Dunkirk: The RAF support the evacuation Written by Pam Preedy. By 26th May, 1940 Britain faced “a colossal military disaster . . . the whole root and core and brain of the British Army” (Churchill) had been stranded at Dunkirk and seemed about to perish or be captured. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) went to help defend France. For eight months while economic sanctions were imposed on Germany, little actual warfare occurred (the Phoney War). Then, on 10th May, 1940 Germany invaded Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Three panzer corps…
Tag: Dunkirk
2nd Lieutenant John B. Bassett
72521 2nd-Lieutenant John Bond Bassett , aged 28, was a printer by trade, the third son of Mr & Mrs W R Bassett of Bromley. In July 1940 the local newspaper reported that his parents had received word from the War Office that he had been injured: “He was in the severe fighting following the German breakthrough and after the evacuation of Dunkirk it was believed that he had been brought back, though he was known to have been wounded. Nothing definite, however, could be ascertained and on June 17th his parents…
Dunkirk Evacuation
From the Women’s page by Elvira The level of help at the evacuation of Dunkirk spread far further than just the small ships. Look at some of the things people of Kent gave. Dunkirk Sleep still impossible. I have been idly turning the few pages of “Kent.” There are some portions of great interest referring to the part Kentish towns and villages played during the great evacuation of Dunkirk. It is a little startling to read that at Paddock Wood a bacon cutter cut up 1,500 loaves from the Sunday…
Day Out for Dunkirk Wounded
This wonderful report, which appeared in the local newspaper, describes how a party of wounded soldiers who at Dunkirk , were treated by the kind people of Bromley, when they visited the town on a day trip. The occasion was made possible by the donations of a local company. It would be great to know which local company helped arrange this. Bromley Firm’s Effort Mr Watts, manager of the Gaumont, Bromley, sprang a surprise on the audience on Wednesday afternoon, when he announced that over 30 of the boys who…
Our Service Families
Wartime was be a huge sacrifice to families with sons going off to war; wives left without husbands; fearing they will never return. The Blade family from Bromley, was no exception and they were very proud of the fact. They had 2 sons on active service, with their youngest awaiting his call up with the Royal Navy. they also had two son-in-laws on active services, both of whom has recently married into the family. Reported in the Bromley & Kentish Times on 26th July 1940 (page 5) Our Service Families The…
Local Kent Medal Winners after Dunkirk, WW2
The London Gazette featured lists of officers and men who received awards for their bravery and service to the country during World War 2. This list appeared in the 19th July 1940 edition of the Bromley & Districts Times newspaper after the battle of Dunkirk, taking the names of several officer and men of the Kent regiments – The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment and The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). Awards given included the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Distinguished…