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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Pilots of No. 81 Squadron RAF play poker dice while waiting at readiness in the 'A' Flight dispersal hut, constructed from sand-filled four-gallon petrol tins, at Souk el Khemis ('Paddington'), Tunisia. The fair-haired pilot sitting at the top of the table is Flight Lieutenant R A Hagger, the 'A' Flight commander, and sitting at far right, with the large moustache, is the Commanding Officer of No. 322 Wing RAF, Wing Commander R "Raz" Berry.
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