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My Father, at the outbreak of WW2 , was the RSM of an Artillery Regiment based at Preston Barracks , Brighton. His Unit , equiped with their Bofors 40 mm Light Anti-Aircraft Guns , were sent to France as part of the BEF in early 1940. They left with only one clip of ammunition - five shells - per gun !
After the German invasion of Belgium and France ,the Regiment retreated several times
as the fighting raged around them.
Finally , with no supplies of fuel for their vehicles , they were forced to destroy their guns and lorries and began the march to Dunkerque. During this time they were repeatedly attacked by German Aircraft.
Finally they arrived at Dunkerque and had to wait on the beaches , again under both Air and ground attack.
Standing , often for hours , waist deep in the sea as small boats came in to ferry them to larger ships off shore.
Eventually he , together with others of the Regiment,were ferried to a Destroyer , which was then sunk under them.They were lucky to be picked-up by another Destroyer and taken to Dover.
My Father , who had kept his Dress Uniform safe during all this , changed into it on the Destroyer. On arrival at Dover , the reception services handed out refreshments to the arriving survivors - except my Father, who they took to be a rescuer as he was so smartly dressed! After the intercession by other members of his Regiment he was then given tea and buns!
My mother , who had had no news of him since his departure months before , received a telegram telling her he was safe and well and billeted in Kent.We took the train there and were reunited !
I , being only five at the time , only remembered this reunion by the fact my Father had a bar of Survival Chocolate ,hard as a rock ! which he used his revolver to break into pieces so we could get it into our mouths and allow it to melt !!
Later , re-equiped with new Bofors guns , his Regiment was part of the Anti-Aircraft defenses on the South Coast at Cross in Hand near Eastbourne.
The Guns , being mobile,travelled the Country setting up at various Cities - Portsmouth, London,Liverpool, Coventry ,as defenses . We , my Mother , Sister and I travelled with him and saw the "Blitz" over a lot of Britain.
In 1941 his Regiment was sent to the Far East and served with the X1Vth Army in India and Burma.
He returned home in late 1945.

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