The British community in Calais had to escape by sea or be interned by the German in Upper Silesia. Some were veterans of WW1 with French wives and others were employees of British companies. Cut off from the south by the German advance their only escape was by sea. I am telling the story of some of the 200 British subjects who left Calais aboard HMS VENOMOUS on the 21 May 1940 here: The evacuation of British citizens from Calais in May 1940 by HMS VENOMOUS and its sister V&W Class destroyers Pierre Ratcliffe was five when he left Calais on the 21 May with his parents and sister, Gisele. George Gregson was interned for five years (with P.G. Wodehouse) at Tost but his wife escaped from Boulogne on the 22 May to join her two sons in England. Can anybody add other names? And put me in touch with their families so that I can tell their stories? Bill Forster
Can't remember the title of the book, but had it out of the library last year. Told the story of WWI vetrans who worked for the War graves commision and were still in France at the start of WWIIafter marrying locally, will post the title when I remember.
