Dunkirk: Forty Years On

Almost half a century after the event, those who were there remember Dunkirk vividly in this programme. Eyewitness accounts are mixed with news extracts from the time, including an announcement by Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden, on 2 June 1940 (just over a week after the retreat began), informing the public about events across the Channel.

One man reveals that some of the troops weren't aware they were going home, while others weren't able to swim. One man also describes witnessing and being the victim of indiscriminate attacks on those inside ambulances and on board hospital ships. This is one side of the story of Dunkirk, as told by the veterans themselves, and may not have been broadcast nationally before.

Originally broadcast 25 May 1980.