More than 300,000 Allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches despite large numbers of troops being surrounded by German forces.
Winston Churchill said the Dunkirk evacuation, which took place between May 26 and June 4, was a ‘miracle of deliverance’ when speaking on the last day of the rescue.
The Royal Navy played a prominent role in the operation, providing the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta and 39 destroyers, as well as other vessels.
We have had a look back through the archives to find some historic photos of the evacuation – and the role the Royal Navy played.
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17. Arriving back from Dunkirk
June 1940: Members of the British Expeditionary Force arrive back in Britain with a Union Jack after being evacuated from Dunkirk. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) Photo: The News archive
18. Arriving home from Dunkirk
1940: Soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk, arrive at a London railway station. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) Photo: The News archive
19. Arriving back from Dunkirk
1st May 1940: A long drink for a member of the BEF at the end of his journey home from Dunkirk. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) Photo: The News archive
20. Little Ships depart for Dunkirk marking anniversary
3rd June 2018 Little Dunkirk Ships sailing past. Brittany Ferries ferry leaving for Normandy with a naval escort. The procession is led by four P 2000s followed by the Brittany ferry with the veterans on the stern deck and four D-Day vessels two either side of the ferry at the stern, followed by a frigate and then followed by the Little Dunkirk Ships.Picture: Habibur Rahman Photo: The News archive