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S/Sgt. Frank William "Tiny" Bray
British Army Royal West Kent Regiment
from:Maidstone
Frank Bray was a regular soldier of the Royal West Kents, he sailed with the BEF and Battalion Headquarters set up in a large house south east of Petegem, Belgium. The Listening post of Frank's platoon was in a ditch before the railway looking south towards German advance.(see modern picture). Early movement on their front lead to a Bren gunner killing a German Officer, who was unaware of the listening post position. this led to some probing by German troops and the occupation of a farmhouse about 150 yards to the south of Frank's position. The Platoon's bren gunner fired regularly through farmhouse walls.
The Platoon were running low on ammunitions, water and food and the headquarters to their rear was withdrawing with the regiment. Frank was caught in the farmhouse, he had been originally looking for food and water, but ended up bandaging a German soldier's rear end, who had been shot up by the platoon's bren gunner. He believed that the German soldier's comments saved his life when other soldiers entered the farmhouse.
The interviewing German officer knew my father's regiment and that he was a regular. His platoon was allowed to surrender, they were isolated with no food or ammunition and the regiment had withdrawn. They also could see the massive German troop resources in the vicinity, preparing for further forward movement. They were taken to a point where they joined the long line of prisoners following the route to the prison forts in Poland. He was shot at for trying to pick up a potato shortly afterwards.
