European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Defiance is British troops aboard a transport ship leaving Dunkirk France in june 1940 during the historic Retreat across the English Channel ahead of the germans. Massive Black Cloud rises from burning Oil tanks at Dunkirk patrol plane at right. England continued from Page 13 that permission seven armoured divisions pressed Westward and by May 19 were Only 50 Miles from the Channel. The next Day the 2nd Panzer div had reached the Mouth of the Somme River and the British expeditionary Force three French armies and the belgians were trapped 40 divisions in All. The formerly worried Hitler was overjoyed. Then came an incredible series of events. The French chose this moment to change commanders and precious time was lost leaving Little Chance to move South and break out of the German Circle of fire and steel. By the 24th, the allies had their backs to the Channel. The germans were in sight of Dunkirk. Evacuation by sea was the Only option left. Then at the Edge of Victory Hitler ordered his panzers to Stop probably in a Bow to the Luftwaffe and Hermann Goering who wanted his Heinkele and Messe Schmitts to finish the allies off. Or perhaps he thought of conserving his army. The British smelling defeat had been gathering All kinds of boats anything that could make it across the Channel. Churchill ordered All non combatants taken off first meanwhile the belgians holding the Northern rim of the Dunkirk perimeter were beginning to weaken. On the evening of May 26, the British ordered up the hastily designed operation Dynamo. The first British troops most of them from heavily hit divisions were Home that night plucked from port and Beach by the makeshift flotilla. The British searched boatyards for motorboats and launches yanked lifeboats from liners at London docks mobilized tugs from the thames and called into service barges and pleasure Craft fishing boats and Small coastal steamers. On tie night of May 27, this second Fleet headed toward Dunkirk. In All 400 Small vessels joined the British Navy an Armada that eventually numbered 860 Craft. Churchill noticed that some of his own staff were mysteriously absent As All of England established a lifeline to its stricken troops. At first the huddled British and French were pummelled by the Luftwaffe but gradually the Royal air Force eroded their numbers. Wrote Churchill Quot to and from Between the Shore and the ships plied the Little boats gathering the men from the beaches As they waded out or picking them from the water with total indifference to the air bombardment. Their numbers alone defied air attack. The Mosquito Armada As a whole was unsinkable. In the midst of our defeat glory came to the Island people United and it continued until june 4, beyond the Point anyone thought the rear guard could hold out. In the end. More than 338,000 troops were rescued including 60,000 of the 100,000 French. Left on the beaches and docks of Dunkirk were 7,000 tons of ammunition 90,000 rifles 2,300 artillery pieces 82,000 vehicles 8,000 Bren guns and 400 anti tank rifles. But the men were saved to fight again. A to re Arm them the United states went to its military warehouses and sold the Defeated allies 500.000 world War i rifles 900 French 75 Field guns and 80.000 machine guns. It left the Arsenal of democracy with weaponry for Only 1.8 million men. While the Dunkirk evacuation proceeded King Leopold Iii against the advice of his government and with the shortest possible notice to his allies surrendered Belgium to the germans on May 28 on june 5. The Day after Dunkirk fell Hitler turned his full attention to the 65 French divisions and less than two British divisions in the South. To that task he unleashed 143 divisions 10 of them armoured. On june 10, the French government fled to Bordeaux and four Days later German troops raised the Swastika Over the Eiffel Tower. The French asked for armistice but Hitler said he would have to consult first with italian dictator Benito Mussolini who now Felt he could join the party. On june 11, he ordered his 32 divisions to attack on the Alpine front. After a week of fighting they had not been Able to Advance against six French divisions. On the afternoon of june 21, at comping be where. A Serm Ano d surrendered to the allies in world War \ William l Shirer author of Quot the Rise and fall of the third Reich watched As Hitler read the inscription on the memorial plaque that said a there on the eleventh of november 1918 succumbed the Murat attacked escape is j Armada foe Royal Ujj Rescue 19401 a Marylj Thienel beco Chalit a m a m/4 a May a Germai a May 23 q june a june a source he i the criminal Pride of the German