Talk:Evacuation of the Polish Army from Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Armistice of 22 June 1940[edit]

At present the text reads 'A total of 24,352 Polish troops managed to evacuate France by the armistice deadline of 25 June, in total.' But the actual terms of the armistice, signed on 22 June, appear to have taken effect immediately, and it contains no reference to a deadline. What is correct, however, is that the armistice and its terms were announced publicly on 25 June. Perhaps this deserves to be changed?

Here is a link to the text: https://mjp.univ-perp.fr/france/1940armistice.htm Thomas Peardew (talk) 07:17, 16 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Jonathan Fenby's book, The Sinking of the Lancastria, says that a British Cabinet War Room Report of 25 June 1940 noted 'The armistice between France and Germany came into effect at 0035 hours BST today when hostilities ceased.' The armistice apparently came into effect six hours after the similar agreement with Italy, signed on 24 June at 1835 hours. So although there doesn't appear to have been a deadline (and the terms of the armistice don't make any reference to other Allied armed forces in France), the evacuation from St Jean de Luz took place before the Armistice came into effect.

But there is one question: at what precise times did the final ships (MS Batory, MS Sobieski, MV Ettrick, and Arandora Star) leave St Jean de Luz? This article in The Guardian says that the two Polish ships had already sailed by 2pm on 23 June - My Polish father's miraculous wartime escape - and that the Ettrick sailed later that day. The article says that the Arandora Star sailed on the following day, and that the armistice came into effect a few hours later. It would be nice to have authoritative confirmation. Thomas Peardew (talk) 08:42, 16 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]