However, there were also big losses: over 68,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or unaccounted for. The evacuation was considered to be a success, with 340,000 French and British soldiers brought back to England in one week. Dutch, Belgian, French and Norwegian ships were also involved in the operation. To find out more about the role of troops from across the British Empire during World War Two, read this guide.īritain organised a huge evacuation effort, sending over a whole range of naval and civilian boats to pick up stranded soldiers. He led them through Dunkirk’s heavily bombed harbour. ![]() For instance, Major Mohammad Akbar Khan, an Indian soldier, was in charge of 300 Indian soldiers and 23 British troops. They reached the English Channel and waited on beaches at Dunkirk to be rescued.īritain had soldiers fighting from many different countries in its empire. The British Expeditionary Force close British Expeditionary Force The units of the British army sent to France at the start of World War Two to try and protect them from German invasion., which had been sent to France to try and stop the German invasion, had to retreat. They swept through the country, capturing Paris on 14 June. They quickly overwhelmed the defences and armed forces of countries they invaded. Their tactics were known as ‘Blitzkrieg’, which means ‘lightning war’. The German army was sweeping through Europe. He was replaced by Winston Churchill in May 1940. He was unable to form a government that would support him, so he had to resign. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was strongly criticised for the failure during the debate. This failure was debated by MPs close MP Member of Parliament- a politician who represents a particular area of the country, known as a constituency, and votes on laws. ![]() Britain took military action to try and support Norway against Hitler’s invasion, but they failed. The ‘Phoney War’ ended in April 1940, when Germany invaded Norway. People in Britain had expected bombing and fighting to start straight away, but it did not. This period of time is often referred to as the ‘Phoney War’. France made a small-scale attempt to attack Germany through the Saar region, but this was soon abandoned. The SS Athenia, a British ship, was sunk by a German U-boat while transporting evacuees to Canada. Although Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, there was only a small amount of fighting.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |