The evacuation from Dunkirk on the French coast was hailed in Britain as an extraordinary achievement and the ‘little ships of Dunkirk’ swiftly entered the mythology of wartime brave deeds.
British soldiers wade out to a waiting destroyer off Dunkirk during the evacuation.
Troops evacuated from Dunkirk on a destroyer about to berth at Dover, 31 May 1940.
Troops evacuated from Dunkirk enjoying tea and other refreshments at Addison Road station in London, 31 May 1940.
Some of the 'little ships' used during the evacuation of Dunkirk being towed back along the River Thames past Tower Bridge, 9 June 1940.
German forces moved into Dunkirk hours after the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Here German officers inspect a memorial on the sea front at Dunkirk.
IWM London is now closed for our major redevelopment project. We will partially reopen on 29 July 2013.
Open daily
Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
We are closed 24, 25, and 26 December
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Admission is free
The media for this item are free to reuse for non-commercial purposes under the IWM Non Commercial Licence. Video, sound and images can be embedded with the code we offer here, and images can also be downloaded.
By downloading any images or embedding any media, you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is: © IWM (D 1939A)
This item is available to share and reuse under the terms of the IWM Non Commercial Licence.
An early start to evacuation is made by children of Myrdle School in Stepney. The children assembled at school at 5am on Friday 1 September 1939. This photograph shows evacuees and adults walking along a street carrying suitacases and gas mask boxes. The adults are wearing arm bands which identify them as volunteer marshals.
Comments (0)
Comments are the user's own and in no-way express the opinion of the IWM. Read our community policy for more details.
Add a commentAdd a comment
Please stay polite and on-topic: