TNA ADM 234 360

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CHAPTER IV
MONDAY, 27TH MAY
(See Plan 3)
The Dunkirk perimeter
the organisation of the Dunkirk the bridgehead. Canal de la Its perimeter was to extend from
On the morning of 27th May, Lieut.-General Sir Ronald Adam commenced
and thence by Furnes and Nieuport Gravelines to the Belgian coast. In fact, however,
Gravelines, south-eastward to Colme, along the canal to Bergues
perimeter, and were falling back to the line of the Mardyck Canal, from the
the French were already evacuating and the western part of the
to Spyker on the Canal de la Colme. The French were to be responsible sea, for
the defence of the western half of the perimeter as far as Bergues inclusive,
and the British for the eastern half. The position of the Belgian Army was
now so obscure that its inclusion in the bridgehead was not taken into account. I
The British sector of the Dunkirk perimeter had its right at Bergues, whence
it followed the canals to Furnes and Nieuport. Immediately north of this
line were the inundations ; to the north of the inundations was low-lying land,
and then the Dunkirk-Furnes Canal and the main lateral road from Furnes to
Dunkirk; finally, there was the narrow strip of dunes giving way to a wide
open beach running the whole length of the position and shelving very gradually
to the sea. There were no quays or piers whatever, except those at Dunkirk
itself. At intervals of from 3 to 4 miles along the shore (from east to west) lay
the seaside resorts of Coxyde, La Panne, Braye-Dunes, and Malo-les-Bains
(adjoining Dunkirk).
During the day troops and their transport began to withdraw into the
perimeter on the fronts of all three British Corps. Where the troops had received
the necessary orders, vehicles were disabled and abandoned in the assembly
areas; but owing to the shortage of troops for traffic control a great number
of British and French vehicles were able to enter the perimeter and the town
of Dunkirk², causing grave congestion on the roads. Beaches were organised
at La Panne, Bray-Dunes and Malo-les-Bains, one beach being allotted to each
of the 3 British Corps.³
Dunkirk had been bombed for some days, but the town and port received
their most serious damage on 27th May. At least 12 attacks were made on
Dunkirk and the sea approaches between 0825 and 20004. Lorry columns
had been set on fire in the town and a pall of black smoke from the burning oil
tanks hung continuously over the town and docks, impeding the air defence.
Dunkirk was therefore cleared of all troops and they were sent to the dunes
east of the town to await embarkation.³
The Belgain armistice
During the 27th May Lord Gort received a further telegram from the Secre-
tary of State for War which read, " want to make it quite clear that sole
2 I Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 47.
4 3 R.A.F. Gort's Second Despatch, para. para. 50.
Lord Gort's Second Despatch, 49.
Narrative, p.320.
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