Dunkirk Age 17

Dunkirk Age 17
Friday 17 May 40
The lads at the Liverpool Wireless and Radio School, Hood Street had just passed out as Radio Operators Third Class and that night a dance had been laid on for them in the Sefton Ballroom at the top of Mount Pleasant. I had been at this school only as a temp, doing two days per week.
My best mate there was Laurie Lennard of 43 Chestnut St, Southport. Other people I remember were Norman Brooks and Jack Painter, from Kiln Lane in St Helens, Gerry Birchall, Birkenhead, Roy Anderson, Chester, Norman Rich whose father was the Editor of the Manx Times. We had a great night and that was the last I saw of them. I called on Laurie’s home in Southport, but I heard he was missing, and I have never heard any more about him.
On Wednesday night 22nd May, I finished Night Duty and was back at home in St Helens by 6 am. I was not due back on duty till 10 pm Thursday, so that afternoon I went to the Rivoli Cinema in Corporation St. The show started at 2.30. The first film was a cartoon, followed by news. All of a sudden the screen went blank. My first thought was we were having an air raid. A message flashed on the screen.

All Navy and Army personnel are to report to their base or to the nearest Police Station immediately.

My nearest Police Station was just 400 yards on the Town Hall Square. Behind the counter was PC Payne, No.1, on his collar.
“Well, Laurie, What can I do for you?” (Living at the Town Hall for several years I knew many of the local Police Force. I was their Cricket Scorer for the Police Cricket Club since I was 12 years old.)
I told him about the message at the cinema
I was phoning home from the police station when a whole load of Naval personnel poured in to complain that the Ribble bus driver was refusing to take them to Liverpool. PC Payne decided this needed more authority than he had and called in Sgt. Tinsley. They went out and returned, followed by an Inspector Griffiths. No hesitating here.
“Constable Payne, would you type a notice for the bus driver covering him to his company, and, Sergeant, call the bus station and get a bus inspector up here. Tell the bus driver all buses have been commandeered to take Navy personnel to the Pier Head in Liverpool and that a letter will be sent to his company’s owners. Also, Sergeant, explain to the passengers on the bus of the emergency and that local buses will be used to get them home as soon as possible.”
By now at least a 100 personnel were on the square waiting.
“Follow me,” he said and led them down to the square where he let the Ribble driver know this was a Government order just announced over the radio and that he was to pick up as many navy personnel as possible and deliver them to their barracks in Liverpool. The passengers on board got off in good humour and the driver gave in with a final plea of,
“What about the fares?”
“We’ll phone the Company,” the Sergeant reassured him. Sgt Tinsley asked the people in the bus to please leave as it was an emergency. They left and 36 men got on. With no stop we made the Pier Head within 20 minutes.
Loudspeakers were telling Naval personnel where they were to report.
He took us to Liverpool. Some he dropped off at Lime Street Station and the rest at “The Pier Head” near Water Street. I called into Water Street Merchant Navy office to see if I was eligible to join. I was told,
“You could be but we are upside down at the moment. We are waiting for the Naval people in the Liver Buildings to give the orders. I see you are training on the Eaglet. See if they have anything in mind. You may be needed there. But you can call in here later.”
I returned to the Eaglet but was told to go to Room Number 34 in the Liver Buildings.
I made my way to the Liver. The Commissionaire asked my business. I told him, so he phoned someone and another person told me to follow him and told me to take a seat outside an office. It seemed like an hour before I was called into the office where there was a young lady in her 30’s behind the desk. She was the first to speak.
“Mr Birtles?”
“Yes.”
“Would you please show me your ID card, please?”
I took it out of my inside pocket and handed it to her. She looked at it for a while.
“Place of Birth; Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Born 1923.” Her next words were, “I’m from Derry.” and passed me my ID card back. A few minutes later she handed me an envelope along with my Travel Warrant to London and to report to the RTO in Euston.
“A special train will be leaving Lime Street at 22 hours.” She wished me good luck and showed me out of the building. I later learned that the other lads travelled to Dunkirk with the Daffodil ferry boat.

