Admiral Abrial
4 T[ T THEN you arrive at Dunkirk/ General
%/%/ Giraud had said, *go at once to Bastion
Y V 37 and ask to see Admiral Abrial. He
has a grand official title. He's the Admiral Nord: he
holds the rank of an army commander and has under
his orders not only the navy but the land and
air forces in that sector as well.... In fact, he
commands the whole of the extreme left. If we
advance, I move towards Holland with my army and
the Admiral keeps the door open for us.9
A network of barbed wire surrounded the
Bastion. A sailor stood on guard before a metal
door. Inside, the old fort, with its grass-grown
ramparts, was fitted out like a battleship. The Rear-
Admiral's office had the look of a ship's cabin. The
Rear-Admiral himself, Leclerc, had delicate features
and a quizzical air. He took me along to Admiral
Abrial who from the first glance inspired respect and
sympathy. His grave and dignified bearing bespoke
incontestable authority.
He had me shown over his fortress. Its most
secret corner was the aircraft intelligence room. It
received by telephone from France and England the
exact positions of any German aircraft over the