Empire a vanquished by the free Peoples which it tried to about Hitler on that Day Shirer wrote Quot i have seen that face Many times at the great moments of his life but today it is afire with scorn anger hate revenge As though his face were not giving quite Complete expression to his feelings he throws his whole body into Harmony with his mood. He swiftly snaps his hands on his hips Arches his shoulders plants his feet wide apart. It is a magnificent gesture of Defiance of burning contempt for this place now and All that it has stood for in the 22 years since it witnessed the humbling of the German seventeen Days earlier before the House of commons As the Dunkirk evacuation ended Churchill directed himself to the free world in a one sentence pledge that will never be forgotten Quot even though Large tracts of Europe and Many old and famous states have fallen or May fall into the grip of the Gestapo and All the odious apparatus of nazi Rule we shall not Flag or fail we shall go on to the end we shall fight in France we shall fight in the seas and oceans we shall fight with growing Confidence and growing strength in the air we shall defend our Island whatever the Cost May be we shall fight on the beaches we shall fight on the Landing grounds we shall fight in the Fields and in the streets we shall fight in the Hills we shall never surrender and even if which i Don t for a moment believe this Island or a Large part of it were subjugated or starving then our Empire beyond the seas armed and guarded by the British Fleet would carry on the struggle until in god s Good time the new world with All its Power and might Steps Forth to the Rescue and liberation of the Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes saturday not a Guy who gives up easily 50 tres re pressed by the German army and constantly he stranded British expeditionary Force s Only at Britain hastily a Mosquito f Navy ships fishing and pleasure boats. While i mated air attacks 861 vessels moved in to including 120,000 French and belgians. Ends j launches its offensive in the West invading Belgium and Luxembourg. Winston Churchill Inister of great Britain forms ent. Ids surrenders to Germany army crosses into France. Army pushes through to the English Channel. June 4 evacuation of Allied forces under Kirk. Capitulates. Ills to Germany. Surrenders. A 2194 Days of War a Lee Cervera Adolf hitter does a Jig in the Woods at comping be France after dictating surrender terms to conquered France on june 21,1940. By Sydney Rubin associated press Hen Les Tyler talks about his Rescue from Dunkirk the Story is told with music and tears. Tyler of Dover England was a 20-year-old private in the British army in May 1940 As he waited under enemy fire and prayed for a boat to save him from the advancing German guns. He had been shot in the Arm during fierce fighting near Arras Belgium and was sent to a medical station for evacuation. But while awaiting transport Home he was instructed to Retreat to Dunkirk on foot. It was every Man for himself. Burrowed Between the sheltering dunes wounded and watching other Young men dying All around him Tyler had some doubts he would survive. Quot but i m not the kind of person to give up easily Quot says Tyler 71. Quot instead of giving up i get a tune in my so while the bullets blazed around him and his comrades watched the sea and prayed to a took out a Harmonica and played. Quot i played everything knew a Tyler recalls. Quot and the More scared i got the harder i played. A i played Roll out the barrel and pack up your troubles in your old kit bag pieces from operettas and marching songs and Over and Over Vera Lynn s White Cliffs of often during his two Day wait Tyler thought he d never see the familiar Cliffs again. German Stuka fighters screamed overhead strafing and bombing the Beach. Bullets struck the Sand inches away. He wanted to go Home. Quot it just made me so angry to be stuck there Only a few Miles from Dover Quot he says. Quot every time a plane came Over i shot at it even though i knew it was impossible to world War ii Veteran Les Tyler looks Over the English Channel from the White Cliffs of Dover toward the beaches of Dunkirk from where he and Many of his comrades were evacuated in 1940. Hit with a Rifle. I was just so just across the English Channel a huge Armada of ships Large and Small was assembling for the Dunkirk evacuation. Quot we were told ships would come Quot he recalls. A it was chaos. More and More men were joining us All the time. Lads were spread out along the Sand As far As you could Tyler s narrative stops As his eyes fill with tears and he chokes Back a sob. His wife helps fill gaps in the Story. All along the Road were terrified