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.
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Mrs G Warren of the St Pancras Women's Street Cleaning Brigade uses a large broom to sweep the road. She is brushing in the gutter beside the kerb, with her dustcart nearby. The buildings behind her show signs of being badly damaged by air raids. According to the original caption, Mrs Warren is 35 years old and 'charred' in offices before the war. The photograph was taken after a break for breakfast between 8 and 8:30am.
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