210275 Dvr. Richard James Hart British Army My Grandfather, Richard James Hart, of the 51st Highland Division was captured in St Valery. After being lined up they all had to sleep on the beach in the rain. After walking several days he decided enough is enough and asked a fellow soldier Bill if he fancied his chances, after declining he changed his mind and they fell out into the ditch at the side of the road, as you did when you needed the toilet, except this time they lay with their backs to the road and prayed not to be spotted. They spent a few hours in the ditch until dark and decided to make their way south. They only travelled at night and would rest during the day in woods and bushes and stayed away from roads. After a few days they were confronted by two farmers with shotguns and led to their house. After feasting on cooked rabbit and several cups of tea they asked to see a map and decided to hit the road. Again they met a French cyclist who took them to a cornershop in which they were noticed as being British and given some food. After being assisted to a barn where they hid for a week or so and fed like kings they were told they would be moved on as the Germans were searching houses for escapees and if caught out of uniform they would have been shot along with the family hiding them. They were given cycles and told to ride along with a large group of children on bikes as a distraction in case of being stopped. They were taken to another family which would take them to church every other day and were given money or food. The children rode with them through 3 German checkpoints as the family had supplied fake papers for them as train workers. After making it through the border they were left by themselves and told to he's for the station to catch a train. Onboard the German officer quizzed them and said he would need to check with another German the validity of these papers. They decided not to stick around and jumped off the train, in doing so Bill broke his leg. After wandering a few days a farmer saw them and invited them in and contacted a local doctor to check Bill over. That night the sky was filled with German planes, like a black cloud you couldn't see anything but planes. They got a little low that night wondering if they would make it and what if they were headed to Britain and if they had been beat. The next night they asked the farmer to call the local police and hand themselves in, in which the police said they basically couldn't be bothered to send units out to collect them. They picked themselves back up and carried on their plan to make it to Spain. After many more close calls they were arrested by local police as a farmer spotted them sleeping in his barn. On the second night after their exercise they were taken back to their cells, after leaning on the cell door it opened, Dicky didn't ask any questions and walked down the corridor and saw Bill come out as well. They walked straight out the back door and made their way into the night. After many months and another arrest and escape they made it back to Britain. The women who hid them and assisted their escape back to Britain in France were hunted down by my granddad 40 years later in 1982 in which he went over and met the mayor of the town and was reunited with his assistors and thanked them with all his heart and they shared all their stories over many drinks. They also visited England after as well and it was televised up Milton Keynes Central. I only know all this as I found 4 cassette recordings in an old bag at my parents. I was 2 when he died and was only ever told briefly about his escape in the war so was over the moon to find all these stories in his own voice. If anyone remembers him or Bill please get in contact. Additional Information: | Dvr. R J Hart arrived back to the UK (Liverpool) on the 4/12/40. On the Aguila ship, yeoward line via Gibraltar alongside a W Steers.Leonie
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