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From 10 June 1940 to 12 June 1940 the 157th Battery moved from Nantes to Tour near Entresson (near Marseille) to provide anti aircraft cover for the RAF's Haddock Force. This force consisted of Wellington bombers from 99 and 149 Squadrons sent to southern France to bomb Italy who had declared war on 10 June 1940. The Wellingtons were based at Salon.
This letter from Frank was a standard Field Service Post Card which only provided the briefest infromation.
FIELD SERVICE POST CARD
I am quite well.
Letter follows at first opportunity.
Frank
Date 13/6/40
These letters were published 70 years to the day from when they were first written during the Phoney War (1939) and the Battle of France (1940). They were sent by my Great Uncle, mainly to his father, and provide a fascinating insight into the day to day life of a British soldier in the opening phase of World War II. I have also included information about the AASF and the Battle of France to put my Great Uncle's service in context.
After a welcome return with our guns to St Marie the 17th June 1940 witnessed a most tragic time for me and my comrades at St Nazare, the sinking of the SS Lancastria I shall never forget it, never. At about 10am on that day all troops were lined up in two columns. We were referred to a 'left hand column' and 'right hand column', I was in the left hand column, Our order was given by the officer of the day "Right hand column proceed to board the SS Lancastria, left hand column stand fast". I stood fast. Most of the men in the right hand column were drowned including many of my friends. By mid afternoon an estimated 9,000 personnel had embarked. According to a Royal Army Ordinance Gazette the Lancastia shuddered under the blast of bombs exploding in the water. Almost immediately the ship began to sink. Orders were given to abandon ship. As the ship sank lower men walked on its sloping sides. Survivors in the water would hear these men inside the stricken ship singing "Rollout the barrel” and “There will always be an England". Then the Lancastria slid under the sea and the singing stopped. After the war a stained glass memorial window was installed in St Catherine's Free Church, Leadenhall Street, London. The window depicts Christ walking on the water and at the bottom left is an impression of a painting of the disaster by a survivor, Corporal May.
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