Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk

ItcouldhavebeenthebiggestmilitarydisastersufferedbytheBritishintheSecondWorldWar,butagainstalloddstheBritisharmywassuccessfullyevacuated,and"Dunkirkspirit"becamesynonymouswiththestrengthoftheBritishpeopleinadversity.?OnthesamedaythatWinstonChurchillbecamePrimeMinister,GermantroopsinvadedHolland,Luxembourg,andBelgium.Theeight–monthperiodofcalmthathadexistedsincethedeclarationofwarwasover.ButthedefencesconstructedbytheAlliesinpreparationfailedtorepelaGermanarmywithsuperiortactics.TheBritishExpeditionaryForcesoonfoundthemselvesinanincreasinglychaoticretreat.BytheendofMay1940,over400,000AlliedtroopsweretrappedinandaroundtheportofDunkirkwithoutshelterorsupplies.Hitler’sarmywasjusttenmilesaway.OnMay26th,theBritishAdmiraltylaunchedOperationDynamo.Thisfamousrescuemissionsenteveryavailablevessel—fromnavydestroyersandtroopshipstopleasurecruisersandfishingboats—overtheChanneltoDunkirk.Ofthe850"LittleShips"thatsailedtoDunkirk,235weresunkbyGermanaircraftormines,butoverthisninedayperiod338,000BritishandFrenchtroopsweresafelyevacuated.DrawingonthewealthofmaterialfromtheImperialWarMuseumSoundArchive,ForgottenVoicesofDunkirkpresentsinthewordsofbothrescuedandrescuersinanintimateanddramaticaccountofwhatWinstonChurchilldescribedasa"miracleofdeliverance."