page 43 — May 1940

Friday 31^st

A letter from Daddy in the morning. Right at the last moment the girls couldn’t go [to South Africa] as they couldn’t get permits. Nora is going to learn to be a child’s nurse (near Newcastle) and Margaret is going to do forestry with Uncle George (the bearded one) in S. Wales. Daddy as yet has failed to join the R.A.M.C. as they don’t seem to want him or something. Mommy may be a nurse if he does get in. Surgeon-Lieutenant J. C. Ryle [brother John] is soon going to sea as surgeon to a flotilla of minesweepers. zfl zev zmw zhk zsl

[See note (a)]

News foul. They’ve as good as got the Belgian channel ports, we are disembarking successfully leaving most of the tank corps and armoured units of the BEF behind. Street fighting continues in Calais. Three destroyers lost, several smaller boats and one transport. Pretty grim [this was the start of the Dunkirk evacuation]. zlb znb

June

Sunday 2^nd

The day began with a ! or two. We were told to go to Frank’s study where he began by saying ‘You go home on Tuesday’ (Cries and applause). Waffle concerning why … then ‘The summer holiday will be shorter’ (groans). We will reassemble in about 2 weeks at ‘Somewhere in England’. Pack. Awful rush etc. We got all we could done and spent the afternoon playing rounders. … zsr zev

News:- The most wonderful rearguard action ever—withdrawing troops from Belgium via Dunkirk is nearly completed. zlb

[See note (b)]