Dunkirk (film)

troutman62 · January 7, 2018

On Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 01:02, FairTmiddlin said:

Have also watched the film three times plus the original and any TV programme read most books about Dunkirk.

My father was plucked off the beach on the first of June 1940 by an indeterminate trawler and dumped at Ramsgate.

He never spoke about the horrors, until one night on a Dunkirk vets trip funnily on the first of June 1970.

We were sat around a bar table in Ostend, me a mere strapling of a lad with about fourteen vets. All of them telling their stories and my father recounted his. All the vets who told their story were in tears, at the horror they witnessed on that beach 30 years earlier, anywhere between the Mole and La Panne.

I only got a little more from my father of his war time service. Five years later he took his memories to his grave.

My Dad was with 5th Panzer army during the German retreat at Falaise, captured in August 44 he never spoke about all the horrors till he was in his 80's. Like loads of vets the only way I could get him to say anything was after a few pints ! Fortunately I made notes of our conversations and keep telling myself that I will one day put them to paper in a readable form. Both the bad and the funny ! I have been so lucky not to go through the hell he did, Bless him.

JennyMorgan · January 7, 2018

58 minutes ago, troutman62 said:

My Dad was with 5th Panzer army during the German retreat at Falaise, captured in August 44 he never spoke about all the horrors till he was in his 80's. Like loads of vets the only way I could get him to say anything was after a few pints ! Fortunately I made notes of our conversations and keep telling myself that I will one day put them to paper in a readable form. Both the bad and the funny ! I have been so lucky not to go through the hell he did, Bless him.

In this country we tend to forget that others also went through absolute hell on earth and it does appear that the retreat at Falaise was effectively Germany's Dunkirk, the boot was clearly on the other foot:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_Pocket