The Pier Head was alive with Sailors, marines and civvies going about their business. It was around 6.45 by now and with 4 and a quarter hours to wait it was useless going home. What was I going to do to pass the time away? All the shops were closed so I walked to the end of the Liver buildings, turned left towards St John’s Market, walked up the hill towards Cooper’s Stores. I remembered it would be closed but I was not far away from the Kardomah Coffee Shop and Cafe. It was not blackout time but if it was you would be able to find it in the dark. The smell of the coffee would be strong enough to smell it half a mile away. It did not close until 10 pm. In I went up the stairs to the next floor, they were just putting the black out boards up to the windows.
I sat down and a young lady in her smart brown uniform and white pinafore came to the table to take my order. I ordered steak and kidney pie, buttered scones with jam and coffee. Price 2 shillings. She gave me the bill. A short while later she brought me just what I had ordered. The snack was quite good. I spent half an hour to pass the time away. She asked me did I want anything else. I told her I was satisfied and gave her half a crown which she put into the pocket in her pinafore and took out sixpence change. Big hearted Bill told her to keep it.
“Thank you, Sir.”
I waited a bit and left the Kardomah and turned left. I still had hours to go. I walked about 200 yards along the street and came to the British Paramount News Cinema, the Tatler. Paid a shilling to get the best seat in the house, down three steps, opened the door and the usherette showed me to my seat. The show was about to start. First the cartoons, followed by the Pathe news of the day with the main film, a Roy Rogers cowboy.
The whole show was over at 9.45. After a struggle through the blackout curtains, I was on the street again. It was as black as the Ace of Spades outside. A few Army trucks with their headlights blacked out except for just a small slice of light in the shape of a cross going to the docks. I started to walk towards Lime Street Station past Boots the Chemist on my right and turned left past the Cheshire Line Station, past Blacklers Store and Lewis’, another big store. On the left was St John’s Market. It had been hit by a bomb. I crossed the road towards the great Adelphi Hotel.
Before the war you had to have money, I mean money, to get into a hotel like that. It was on the same footing as the Savoy in London. But I could say I had been to a function there in 1937 when I was 14 years old.
You see, that year a Mr Teddy Houghton, an ex-miner, was the Mayor of St Helens and had been invited by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool to a Function along with Lord and Lady Derby, Earl and Lady Sefton plus a load of Lancashire Mayors and their Ladies. As the Mayoress was unable to attend Mr Houghton asked my father who was the Town Hall Keeper and Mayor’s Attendant if it would be all right if he could take me with him. That is how it happened that I was there.
At the function one of the waiters came to the Mayor and said to him,
“You’re from St Helens and you like your bread thick.”
The Mayor’s reply was,
“Yes, I do but I like the bloody ham thicker. I don’t want to read the Liverpool Echo through it.”
As I passed the Hotel it brought back this memory. I started to walk up Lime St, past the Rope and Anchor Hotel, the Forum Cinema on my left that had been damaged, past another well known place, Yates` Wine Lodge, Known the world over. Along Lime Street past the Station entrance, past the Empire Theatre, a show was still going on, and headed for Scotland Road to the Legs of Man public House that served the best Guinness in England at 5 d a pint. It was like drinking cream.
I finished my drink and made my way to the Station, telephoned my family to say I was going to London then made my way to Platform No. 6, showed my warrant along the platform, found a seat and the train left on time.
The train, full of all ranks of Seamen, arrived at Euston at 6.10 m Friday 24th May. I reported to the RTO Office to pick up any orders. The Sergeant behind the desk asked me my business.
“I’m to pick up a letter.”
“ID, please.”
The same routine; name, place of birth, age. He left the table with the ID card and went into another room. About five minutes later he returned with a letter in his hand and put a book in front of me.
“Please sign there.” Which I did and he handed me the letter. I left the office and headed for the tea room.
I caught the Tube to Victoria Station. There were families still leaving with their night gear after a raid.
I caught the train from Victoria for Dover. On arrival made my way to the Harbour Master’s Office. The place was alive with people, ambulances staff cars with officers with red flashes on their collars and Staff sticks under their arms, Red Cross and St John’s personnel, soup and tea kitchens, piles of blankets, stretchers 6 deep.
I found the office and a Wren attended to me. I showed her my letter, she looked at it.
“Sorry, but it’s the office on your right.”
I made my way to the next office, went in. All the staff were in civvies. I rang the bell. A gentleman answered,
“Yes, can I help you?”
I showed him the letter, he opened it, took out the letter, looked at it.
“You are from Liverpool?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see your ID, please.” The same old routine.
I passed it to him. He looked it over, handed it back.
“Well, come in and meet the others. You are the last to arrive. The team is now made up, 16 in all, four teams of four.”
I followed the gentleman into another room.
“This is Bill,” he said. “Our team is made up. Find a place, Bill, and I will explain what we are here for. Well, the Admiralty have asked for our services to protect a ship which is going to Dunkirk to evacuate troops from there. As these ships carry no weapons we are going to try to keep off enemy aircraft with Lewis guns, four guns to be exact. Hence the four teams. One under Austin, Thomas, George and myself, Harry. And Amy will be in charge here. You`ll have Gunnery courses. No man can be at the gun for long, hence the team. We are going to use four guns, two on the bridge, port and starboard and two on the upper deck aft.
“We will need one gunner, one feeder and the two others loading the pans per gun. That is the idea all being well. By the way show Bill where he can get some overalls. We will be taking iron rations, biscuits, tea, condensed milk and an iron kettle. We can use the galley. This will be no picnic. Now, will you please put Bill’s things in a locker and give the key to Amy.
“Next we must collect our duffel bags and tin hats. Then to the Maid of Orleans to fix the guns. She’s berthed at the South Pier loading with cans of water. I heard twelve hundred gallons of it, because there is a shortage on the other side.”
Once on board Harry asked the Chief Officer where did he want the guns. He suggested two on the Bridge and two on the top dock aft. Harry already knew this but had to ask just the same. We stacked the ammo boxes around the guns, then Harry gave us a short lecture on the guns,
“Don’t panic if the Gun jams just the whip the pan off and let one of the others handle it.”
We returned to the office and on the back noticed troops marching down the quay, the going on board. It seemed funny to me that we were going to evacuate the troops on the other side of the Channel and still carrying troops to France. I kept it to myself.
We returned to the ship about 8.30 pm. She was due to sail around 2 am, 26th May. One of the soldiers told me they were members of the RASC and Corps of Signals on special duties.
Harry came round and told us to get our heads down. It could be a long time before we could get another. I looked around and found a piece of tarpaulin, a half of a life belt which I could use as a pillow. As our team had been assigned D starboard on the top deck I decided to kip near the gun. I got my head down in my duffel and, wrapped in the tarpaulin, was soon asleep. I t was a bit hard but I had not slept for over 24 hours. Around 5.30 I heard life on board. I was soon on my feet, rolled the pillow in the tarpaulin and stored it away.
The first thing I did was to find the 2nd Steward to find out if he had a spare brush I could use. I found him and he gave me one. The brush was to be used to brush the cases away from under foot where they could be dangerous.
Around 6.30 am we pulled away from the pier and I heard that we were going to take the shortest route to Dunkirk, Route two, some 39 miles.
Harry called us all together. He told us,
“These guns are to be used against the Jerries - and no-one else, so please take care.”
With the lecture over we manned the guns and left harbour into the English Channel, tin hats on. Planes from Britain flew over towards France. They were an opportunity to use our gun sights but they were soon out of range.
It was right, we were taking Route Two. The Channel became alive with all sorts of ships, some coming, others going, just like Piccadilly Circus.

