When the German blitzkreig hit France in May 1940 the British Army had ten divisions in France under the command of General Lord Gort. This force was known as the British Expeditionary Force, or BEF, just as its predecessor had been in 1914. Nine of the divisions held ground that would have been familiar to the men of 1914-18 along the Franco-Belgian border. The tenth division, 51st Highland was stationed in the Saar region, holding sections of the Maginot Line.

A British Sentry on duty, May 1940

The BEF Gallery