Dunkirk

[Keith at Tregenna]

Any one have answers to my questions on post #1?
Den.

FROM HIS MAJESTY THE KING TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF DEFENCE, 4th JUNE 1940, Buckingham Palace.

I wish to express my admiration of the outstanding skill and bravery shown by the three Services and the Merchant Navy in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Northern France. So difficult an operation was only made possible by brilliant leadership and an indomitable spirit among all ranks of the Force. The measure of its success – greater than we had dared to hope – was due to the unfailing support of the Royal Air Force and, in the final stages, the tireless efforts of naval units of every kind.

While we acclaim this great feat, in which our French Allies too have played so noble a part, we think with heartfelt sympathy of the loss and sufferings of those brave men whose self-sacrifice has turned disaster into triumph.

GEORGE R.I.

[j.sabourn]

Den the rented house my grandparents had in Kingston on Thames was owned by a bloke forget his name but he had various trip boats on the River, he sent all these over to Dunkirk. I was told this when got a bit older to understand properly what was going on. JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

In Whitehall London there is a memorial to the women who served and died during WW.
Noticed it this year, looks rather clean and new. Anyone know how long it has been there?

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi John, Don't know how long it has been there.
Saw it a while ago on You Tube. A bunch of Mossies were kicking wreaths down the street while the cops looked on.

[Keith at Tregenna]

In Whitehall London there is a memorial to the women who served and died during WW.
Noticed it this year, looks rather clean and new. Anyone know how long it has been there?

The Monument to the Women of World War II is a British national war memorial situated on Whitehall in London, to the north of the Cenotaph.

Opened: 9 July 2005.

BBC NEWS | England | London | Memorial to war women unveiled

[Evan Lewis]

regarding ,Post 21.
Don,t know if it was the Georgic.

Having not long left Glasgow Central,the Train ,being packed with .Troops . evacuated from Norway.I was lifted up to the Rack ," to make more room" by one of them. All in good humour. Though not before passing the Docks, and witnessing Mules being swung ashore.Latter years ,learned they were a valuable part of the Norway Campaign .Part of an Indian Division.

The Lancastria's Fate , off St Nazaire ,three weeks after Dunkirk.
Made only one brief entry in a Daily . Was then suppressed.
Revealed, later.after the war .The reason being. Winston,felt ,in an effort ,to keep up Morale, A comparatively huge number of Merchant vessels then being lost , in The Battle of the Atlantic.The number 0f Souls lost on the Lancastria,will never be known . The reason for that ,according to some sources,being there could be repercussions at a later date , of over crowding .Apart from the B.E.F, there was also a large number of civilians and French military.
In The Main ,the only persons being aware were those involved, rescue crews , Hospitals staff, in Plymouth etc, being involved. And of course ,The family members ,of Survivors

Reference to the Dunkirk evacuation.
previous to D,Day, The 28th U. S. Div. The [Bucket of Blood) Logo, vacated ,the Island Farm .Bridgend ,Camp.Within weeks The first Prisoners ,arrived. Mainly Hard 'Case Arrogant Nazi. After School ,the attraction was to "Go and have a look at them."
There were two distinct Wire Perimeter's, The Guards ,Being a Section of ,The Black Watch.
We onlookers would be at the outer. They would be Marching round , Singing Deutschland Uber Alle
One came right directly to the Soldier, in the inner.He responded by banging the Butt of his rifle against the Fence. Some months later. Seventy -Four, 0f these .Escaped ,eventually ,recaptured.
The originals, in the Main were replaced by High Ranking Officers, from Army, Luftwaffe , Navy. Camp Commandant being . Field Marshal ,Von Runstedt

Back to Dunkirk Now!
In 1946 , He was allowed a compassionate return to Germany., to his ailing Son's Bedside.
The reason he was treated with such respect by the Authorities, is ,He ordered A halt to the advance ,to Dunkirk ,for some three days.




re.22
Churchill described the rescue of ‘every last man’ of the BEF as a ‘miracle of deliverance’

[Captain Kong]

When the Lancastria was sunk, the Survivors were taken to Plymouth, and they were sworn to secrecy, so the Germans could not use it for propaganda.

`Nutty` Curran, of Liverpool, who survived was a Fireman and a Boxer, and he slid down a rope badly burning his hands, and a week later he was on at the Stadium in Liverpool with his hands still bandaged, he lost the fight.
Cunard gave him a job for life.
I sailed with him on the Franconia in 1956.
Brian

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Dunkirk many lost they lifes very dark days in british history. my school friends farther had half his leg blown off on the beach, did Not recall going on any ship? he woke up in a hospital !!! what drugs did they use on him? he was never the same after what happen to him there.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Another remembrance today.

The Battle of Passchendaele also known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

'I died in hell': sacrifice of war dead remembered at Passchendaele

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-passchendaele

[happy daze john in oz]

Memorial to the women of WW2 only opened in 2005!!

Long time for such an important memorial to come into being.