Nation prayed for a miracle before D-Day

As our nation commemorates the anniversary of D-Day on June 6, let’s remember that there wouldn’t have been a D-Day, without the successful evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk four years earlier.

At that time, over 350,000 Allied troops were trapped across the Channel by the German Army and if they couldn’t be rescued, the UK would have been invaded. Britain was on the verge of defeat. There could be no help from other European countries and America hadn’t even entered the war.

What happened next may seem strange to today’s generation, but to the people of wartime Britain it was perfectly natural.

King George VI broadcast an urgent message to the nation, declaring May 26 to be a special Day of National

Prayer and urged everyone to pray for divine intervention. In response to his call, millions of people attended special church services. At one point the response was so great that the queue of people trying to get into Westminster Abbey stretched for a quarter of a mile.

Two events occurred straight after this National Day of

Prayer. Firstly, a violent storm arose over the Dunkirk region grounding the Luftwaffe which had been killing thousands on the beaches. Secondly, a great calm descended on the Channel, the like of which hadn’t been seen for a generation. This Channel calm permitted hundreds of tiny boats to sail across and help rescue 335,000 soldiers.

D-Day took place on June 6, 1944, exactly four years after Dunkirk. Allied forces were once again in France, this time with the aim of liberating Europe from Nazism.

As we commemorate this special 80th anniversary and reflect on lives lost to bring freedom, let us remember that it wouldn’t have happened without The Miracle of Dunkirk.

Rev J. Willans

‘There is sadly a bit of a campaign among the left to decry all right-ofcentre views as hard or extreme right-wing...’