The Order That Made Churchill Feel SICK: Trapped and No Escape

By May 25, 1940, when the Battle of France was well on its way, German forces had captured Boulogne and were closing in on the French coastal place of Calais. The British defenders in Calais were now the last barrier between the advancing German tanks and the remaining British Expeditionary Force (BEF) trapped at Dunkirk.

“Every hour you hold out helps the BEF. You must continue to fight. There will be no evacuation.”

This message was sent by Churchill on 25 May 1940 to the Brigadier Claude Nicholson, commander in Calais. Churchill later wrote that giving this order made him feel sick.

The Germans were surprised by the strength of resistance and had to call in more troops and air support to take Calais. The defenders’ stand at Calais delayed the German push toward Dunkirk. If Calais had fallen sooner, the evacuation might have failed. Brigadier Nicholson held out for as long as possible. Instead of defending the ancient walls, he chose to fight within the town, using canals and streets to block German advances. The defenders, low on supplies and exhausted, still refused to give in. German attempts to force a surrender failed. Street fighting was brutal, and many British units were nearly destroyed.

On May 26, supported by bombers and artillery, the Germans broke through. Most of the defenders were captured and spent years in German prison camps. Nicholson died in captivity, but others escaped and returned to serve in Britain. They lived to fight another day.

VIDEO

Video material from:

Victory in the West (Sieg im Westen, 1941) [1440p, 60fps]

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