British troops and the Dunkirk evacuation

Anyone read about this earlier?

Just bought a couple of months ago the book Alex by Nigel Nicolson (1973)on Field Marshal Alexander´s life.

In this it is mentioned that by Sir Edward Spears, Churchill´s personal representative with the French government, on 31 May in conference this happened. The statesmen were engaged in drafting a telegram to Abrial ( French Admiral in charge of the sector from Belgian frontier to Le Havre ):

The third paragraph stated that as soon as it had been ascertained that none of the troops outside the Dunkirk perimeter were able to reach it, the units defending the bridgehead would embark, the British forces first.

The Prime Minister jumped on this. "Certainly not", he boomed..."Nong", he roared, "Partage-bras dessus,bras dessous." The gesture he made, effectively camouflaging his accent, conveyed better than the words, that he wished the French and British soldiers to leave Dunkirk arm in arm..."The three British divisions will form the rearguard", he said, "as so few French have got out so far, I will not accept further sacrifices from the French."

At another stage of the talks, Churchill said to the French, "There are four French divisions in the Dunkirk perimeter, also three British divisions. The three British will stand and allow the French to escape. We will do this in honour.It will be our contribution to comradeship."

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Was Churchill ready to sacrifice 1/3 of BEF for the sake of honour? Or was he just trying to get the French back into the battle??

 

I believe was trying to get the french back into battle, and by all accounts was prepared to try anything. There was a proposal on June 16 1940 to form a franco-british union, one government with joint, defence, foreign policy and economy...

This is the text of the British offer.

"At this most fateful moment in the history of the modern world the Governments of the United Kingdom and the French Republic make this declaration of indissoluble union and unyielding resolution in their common defence of justice and freedom, against subjection to a system which reduces mankind to a life of robots and slaves.

The two Governments declare that France and Great Britain shall no longer be two nations but one Franco-British Union. The constitution of the Union will provide for joint organs of defence, foreign, financial, and economic policies. Every citizen of France will enjoy immediately citizenship of Great Britain, every British subject will become a citizen of France.

Both countries will share responsibility for the repair the devastation of war, wherever it occurs in their territories, and the resources of both shall be equally, and as one, applied to that purpose.

During the war there shall be a single war Cabinet, and all the forces of Britain and France, whether on land, sea, or in the air, will be placed under its direction. It will govern from wherever it best can. The two Parliaments will be formally associated.

The nations of the British Empire are already forming new armies. France will keep her available forces in the field, on the sea, and in the air.

The Union appeals to the United States to fortify the economic resources of the Allies and to bring her powerful material aid to the common cause.

The Union will concentrate its whole energy against the power of the enemy no matter where the battle may be. And thus we shall conquer."

 

Churchill's Sacrefice of the Highland division.
By Saul David.

Pretty much sums up how far the PM would strech to keep France in the war. France fighting from the colonies was the aim of Churchill. He tried to convince the French that in the fall or winter the Americans would join in.