Account from Vera Wilson (nee Sampson) given in January 2004
After I married Stafford Wilson in 1939 we moved to Sheerness as Stafford was based in the Royal Marines in Chatham.
In 1940 I spent Whitsun at home in Maldon, Essex, with my parents. They were concerned about the way the war was going and asked me to move back with them, especially as my husband was now serving abroad, for the duration of the war. This I agreed to and it was arranged that my elder sister Alice Wilson came to Sheerness to help collect my belongings and move me back to Maldon.
We packed my belongings and ate our dinner but still had a few hours to spare before the bus was due to depart. So we decided to take a walk along the sea front as it was a sunny afternoon. As we walked we saw a lot of boats in the Channel, heading towards the docks. We continued our walk towards Sheerness Railway Station where a large crowd had gathered, to be told that it was "our boys" coming home from Dunkirk.
The soldiers were brought from the Docks to the Bus and Railway stations which were next to each other, then I noticed that one of the injured soldiers was a friend of mine (Alan) that I worked with at Hoffmans Factory in Chelmsford before the war broke out. I went completely numb as he was carried by another soldier to the Station platform to await the train to London and Hospital.
Shortly after that I saw my sister run out of the crowd towards the soldiers shouting "Les!" "Les!", it was her husband who was also being evacuated from Dunkirk !
The shock was too much for her and she passed out, the first aid man brought her round and then said "As you have seen your husband and your friend you two can go onto the Platform until the train arrives." (this was a special permission as only the Military were allowed on the Railway Station).
My sister was reunited with her husband for a short time, my friend had already been evacuated.
We were then given pens, pencils and paper by the authorities and told to collect as many names as we could from the soldiers so that their families could be informed they were safe and back home. We then passed this onto the RN Headquarters where they then sent the telegrams.
This was a sight and event that I will never forget as we both felt so helpless and proud of our soldiers and relieved that of all the places to be on that day my sister Alice was there when her husband returned home.
It was the first and last time that Alice had been to Sheerness. What a coincidence we should walk along the coast, that day at that time !
After I married Stafford Wilson in 1939 we moved to Sheerness as Stafford was based in the Royal Marines in Chatham.
In 1940 I spent Whitsun at home in Maldon, Essex, with my parents. They were concerned about the way the war was going and asked me to move back with them, especially as my husband was now serving abroad, for the duration of the war. This I agreed to and it was arranged that my elder sister Alice Wilson came to Sheerness to help collect my belongings and move me back to Maldon.
We packed my belongings and ate our dinner but still had a few hours to spare before the bus was due to depart. So we decided to take a walk along the sea front as it was a sunny afternoon. As we walked we saw a lot of boats in the Channel, heading towards the docks. We continued our walk towards Sheerness Railway Station where a large crowd had gathered, to be told that it was "our boys" coming home from Dunkirk.
The soldiers were brought from the Docks to the Bus and Railway stations which were next to each other, then I noticed that one of the injured soldiers was a friend of mine (Alan) that I worked with at Hoffmans Factory in Chelmsford before the war broke out. I went completely numb as he was carried by another soldier to the Station platform to await the train to London and Hospital.
Shortly after that I saw my sister run out of the crowd towards the soldiers shouting "Les!" "Les!", it was her husband who was also being evacuated from Dunkirk !
The shock was too much for her and she passed out, the first aid man brought her round and then said "As you have seen your husband and your friend you two can go onto the Platform until the train arrives." (this was a special permission as only the Military were allowed on the Railway Station).
My sister was reunited with her husband for a short time, my friend had already been evacuated.
We were then given pens, pencils and paper by the authorities and told to collect as many names as we could from the soldiers so that their families could be informed they were safe and back home. We then passed this onto the RN Headquarters where they then sent the telegrams.
This was a sight and event that I will never forget as we both felt so helpless and proud of our soldiers and relieved that of all the places to be on that day my sister Alice was there when her husband returned home.
It was the first and last time that Alice had been to Sheerness. What a coincidence we should walk along the coast, that day at that time !