Curry, Frank (Oral history)

British private served with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in France and Belgium, 1940

REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, 1922-1939: family circumstances. Enlistment in East Lancashire Regt at Fulwood Barracks, Preston, Lancs, 1938. Period with East Lancashire Regt in Northern Ireland 1938-1939: sport activities; visits to southern Ireland; volunteering for special duties in Finland, 12/1939; physical training; exercises. Period with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 42 Div in France and Belgium, 1940: arrival in France; move to Armentieres; pointing out of Black Cat brothel Captain Marcus Ervine Andrews pointing out brothel; border patrols on French-Belgium border; confrontation with fifth columnists; leave in Paris. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt at Tournai, Belgium, 5/1940: move to Tournai, 10/5/1940; sight of refugees and blowing of bridge at Tournai; wounding during blowing of bridges; killing German motorcyclist. REEL 2 Continues: contact with British stragglers; sight of dead Belgium civilians; action against German tanks and infantry; German shelling; withdrawal from Tournai. Recollections of operations with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in France and Belgium, 5/1940: sight of French hosts destroyed cottage and acquisition of mascot; retreat towards Dunkirk; action against German reconnaissance force; soldier's shooting of mascot; character of retreat towards Dunkirk; sight of French dead. Recollections of operations with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt on canal near Bergues, 31/5/1940: character of defence of barn; attempted German infiltration; wounding of George Oakhill; return to company positions. REEL 3 Continues: role of Captain Marcus Ervine- Andrews during action; catching fire of barn and withdrawal; arrival of German armoured vehicles; wounding of Paddy Kavanagh; escape through hedge; sight of Dunkirk on fire. Recollections of retreat to Dunkirk, 6/1940: acquiring civilian clothes; meeting with French troops move to aid post; arrival of German troops; escape through hole in wall; crossing canal; removal to British headquarters; suspicion of being a fifth columnist; taking uniform from dead British soldiers; meeting with Jimmy Costello; arrival in Dunkirk; finding casualties in church. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of evacuation from Dunkirk, 6/1940: piling dead bodies around statue of Jean Bart; German Air Force attacks on beaches; character of naval evacuation; wounding during evacuation in French fishing boat. Period with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in GB, 1940: waking up in hospital; desertion of Jimmy Costello and consequences; contracting jaundice; reasons for drinking chicken blood. Aspects of evacuation from Dunkirk, 6/1940: Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews' escape from; B Coy evacuees; award of VC to Captain Ervine-Andrews.