British Expeditionary Force

E35827

British Army formation field army

The British Expeditionary Force was the British Army contingent sent to support France and Belgium at the start of World War II, famously withdrawn from mainland Europe during the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation.

Aliases (8)

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	British Army formation → field army →
alliedWith	Belgian Army → French Army →
alsoKnownAs	BEF →
approximateStrength	over 300,000 personnel at peak →
branch	land forces →
category	Allied expeditionary forces of World War II →
commander	Lord Gort →
component	British 1st Armoured Division → British 51st (Highland) Division → I Corps (British Army) → II Corps (British Army) → III Corps (British Army) →
conflict	World War II →
country	United Kingdom →
deployedTo	Belgium → France →
doctrine	interwar British Army doctrine →
endTime	1940 →
engagedIn	Battle of France →
equipment	British Expeditionary Force standard infantry equipment (1939–1940) →
evacuatedFrom	Dunkirk →
evacuationOperation	Operation Dynamo →
garrisonLocation	France (1939–1940) →
governedBy	War Office (United Kingdom) →
historicalPredecessor	British Expeditionary Force (World War I) →
includedUnitType	armoured units → artillery units → engineer units → infantry divisions → logistics and support units →
languageOfCommand	English →
mobilizedAfter	United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939) →
notableEvent	Dunkirk evacuation →
notableFor	rapid retreat to the Channel coast in 1940 → successful large-scale evacuation under enemy pressure →
notableOutcome	loss of most heavy equipment during Dunkirk evacuation →
opposedBy	German Army →
partOf	British Army →
primaryMission	support French and Belgian forces against Germany →
rankOfCommander	General →
startTime	1939 →
strategicEffect	preservation of core of British Army for future operations →
supported	Belgium → France →
theatre	Western Front (World War II) →
withdrawalCompleted	June 1940 →

Referenced by (25)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Battle of Mons ("British Expeditionary Force 1914 campaign") → Canadian Railway Troops →	associatedWith
Douglas Haig → Miles Dempsey →	memberOf
British Expeditionary Forces ("British Expeditionary Force (World War I)") → British Expeditionary Forces ("British Expeditionary Force (World War II)") →	notableDeployment
51st (Highland) Division → British High Command on the Western Front →	partOf
British High Command on the Western Front ("British Expeditionary Force High Command") →	alsoKnownAs
Battle of Mons →	combatant
7th Panzer Division →	engagedAgainst
British Expeditionary Force (World War II) ("British Expeditionary Force standard infantry equipment (1939–1940)") →	equipment
Battle of Dunkirk →	evacuatedForce
3rd Canadian Division →	higherCommand
British Expeditionary Force (World War II) ("British Expeditionary Force (World War I)") →	historicalPredecessor
British High Command on the Western Front ("General Headquarters (GHQ) of the BEF") →	includedUnit
First Battle of the Marne →	involvedForce
Lord Gort ("Command of the British Expeditionary Force in France 1939–1940") →	notableWork
4th Canadian Division →	operatedUnderCommandOf
Battle of Sedan (1940) →	opponent
Siege of Toulon ("British expeditionary force") →	opponentOf
Manstein Plan →	opposedForces
Canadian Corps →	parentOrganization
VIII Corps (United Kingdom) →	service
Canadian Expeditionary Force →	subordinateTo