dunkirk was evacuated in term time. Although the four railway companies gathered every odd bit of rolling stock and pulled it with any locomotives that were capable, to run troop trains inland from the Channel ports, I was never seriously late for school; even at the peak with troop trains every three minutes. They had a brief stop for water at Ashford. On the up-platform all through the period of the evacuation there was a band of young ladies with postcards and pencils which they gave, with a genuine smile which said "Welcome back." to the soldiers on the trains. I believe that the cards were collected by others further up the line and delivered by The Royal Mail without stamps, to say "I'm safely home" to families and friends. If you watched closely all the girls' eyes examined each slowing compartment -- for their own man. Day after day until there were no troops for trains. Still smiling.
I knew one of the girls [she was a grown up to me.]. Married that Easter to her RAMC man who was manning a medical post near Dunkirk while she was searching and smiling. They met again after the war and are still together.
Not instant win-a-VC bravery but long term day after day bravery, all of them.

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