Besides the troops we had on board we had nurses and two doctors. We heard that the German tanks were at Gravelines, south-west of Dunkirk shelling shipping. We could see some of the shells hitting the sea. A fountain of water shot into the air. Ahead of us Dunkirk was having a hammering; a heavy bombing, and we had to lay off for several hours. Then, I believe Dunkirk decided that as Dunkirk was having a hell of a bashing and there were far too many ships for our safety we were to be recalled. Which gave us the opportunity to get our heads down in shifts.
We were called back on board at 10 am and we left harbour again at midday 27 May. We took the same route but were instructed to slow down as it was chaos at Dunkirk. When we did dock, the troops and nurses and doctors went ashore. Planes went over and we had a go at them, but at last we were able to take off a thousand men - and how glad they were to get home.
The following day, 29th May, we were back again and had five hours along side the quay. The smell of burning buildings was not healthy but the captain was able to take off 1,372 troops. The following day we docked at the East mole and this time 1,253 men were brought home. The next day Harry told us our party was to stand down. The Maid sailed again. This time she landed 1,800 including 400 French troops we returned that evening, 1st June. Things were getting rough, ships everywhere and Gerry dive bombing and we about collided with a destroyer (HMS Worcester). She was limping home after being bombed. The Captain decided to stand by Worcester and both ships limped into Dover. We came ashore and made our way back to the office and stood down. While we were in the office Amy told us that some of the Merchant Navy crews were in a mutinous mood after having no sleep and very little to eat and taking a hammering in Dunkirk. We heard one of the ships was the SS Tynwald.
The Maid of Orleans had made her last voyage to Dunkirk and was being repaired.
On the 2nd June we returned to the Dock office around 3 am only to find men and women cutting loaves of bread into large chunks and putting them into large paper sacks. Others were making paste sandwiches and putting them into cardboard boxes. Other organisations, the Red Cross, WRVS, Churches of all denominations, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, helped to give soldiers tea, water and something to eat. These survivors had had nothing to eat or drink for days and their lungs were filled with burning oil from the tanks near the docks and the burning dock buildings.
Harry, Austin, Thomas and myself were to join the Lady of Man, another Manx steamer, under a Captain TC Woods to relieve others who were showing signs of distress. George stayed behind to take charge of the rest.
We made our way to Dunkirk but were unable to dock as French fishermen lay alongside the mole. We saw soldiers having a go at them, threatening them with their rifles. It took us two hours to come alongside. Naval vessels moved the fishermen out to sea under threat.
The docks were well ablaze and the harbour was very tight to move in with all kinds of vessels sunk and debris and bodies floating on the water. With the bombing of the Stukas and the heavy gunfire it was hard to load the troops. We were in the dock for four hours and we had to leave on the high tide at 1.30 am with 1,200 British and French troops and made for Dover. We started to disembark at 5 am. The acting Captain told us to stand down so we returned to the office only to find that George and the others had been sent to Folkestone, some 10 miles from Dover.

