Escape from Dunkirk?

Question

I am very impressed after reading several passages about stories during the Escape from Dunkirk...Do you have any story or experience that some relative, ancestor or aquaintance had shared with you?

Answer 1

From William Manchester: "Winston Spencer Churchill: The Last Lion"

"

THE French had collapsed. The Dutch had been overwhelmed. The Belgians had surrendered. The British army, trapped, fought free and fell back toward the Channel ports, converging on a fishing town whose name was then spelled Dunkerque.
Behind them lay the sea.
It was England’s greatest crisis since the Norman conquest, vaster than those precipitated by Philip II’s Spanish Armada, Louis XIV’s triumphant armies, or Napoleon’s invasion barges massed at Boulogne. This time Britain stood alone. If the Germans crossed the Channel and established uncontested beachheads, all would be lost, for it is a peculiarity of England’s island that its southern weald is indefensible against disciplined troops.........
Now the 220,000 Tommies at Dunkirk, Britain’s only hope, seemed doomed. On the Flanders beaches they stood around in angular, existential attitudes, like dim purgatorial souls awaiting disposition. There appeared to be no way to bring more than a handful of them home. The Royal Navy’s vessels were inadequate. King George VI has been told that they would be lucky to save 17,000. The House of Commons was warned to prepare for “hard and heavy tidings.”

Then, from the streams and estuaries of Kent and Dover, a strange fleet appeared: trawlers and tugs, scows and fishing sloops, lifeboats and pleasure craft, smacks and coasters; the island ferry Grade Fields; Tom Sopwith’s America’s Cup challenger Endeavour; even the London fire brigade’s fire-float Massey Shaw — all of them manned by civilian volunteers:

English fathers, sailing to rescue England’s exhausted, bleeding sons."

And my own thoughts: They arrived back in England, mostly with the salt soaked clothes on their back and nothing else.......except their training and their discipline and their pride. The difference between a mob and an army isn't guns and tanks and trucks. It is training and discipline and pride.

Those quarter million Britons trained another quarter million....and they trained a half million from South Africa and Australia and New Zealand and India and Canada, and soon thereafter, another million from America....till, barley a thousand days later, they came back..not in a ramshackle fleet of civilian ships and yachts, but a great wall of steel and guns, covering a Channel that since 1588 had not been the Spanish, or the French, nor the German, but always the English Channel......an army two million men strong of the English Speaking Peoples, coming back to liberate Europe from the greatest Evil of our time.

Answer 2

Most historians believed that Hitler was racist and treated Britain like his own brother with the same Aryan race. He let Britain escape against his General ‘s advice because he wanted to give Britain a chance to negotiate for peace. Then after Hitler’s charity act got no appreciation or reciprocation of peace from Churchill, he realized his mistakes of injecting his emotion into war, but he never admitted his errors in front of his Generals or in public, .he just moved on with the Battle of Britain, by then it was too late, Britain’s retreated army from Dunkirk was intact and already involved in the battle. It showed Hitler was not monster enough to kill or capture all British in Dunkirk. If he did like he fought against Russia with no mercy, he would surely have beaten Britain and probably won World War II, thus avoiding fate of suicide. Dunkirk’s blunder spells the difference between Glory and Death in Hitler’s life.

Answer 3

Both of my Grandfathers (now deceased) were in their twenties in '40-'45.
One was a professional soldier all his life. And fought throughout the war, and was stationed in occupied Germany for many years.
The other ( I believe) was a railway worker and was needed there. Doesn't get talked about much.

All my stories are third hand. The ones who know (in my experience) don't talk about it, except amongst themselves.
And I haven't known any who apportions blame - at least publicly.

Another good friend, is a happy soul who keeps his own corner in my local. Always quick with a laugh and a joke. Until someone asks him about the war. Then it's a short outburst before he leaves.
Another acquaintance, recently deceased, wrote the book ' Banzai, You Bastards'. But publicly holds no grudges, and attends commemoration alongside Japanese ex-soldiers.

My rail-working Grandfather however, went to his death vehemently hating everything French because of Dunkirk.

Answer 4

As Dunkirk effected the British Army primarily, the Brits will be the best source.

Answer 5

maximum historians believed that Hitler replace into racist and dealt with Britain like his very own brother with the comparable Aryan race. He enable Britain get away against his wide-unfold ‘s advice because of the fact he wanted to grant Britain a raffle to barter for peace. Then after Hitler’s charity act have been given no reciprocation of peace from Churchill, he found out his errors of injecting his emotion into conflict, yet he never admitted his blunders in front of his Generals or in public, .he merely moved on with the conflict of england, via then it replace into too late, Britain’s retreated military from Dunkirk replace into intact and already in contact in the conflict. It confirmed Hitler replace into no longer monster sufficient to kill or seize all British in Dunkirk. If he did like he fought against Russia with out mercy, he could fairly have crushed Britain and specific gained international conflict II, for this reason warding off way forward for suicide. Dunkirk’s blunder spells the version between Glory and loss of existence in Hitler’s existence.

Answer 6

It was a close call for the British forces as Hitler's forces were within striking distance of Dunkirk & could easily have prevented the escape of 300+k troops, making conquest of Britain that easier.

For reasons unknown, Hitler decided to halt his troops for 3 days to wait for the infantry to catch up as well as for the armoured forces to be replenished.

Answer 7

Have you read The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico?

I remember reading it at school in the UK. It's very poignant, about what a disfigured man does to help.
If you like stories about Dunkirk, you may enjoy reading it.

Answer 8

I don't know of any personal stories about Dunkirk,,but my uncle was one of many men who parachuted into Arnhem,, he told me there was no glory in killing anyone,,quite sickening,,the only glory is in Hollywood movies,, Brave men with a job to do,, to this day my uncle assumes the correct landing position and jumps off the couch to show you,,perfect,,as for me I have parachuted 3 times and that was pretty scary enough for me,,just imagine jumping with people shooting at you from the ground,,we owe these people so much for our liberty and freedom of speech,,of which I find is fast disappearing