LEWIS Earl used to go to reunions with his former Dunkirk comrades every year.

But as years have gone by the tradition has “died a death”, as the Rustington resident says, along with many of the veterans who survived the evacuation.

Lewis was a 19-year-old former office boy when the war began.

By the end of it he was a sergeant major who had fought in the war’s bloodiest theatres.

For Lewis, VE Day was not a day of celebration but a day of relief.

Having celebrated his 100th birthday on Wednesday, he now hopes to speak to any Dunkirk survivors.

ON MAY 26 1940, the order came in: “Every man for himself.”

In Calais, the French and British defences were crumbling under the force of the Nazi advance.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers across France made their way to the beaches of Dunkirk in a desperate retreat.

Lewis Earl was one of the last.

A 19-year-old gunner in the Royal Artillery, he had been an office boy in the City of London before joining the Territorial Army in 1937.

Being in the TA had been “something to do” for Bermondsey boy Lewis.

The Argus: Lewis Earl had been an office boy in the City of London before joining the Territorial Army in 1937. This picture was taken two years laterLewis Earl had been an office boy in the City of London before joining the Territorial Army in 1937. This picture was taken two years later

But in August 1939, a month before the outbreak of the Second World War, he was called up to the Royal Artillery.

By October he was being shipped out to France.

“We didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for,” said the 99-year-old, who lives in Rustington.

“I wasn’t really nervous. No one had experienced it.”

The early weeks for the war had been hard for Lewis, his unit charged with digging trenches and setting up gun emplacements.

“I remember it was bloody cold,” he said.

“We never had any rations. We were living off the land, digging up potatoes.

“Then the Germans started coming and chased us all over the place.”

As the doomed defence of France came to an end in May 1940, Lewis was part of a rearguard action holding the Nazi forces off as soldiers were evacuated.

By the time he reached Dunkirk, there was barely anybody left.

“All the big boats had been pulled out and there weren’t many men left,” he said.

“Luckily the Jerries had run out of fuel for their tanks..

“Then during the night someone called out a small boat was coming in, 15 of us got in.

“A lot of lads on the beach didn’t make it.”

The Argus: Lewis was a sergeant major by the war's end. Here he is in Germany in 1946Lewis was a sergeant major by the war's end. Here he is in Germany in 1946

But the soldiers were not out of the woods yet.

“We hit a sand bank and we were stranded,” he said.

“We were there for three days, keeping our heads down and waiting for the tide to rise.

“We weren’t scared, we were apprehensive. We were on the sand bank keeping our heads down.”

Eventually the boat got free of the sand bank and made its way to Ramsgate in Kent.

But Dunkirk was far from the end of the war for Lewis.

His unit was transferred to the 5th Infantry.

“It was the most-travelled division in the British Army,” he said.

“We were in Madagascar, Iraq, Iran, Egypt.

“We landed in Sicily, that wasn’t very nice. From Sicily we went on to Italy and went right up to Rome, all the way.

“Then we went back to Egypt and went to the South of France as the lads went across the Channel.

“It wasn’t nice. We didn’t have many good times.”

The Argus: Lewis, left, served across Europe and Africa in the 5th Infantry for the remainder of the warLewis, left, served across Europe and Africa in the 5th Infantry for the remainder of the war

In the final weeks of the war Lewis was part of the bloody push in Germany. He does not remember where he was when peace was declared on May 8 1945.

“The announcement came in and we all stood up and said ‘Thank Christ for that’,” he said.

“We didn’t celebrate at all, we had had enough of the war by then. All we could do was relax.”

Once the war was over, Lewis returned to London to work at a newsagent’s.

But three years later he was back in the Territorial Army, joining the Parachute Regiment.

“I suppose I missed the comradeship, all the lads together,” he said.

“I did 16 jumps and that was enough for me.”

Eventually he made his way to Rustington in 1960.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Lewis said.

“I started selling paraffin. Eventually I had three motors going around and I got into the garage business.”

Now having recently celebrated his 100th birthday, the sergeant major wants to speak to any survivors of Dunkirk.

“I was determined to make it to 100,” he said.

“Being 100 doesn’t feel much different really. I just get tired very quickly.

“I’d like to talk about the good times, though we didn’t have many.”

If you know a Dunkirk survivor who would like to speak to Lewis, email samuel.brooke@theargus.co.uk.