Evacuation of Dunkirk: The ones who were left behind
Never-before-seen German photos offer a haunting glimpse of what happened to 80,000 Allied troops who failed to escape Dunkirk
They were the forgotten heroes of Dunkirk, tens of thousands of brave British and French troops who sacrificed themselves to evacuate more than 300,000 of their comrades in one of the most daring rescue missions of World War Two.
But as the men they saved returned to the safety of UK shores, those who were left behind endured brutal and untold horrors at the hands of the Nazis.
Rounded up as Prisoners of War, humiliated officers and soldiers stripped of their rank were forced to drink ditch water and eat putrid food. Now a series of never-before-seen images give a haunting glimpse into the hard lives endured by the 80,000 Allied POWs captured after the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Harbour towns including De Panne were left in total ruin, abandoned army vehicles littered the streets and beaches, and fallen British soldiers were committed to meager graves marked only by simple wooden crosses.
As Allied troops were attempting to evacuate in May 1940, the Nazis committed an infamous war crime upon British soldiers. Known as the Le Paradis massacre, 97 British prisoners who had been defending their position in a farmhouse in Northern France were massacred after surrendering to SS troops.
The images show how French colonial troops, who were drafted from Senegal, Mauritania and Niger, were made to pose with German troops who saw the men as little more than a curious novelty.
Social historian Matthew Smaldon is now sharing the photographs taken by German soldiers to show the reality of what the captured men went through as depicted in Christopher Nolan’s wartime film Dunkirk featuring Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.
The father-of-two from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said: ‘These were all taken by German soldiers either during or shortly after the campaign in France in 1939/1940, and show the destruction in Dunkirk and De Panne further up the coast.
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He added: ‘These photographs have come from various places including auction sites, antique shops and junk shops.’
Never-before-seen photos have been released giving a glimpse into the lives of the 80,000 Allied POWs who were captured after the evacuation of Dunkirk. British soldiers resigned to their fate were seen carrying their belongings through a field in a photo taken by a German soldier in May/June 1940
Social historian Matthew Smaldon is now sharing the snaps taken by German soldiers to show the reality of what the captured men went through. Four British soldiers who did not make it back home were committed to meager graves (pictured) marked only by simple wooden crosses with their helmets resting on top
The father-of-two from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said: ‘I’ve always been interested in this era since childhood when I heard family stories from during the war.’ After the storm of activity during the Dunkirk evacuation, piles of material were left on the beach as seen in this picture from Dunkirk taken on June 4, 1940
Many of the troops fighting in French uniform were from the French colonies, including Senegal, Mauritania and Niger. French colonial troops (pictured) were made to pose with grinning German soldiers who often took photos of these men when captured because they were seen as a novelty
The historian Matthew Smaldon said: ‘I’m very interested in social history and always keep my eyes open for things – you never know what’s going to catch your attention.’ British and French POWs (pictured) were forced to march towards the Belgian border in 1940
Mr Smaldon added: ‘These were all taken by German soldiers either during or shortly after the campaign in France in 1939/1940, and show the destruction in Dunkirk and De Panne further up the coast.’ Abandoned vehicles and boats (pictured) were left at Dunkirk in May/June 1940
The beach at Dunkirk after the evacuation in June 1940 was littered with debris and military materials. In the background the French Destroyer L’Adroit can be seen
Captured British officers and men were marched through the streets in May/June 1940. The man of the right seems resigned but also defiant as he stares at the camera. To the left are more French colonial POWs
British and French POWs were marched into captivity in June 1940 while the German lorry in the rear shows the markings of a Panzer unit
The Germans had been clearing the beach at Dunkirk after the evacuation in June 1940. Material and ammunition boxes were neatly lined up while four Vickers machine guns (bottom left) were recovered. In the distance abandoned lorries and boats rest on the beach
German soldiers inspected abandoned vehicles somewhere near Dunkirk. Whether these were brought to this location after being removed from roads and ditches is unclear. But the sheer number of vehicles gives an indication of the quantity of material left behind
Many photos in the collection depict the devastation in the harbour towns, abandoned vehicles littering the streets and graves of British soldiers. Ambulances and lorries were left on the beach front at De Panne in May/June 1940
A French Sub-Chaser was left washed up at Dunkirk on June 4, 1940. Submarine chasers were a small and fast naval vessel specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare
German troops armed with weapons (pictured) investigated burnt out Bedford lorries at De Panne in May/June 1940 after the evacuation
The historian Mr Smaldon said: ‘While the reviews of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk have been overwhelmingly positive, some criticism has been levelled due to the lack of French troops in the movie.’ Abandoned boats and vehicles were seen at Dunkirk in June 1940
German troops on the beach at Dunkirk inspected the remains of a crashed plane. In the distance ships sunk during the evacuation and a row of lorries used as a temporary bridge to help soldiers reach ships in deeper water can be seen
Despite the Allied success in their evacuation of some 330,000 soldiers during the Dunkirk operation, around 40,000 British and another 40,000 French troops were left behind. Soldiers inspected the remains of the conflict in this image
Although often overlooked, these POWs were treated very poorly by their German captors who abused the Geneva Convention in their treatment of the men. Ambulances and lorries were left on the beach front at De Panne in May/June 1940
An abandoned British Expeditiionary Force vehicle with rifles in the back was hurriedly left during the evacuation. The British Expeditionary Force was the name of the British Army in Western Europe from 1939 to 1940
Abandoned British vehicles, including ambulances, littered the streets after the Dunkirk evacuation on 1940
Evacuation of Dunkirk: How 338,000 Allied troops were saved in ‘miracle of deliverance’
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The evacuation from Dunkirk was one of the biggest operations of the Second World War and was one of the major factors in enabling the Allies to continue fighting.
