During 1940 the German army swept with devastating speed across the Low Countries and into northern France and drove Allied forces back into a small pocket around Dunkirk. Without a swift withdrawal across the English Channel, the latter faced certain death or capture. The evacuation plan - Operation Dynamo - initially calculated that 45,000 men might be rescued, but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were in fact brought back to England. Naval historian Philip Weir shows how this was made possible by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and, most famously of all, the privately owned 'Little Ships'. He explores the vessels' various roles within the evacuation, and their subsequent fates, including preservation and participation in commemorative return runs to the port, which now take place every five years.

An illustrated guide to the history of the famous 'Little Ships' and their role in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, which saved hundreds of thousands of British soldiers from capture by German forces.

About the Author
Phil Weir is a historian specialising in the Royal Navy in the first half of the twentieth century. In his PhD from the University of Exeter in 2007, he examined the development of British naval aviation between the wars, and has written for the Navy Records Society, History Today and Time. He has also contributed to both television and radio programmes, most recently appearing on the BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' He lives in Exeter, UK.


Book Information
ISBN 9781784423759
Author Philip Weir
Format Paperback
Page Count 112
Imprint Shire Publications
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 252g