We thought we were off to Blighty

(Sorry to take so long to post this, will be regular from now)

We held up Jerry for three days with the help of the Navy who had set fire to the enormous oil reserves in the docks, this formed a handy smoke screen for us. We would have got out quicker but for a shortage of shipping. Eventually, an old coal barge takes us out of the port. The Black Watch are the last to leave. After 24 hours on the barge we docked at Cherbourg and we were disappointed, we thought we were going to Blighty. Still we raised a laugh coming out of the hold, we all look like negro minstrels!

We part from the Buffs and they embarked on a trooper bounder for home, we were put in cattle trucks and set off to Rennes. It was nine o'clock the next morning when we arrived into Rennes on what was the worst train ride I have ever experienced or hope to experience. It wasn't until six o'clock in the evening that that we were let off the train, this time covered head to toe in brick dust..an hour later we are having a shower at our previous barracks.

HQ move off for the docks at St Malo. Once again, I am left behind with seven others for troop carrying. We are now attached to the 1stRes M.T. After three days we come to the last troops to move, Palestine Pioneer Corps. I am driving a 15cwt Bedford


(To give you an idea I added the above picture, below is Alf and chum changing tyre)


The truck had a Lewis Gun mounted (see below)

My orders were to follow at the rear. A diesel wagon carry some of the Palestines is in front of me and the driver has some trouble with the engine. I stop to give a hand and eventually we reach the main road, there is no sign of the convoy. We report to Signal Corps HQ in town. They inform us they don't know the destination of the convoy and that we should go to Nantes, too vague for us. The Diesel waits on the road and I take a buggy to a Chateau being used as HQ area. After many enquiries I am told to make speed to St Nazare that night and try to get a boat as Jerry is getting near. I am also told that Rennes is in a state because Jerry gave it hell just after we left.

On arriving back to the other wagon, I found that two of the Palestinians we were carrying had been taken as 5th columnists (spies dressed in Army outfits). We wasted precious time getting them away from the Police and it is now 10.30pm before we even set off. My wagon is faster than the diesel so I had to keep dropping off to make sure the diesel kept up.

St Nazare is in sight, but things don't look good, Jerry is pasting the dock area...

France for the first time

We left Southampton, UK for France in the March (1940). We docked in Le Havre, France.


It took 3 solid days to unload the vehicles and get the convoy together.





This was one our convoys. We left Le Havre and set off for Rennes, France. This was to be our base.

We arrived at Rennes still a bit puzzled about the rules of the road! We had to park on the outskirts of the town and told to wait until the R.E's (Royal Engineers) had finished erecting "nissan huts", they were being erected not too far away. This gave us time to make valuable repairs, this is me changing a tyre with a mate, I am the one with the dark hair.

After 3 days we moved into the barracks and found that the French Cavalry training unit occupied the best part. The area left for us was unfit to live in hence the "nissan huts".

Most of our work consisted of local details, we had the occasional run to Les-Nevern, near Brest. We were moving a hospital back to Rennes. After two months at Rennes, Hilter's storm clouds gather over France, Belgium gave in and surrendered and the "Maginot Line" was found to be of no use. Jerry (The Germans) simply left the French on guard in the "m" line and by-passed it. This picture is from my diary:-

I tell more soon.

Alf