The Sinking of the Lancastria by Jonathan Fenby Read Free Book Online

and motorcyclists. But their rifles were no match for the tanks, and they were forced to retreat, abandoning their lorry when it broke down.
    Missing the evacuation from the beaches, they found themselves in a village which came under German attack. The six men dived into a cellar of a demolished house. They discussed whether to surrender, but decided to stay where they were. Early the next morning, Knight climbed the stairs from the cellar to see what was happening outside. The sky was black with planes dropping bombs. Looking down to the harbour, he saw clouds of dust and smoke, flying bricks and debris. For the first time in his life, he felt afraid, realising that only an Act of God would save them.
    Just then, Knight heard a scurry of feet. Two civilians covered in muck and dust practically fell on him at the top of the stairs. The three of them went down into the cellar. Then one of the Frenchmen, who spoke quite good English, guided them to safety through back lanes and small holdings; at one point, they crossed a canal by climbing over trucks which had been tipped into the water.
    The next morning, the men got back to their lorry which they repaired. They drove off towards the inland town of Hesdin, turning off the road in the evening, intending tospend the night hidden in a wood. At that moment, they heard the noise of engines coming down the road – a procession of captured French and British trucks driven by Germans.
    Counting on being taken for part of the convoy to get through the lines, the British joined up as the last vehicle. They drove for about forty miles without lights, and passed the enemy sentry posts. Nobody challenged them – the darkness hid their uniforms.
    Having got to temporary safety, they peeled off from the convoy and went west, their lorry still carrying its load of explosives. Bypassing Abbeville where the battle was raging, they got over the River Somme. Then they headed cross-country to Normandy, using small country roads to avoid the Germans. On one occasion, their progress blocked by the destruction of a bridge, they cut down trees to enable them to get across a small river. Along the way, they met soldiers from the 51st Highland Division en route for St-Valéry, but decided to go off on their own rather than heading there.
    French and Belgian stragglers joined the party to swell it to about thirty. One day, coming round a corner, they saw tanks, and German troops grouped round the armoured vehicles. Getting as close as they could, they threw hand grenades and fired their guns at the enemy. One man clambered up on a tank, and dropped a grenade inside. Then William Knight and his comrades retreated with three Germans prisoners, whom they handed over to a group of French soldiers having lunch in a field on a table set with a cloth.
    Moving further west, Knight’s unit ran into more German armoured vehicles and motor cyclists with machine guns who took them captive. They were ordered to sit on the side of thenarrow road while the armoured cars drove off, leaving two motorcyclists to watch the prisoners.
    Knight shouted out insults about Germans in English to test whether the guards spoke his language. There was no response, so he told the others that he was going to jump a guard, and that they should deal with the second man. Taking out his cigarette case, he tried to lure the first guard close to him by offering him a cigarette; but the German did not smoke. Then Knight indicated that he wanted to defecate. The guard signalled his agreement. Going to a bush, Knight started to undo his trousers. The guard came across to watch him. Knight leaped at the man, and got his arm round his throat. The rest of the unit jumped on the other guard, battering him to death.
    As Knight put his weight on top of the first man’s gun, the German drew a trench knife from his boot. The blade went through the Englishman’s hand, and into his chin. Fighting for his life, Knight found the guard’s jugular,