Historical Fun

FACTS ABOUT THE EVACUATION OF DUNKIRK A video tribute to all those at Dunkirk.

D-Day - The Normandy Landings 1. The Normandy Landings were codenamed Operation Neptune. On the 6th June 1944, the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy for the planned invasion of German-occupied western Europe. Commonly known as the D-Day Landings, and codenamed Operation Neptune, it led to the liberation of France from the Nazis, who had taken over Europe during World War 2. 2.  The Normandy Landing was, and still is, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Almost 7,000 naval vessels were involved in D-Day, the largest single day amphibious invasion of all time. The sea was full of craft of all sizes, carrying 156,000 soldiers, to land them safely on the beaches of Normandy. From the air, 24,000 airborne troops were dropped behind the German lines to secure vital roads and bridges. 3. The Invasion was planned, prepared, and rehearsed for months before D-Day. For months before D-Day, the Allies planted misinformation, codenamed Op...

May 1940 - The "Phoney War" had ended and the Germans were sweeping through Belgium and France. The British Expeditionary Force were pushed back to Dunkirk with the Blitzkrieg not far behind. General Alan Brooke said, "Nothing but a miracle can save the British Expeditionary Force." And Britain gave him 8 Days of Chaos, Courage, and Sacrifice: The Dunkirk Spirit and A Miracle of Deliverance. Quick Facts About the Dunkirk Evacuation 1. The Dunkirk Evacuation took place between 27th May and 4th June. 2. The Dunkirk Evacuation was codenamed Operation Dynamo. 3.  Operation Dynamo was tasked with evacuating as many troops of the British Expeditionary Force as possible. 4. 338,226 soldiers were rescued over 8 days of the evacuation. 5. Operation Dynamo was only expected to rescue 45,000 and last for two days. 6.  Only 7,669 soldiers were rescued on Day One of the evacuation. 7. The figure rose to 25,000 on day two. 8. ...

1. London Zoo killed all its venomous animals when World War II broke out. Sounds a bit harsh, but it's true. When the Second World war began on the 3rd September 1939, the British Government ordered London Zoo to close its gates. They also ordered all other public places where people gathered to be shut. London Zoo shipped its most valuable animals out of the city. Most went to Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable for safe keeping. These included Giant Pandas, Orang-utans, chimpanzees, and elephants. London Zoo did keep some of their animals. However, they were worried what would happen if a bomb hit the zoo and caused damage to the dangerous animals enclosures. If they would escaped into the City, it would cause panic, injury, or even deadly bites. So, as a precaution, the Zoo killed all the venomous animals. 2. During the Normandy Invasion, a Scottish Bagpiper played the pipes on the beach. And he didn't get shot. Not once. At all. Unlike eve...