Harry read a message from HQ to say that we would be leaving Dover and moving to Folkestone as things were getting rough on the other side of the Channel and that we must give the Merchant Navy all the help we could.
After a meal we set off for Folkestone and had to report to a Captain H Clarke, the Master of The Princess Maid. The road was packed with Motor Vehicles ready to take troops to hospitals or to camps. We reached Folkestone around 11.30 am on the 3rd. Harry made his way to the pier to find The Princess Maid, only to be told by a Naval Officer that his services would not be needed until 6 pm but while he was there he met George with his crew cleaning the Princess ready for tonight’s voyage. Harry rejoined us and told us that George had a bivouac at Sandgate and we could use it. Harry knew the place so he headed for it. After a brew of tea, he advised us to get our heads down.
Bombing was by now an everyday event, German planes and our fighters having a go at each other. You just slept through it. If you caught one, too bad. Although Jerry machine-gunned throughout the night but I slept through it and was woken by Harry with a mug of tea around 5 pm.
“Come on and get something to eat.”

We arrived at The Princess Maud around 6.45 pm and Harry reported to Captain Clarke for his orders. At 7 pm he called us aboard and gave us our orders. I was given Bridge starboard Lewis. I collected my pans and checked them and went through a dummy run. The barrel was clean, I should have no problems. I gave my all-clear to Harry and by now we were on our way to Dunkirk, ships everywhere, most of them heading Dunkirk. How the helmsman did it was out of this world. Being on the bridge you could see.
Dunkirk was being shelled and bombed. The smoke was that thick, oily smoke blowing inland. We managed to dock at the mole with difficulty and by 2 am on the 4th June we were overloaded with 2,200 British and French Army and Naval personnel. How we got out, God only knows. Harry played a great part in marshalling them. One of the destroyers pulled us off by the stern and at 2.30 am we were clear, leaving stern first, out into the Channel and headed for Folkestone. We had to wait for high tide to get in.

