Dunkirk 1940 A bittersweet success…
A VETERAN’S TALE
In a recent conversation with a friend and fellow historian I was thankfully reminded, that 2020 is also the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk. This remarkable chapter in the nation’s history is very well documented in word and on film. However, as we approach the 80th anniversary I believe it is worth considering Dunkirk in its wider historical context as the circumstances developed during that early summer of 1940, and also to see how the events lead on to VE Day five years later.
The lead up
What became known as the Siege of Calais was fought in France between Allied troops and German Forces. The siege was the battle for the port of Calais, fought at the same time as the Battle of Boulogne, and the precursor of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) through Dunkirk.
The Allies were losing
