Anyone planning to see the movie "Dunkirk"?

[Hillian1]

Pasta, D-day and Dunkirk were different events mate. Dunkirk was us hotfooting it out of France, D-Day was us going back to win the war.

D-day of course is usually portrayed by Hollywood as the Americans single handedly landing in France and securing a foothold leading to ultimate victory. They seem to forget that of the 5 beaches, they only landed on 2 of them (The Canadians and Brits took the other 3) and they only landed on the beaches due to British planning, logistics and manpower taking them there.

Pasta was of course referring to the film going to be made of Pegasus Bridge, which was very much D-Day.

 

[Taybha]

 

[The Fifth Column]

Pasta was of course referring to the film going to be made of Pegasus Bridge, which was very much D-Day.

I see, didn't see the previous post, doh.

If anyone wants to read an excellent book about D-day I thoroughly recommend 'Forgotten Voices of D-Day' by Roderick Bailey. Its a collection of first hand accounts from the soldiers that took part and is a very powerful and emotional read. It covers all 5 beaches and many of the key events such as the taking of Pegasus Bridge. What's interesting is the different levels of resistance encountered on the different beaches and the sheer scale of the whole operation is quite staggering. How they kept it a secret is a miracle imo.

https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B00352B446&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_U4lzzbW8MYE2H

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I see, didn't see the previous post, doh.

If anyone wants to read an excellent book about D-day I thoroughly recommend 'Forgotten Voices of D-Day' by Roderick Bailey. Its a collection of first hand accounts from the soldiers that took part and is a very powerful and emotional read. It covers all 5 beaches and many of the key events such as the taking of Pegasus Bridge. What's interesting is the different levels of resistance encountered on the different beaches and the sheer scale of the whole operation is quite staggering. How they kept it a secret is a miracle imo.

https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B00352B446&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_U4lzzbW8MYE2H

All the "Forgotten Voices" books are great reading
Right up to the Falklands one [emoji106]

 

[origigull]

when i was young my dad had a boat (converted shoreham fishing boat) that went to Dunkirk to pick up the soldiers. Its then captain has a picture up in the fishing museum on the seafront. happy memories for me as a boy - it was always sinking! i will be going to see it.

My granddad took his fishing boat from Brighton to Dunkirk to help our boys escape. My mum remembers him gone for a week and coming back absolutely knackered and unshaven and sleeping for a couple of days after. If I have a chance I will try and see the film.

 

[Eeyore]

It does make you ask questions as to why the BEF took the task on in the first place. An amazing effort to get them back and re-group but who on earth had the idea that the campaign would work in the first place ?

 

[The Fifth Column]

All the "Forgotten Voices" books are great reading
Right up to the Falklands one [emoji106]

I agree, the First World War one is pretty harrowing, such a waste of young mens lives! Currently reading the Victoria Cross one which is also very good. I always wondered what D-Day must have been like from a German perspective but there are so few books or accounts available. I did find 2 books however whilst browsing on Amazon Prime Reading by a German author, Holger Eckhertz. They are fairly simply titled - D-Day through German eyes books 1 & 2 and give an amazing account from the German side. They are based on interviews taken by the author's grandfather who visited troops in northern France in 1944 and then tracked down and interviewed German survivors in 1956. There are some really interesting observations and opinions from the German soldiers particularly in relation to the French people! I would recommend it to anybody interested in this subject.

 

[Pavilionaire]

A must-see movie, looking forward to this one.

 

[Norman Potting]

................How they kept it a secret is a miracle imo.


Things such as Operation Fortitude, Aspidistra (just up the road from me), The Ministry For Ungentlemanly Warfare (just about to read the book), Station X, Garbo and Agent Zigzag helped, but it did ultimately still need lots of brave chaps paying the ultimate price.

 

[jakarta]

It does make you ask questions as to why the BEF took the task on in the first place. An amazing effort to get them back and re-group but who on earth had the idea that the campaign would work in the first place ?

The BEF was a small component of what was thought to be a powerful Anglo French Army and from what I have read was committed as a political gesture. As we now know the French folded almost straight away leaving the BEF in the shit. Have already related how the French responded to our troops retreating back to Dunkirk...

 

[crookie]

It does make you ask questions as to why the BEF took the task on in the first place. An amazing effort to get them back and re-group but who on earth had the idea that the campaign would work in the first place ?

