Retreat and Rearguard - Dunkirk 1940: The Evacuation of the BEF to the Channel Ports Hardcover – May 24, 2016

Very well researched. I bought the book to find out what my Father did and was rewarded when he got a mention. A good book that reports in detail on part of WW2 that many hoped to forget but found it occupied their thoughts until the end.The fate of thousands rested on guts and determination. This book explains why. My thanks to the author, Jerry Murland

This is an excellent and detailed account of this little known campaign mostly from the viewpoint of the PBI (the poor bloody infantry). I would suggest that many small actions are being recorded here for the first time in print. What strikes me most is how often the BEF was forced to pull back, often despite an heroic defence, and in the instances where German armour was not facing them, they were often holding well, because their French and Belgian allies had retreated - which left the "Tommies" flanks wide open.The other thing that strikes you was the misuse of the so called "Digging Divisions"; the territorial reserve troops that were sent to France to act as construction units preparing airfields, improving railways and building defences etc. - the idea being that they trained up to regular infantry standard whilst doing so. Many arrived as late as April 1940 just a short time before the German attack began. These untrained troops were forced into the line when the panzers struck and sliced through the regular troops like a knife through butter. These young lads were expected to take on Rommel's crack units with very little in the way of heavy weapons - none of which they had been trained to use. I was also surprised that in the right hands the Boys anti-tank rifle could actually be a potent weapon - as long as the operator could face down a tank from a roadside ditch without being seen.There is also the sort of humour that only British troops can provide, like the officer charged with covering a bridge demolition doing so from a deck chair beside his armoured car and holding a cup of tea provided by his batman, on a tray, with Rommel's spearhead about to bear down on them at any moment!Highly recommended and a nice change of direction from books on Normandy 1944 or the Eastern Front.

Vivid accounts of the BEFs fighting retreat towards le Havre and Dunkirk taken from soldiers actual accounts of the many small actions being fought across the entire front. Fascinating but easier to follow if you have a map to hand as the enormous size of the battlefield makes changes in actions difficult to follow. An excellent book!

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