Destination Dunkirk: The Story of Gort’s Army - Gregory Blaxland

This review has been submitted to Reveille Magazine.

Title: Destination Dunkirk: The Story of Gort’s Army

Author: Gregory Blaxland

ISBN: 978-1-52673-523-2

Publisher: Pen and Sword Books

Year: 2018

Hardcover

Pages: 436

Photos/Maps: 53/24

The Battle of France and the Low Countries commenced 10 May, 1940, and was an unmitigated success for the German military. In six weeks they had accomplished what their forefathers could not in four years of fighting, the collapse and occupation of France. Much has been written about this campaign with ad-nauseam analysis of what the Germans did right and the Allies (especially the French) did wrong. What has received relatively little in the way of attention was the role played by the British Expedition Force (BEF) who fought alongside the French in country well known to many of the World War 1 veterans now returning as senior Officers and NCO’s. While the British contribution to this campaign (in terms of land forces) was relatively small compared to the French and German armies, they nevertheless occupied key territory linking the French and Belgian armies along the River Dyle in Eastern Belgium. Their war was a short but sharp one; first contact on May 12, leading to evacuation from Dunkirk end May, and the last troops departing on June 17 from Nantes and St Nazarine.

The author was a member of the BEF and was evacuated on May 31^st from Dunkirk. His narrative is based therefore, not only on the official war diaries of the French, British and German units involved but also upon his and his peers’ personal records and recollections. His unique experience, having actually lived what he was writing about, has enabled him to pass on to the reader a perspective replete with anecdotal and documented information couched with a historian’s eye.

This version is a reprint of the original from 1973. The quality of the writing is excellent, conveying a real sense of the shock as the German juggernaut crashed into the unblooded British; driving them irrevocably back. It is noteworthy that the British forces did not collapse as did many of the Belgian and French, but were able to maintain cohesion and discipline as they retreated along roads choked with refugees and allies. Blaxland’s writing further underscores the absolute confusion amongst the Allied Headquarters as they struggled to deal with crisis followed by crisis. This work represents an excellent study in crisis planning and initiative amongst the British leadership while highlighting the utter failures of nerve and coordination amongst the Allies.

Included in the work are many maps outlining the unfolding struggle; while helpful, they are of average quality and would have benefitted from a rework. The author has also included a series of appendices that lay out in detail the formations included in the BEF, an outline of the main weapons systems and their capabilities in a comparison of German, French and British forces and finally a detailed rendition of source material broken out by chapter. Thoughtful, balanced and deeply informative, this is truly a worthwhile rendition of the BEF experience in France and a noble testament to its officers and soldiers.