The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-31
Many British, French
Troops Escaped Trap
Continued From Page -

sShA "bS -
big shells onto the German POSI-
tons.
Ships OF every sort, even coal
barges towed by tugs, brought the
troops back.
Many OF them were temporarily
deaf after days under constant fire.
Some OF tn wounded had walked
80 miles a day 10 reach the chan
mel coast. And some OF these, after
being embarked had volunteered 10
man the guns OF ships which had
suffered casualties under German
airplane fire.
Planes Exact Toll
The German planes were exact
Ing the greatest toll they could.
Squadron after squadron, they flew
over the channel beaches, bombing
and machine cunning. They flew
half way across the channel 10 at
tack ships bearing the troops 10
England According 10 all reports.
they too paid q price.
II saw SO many German planes
brought down that lost count"
one man said.
The clothing OF many men was
still wet when they arrived. They
had been forced TO wade or 10 swim
out 10 the transports.
Silent, people OF coastal towns
watched the troops stream down
the gangplanks, their eyes dull
glazed with fatigue, and march TO
waiting trains.
Cars Of all sorts, even diners,
were In the long trains which took
them over the beautiful English
countryside along tracks lined with
country people. Some troops re-
NAMED IN the coastal towns, max
Ing for restaurants for the first
meal some OF them had had In
days. Aboard trains, the troops
sprawled Oh seats or floors and
went 10 sleep.
One private was seen, In port,
clutching blood stained rag doll,
souvenir for his daughter n had
been blown out Of toy~Shop win.
dow by q German bomb, and the
blood on II was his own.
An aviator, whose plane had been
forced down In the channel, still
carried his wet parachute.
A destroyer officer described q
town as II looked when the troops
left:
There was not n wall standing
more more than two feet high
What I remember as n jolly little
town, full o. cafes, hotels and gal
ety. rs only pile OF rubblc now. l
saw q bomb hit a big modern no.
tel II collapsed Ike cardboard. All
the time the sky was full Of fight
Ing planes. big shells ad anti-air-
craft fire. Every now and then O
Nail plane comes down In flames,
but 80 far as / could see our Losses
were small. All docks have been
blown out Of existence and Our men
are coming off In hundreds on rafti
and IN small boats"
One survivor told how the north
ern army had heard the news OF
the Belgian kings submission 10 the
Germans:
Soon Learned Truth
"Our men would not believe u.
But we realized II was the real
thing when q few hours later there
were Germans all around Us. They
were firing from what q short time
before had been the Belgian lines.
The order was given 10 retreat.
There was nothing else 10 do.
Then came hours OF tramping
along roads and across fields and
bitches 70 the sea, We never knew
when machine guns would begin
firing at us from @ hedge. or a
clump OF trees. They seemed
around every corner.
I'VE were machine. gunncd and
bombed from the air az we'll. Until
we were hal: way across the chan.
mel the German planes kept dive
bombing. Our planes kept appear
Ing and the ferries would move off,
but as soon as our men had gone
they would come back Tvs wonder.
full 10 be home again"
Nails Not 80 Good
Man for man the Germans are
not 80 good" soldier said. "rhey've
only got % little bit OF France even
now. Well 90 back and have an
other crack at them"
Many OF the survivors had been
on the beach near Dunkirk for three
or four days under aerial lombard
ment and machine cunning by the
Germans. Before cmbarking they
had marched seven miles along the
sands under continuous Shcilfire.
One soldier said that the Germans
had dropped leaflets saying: Don't
believe that we hurt our prisoners.
Come over and see for yourself"
The leaflets carried rough map
OF British positions and said the
Germans knew where the British
were and that they should surrender,
since they were surrounded.
Commanders were enthusiastic IN
their praise Of the conduct Of their
men under fire. They said that the
troops, while waiting on the Dunkirk
beaches for their ships, played cards
and even football and became 80
used 10 German planes that they
stopped their games only when II
was obvious that the attackers were
diving straight for them.
i