The Dunkirk Evacuation: How it happened

Credit: Pathe

A week of commemorations will begin today marking the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of Allied Soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk.

Here's a timeline of events and how it happened.

  • 20/05/1940 - Winston Churchill orders preparation of vessels to evacuate the British Expeditionary Forces from Northern France.

  • 24/05/1940 - Hitler orders his forces not to cross the Lens-Bethune-St Omer-Gravelines line, allowing the Allied forces more time to reach the French coast.

  • 24/05/1940 - Allied defensive positions are hit by by German Luftwaffe bombers around Dunkirk.

  • 25/05/1940 - More and more retreating Allied units arrive at Dunkirk.

  • 26/05/1940 - Hitler orders his forces towards Dunkirk.

  • 26/05/1940 - The evacuation of Allied forces from the French port officially begins. It's called Operation Dynamo.

  • 26/05/1940 - Over 850 British civilian vessels assist military forces to awaiting transports. It would become the largest military evacuation in history.

Credit: Pathe

  • 29/05/1940 - More than 72,000 British soldiers had been evacuated from France.

  • 01/06/1940 - Defense of the outlying region near Dunkirk now passes to French XVI Corps

  • 04/06/1940 - Some 40,000 French soldiers are taken prisoner by Germany at the fall of Dunkirk.

  • 04/06/1940 - The evacuation of Allied forces at Dunkirk officially ends. Over 338,000 soldiers are saved.