Retreat and Rearguard - Dunkirk 1940: The Evacuation of the BEF to the Channel Ports Hardcover – 2 Mar 2016

Excellent well researched book in which the story of the lesser publicised actions are now rightfully highlighted. An easy to understand book which the author has researched extensively and using private diaries and personal papers gives us a real insight into the battles and rear guard actions which enabled the British Army to fall back onto the evacuation beaches and ports of embarkation in the dark days of May/June 1940.
The Story of Dunkirk is Legendary, the small ships and heroic efforts of the Navy need no further mention and in this book they rarely do, but the story of our troops who fought and in many cases died to delay the German advance to enable this legendary evacuation to take place is.
Alongside General Montgomery you will read about the likes of Pte Johnstone and George Pinkney of the Durham Light Infantry. Pte Bill Holmes of the Royal Sussex who played his part as did Brigadier Somerset their story`s are just a small part of an epic struggle to fall back to the coast. Each man has a story to tell and Jerry Murland has collected these stories, often never before seen in a published work, he has checked and double checked against all official and semi official documentation and credited each and every one of his known sources to produce a very good factual book.
Winston Churchill said wars are not won by defeats and the Campaign in France during 1940 was indeed a massive defeat but the stories of the bravery, sacrifice and dedication to their duty of those men who fought in the fields and small towns of France and Flanders in 1940 should always be told and thanks to Jerry Murland we now have a new insight into the part some of those men played in the retreat and the many rear guard actions that were fought. The RWF are also covered in this book A welcome addition to any library

Jim
Durham Light Infantry 1920-46 Website