Dunkirk evacuation

The Dunkirk evacuation was the Allied military rescue, codenamed Operation Dynamo, that evacuated more than 338,000 British and French troops from the French port of Dunkirk between 26 May and 4 June 1940.

The Dunkirk evacuation was the Allied military rescue, codenamed Operation Dynamo, that evacuated more than 338,000 British and French troops from the French port of Dunkirk between 26 May and 4 June 1940. It is closely associated with the British “miracle of Dunkirk” and the early phase of the Battle of France during the Second World War.

Background

After the German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940, Allied forces were pushed back to the Dunkirk area and threatened with capture. The evacuation plan was organised rapidly as the Allied position in northern France collapsed.

Operation Dynamo

The rescue operation was codenamed Operation Dynamo and was coordinated by the Royal Navy from Dover Castle under Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. A wide range of naval and civilian vessels ferried troops across the English Channel.

Evacuation and numbers rescued

The evacuation ran from 26 May to 4 June 1940 and removed more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk. Sources differ slightly on totals, but all agree that a very large number of British and French soldiers were saved.

Aftermath and significance

Although the Allies lost much of their equipment, the evacuation preserved a large part of the trained British Army. In Britain, the event became known as the Miracle of Dunkirk and was widely seen as a turning point in wartime morale.