Imprints of WWII: Unseen photos from Dunkirk

Monday 3 July 2017

Unseen photos from Dunkirk

I recently supplied copies of a number of photographs from my collection to the Channel 4 documentary Dunkirk: The New Evidence.

The photographs were all taken by German soldiers either during or shortly after the campaign in France in 1940, and show the destruction in Dunkirk and De Panne (also spelt La Panne), further up the coast.

Read an account from James Horner, a Sapper with 253rd Field Company Royal Engineers, who escaped from De Panne.

These photos were not used in the Channel 4 documentary, but I thought they would be of interest - so I am sharing them here. Comments and corrections to my captions are welcome!

Abandoned boats and vehicles, Dunkirk. June 1940.

Material left on the beach, and washed ashore. Dunkirk, 4th June 1940.

Abandoned vehicles and boats, Dunkirk. May/June 1940.

French Sub-Chaser CH-9, Dunkirk. 4th June 1940.

The beach at Dunkirk after the evacuation. In the background is the French Destroyer L'Adroit. June 1940

German troops investigating burnt out Bedford lorries. De Panne, May/June 1940.

Ambulances and lorries, on the beach front at De Panne May/June 1940.

Abandoned BEF vehicle, De Panne. May/June 1940. Note the rifles.

Abandoned vehicles, including ambulances. De Panne, May/June 1940

British soldiers carrying their belongings, including what appears to be tins of food. This photo was taken by one of the German soldiers who was taking them prisoner. May/June 1940. The rear of the photo is marked 'Engländer'

British & French POWs being marched into captivity, June 1940. The German lorry shows the markings of a Panzer unit.

Four British soldiers who did not make it back home. The rear of the photo is marked 'Calais'.

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About Imprints of WWII

I have been collecting items relating to WWII for a number of years. Not weapons, uniforms, equipment or anything like that. I don't get fascinated by bayonets or medals, so I am afraid I won't be sharing any photos of these as I don't have any.

My interest is in the printed material - the old fading photos, the documents carefully folded kept in shoe boxes, and the long forgotten letters which have been held by people for many years, but then sadly often get discarded. These are all items which have a direct link to the men, women and children who lived through the Second World War.

Most of the items I will be sharing have been picked up at flea markets, car boot sales, junk shops, auctions and the like. I don't spend a lot on collecting, as there is actually little monetary value associated with most of these items. But they do have a value - their value is that direct link with history.

Some of these items are personal items and unique, others were mass produced and were then thrown away once their use was fulfilled. I will be posting items from many nations. The majority will be from the UK, as that is where I live and where most of these items have been purchased, but there will be documents and photos from other countries too.

Please feel free to comment on the posts, and provide suggestions, corrections and any feedback.
I will also be posting on Twitter (@wwiistories) so please also follow me there.

Finally, if you have any family photos, documents or ephemera from the period that you'd like shared on the site, please get in contact - I'd be very pleased to hear from you.