Watkin, Cyril Frederick

Service number:: 856967
Nationality:: British

Biography

Cyril Watkin came from Custom House, London, and having worked as a plumber, then joined the British Army as a regular, and by 1940 had seen 4 years service. Watkin served during the Second World War as a Driver later Acting Bombardier with the Royal Artillery, seeing service in France during 1940.
After the fall of Franc, Watkin was taken prisoner of war near Bapaume on 5th June 1940, and then marched off to Amiens and then on towards Doullens, and on the 18th June when on the road to Arras, he made his bid to escape. (See MiD).
Watkin is believed to have gone on to see service assisting further prisoners of war escaping to Spain, and working in repatriating them, and as such came under the auspices of the Special Operations Executive, his British Empire Medal being recommended via the "Ministry of Supply" a cover name for clandestine operations.

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Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Gunner
Awarded on:: August 26th, 1941

For escaping from captivity and making a successful home run

The M.I.9 report reads:
‘I was captured at Achiet. Near Bapaume, on 5th June 1940. We were marched off to Amiens and then towards Doullens. On 18th June, on the road to Arras, I slipped out of the column, squatted behind a hedge until it had passed and then made for a small farm, where I was given an old suit and some food. I kept on the move, passing through St Pol (20th June). Boulogne (21st June), Dieppe (23rd June). Rouen (24th June). Beauvais (26th June). I crossed the Demarcation Line on the night of the 28th June near Bourges. I arrived in Marseilles on 12th July 1940, and left there for Spain on 18th February 1941 and was at the Embassy at Madrid on 27th February. From there I was sent to Gibraltar (27th March) for repatriation."