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 Hilda Chillingworth helps her 5 year old son Jeremy put his shoes on, whilst her 8 year old daughter brushes her hair, in the kitchen of their suburban London home. It is eight o'clock in the morning and they are getting ready for school. Although they are not Catholics, they attend the local convent school. Hilda's husband Sydney is in the National Fire Service, and is still at the station, having been on night duty.
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