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George Hulls was my step-grandad, but we always referred to him as 'uncle george'. He never said much about his involvement in the war, and died when I was too young to appreciate the benefit of trying to find out more. However, shortly before he died he talked about Dunkirk. I had come home from a history lesson and was talking about how we had learned about the importance of the Spitfire in fighting Stukas above the beaches of Dunkirk. He started spitting feathers before putting me straight: he had not seen a Spitfire at Dunkirk - the only planes in the sky had been Stukas. he railed. He would then imitate the piercing whistle as the Stukas dived towards their targets. He didn't say much more, except that when safely back in Kent, he, along with his colleagues, were given food, water and a shower, and were allowed to sleep. He said that he slept for a full three days. This may be true, or it may be exaggerated, but the impact of the whole event was clear. I make sure my own children are fully aware of what happened at Dunkirk, as a defining moment of British history. I hope that generations in the future will be doing the same.

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