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Memories of World War II
By G.G Munroe (Sapper)

May 21st
France. Evening; Left trench and went exploring, past deserted tent hospitals, complete with luxuries (new bikes, radios), food on tables. Then deserted Salvation Army Depot, packed suit-cases left by door, - took large packs of cigarettes and biscuits. A train full of our own wounded soldiers stopped close, they shouted out “Where are we?” “Just outside Etaples”. Train went into Etaples. 8 dive-bombers bombed Etaples, where I assumed the train was, maybe in the station- Though clearly marked “Red Cross”. Each dropped 9 bombs- presumably anti-personnel. I got expert at guessing where they landed after big arching curves. They went- one more came- its’ bombs looked like hitting me on the road, but went harmlessly into sandy soil nearby.

May 22nd
Our party blew up the bridge over river Lanche and we left hurriedly. Our despatch riders then stopped us, because the Germans had crossed somewhere and were on the road ahead. Crossed fields to another road and joined crowds of civilian refugees- who were strafed by air. Later, after waiting in woods, we returned to our trucks and entered Boulogne, but due to the blasts of our navy, plus shelling- or perhaps orders- we left, luckily because the lorry I was in held our explosives and was being rocked about. Spent the night with shells from both sides overhead. Next morning 12 or 20 volunteers went to join the Irish Guards at the South West outskirts.

May 23rd
Where we had entered Boulogne the Night before, I had made a makeshift roadblock. Way below, looking like swarms of ants were Germans- vehicles moving back and front. Stayed all day, instructions to wait until the tanks had gone through and then fire at the infantry. Kept improving the road block despite mortar fire. Evening; Told to retreat. Most left by the front door- some machine gunned by tanks as they did- I went via the back and after a while a tracked vehicle came nearer but left when I lay in a dip. Came to tunnels and a railway depot (full of corpses) but 2 customs officers asked if I would “boire un coup” and broke a crate of good champagne and gave me a bottle, said “the Hun would get the rest”. Hundreds of soldiers were there saying they had been told to wait for a boat. Months afterwards, Brig. Stanier said he, “Couldn’t find one of his companies which had moved without orders”. I’m sure Germans in guards uniforms had conned them, they stayed until captured. Came across 2 marine officers; along a canal a Guards Sergeant and Private, dropped out of a house saying “you can’t go down there, go back, those are the Germans down there firing” The noise was terrific. The marine said “Balderdash and bunkle- we only landed there today, and that’s the navy and our men!” The guards disappeared, and a machine gun opened fire from across the canal, bullets bouncing harmlessly off the cobbles all round us. Reached the quayside defensive lines- no food- waited for destroyers for several hours. And annoyed officer handed over a sergeant to me, to be on a charge for refusing to go to the edge of our defences. The Sergeant, in shock, told me that a man had been sent out to see what he could see. He had been shot- probably by our own men and the sgt had had to go out and get his disc for identity purposes. He returned with both discs, from the cord around the man’s neck he said the officer said “You fool, take one back and put it back on the man”. He couldn’t do it- I told him to disappear. Some men were firing at anything.
Eventually the officer in charge who I believe was acting Brigadier Stanier ordered all Bren gunners to go outside and stay. They were all Irish or Welsh Guards. Our R.E. Lewis gunner said, “I’m going”. Since joining up we had only 2 days embarkation leave, and we would all like to see home again- but he insisted and went out to stay behind. Another of our group said, “I’ll move my lorry to block the entrance. A direct hit blew him and his lorry up.
(One of our duties in the “B.F.E Details”, “Odds and Sods”, camp would be to move some infantry “The Loyals” to expected German landings on the East Coast. They were to approach the German Tanksetc. On old fashioned sit-up-an-beg 28” wheeled back pedalling bikes, crates of Molatoff Cocktails (Bottles) were fixed to the handlebars. Imagine it, across rough surfaces- Suicide. We had orders to destroy all petrol stations etc as we retreated. No one of us seemed to worry about it. Soon after the camp was set up German planes distributed newsletters all over us. Saying they liked us and wanted us to join them in fighting the real enemy, Russia. I had one until recently).

The Brigadier came to our little group and asked me what we were, when I said Royal Engineers, he said “Good, just what we want, riflemen”. He then took both remaining lots of guards off on the last boat. We had been conned, but he was the boss.

May 24th
Many hours later, next morning, firing was still heard in England- a scratch crew was raised and a destroyer came. We had to rush out from the doorway and across to the ship, because some earlier troops had been mowed down by tanks round the harbour- so destroyers were the only ships to approach. I was a good runner and only 20 so I came out at the end. As I passed a hut I saw a soldiers leg sticking out so stopped and wrenched the door open. It was full of bodies all dead- so I sprinted to the ship and crossed a plank held by a sailor which makes me believe I was the last man on. As we left, I pointed out an approaching plane to a sailor who said “Don’t worry, it’s one of ours”. As it’s bombs went off it felt as if the ship lifted up but it was o.k. Coaches took us to Fleet- Passing people cheering, I felt terrible at being cheered for retreating!
Next morning dozing after several sleepless nights I awoke with a ring of military police surrounding me. Someone had told them I was firing at our troops from behind German lines. When earlier at the outskirts our sgt. Had said “Here come the bastards, let them have it”. I said, “They are Belgians with no weapons”. They asked me if we could give them some arms and I picked up a Bren gun and showed them it had no magazine. It’s possible someone down the hill had seen me, plus flashes and bangs. Later I decided that these two, whose lives I’d saved, were Germans in disguise. They had run from the area that had been firing mortars and where would two Belgian soldiers come from? My bad mistake.

Yours Faithfully
George Geoff Munroe (Sapper).

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