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Dunkirk
26 May - 4 June 1940
With the invasion of Demark and Norway in April 1940 and France in May 1940, the phoney War came to an end. The German army swept across Northern France and on 20th May plans were drawn up by Britain for 'an emergency evacuation across the Channel of our troops'. The codename given to the operation was Dynamo. Evacuations were to take place from Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk at the rate of 10,000 men every 24 hours. However, by 26th May both Calais and Boulogne had fallen to the Germans. Soon Dunkirk was full of weary and wounded troops battered constantly by the Germans artillery as it tightened the noose. The German High Command felt so confident that they announced 'The ring around the British, French and Belgian forces is closed forever'. Winston Churchill, who had only become Prime Minister on 10th May, told the House of Commons 'to prepare itself for hard and heavy tidings'.
It was now that Operation Dynamo was put into effect. Orders went out for ships and men to supplement the Royal Navy. The response was tremendous and during the period from 26th May to 4th June, 338,226 men were evacuated, far more than the 45,000 it had been thought would be saved.
Dunkirk coastline is a dangerous one for inexperienced seamen. It is riddled with shoals, sandbanks and narrow passages. This meant that the survivors had to wade or be ferried out to the larger ships from the shallow water.
Fortunately the seas were calm. The people of Kent listened to the German bombardment and watched the flashes on the horizon some 20 miles across the channel.
The churches, the Salvation Army, the WVS (Women's Voluntary Service) and many other voluntary organisations and individuals responded magnificently. Clothing, especially blankets, was needed and so was food. Each train leaving Dover stopped for eight minutes at the village of Headcorn where local volunteers working from a large barn provided the passengers with food and hot drinks. To save time litter was thrown out of the train windows and to be collected by volunteers before the next train arrived.
The Germans kept up a constant bombardment of Dunkirk. Many British troops wondered why the RAF was not more evident, but their limited resources were used in seeking to prevent more German planes getting to Dunkirk.
The weary returning troops were given a tremendous welcome. Union Jacks were waved and there were many homemade banners bearing the words 'Bravo BEF' (British Expeditionary Force) and 'welcome home'. The evacuation was welcomed as a victory for freedom.
