Hi so this is just a very quick story that I’ve decided to tell you. I’ve just been doing some
um recording about the first world war so I’ve got my first world war uniform on so don't
get confused. This is about me and somebody I knew many years ago this is the story we're
going to give him the name Wilf yeah because I can't remember if it was will or it was Wilf
this was a guy who had served during the second world war throughout the entire war in fact in
the British army in the royal artillery and the story is back in the 1970s I am in the
cold war patrolling from berlin to the west German border through communist East Germany
and the one day we've come in soaking wet uh freezing cold it's a lousy day and we've come
into what was then checkpoint alpha at Helmsted on the east west German border on duty is Wilf
the British frontier service old guy and there he issued all his medals on there was a dignitary
was coming and I’ve gone to put the kettle on straight away blue fingers need a cup of tea
and I’ve noticed Wilf’s medals and I was just good well fast as you was in the war all the way
through you got more medals there than you can imagine and he says yeah I was in the whole lot
and I’m looking and I thought this guy was in the second world war from the beginning to the
end and I said to him I said so you know getting a cup of tea and my mate joined me and I said so
where did you fight you know where was the big battle now Wilf was only a little guy
yeah lovely, lovely fella and he says ah, I suppose the biggest battle I was in was Dunkirk
I says get out of here you were in the evacuation at Dunkirk and he said it goes deeper than that
now what happened at this point in the checkpoint was the French military police the gendarme came
over and so did the US MPs, they came over as well you know, United States Army military police
because we all worked there together and we're all having a cup of tea cup of coffee listening
to Wilf tell his war story and boy did he lead us a tale. He says I was in the Battle of Arras
fighting hard against the Germans, yeah we were we were doing very well he says but
you know the French pulled back and the Belgian surrendered he says we had to fight a rear guard
action and he's giving all the details about how he would fire his cannon and drive up 10 mile stop
firing their cannons and all this kind of stuff so we get to Dunkirk and he says we have to destroy
all our equipment and I’m going really? And I didn't realize what was going on and the Frenchman
said ‘mon dieu’ and the Americans ‘my god’. Yep, had to blow up my own cannon, destroy the vehicles
and we were told to make our way to the beaches of Dunkirk I know where this is called Bray Dunes
and all Wilf he said I'll get over the ridge there and there were thousands thousands upon
thousands upon thousands of troops and all kinds of stuff going on planes coming down bombing the
beach machine gunning and everything and I’m going ‘really?’ and the Frenchman's going ‘mon dieu’ and
the Americans go ‘my god’ and he says yeah. He says I had to run across the beach. I didn't
even think about this run across the beach in full army gear with hobnail boots doesn't work
but will he got us he says I ran across and the Stuka dive bomber came for me and I went
‘no’ and the Frenchman ‘mon dieu’ and we're all leaning in now and the two Americans are going
‘my god’ and he says I zigzag this way and that way and I couldn't
shake off that Stuka dive bomber. Think about, it how fast does an aeroplane go?
Never even thought about it. He says I kept zigzagging and I fell over and I went ‘no’
and the Americans ‘my god’ and the Frenchman ‘mon dieu’ He said I rolled over I could see the eyes
of the pilot I went no and the Frenchman said ‘mon dieu’ and the Americans ‘my god’
and he opened fire. I went ‘no was you injured?’ he said I was hit straight through the chest Kevin
I was just ‘really?’ and the Frenchman's going ‘mon dieu’ and the Americans are going ‘my god’
he says yeah right through the chest and I says ‘was you badly hurt?’ He says I was killed,
killed outright, never stood a chance. And I went ‘goodness me’ and the Frenchman ‘mon dieu’
two Americans ‘my god’ and those three went off back to their work and I stood there
and I suddenly went ‘hang on a bit what do you mean you were killed?’ He says ‘gotcha’
and I says you little so-so. He said I didn't want to talk in front of those guys
this is between you and me Brits together right I said go on then what really happened? He says
I got to the water's edge and I had to wade into the sea and as you know I’m not very tall
the waves were coming right up here he says and we were queuing up to get on board a great big ship
and I go wow and he says eventually I’m stopped by a military policeman now I’ve been in the sea for
hours queuing up to get on this ship. I’m soaking wet freezing cold still got me rifle let me get a
military policeman says hold it lad he says you go that way you've got to get up those steps
and soaking wet I climbed up step after step to get up onto this ship then I was sent to the back
and I’m watching that military policeman telling which ladders the blokes have got to go up he must
have been in the sea for hours and I’m interested in this because I was in the military police right
and he says and eventually the ship is full and uh the military policeman stops the queue nobody
argues and as we're pulling away a Stuka dive bomb I put a bomb straight down the middle of the ship
blew it to pieces I was blown into the water I says wow man he says I joined the line again but I
didn't have a rifle didn't have a coat I'd had to get rid of my kit so I could swim I was freezing
and he put me on a little boat which got me out to a ship and eventually I got back to England
I said wow that's incredible he says well he says that military policeman was still
in the sea when I was leaving and he said I’ve never forgotten he says but eventually
he said I fought in north Africa and I fought in Italy but then I was transferred back to England
ready for D-day I said my gosh you're on D-day and I told you my uncle was there and blah blah blah
and my grandfather was royal artillery they may have known each other it was great conversation
but then he finished he says um when I landed on D-day one
there were bullets ricocheting off everywhere and he said I’m driving my truck with the cannon
behind it bullets ricocheting I’m just gonna go that way and a military policeman stops me
comes around to my window and he says and where do you think you're going young man he said I’m
going to go up there he said I wouldn't go up there if I was you that's a minefield
why don't you follow your pals and go that way and he says I never forgot those military policemen
and I says how come you ended up here right in the middle of Germany he says ah he says we saw
action not far away and uh it was not good lots of young Germans were killed it very sad very sad
and he says but we stopped there in this farm and uh leaguered up and the war was over
the farmer and his family had a real tough time there was battle damage everywhere
so we cleaned it all up for them he says you know the farm Kevin I said really he says yeah
he says you see the farmer's daughter was lovely you know her and I looked at will
I said how'd you mean I know her well it's my wife and on their own the farm
that's why I’m here Kevin I simply stayed behind after the war what a story how wow is that
now I hope you've enjoyed it if you did thumbs up if you're already a subscriber
thanks a bunch yeah there's lots of these stories to come if you're not a subscriber then ding
that bell yeah join in let's have some comments it's great fun thank you very much bye for now.