John Bridges arrived at Dunkirk with his small but orderly battalion to witness chaos on the beaches and 'complete hell' in the town. None of his men could swim. He describes in vivid detail what it was like to be there, and how they struggled to get away. After the first few failed attempts, being bombarded by shells and bullets and narrowly avoiding getting dragged under a destroyer, he managed to board a minesweeper that eventually took him back to England. Part of this recording was included in the programme 'Dunkirk: Twenty Years After'. It may not have been broadcast in its entirety before.

Sgt. John Bridges Remembers the Dunkirk Evacuation

Four members of the British Expeditionary Force share their experiences of being on the frontline as the Germans broke through and describe close encounters with advancing German tanks and surviving German bombs. This recording was not broadcast at the time and may never have been transmitted in its entirety.

Dunkirk Evacuation: British Expeditionary Force Accounts

On 30 May 1940, the lifeboat crews of Margate were called into action to rescue troops from Dunkirk. Coxswain ED Parker recollects how his men went straight from their favorite pub to the hellish waters of Dunkirk, where they helped to take soldiers out to the ships. This recording was made for the BBC 2004 Docudrama of Dunkirk but not included in the transmission.

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