They had no concept of how the German Strategy of Blitzkrieg would render their tactics irrelevant. Most of the generals thought it would be like WW1 again. The French actually had more tanks than the Germans, they were just spread thinly across the whole front, whereas the Germans concentrated them for maximum impact, using combined Armour/Infantry/Artillery/Airpower to devastating effect. the French also had no strategic reserve, so when the Germans broke through, there was nothing to stop them, bar their own logistical constraints. I have just read Dunkirk by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, a great read focusing mainly on individual testimony of survivors.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Excellent series. War Walks .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7MEbSgcEfA

 

[el punal]

An amusing war anecdote here regarding my uncle. He was in the army and was one of those fortunate enough to be rescued from the hell hole called Dunkirk. On being transferred to a Royal Navy ship he decided it was time to go and relieve himself. Whilst doing his business a bomb exploded close by causing the cistern to detach and fall on to my uncle, breaking his nose.

I do believe there is a pun there somewhere.

 

[Return of the Rev]

They had no concept of how the German Strategy of Blitzkrieg would render their tactics irrelevant. Most of the generals thought it would be like WW1 again. The French actually had more tanks than the Germans, they were just spread thinly across the whole front, whereas the Germans concentrated them for maximum impact, using combined Armour/Infantry/Artillery/Airpower to devastating effect. the French also had no strategic reserve, so when the Germans broke through, there was nothing to stop them, bar their own logistical constraints. I have just read Dunkirk by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, a great read focusing mainly on individual testimony of survivors.

Always begs the question did the Germans let us of the hook or was it a case of over extending and the arrogance that air power would be enough.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Yes, love a God war movie.

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Really looking forward to this. Have a fascination with Dunkirk as my great-grandfather (through my English mum) was killed in one of the small towns they were holding a few miles from Dunkirk at the time of the evacuation. I am guessing that this film doesn't really deviate from the beaches but will definitely still go and have a look.

 

[crookie]

Always begs the question did the Germans let us of the hook or was it a case of over extending and the arrogance that air power would be enough.

Hitler ordered his panzer divisions to halt for a couple of days, this allowed tens of thousands more to be rescued off the beaches than would probably have been the case, so you could say yes, we were let off the hook a bit. That's of course not denigrating the monumental effort that went into Operation Dynamo, and the immense bravery of those who knew they were being sacrificed in order to allow the bulk of the BEF to be evacuated

 

[jaghebby]

Anyone seeing the film should also read Sean Longden's "Dunkirk - the men they left behind" a book about the 41,000 British soldiers left behind. They endured forced marches across France and Germany it will certainly open your eyes to the terrible treatment and deprivations they received at the hands of the German military and civilian population!

 

[Ernest]

Can't beat the original with Dickie Attenborough

 

[portlock seagull]

Really looking forward to this. Have a fascination with Dunkirk as my great-grandfather (through my English mum) was killed in one of the small towns they were holding a few miles from Dunkirk at the time of the evacuation. I am guessing that this film doesn't really deviate from the beaches but will definitely still go and have a look.

Me too! My 'specialist subject' in WW2, met and have lots of notes from veterans including a letter from a very famous survivor. I almost (almost!) wrote to Nolan 2 years ago when the rumour mill started to send him a copy and also share my experiences of touring the beaches and corridor with veterans - nearly all of whom have now gone. I even raised money back in the day for those 'they left behind', the former POWs who needed help in their elderly last years who sacrificed so much so that we could return on D Day. Along with Midway, Stalingrad and several others, Dunkirk IS one of THE major turning points in the Allies road to Victory. It's absolutely fascinating, peerless in my opinion and boy have I read a lot of WW2 books (btw, met Ben McIntyre last month and his new book about the SAS in WW2 reads like an epic thriller - read it within a (working!) week which I can't remember doing with equivalents in a long time, it was so gripping. Go and buy!)

Anyway, I can't wait for this film - been following for 2 years from whispers, through production and now it's almost out. From what I've heard it does justice to the Army, Navy & Airforce, the latter an almost forgotten and much maligned story which TomHardy's character will single handily put right hopefully. The 'star' of the story however is 'the channel' from what I hear. It's going to be one of the great films, I always wanted another Dunkirk film to be made to compliment the 50s classic staring Sir John Mills (keen eyed viewers will spot Rye as Dunkirk and Camber Sands as the Beaches!) and also Robert Merle's Weekend at Dunkirk dramatisation (using thousands of extras too). The wait is almost over and we can trust Nolan and his cast of quality British thespians to deliver I think. It looks good. Very very good.