Men in Battle - Dunkirk
Lieutenant General Sir Brian Horrocks commanded a battalion of 700 men on the frontline when German forces invaded France and the Low Countries in May 1940. In this programme, he recounts the scenes he witnessed on the road to Dunkirk. In his view, the 'Phoney War' allowed for the troops to be trained up, and morale and discipline were high. However, he was shocked when he first came upon the scene of stranded troops at Dunkirk. Whitehall was informed (by holding the phone up to the scene) and an evacuation requested. Film footage and recorded statements also provide insight, with one witness crediting the breakwater known as the Mole for making the epic naval escape possible.
Sir Brian Horrocks joined the Middlesex Regiment on the outbreak of World War One in 1914. He was captured during the First Battle of Ypres and remained a prisoner until the end of the war. After dedicating 15 years to working as an infantry captain, he had become a high-ranking officer by the start of World War Two. Aside from his military career, he competed in the pentathlon at the 1924 Olympic Games.
