The Last Leg: 6-7 September 1940

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Friday 6th September

The morning was taken up with packing and the usual bustle of preparation for departure. We could see the mountains of North Wales to the south and began to feel that we were real­ly getting home. It was generally believed that we would dock about midday, as we could pick out the buildings of Liverpool at about 11. But we had to wait for a pilot. We moved forward very slowly. As we passed into the channel of the Mersey we had an Action Stations warning — the first of the whole trip. Liverpool was being attacked. Through the porthole below I saw two ships which had been sunk: their masts and funnels showed above the water.

RMS Ausonia, Cunarder sister ship of Antonia, in Liverpool

As we moved slowly into the river opposite the landing stage at Liverpool a barrage balloon nearly fell on top of us. It had been shot down. This was the only sign of the recent raid. We spent hours just waiting about that day. We got off onto the tender at about 5.30 but another air raid warning brought us back to the ship. We eventually landed at about a quarter to seven. It took us some time to get through the customs. We couldn’t get a taxi to the station, but struggled there by tram. Our train was supposed to leave at 10. We tried to get a meal but couldn’t get a table. However, we got something to keep off the pangs in the buffet. We were just starting to eat when the warning went. We turned out and almost at once there were terrific crashes all around us. We tried the shelters for a while, but they were too crowded and stuffy. So M, Pat and I went up and settled down on some suitcases. M suddenly remembered her ‘shipwreck rations’ — a flask of brandy and bars of chocolate. We demolished these and then tried, rather unsuccessfully, to sleep.

Saturday 7th September

Our train eventually left at 3. By putting a table across the seats we managed to get some comfort and sleep. It was horribly cold on the station and in the train. We moved very slowly for the first six hours and then we began to move a bit. We got some buns and tea at one station. At Northampton I sent a telegram to Wendy to say I would be home for lunch. 

10.25 NORTHAMPTON A RL 7
= WENDY RATHBONE BLICKLING EPSOM =
HOME LUNCH = JOHN ++

We got to town about 11.30 and I caught the 12.05 at Waterloo.

The last twenty miles were the most thrilling of the whole journey.