The troops were very restless, so near, yet so far. Harry took the loudhailer from the bridge and used it as only service men understood. He told them that they must be patient. We would be going on the tide within the hour. Some 63 ships worked the last 24 hours and just after 3 am Admiral Ramsey called it a day. The great operation, Dynamo, was over and Dunkirk fell to the Germans.
But further west more troops still had to be evacuated. Harry and the crew went to report to Newhaven some 8 miles down the coast. We had caravans as billets and were told to stand down for the time being. But that night Harry told me that I had to report to Newcastle RTO by 9th June.
The following morning Harry and three others including myself took a run down the coast to see if we could help anyone. Harry was a man who could not keep still, had to be doing something. To me he was a great leader. We finished up at Portsmouth. It had been bombed that night and some of the Naval Barracks had been hit. Harry reported to the Main office and came back and told us, in his words,
“Everything’s under control. And they thanked me for my help. So back to Whitehaven.”
It was slower going back but we got back to the caravans at 4.30 pm.
Harry and I left the site half an hour later. I did not know what was happening, Harry doing the driving. We had only been on the road some ten minutes or so when we turned left up a farm track and came to a quick stop at what looked like a farm but had been camouflaged.
Harry opened the car door.
“Come on,” he said. So I followed. He did not knock but just walked in. I stood by the door.
“Come on in,” he called. It was a beautiful lounge, brass ornaments. I expected some fellow with a rifle to appear any moment. I heard a click and the door opened and a tall military gentleman walked in.
“Harry !What the hell are you doing here?”
Arms went around each other and I stood aside.
“How about a dozen eggs and a bit of ham for starters and a bottle of special. By the way, this is Bill.”
I put my hand out and shook his.
“Pleased to meet you,” I said.
“And you, son. I pity you working with this bugger.”
Harry jumped in,
“We will have to go, uncle. It was nice to see you.”
“What’s the bloody hurry? You haven’t got what you came for.”
Harry winked at me and went out with his uncle. He returned with something in a brown paper bag and something wrapped in a cloth.
“Thank you, Uncle. How much?”
His uncle gave him one look and said,
“Bugger off before I set the dogs on you.”
Harry just smiled.
“Come on, Bill. He will.”
The gentleman was still waving as he drove off.
Harry was smiling all the way back to the caravan. When he arrived back he put the paper bag on the table.
“How’s that?” Harry said. One of the lads opened the bag and found the eggs in it. Harry put the cloth parcel down.
“Go on, Bill. You open it,” Harry said. I opened it and could hardly believe my eyes. Six slices of ham.
“How’s that then?”
“How are we going to cook that?” I asked.
“No worry about it. We will go down to the local pub. I know the landlady. Come on, Bill. Let’s go.”
It was not open so we went around the back. Harry knocked on the back door and the landlady opened it.
“Come in, Harry. And your friend, too. Just what can I do for you?”
“Look, Jess, we have been on iron rations for a week. Could you rustle this lot up. The grill in the caravan is US.”
Jess said, “Look, go into the snug. Ted will draw you a drink and I’ll fix this lot up for you.”
Ted drew two pewter mugs of beer and Harry asked Ted to draw one for himself.
“How much?”
“Twelve pence, please.”
We had just finished our drink when Jess called from the Kitchen, “Ready!”
We went back into the kitchen. Jess said,
“I have put the eggs into the big Dixie with the ham.”
“How much, Jess?”
“Will two shillings do?”
So Harry gave her half a crown and thanked her.
“We’ll see you tonight.”
It did not take us long to get back to the caravan. Everything was ready, table laid and the water boiling. Well, the meal was ham and eggs and it went down very well - thanks to Harry.
After a good meal we all went down to the pub. Harry told us that this could be our last couple of days together as we could all be stood down. He told the others that I had already been stood down. We had a good night at the pub, darts, dominoes, bagatelle and cribbage with the locals and returned around 11 o’clock and got our heads down.
The next two days were boring just watching British fighters and German bombers going over. The news of the war was not too good. The other teams were working in the West and in the Channel Isles. The last night, 8th June, two more of the lads had been stood down. We spent the last night down at the pub and was back by 11 PM.
On the 9th I said “Goodbye” to the lads and Harry took me to Dover. I had a good breakfast with him and got my necessary papers for my journey north.

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