Day of National Prayer
The following morning, as the first elements of the BEF to be evacuated boarded destroyers in Dunkirk, a great service was held in Westminster Abbey, as the focal point for the much heralded Day of National Prayer. In the presence of the king and the prime minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury called on the help of the Almighty to save the British army, sentiments which were echoed in thousands of churches throughout Britain.
'By Thursday evening many were expecting that the weekend would bring the worst ...'
At first it seemed that the prayers might not be answered. Between Monday 27 and Thursday 30 May the news got worse and worse. Papers carried stories of the BEF and its French and Belgian allies holding grimly to a pocket around Dunkirk, as German pressure mounted, the only solace being reports of massive German air losses (hugely exaggerated) at the hands of RAF fighters. On 29 May there was a bombshell - the Belgian army had capitulated, reducing further the perimeter around Dunkirk.
The unstated corollary - one that was well understood by the veterans of World War One - was that with their eastern flank weakened, British and French forces could not long survive. Such prognostications seemed confirmed in 30 May, with the publication of a telegram from the king to Lord Gort, which could be read as a message of farewell.
'All your countrymen have been following with pride and admiration the courageous resistance of the British Expeditionary Force during the continuing fighting of the last fortnight. Faced by circumstances outside their control in a position of extreme difficulty, they are displaying a gallantry which has never been surpassed in the annals of the British Army. The hearts of everyone of us at home are with you and your magnificent troops in this hour of peril.'
By Thursday evening many were expecting that the weekend would bring the worst, the news that the BEF had also been forced to capitulate.
Published: 2004-02-06
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