Third part of “Dunkirk” series: “Aftermath”

French soldier who felt in the beaches of Dunkirk, taken by a German photographer after his advanced through the area. During the whole operation, the BEF lost 68,000 soldiers. Left behind in France were 2,472 guns, 500 tanks, 20,000 motorcycles, and almost 65,000 other vehicles, and a larger amount of stores and fuel. 48,000 French were captured or killed, like the man in this picture. If you look closer to his finger, you can see how a shy ring gleams on his finger. As in every war, the casualties are not just numbered on the front, but also on the homes of the soldiers that fought what lead their deaths. After all, he Battle of Dunkirk was an Allied success, a “miracle”, but a bigger one for the Axis. Hitlerbelieved that once Britain's troops left continental Europe, they would never return. But they did. --- This picture has a very interesting caption; not only for the man who gave his life for brave ideals, but for the huge number of daily objects displayed on the sand. This picture had not left the Imperial War Museum Archives before, and since today you couldn’t find it on the internet.