Dunkirk 1940 photos. Some never seen before .

Have we had this before? Supposed to be the entrance to Koksijde.
The tram line should be able to narrow down the location – but that's Christian's sandbox.

 

Welcome back to my sandbox
This picture was taken on the old road that used to run from Furnes to Coxyde, heading north, just before the outskirts of the village.



Before the war, there was indeed a vicinal tram line running along that road. When the Germans took over and decided to build a massive airfield on the premises, the road was replaced by a (cross-wind) concrete runway, which nowadays is locally always referred to as 'oude Duitse piste'. At the southern entrance of the base, next to the gate, there are still traces visible of the old tram trail (at least there was the last time I was there).

 

Christian - were these light railways marked on maps of the period at all? I've seen a few in photos and often wondered... Best regards, Nick

 

I have quite a few photos with light railways by the road.
Photo from my collection.
Keith

 

Hallo Nick,

Yes, I know these were marked on Belgian Army maps as from a certain scale. On some civilian vintage maps, these tramway lines appears as dots plotted on the road. I'm not sure as to the British maps though - I should check. Unfortunately, I don't have a BEF maps of the region in my archive.

Basically, three types of vicinal trams were in operation: electrically-driven (easily identifiable with masts and cables all along the line), diesels and steam-driven.

On May 10th, when French troops crossed the border to push towards The Netherlands, part of their infantry was transported all along the Belgian coastline with trams to the Dutch border. By the time the BEF arrived in these parts, all service was already discontinued.



I sugest you also check out following website: Geschiedenis van de trams

KR,
Christian

 

The Belgian vicinal system was like the pre-Beeching British railway system but without the historic inter-company rivalries. It's a much smaller area of course...but it's impossible to travel in Belgium without passing the "haltes" and infrastructure. The sheer scale of passenger traffic from the country regions to the centres of industry is difficult to comprehend now, but until Kaiser Bill's Germany looted Belgium, it was behind only Great Britain as an industrial centre. Almost everywhere was connected. Nowadays, we're lucky if we can cycle the odd bit.

 

Thank you Christian - most illuminating, and a landscape infrastructure that wouldn't be on the radar of most British people now, as we seem to have forgotten the various networks of trams and light railways that used to serve towns and country, other than in special interest groups.

Best regards, Nick

 

What happened to captured British 303 rifles and brens from the bef?.
Keith

 

The Wehrmacht used pretty much all the equipment it could get its hands on.
This usually meant using it in the respective countries that had been occupied, because the necessary logistics could be taken over.
However, the use of British weapons was severely restricted due to a lack of ammunition, and the same was true for their US counterparts.
In this respect, most of it remained in storage.

 

Two brief articles on the Enfields that made it into active service on the German side:

FIRST POST 2020-12-30: BEUTEWAFFEN! (CAPTURED ARMS)
https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/wwii-germans-with-enfield-no-1-mk-iii-rifles.46907/#post-347827

 

An estimated 180,000 .303 Lee Enfield Rifles were lost by the BEF 1940 + ammunition
Keith

 

One more came in the post.
Keith.

 

Germans on top of a tower with a view of Dunkirk 1940? Two of the photos need to be put together to give a better view.
Looks like two radio towers? German in one of the towers has a badge on his arm.
I do have a higher res of these photos.
Keith

 

Could the towers be near Fort Louis/ xxx

 

WW2 German Signallers badges. German in the photo has one on his arm.
Keith

 

The Lorina Dive- bombed and sunk on 29th may.
Photo from my collection
Keith

 

Flak unit Dunkirk area Sept 1940. Could it be a Sd.Kfz.10/4 (armed with the 2 cm Flak 30) ?
WL on reg number, Luftwaffe unit. Harbour area.
Photo from my collection
Keith

 

Flak unit St. Colombert area Sept 1940. Not Dunkirk but taken by the same guy. Sept 1940
St. Colombert was the name of a German Luftwaffe air base near Calais, France, used as a base for fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
Photo from my collection
Keith

 

Flak unit Dunkirk area Sept 1940. Could it be a Sd.Kfz.10/4 (armed with the 2 cm Flak 30) Luftwaffe unit.
Photo from my collection
Keith

 

Shot down spitfire? by the dunes. German from the flak unit took this photo. so could be 1940.
No info on the crash.
Photo from my collection.
Keith