ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Extract from the 1940 diary of Sgt. Powell W A 832432 127th Fld. Bty. R.A. 65th Fld Regiment R.A
(b1914 -d1988)

Wednesday 22 May

After travelling all night we hide out in a wood till about 3 o'clock when we commence digging in on a new position. None of us leave much time to ourselves these days. Sleep the night in a farmhouse, commence digging again at daylight.

All this is happening where for four years men of Germany, England, France and Belgium, besides the British Colonies slaughtered one another all for no purpose at all, everywhere one sees "war cemeteries".

Low flying air attacks everywhere. Every time an aircraft flies overhead we all scuttle for shelter.

Thursday 23 May

After digging all day have to prepare to move. All day long we are "strafed" by low flying aircraft.

Friday 24 May

We spend the morning in a farm, then about 11 we have to go into action again, everybody curses.

We take cover about three times on our journey to the Bty. Hide from low flying aircraft attacks.

Refugees are pouring along all the roads. Heavily bombed to-day "Armentiere"

Saturday 25 May

Manning an "O.P." to-day, very quiet except for aerial activity. Sleep as much as possible.
Germans are now dropping pamphlets calling on British troops to give in.

Sunday 26 May

A lot of aerial activity to-day. We saw various towns bombed. Spent a lot of time on my stomach dodging dive bombers who were machine gunning all and sundry.

Monday 27 May

Went into action to-day about noon, took up anti-tank position. After a lot of excitement no tanks appeared. There was also a lot of aerial activity. The Germans appear to have the supremacy of the air in this sector anyway.

I am beginning to appreciate the art of digging and camouflage, if one wants to live you have to use every dodge of concealment, the same as the animals in the forest. Fired quite a few rounds to-day.

Apparently the German armoured division is roaming about in our sector somewhere.

The postal organisations seem to be all "skewwiff" lately I haven't had a letter for over a week.

Our rations are very scarce these days as well. 1/2 a packet of biscuits and 1/2 a small tin of sardines for a man's breakfast.

Posted guards everywhere, all the sky is lit up by "Very lights" and burning villages, now and then a petrol or "ammo" dump goes up.

Tuesday 28 May

The "quads" came up about 3 this morning and we pulled out of action very quietly. I am so exhausted I fall asleep and wake up about dawn, we are on the move in convoy. We go on amid scenes of the greatest confusion, everywhere lorries, trucks, supply wagons, guns, every store an army needs all scattered along the route. If we come to a provision truck we feast like lords, we haven't eaten so well for days. At one point six French armoured cars are abandoned by their crews who are like a lot of panic stricken rabbits. At this point unfortunately we have to "ditch" two guns and their "quads". I manage to get mine through, we go on the "quads" are packed inside and out and the guns and trailers cannot be seen for the people riding on them. All the way along the road more and more people join in the rush for the coast. At one point, my "quad" gets ditched so I hook my gun to a 15cwt and proceed on. Once we have an air attack and everybody scatters. Eventually 5 miles from "La Panne" I spike my gun and set out on foot with the rest of the party.

Wednesday 29 May

Arrived at "La Penne" to-day very tired and dirty, it is not a retreat but a complete rout. Just outside of the town there is an enormous number of vehicles of all descriptions, including tons of stores. We all rest along the pavement, we just flop down where we stand while our officers go and try to fix up a boat. Finally we go and sleep all night among the sand dunes just outside the town. There are continuous bombing raids all the evening. The small "Botha" A.A. guns seem to be very efficient, they drive aircraft off quite well. Rations are low, a tin of "Bully" and a packet of biscuits between two men per day.

It seems to me that the evacuation scheme is a complete failure. Heard that the Germans have taken Calais and Boulogne. As we lay down to sleep we hear distant gunfire. There are numerous bodies on the beach.

Thursday 30 May

Called up about 4 this morning. We go down to the beach and wait for the boats to come from the "warships". We hang about all day amid scenes of the greatest confusion. The beach is littered with all descriptions of equipment and to make matters worse shells are beginning to drop. There is one good thing, that is it is very misty, it keeps the "Bombers" off. Some of our party get off in a boat, then some more till there are 20 of us left. We finally get off the beach about 4, none of us can row and we nearly capsize going through the "Breakers". I bail with my "Tin Hat" till we are near a paddle steamer The Royal Eagle. How we got on board nobody knows but we all eventually get on. We go below and after taking off our wet clothes lay down and sleep. The beach we left was shelled heavily just after we go on board. We sleep in fits and starts all night.

Friday 31 May

Woke up and found we were at "Sheerness". After we disembark we are let into a naval drill hall where we get hot tea. The wounded are taken away in ambulances. We are taken in buses to Sheerness station where we get on a train for an unknown destination.

Whilst waiting for the train I manage to send off a couple of letters to my parents and my finance. The civilians of Sheerness handed round cakes and pies etc. and posted any letters or cards we had. We travel all day in the train and finally arrive at "Crewe". We are taken to Crewe Hall and after washing and changing we have a good meal and go to bed.

There will be no stand to at 4 o'clock tomorrow morning and no sentries or S.O.S signals to worry about. I still have the firing pin of my gun in my pocket. I send a telegram off tonight.

Saturday 1 June

After a good nights rest, we have the best breakfast for weeks and spend the morning sorting ourselves out and drawing any clothing we haven't got.

Some of us notice that the papers are full of propaganda about our retreat, all accounts in the press seem to be false. Went to the pictures in the evening in "Crewe". I wonder how many survivors the Battery has?

Sunday 2 June

Drumhead service this morning. Lay sleeping in the sun most of the day. Heard to-day that fragments of shells were picked up with the marking of the "Hammer and Syckle"

Went into "Crewe" in the evening. In my opinion we are in a tight corner.

I think I will sleep out in the open tonight, it seems so uncomfortable sleeping under a roof.

Perhaps the only hope of the British Empire is the intervention o f the "United States of America"

Monday 3 June

Spent the day sorting ourselves out. Everybody is getting anxious about leave.

An invasion of England seems quite probable in the near future. Went to the pictures in the evening in "Crewe".

Decided to write to someone about the "Dynamite" projectile scheme. I am convinced it could have been used in the recent Battles. I hope to rejoin my comrades soon or what is left of them, it will be good to get together as a Battery again.

Submitted by his daughter

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.