Were you one of the 338,000 troops plucked to safety from the Dunkirk beaches during Operation Dynamo? In a major project to capture first hand memories of these dark days of war, English Heritage has launched a nationwide search for veterans and those who played a part in the rescue mission which became known as 'the miracle of Dunkirk'. From the soldiers themselves and those who risked their lives to sail across the Channel to evacuate them, to the women who filled countless sandwiches to welcome home the exhausted troops, English Heritage is seeking personal accounts to bring this pivotal wartime event to life and keep it forever for future generations. The recollections will form the backbone of a new exhibition to open in 2011 in the Secret Wartime Tunnels at Dover Castle. A 'memory box', comprising a video recording booth, opens at Dover Castle on May 28 and will be in place throughout the year to collect personal experiences and recollections. Those unable to visit in person can record their memories online at www.english-heritage.org.uk/dunkirk
"Sadly, time is running out for us to get first hand accounts of these desperate days when the situation for our troops seemed hopeless and the threat of invasion by Germany was very real. The evacuation of Dunkirk remains a symbol of pulling through against tremendous odds and achieving the unachievable," said senior English Heritage historian Paul Pattison.