Discussion
Just watching a programme about Dunkirk and it has just been said that on the 1st June it was announced that the evacuation was over.
They decided to later send one more fleet back on the 2nd to see if there were any left over.
I've just found out my grandad had to swim out to the ship (he didn't get picked up by the smaller craft) and climbed on board just after midnight on the 2nd/3rd.
They decided to later send one more fleet back on the 2nd to see if there were any left over.
I've just found out my grandad had to swim out to the ship (he didn't get picked up by the smaller craft) and climbed on board just after midnight on the 2nd/3rd.
WorAl said:
Just watching a programme about Dunkirk and it has just been said that on the 1st June it was announced that the evacuation was over.
They decided to later send one more fleet back on the 2nd to see if there were any left over.
I've just found out my grandad had to swim out to the ship (he didn't get picked up by the smaller craft) and climbed on board just after midnight on the 2nd/3rd.
That must have been a long and lonely swim. Half dead from hunger, tired, scared, but he made it. They decided to later send one more fleet back on the 2nd to see if there were any left over.
I've just found out my grandad had to swim out to the ship (he didn't get picked up by the smaller craft) and climbed on board just after midnight on the 2nd/3rd.
KH it's certainly something that I couldn't fancy doing especially with the risk that you may not get picked up.
Eric, that is amazing and they are really lucky. It's just when you can relate to the people involved and your own life came so close to being non existant it really hits home.
Eric, that is amazing and they are really lucky. It's just when you can relate to the people involved and your own life came so close to being non existant it really hits home.
Too true it should, I don't think people (even my age) realise what an operation it really was, I only know as I'm fascinated about the war but I don't know many people my age and younger that know much/anything about it.
I have to say though, it really was the last great adventure. I know a lot of people lost their lives, but the survivors had a lot of brilliant stories to tell and I think it was the last time for people to trueky go wild and live by their own laws. Good and bad points to that though. But when are you ever going to come across a derelict airfield in the desert, filled with bombers/fighters which you then jump into and try to fly back home?
I have to say though, it really was the last great adventure. I know a lot of people lost their lives, but the survivors had a lot of brilliant stories to tell and I think it was the last time for people to trueky go wild and live by their own laws. Good and bad points to that though. But when are you ever going to come across a derelict airfield in the desert, filled with bombers/fighters which you then jump into and try to fly back home?
Grandpa on Dad's side was evacuated from Dunkirk to. Him and a few other blokes had walked all the way from Epinal and only just made it to the last few boats.
He was a medic and so were the people he was with so was unarmed. They had a few close calls and decided to blend in with the civillians and they ditched their uniforms and stole some civvy clothes. They kept their ID tags and red-cross patches in their pockets. Big risk in doing this, if they had been caught they could have been shot as spies.
He was a medic and so were the people he was with so was unarmed. They had a few close calls and decided to blend in with the civillians and they ditched their uniforms and stole some civvy clothes. They kept their ID tags and red-cross patches in their pockets. Big risk in doing this, if they had been caught they could have been shot as spies.
Dont forget about the evacuation which is hardly ever mentioned.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_aer...
nearly as many taken out of france
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_aer...
nearly as many taken out of france
My grandad was one of the last out. He was mistakenly left behind and missed his ship but his friend had noticed his absence and was sent back to collect him. The ship they should have been on was the Lancastria, which the pair of them watched sink after a German bomb went down one of the vents. Terribly sad, affected my Grandad right up till his death in 2001 (as did the death of his 18 year old driver who stepped out of their vehicle in Italy straight onto a land mine - the poor kid bled to death which they tried to help him).
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