French refugees fleeing advancing German troops. Quot i had been separated from my unit the Northamptonshire regiment Quot Tyler says. Quot so while i was with a crowd on the Road and Beach i was All alone and knew no toward dusk at the end of the second Day the Little ships finally appeared on the horizon. Quot i thought thank god Quot but it was still a Long while before he set sail for Home. He spent hours standing in neck deep Waves. A Short Man Tyler had trouble keeping his head above water. He lost his Rifle. Some men gave up in exhaustion Sank and drowned. German planes continued their murderous fire. Long after dark Tyler finally was pulled aboard a commercial ferry the Canterbury. Later he Learned that of the 1,000 men in his regiment Only 20 survived. Historians say the evacuation from Dunkirk was the key to the War saving the lives of 338,000 men needed to tight later Battles. But Tyler was sent to mine Coal in Surrey for the duration of world War he became a Railroad guard. Now retired he is president of the Dover Branch of the Dunkirk veterans association. Dunkirk was not Tyler s last War. He was sent to Korea captured in the Battle of i Jim River and survived two years in the prisoner of War Camp at Chong song. Quot i m not the kind of person to give up reenactment of 1940 Rescue by Sydney Rubin associated press flotilla of hundreds of vessels will sail across the English Channel in a re enactment of the dramatic Rescue of More than 300,000 Allied troops trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk 50 years ago. The voyage in late May will kick off a summer of exhibits concerts and parties commemorating the evacuation. At least 5,000 veterans Are expected in Belgium England and France for events ranging from a quiet service in a military cemetery to a Beer Bash in a nato Airport hangar. A few of the veterans already Are in their 90s. Some Are coming from As far away As Australia. Organizers Are hoping to make the commemoration Worth the trip for the vets and for the thousands of history buffs and tourists who also will be on hand. Quot some people regard Dunkirk As a defeat but for us it was the beginning of a bigger Victory Quot say Lucien Pelfresne who was 11 at the time of the evacuation and now is helping organize events in de panne Belgium. Quot for us these men Are heroes and will be welcomed Here just As they were at the about one third of the 338,000 men evacuated were taken from beaches at de panne about 20 Miles from Dunkirk. Cafe and bar owners in the belgian resort will compete May 25 to see who can make their establishment look most like a traditional English pub. Fireworks will Light the sky Over the English Channel and military music will fill the air. On May 28, after a Day of commemorative ceremonies at town Hall and on the Beach veterans and their friends will dance to 1940s swing in an enormous hangar at natos Kok Syde airbase nearby. Fireworks parades and concerts by military bands also Are planned in Dunkirk but the Centrepiece of the commemoration will be the arrival of the so called Little ships. About 70 of the original boats will sail out of Dover s Wellington docks on May 24, escorted by the modern naval frigate alacrity and hundreds of modern boats Quot everybody who owns a boat wants to sail along Quot says Chris lean an organizer of the events and the director of tourism for the Dover District Council. Quot it will be spectacular Quot he says. Quot on a Clear Day you can see France from the Cliffs and on that Day you will see a huge flotilla of fishing boats yachts paddle steamers ferries boats of All kinds sailing across the the boats will Dock for three Days in Dunkirk then they will form a Circle into which a helicopter will drop a Wreath. Exhibition flying teams from England and France will do flyovers during the events. Dover s events will extend through july and include concerts dances a Harborside exhibit on the evacuation and the opening of an unusual historic site under Dover s imposing 12th-Century Norman Castle. More than a mile of cavernous tunnels carved into the Chalky White Cliffs in Napoleonic times will open to the Public on May 14. Sections of these tunnels were the Headquarters for operation Dynamo the code name for the evacuation. Visitors to the tunnels can stand on the same 500-foot-High Vantage Point overlooking Dover Harbor where Winston Churchill looked across to his helpless troops under fire. The tunnels begun in the Early 1800s, saw their finest hour As vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey and his staff worked non Stop 200 feet below ground planning the miraculous nine Day evacuation. 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 15
