The Evacuation.
The Evacuation of part of the BEF from the Channel Ports in 1940, was a magnificent example of British making it up as you go along. Unlike Gallipoli during WWI, which was planned for or Hamgham during the Korean police action, where overwhelmingly American air power and naval forces, prevented the North Korean forces intervention. This evacuation was very much done on the fly, planned on the back of a fag packet with a pencil. And while the French whose ports were being used, were not consulted or included in the planning. The commander on the ground made the decision to evacuate before he told London, and started the process, then London had to play catch up, and put in place the facilities to carry out the nonexistent plan. All this was done while the British PM, was trying to bolster the resolve of the French and keep them in the war, but what was I believe the first example of shuttle diplomacy.
Let us know look at what happen IOTL, and what we can assume is going to happen ITTL. First of all let’s dispel some of the myths around the Dunkirk story. The little boats, while a magnificent example of British improvisation, didn’t play a major part in the evacuation, the vast majority of men were evacuated by the RN and French Destroyer Fleet, the British cross channel and inter island ferry fleet, and the Merchant Navy. Nor were the majority of the little boats maned by their civilian owners, they were maned by RN personnel, taken from shore bases, or off ships in docks. Dunkirk wasn’t an event that can be seen in isolation, there was as much improvisation in Britain as across the Channel. And it involved the whole nation, not just the Channel Ports.
So how does a soldier get out of Dunkirk and back to Britain, and once there what happens to him, and at this time, other than a few nurses it’s a him. The majority of women who got out of Europe , came from other ports and were ether refugees or British expats. There are three ways he can get home, up a gangplank onto a ship in the harbour, across a plank/ladder onto a ship off the East Mole, or by wading into the sea of the beach, being dragged over the gunwale into a small boat, then from there straight home, or by transferring up a rickety rope ladder onto a ship. The first is easy and provided he has his personal equipment with him, will enable him to carry it and any personal weapons, possibly even squad weapons with him. Squad weapons such as mortars, medium machine guns, any thing that is man portable. Off the East Mole, again provided he has it with or on him. Personal equipment and weapons, but not squad weapons, unless he is very strong, or the tide is right. Off the beach, he will be lucky to keep his clothes on, and items such as a great coat, would be discarded, along with most personal weapons, officers might keep hold of their pistols. He also might be able to keep his tin hat and a haversack, though this isn’t a given.
The first is reliant on the harbour being kept open, and the ships being able to enter/exit manoeuvre along side the dock, and the cranes being available to place the gangplank/ gangplanks in position. If the cranes are out of action, or there isn’t the dockers/crane drivers to operate them, you are going to have to improvise. ITTL it should be possible to keep the docks/harbour in Dunkirk open for longer than it was IOTL, how much longer is the question. Here we need to diverge and look at the various types of troops, and how they are dealt with. Troops fall into three basic categories, organised, semi organised, and unorganised . Organised troops are in large groups under the command of their own officers and NCO’s, in contact with the controlling authority. Semi organised, are groups that while they might have been separated from their parent unit, are still under the control of their own Officer/Officers, NCO/NCO’s, and can be directed by the controlling authority. The biggest problem is the unorganised troops, small groups, mixed groups and individuals who are not under any command, and are not in contact with the controlling authority. These men are basically a mob, hard to organise, not subject to military discipline or authority, just doing their own thing while trying to survive and get home.
Those few organised troops not needed to man the perimeter and defend the port, provided AA coverage, or supply/medical services. Can be sent under their commanders to the port to embark on the first available transport, and get them out, the semi organised again not needed for duties, can be directed again to the first available transport out. The unorganised have to be gathered together, placed under some form of control and sent to transport for evacuation, this needs large number of Military Policemen, who are directed by the controlling authority, difficult in the present situation. One reason why both Gallipoli and Hamgham worked so well, the commanders didn’t have to deal with a mob of unorganised troops, even though at Hamgham there were large numbers of disorganised refugees, they were controlled by the Military Forces in place. Given that there has been more time than there was IOTL, the British should have had the chance to establish more of a grip on the ground and control the troops better. If more of the useless mouthes have been evacuated, plus those unorganised troops present during the first few days. This will lead to the port being much clearer, and less troops ether hiding out in the town or on the beaches. Provided that the first few days are both better organised and proceed more smoothly, provided that a good relationship with the French can be established, after all its their country and ports. Then there should be less confusion and muddle, and a slightly better result over all, with more personal kit and weapons being retained, and some of the squad weapons making it back to Britain.
Now let’s look at the second part of the evacuation, the part that is very rarely talked about, or mentioned in the popular history of the Dunkirk story, events in Britain. The returning troops didn’t just hop off the boat, jump on a bus, pop home for kippers and tea. A massive effort was put in place, to evacuate the returning troops from the arrival ports in Britain, and ether send them to hospital if needed. In the case of the French, transport them to ports of embarkation in the West, Southampton, Weymouth, Plymouth, feed them before embarkation for their return to France. Over one hundred thousand French troops, passed through Britain, before returning to France. To move these men required as massive effort by Southern Railway, who had to collect them from the British Channel Ports, bring them often via London or Guilford, to lines running down to the west. While at the same time accepting trains from the midlands and west of England from different companies, whose drivers didn’t know the route, collecting returned British troops, to return them to their various depots for processing. Note for train drivers, route knowledge is vital, if they are to know where the signals are, what the local speed limits are and where the various points are. The trains were stacked up on the down line outside the various ports just waiting to be called forward and loaded up. While in the ports a first and basic separation had to be made, to insure that troops were sent to the right depot, where they could be reformed into units, feed and where possible re equipped, before being sent to their final destination. On a personal note, my mother was a young girl at the time of Dunkirk who had gone into hospital for an operation, the Westminster I believe. After the operation she was doubled up in her bed with another young girl, top to tail, to make room for wounded troops, who were put in her ward. She came out of hospital with head lice, and it took her aunt weeks to clean them out of her hair. A feeding station was sent up at Ashford station to provide the troop trains with sandwiches and tea. Maned by local women and provided with bully beef and processed cheese from government emergency stores. This was just one of such feeding stations set up throughout Britain, remember some troops were transported to Scotland, and Wales.
All in all this was a fantastic effort by the British establishment, military and rail companies, supported by the British people.
RR.