They waited in complete hopelessness and utter despair as stuka’s strafed them mercilessly and shells from distant German artillery batteries exploded around them. Their immediate capture or destruction by the waiting German army could come at any moment, or by some very slim chance they could be rescued…It would take nothing short of a miracle… to save them...!!!

The miracle soon came as ”Operation Dynamo” swung into action, ships, cruisers, and the famous “Little Boats” from many English ports could be seen in the distance approaching the beaches. Cheers went up, the men screamed in delight as the boats drew in closer. Soldiers seeing the vast armada nearing the beaches dashed into the channel, hundreds up to their necks shivering violently in the freezing waters, waiting desperately to scramble on board the incoming vessels. The “armada” used every conceivable craft in this massive rescue attempt, even a paddle steamer. These craft with the Heroic crews rescued over 345, 000 of the stranded troops, ferrying them across the channel to home and freedom.

Without the Courageous” Armada” to save them…they would certainly have suffered death or imprisonment in concentration camps… It certainly was a “Miracle”…!!!