Page 79 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side

Kentish Times 14th June 1940

Home from Dunkirk - Sidcup Gunner's thrilling fortnight

Lance-Bombadier Eric Pearce, son of Mr & Mrs O. Pearce of Templemore, Sidcup Hill,
Sidcup, came home on 48 hours leave yesterday to get married, and spared some of his
precious time to tell the "Kentish Times" the story of his escape from Belgium via Dunkirk.

Mr Pearce joined an anti-aircraft unit in December 1937. On 2nd October he went to France
and moved into action on the day Belgium and Holland were invaded. From that time until
he arrived back in England he did not get a full night's sleep or a shave. At first his unit
were guarding Hurricanes on an airfield and for about eight days there was intermittent
action by the German planes.

Describing the retreat to Dunkirk, Lance-bombardier Pearce said:

"the Germans were only about three miles behind us, and we were being raided
intermittently. Although things were "pretty lively" the chief thing we suffered from was
lack of news. We did not know until we got to Dunkirk that King Leopold had given in. We
got to Dunkirk on the Saturday afternoon. The town was being raided and we got busy -
digging like mad, setting up a position to the south-east. We snatched what sleep we could
in the open.

On the Sunday those in the action who were not absolutely fit were sent off to Dunkirk. It
was just as well for the next day we had the worst day's bombing of the whole trip. They
started at 6am and bombed until it was dark, coming over 50 at a time. That night we
moved off again, eventually finding ourselves at St. Malo-le-Bains among the dunes, and
had a couple of hours sleep on the beach.

Thatnight we were marched on to the beach and helped form a cordon while embarkation
was going on. The discipline was marvellous. Early next morning, after a few hours sleep,
we arrived at the head of a column of some thousands of men who were going into Dunkirk
to embark. We marched about four miles with occasional raids to liven things up.

When we got to Dunkirk we found that there were thousands ahead of us. Just as we got on
board a destroyer, two Dorniers and a Heinkel (German planes) came over and we had a
few anxious moments. There was a sea mist on the way to Dover and so we were left
alone. When we disembarked people were waiting with sandwiches and fruit, and I was
able to quench my thirst - for some time we couldn't get any water and I had been obliged
to drink the rum a French officer had scrounged for us!

The train from Dover passed through Orpington where I tossed out a note for my parents - I
should like to thank the railway man who posted it - and back to barracks in Hampshire
where I had my first real sleep for weeks. I was also able to get a good shave - we were
looking like bushmen!"

79