THE new movie Dunkirk is a must-see.
An avid reader of military history myself, I was enthralled from beginning to end.
As the credits rolled, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Brilliantly put together, with a tremendous score and little dialogue, we are vividly reminded of those dark days in May 1940.
Then, the cream of our army was stranded on the beach, with the Germans pressing closer and closer by the day.
Fortunately, Hitler held his tanks back and that, along with the bravery of those defending the Dunkirk perimeter, many of whom were French, prevented a massacre and inevitable capitulation.
Meanwhile, more than 300,000 men were plucked from the jaws of defeat by an armada of small boats, supported by destroyers from the Royal Navy.
Faced with a marauding evil, we stood alone in the early days, preparing our island for invasion.
Thanks to the bravery of “the few” in the RAF, and the strength of the Royal Navy, Hitler decided that was too risky and turned his attention east to Russia.
I have seen many war movies, but Dunkirk really got to me.
With all that is going on currently, it reminded me how near we came to being enslaved by a foreign power.
Then, a combination of strong leadership and true British grit saw us through.
We need the same today.
And France, in particular, would do well to remember the sacrifices we made for her freedom.
We may have been beaten in 1940, but we returned four years later to free the French people from a monstrous regime.
If that’s not a demonstration of being a true friend and ally, I’d like to know what is.