NIGHTMARE TREK TO COAST

Southland Times, Issue 24163, 27 June 1940, Page 2

NIGHTMARE TREK TO COAST

AUSTRALIAN’S ORDEAL OF BOMBING LONDON, May 31. An Australian refugee who escaped from Lille with his wife and daughter said that the German bombers gave them no peace, but bombed and machine-gunned them almost ceaselessly. The refugee was Mr Vincent Robinson, who was crippled in the last war. He was formerly foundation secretary of the Brisbane Returned Soldiers’ League, and returned to France in 1923 and became a jeweller at Lille. HUNDREDS KILLED “Fifty houses near ours were demolished,” Mr Robinson said. “We joined the stream of refugees. When we reached St. Omer 15 Dorniers swooped down and dropped 60 to 80 high-explosive bombs on refugees on the station and in trains, killing hundreds. “We threw ourselves down by a wall of the town square, but the Dorniers came and mowed down a whole line of Belgians, lying like ourselves along the walls. “We stayed the night at a farm and thought our troubles were over, but from 7.30 p.m. to 3.30 a.m. bombers continuously swept along the railway. My womenfolk clung to me for hours, ' screaming, weeping and fainting, and expecting the last moment at any time, as bombs and bullets rained all round us. ' UTTER DESOLATION’’ “At dawn, we saw the utter desolation of the village, the wrecked refugee trains, and the chaos. Dead and wounded were everywhere. We pressed on to the coast by detour, because all the bridges had been destroyed or barricaded. Other towns had been bombed all night and were blazing piles of wreckage. “We caught up with retreating French and Belgian troops, who gave us food. The road to Boulogne was strewn with lorries and buses which had been smashed by bombs. Many were aflame. “We had scarcely arrived at Boulogne when bombers came again, dropping 100 bombs. One fell 75 yards behind us and killed 17 soldiers. Another hit a wall 10 yards ahead, but a lorry broke its force and we were safe in the shelter of our truck. The bombing continued for seven hours until 2 a.m., when we threaded our way through bodies and wreckage to the embarkation quay, and took refuge under the quay for 48 hours. PURSUED TO THE LAST “There were only two 90-minute breaks in the bombing throughout that time. Then the Germans began shelling the town from the surrounding hills. The destroyers replied to the batteries, and it was a continuous rattle of pompoms, pounding of ships’ guns, and bursting of shells and bombs. Over all was the incessant screaming of women and children.

“Hospital trains were ablaze, and an ammunition depot was also in flames, resulting in the sending of bullets in all directions. It took us half an hour to reach the destroyer, with aeroplanes swooping down and machine-gunning us at every move.

“Sheik burst as we embarked. A soldier helping my wife on board fell dead on top of her. A German tank appeared at the end of the auay with machine-guns blazing. We were scarcely on board ’hen two aerial torpedoes toppled over the whole of the quay into the harbour.”