30 Away From Possible Death

We eventually managed to report to the check point but there was no information available so we had to carry on to the docks. The air raid was still on but there were enough quiet spells to allow us to move. Every time Jerry is overhead we stop to scatter, I have never seen Palestinians move so fast as they do on these occasions, they must be breaking all records for unloading a lorry.

Everywhere is deserted and I am thinking we had better get outside town until daybreak.

Later, I am firmly convinced that we came across a convoy loaded with AA ammo and Jerry was looking for it. We got back to check post and parked in the adjoining field to get some sleep.

I wake up and am surprised to find thousands of troops all around, I wonder if they were there the night before, if so, I guess we were lucky not to have got run over as there was a heavy mist and visibility was almost nil.

The sun is well up before we find out anything, our passengers are attached to the English Pioneer group. We then are told to park our wagons in another field along with many others, the R.A.F will later set fire to them. We then tag along with an R.A.S.C detachment on route to the docks. It is only 5 miles but takes the best part of 8 hours before we get near our ship.

The sun is unusually hot today and whilst struggling to march to the docks, I dumped most of my kit, keeping only my rifle, tin helmet and small kit. Feeling hungry and thirsty, managed to scrounge a tin of bully beef, whilst going through a town I riffle two bottles of lemonade from a civvy wagon. The Madame of the cafe who's wagon I riffled came out with some "froggies" and created a bit of noise, my little French is of no use so I throw her a pack of ciggies, which are scarce, and that quietens her down!

We are now alongside a ship called the Lancastria but we have got no luck, the last 30 of us will have to find another ship home, no room. Jerry pays us another visit and we manage to get to another quay and climb aboard a light Naval ship which takes us to a cargo ship in the bay. Almost ready to set off when Jerry hits the Lancastria (I was supposed to be on that). It's a lucky shot and the bomb goes straight down the funnel. Hundreds of young men are killed. we pick up the few survivors then set off for home.


(Alf didn't go into much detail, the following is information I have since found describing the scenes)

"After successfully dodging Luftwaffe bombs in the North Sea while helping with the evacuation of troops from Norway the Lancastria then took part in Operation Aerial where she was required in St Nazaire, France, to evacuate more British troops. At 04h00 on the 17 June 1940 she anchored slightly off St Nazaire at Charpentier Roads and began evacuating soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force along with some RAF men and a few civilians. There were so many people to evacuate that the afternoon arrived and the ferrying to and fro was still continuing. British Reserve Naval officers had coordinated the embarkation of evacuees with Sharpe. When the captain was asked how many troops his ship could take he replied “3,000 at a pinch”. By mid afternoon counting had ceased at 4000 and still the loading continued. There is no accurate figure for the number aboard but it is estimated that there were over 7000 people. The Lancastria was literally overflowing.

Then the bombing began. German Dornier Do17 aeroplanes flew overhead and, being trained for shipping attacks, were both delighted and amazed to see the enormous cruise ship undefended and stationary, just waiting for their arrival! It nevertheless took the enemy planes almost 2 hours to strike the Lancastria. Four bombs hit in total, one was a bull’s eye, dropping straight down the funnel and exploding in the engine room. At 16h15, less than 20 minutes later, the Lancastria rolled onto her port side and made her way bow first to her grave on the seabed.

The crew and passengers appeared not to panic while abandoning the sinking liner and incredibly singing was heard as the ship went down (“roll out the barrel” and “there will always be an England”!) Many people perished but there were some survivors. Two lifeboats had been launched and many had jumped overboard as the boat was swallowed up. However, the constant presence of enemy aircraft made any rescue operation very difficult. Also one of the bombs had ruptured the Lancastria’s fuel tank causing fuel oil to leak everywhere. Pulling victims from the water was a very slippery affair and often unsuccessful. Nobody knows for sure how many lost his or her lives that day because nobody knows exactly how many people were on board. Estimates are that approximately 4500 or 5000 people died. Thankfully around 2500 were rescued.

Part of the reason the Lancastria’s history is not well known is that Winston Churchill felt the country’s morale could not bear the burden of such terrible news and newspapers were ordered not to print the story. Survivors were forbidden under the King’s Regulations to mention the disaster and people killed were listed as “missing in action”."

The voyage home was horrible and will be told in the next post