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It was the largest military evacuation in history, taking place between May 27 and June 4, 1940. The evacuation, known as Operation Dynamo, saw an estimated 338,000 Allied troops rescued from northern France. But 11,000 Britons were killed during the operation – and another 40,000 were captured and imprisoned.
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Described as a ‘miracle of deliverance’ by wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, it is seen as one of several events in 1940 that determined the eventual outcome of the war.
British soldiers fight a rearguard action during the evacuation at Dunkirk, shooting rifles at attacking aircraft in 1940
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The Second World War began after Germany invaded Poland in 1939, but for a number of months there was little further action on land. But in early 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway and then launched an offensive against Belgium and France in western Europe.
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Hitler’s troops advanced rapidly, taking Paris – which they never achieved in the First World War – and moved towards the Channel.
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They reached the coast towards the end of May 1940, pinning back the Allied forces, including several hundred thousand troops of the British Expeditionary Force. Military leaders quickly realised there was no way they would be able to stay on mainland Europe.–
Operational command fell to Bertram Ramsay, a retired vice-admiral who was recalled to service in 1939. From a room deep in the cliffs at Dover, Ramsay and his staff pieced together Operation Dynamo, a daring rescue mission by the Royal Navy to get troops off the beaches around Dunkirk and back to Britain.
A British soldier helps a wounded man drink while waiting to be evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940
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On May 14, 1940 the call went out. The BBC made the announcement: ‘The Admiralty have made an order requesting all owners of self-propelled pleasure craft between 30ft and 100ft in length to send all particulars to the Admiralty within 14 days from today if they have not already been offered or requisitioned.’
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Boats of all sorts were requisitioned – from those for hire on the Thames to pleasure yachts – and manned by naval personnel, though in some cases boats were taken over to Dunkirk by the owners themselves.
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They sailed from Dover, the closest point, to allow them the shortest crossing. On May 29, Operation Dynamo was put into action.
–When they got to Dunkirk they faced chaos. Soldiers were hiding in sand dunes from aerial attack, much of the town of Dunkirk had been reduced to ruins by the bombardment and the German forces were closing in.
A ship laden with troops sets off for home as Dunkirk burns in the background
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Above them, RAF Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were headed inland to attack the German fighter planes to head them off and protect the men on the beaches.
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As the little ships arrived they were directed to different sectors. Many did not have radios, so the only methods of communication were by shouting to those on the beaches or by semaphore.
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Space was so tight, with decks crammed full, that soldiers could only carry their rifles. A huge amount of equipment, including aircraft, tanks and heavy guns, had to be left behind.
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The little ships were meant to bring soldiers to the larger ships, but some ended up ferrying people all the way back to England. The evacuation lasted for several days.
Men wait in an orderly fashion for their turn to be rescued during Operation Dynamo in 1940
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Prime Minister Churchill and his advisers had expected that it would be possible to rescue only 20,000 to 30,00 men, but by June 4 more than 300,000 had been saved.
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The exact number was impossible to gauge – though 338,000 is an accepted estimate – but it is thought that over the week up to 400,000 British, French and Belgian troops were rescued – men who would return to fight in Europe and eventually help win the war.
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But there were also heavy losses, with around 90,000 dead, wounded or taken prisoner. A number of ships were also lost, through enemy action, running aground and breaking down. Despite this, Dunkirk was regarded as a success and a great boost for morale.
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In a famous speech to the House of Commons, Churchill praised the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’ and resolved that Britain would fight on: ‘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!’
Prime Minister Churchill and his advisers had expected that it would be possible to rescue only 20,000 to 30,00 men, but by June 4 more than 300,000 had been saved. Pictured, a scene from the film Dunkirk directed by Christopher Nolan
Although often overlooked, the captured Dunkirk POWs were treated very poorly by their German captors who abused the Geneva Conventions in their treatment of the men.
As described in Dunkirk: The Men They Left Behind, by Sean Longden, some were summarily executed.
The POWs were denied medical treatment and in order to lower morale among the officers, the Nazis sent them to salt mines and stripped them of their rank.
The wounded were jeered at and prisoners were forced to drink ditch water and eat rotten food.
As Longden wrote: ‘These dreadful days were never forgotten by those who endured them. They had fought the battles to ensure the successful evacuation of over 300,000 fellow soldiers. Their sacrifice had brought the salvation of the British nation. Yet they had been forgotten while those who escaped and made their way back home were hailed as heroes.’
The heroic events at Dunkirk in 1940 have now been turned into a major motion picture directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Tom Hardy and Harry Styles.
