British Expeditionary Force

E35827

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Force was the British Army contingent sent to support France and Belgium at the start of World War II, famously withdrawn from mainland Europe during the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation.

All labels observed (10)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf British Army formation
field army
alliedWith Belgian Land Component
surface form: 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 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom)
surface form: British 1st Armoured Division

51st (Highland) Division
surface form: 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 self-linksurface differs
surface form: British Expeditionary Force standard infantry equipment (1939–1940)
evacuatedFrom Dunkirk
evacuationOperation Operation Dynamo
garrisonLocation France (1939–1940)
governedBy War Office
surface form: War Office (United Kingdom)
historicalPredecessor British Expeditionary Force self-linksurface differs
surface form: 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 Battle of Dunkirk
surface form: 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
surface form: Western Front (World War II)
withdrawalCompleted June 1940

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (42)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Battle of Dunkirk evacuatedForce British Expeditionary Force
Siege of Toulon opponentOf British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: British expeditionary force
7th Panzer Division engagedAgainst British Expeditionary Force
Miles Dempsey memberOf British Expeditionary Force
Lord Gort notableWork British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: Command of the British Expeditionary Force in France 1939–1940
Battle of Sedan (1940) opponent British Expeditionary Force
First Battle of the Marne involvedForce British Expeditionary Force
Manstein Plan opposedForces British Expeditionary Force
Douglas Haig memberOf British Expeditionary Force
51st (Highland) Division partOf British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force equipment British Expeditionary Force self-linksurface differs
subject surface form: British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force standard infantry equipment (1939–1940)
British Expeditionary Force historicalPredecessor British Expeditionary Force self-linksurface differs
subject surface form: British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force (World War I)
CEF subordinateTo British Expeditionary Force
subject surface form: Canadian Expeditionary Force
British High Command on the Western Front alsoKnownAs British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force High Command
British High Command on the Western Front partOf British Expeditionary Force
British High Command on the Western Front includedUnit British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: General Headquarters (GHQ) of the BEF
Canadian Corps parentOrganization British Expeditionary Force
3rd Canadian Division higherCommand British Expeditionary Force
Canadian Railway Troops associatedWith British Expeditionary Force
4th Canadian Division operatedUnderCommandOf British Expeditionary Force
British expeditionary forces notableDeployment British Expeditionary Force
subject surface form: British Expeditionary Forces
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force (World War I)
British expeditionary forces notableDeployment British Expeditionary Force
subject surface form: British Expeditionary Forces
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
VIII Corps (United Kingdom) service British Expeditionary Force
Battle of Mons combatant British Expeditionary Force
Battle of Mons associatedWith British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force 1914 campaign
French Fifth Army alliedWith British Expeditionary Force
First Battle of the Aisne primaryOpposingForces British Expeditionary Force
Mons belligerent British Expeditionary Force
subject surface form: Battle of Mons
Haig focusesOn British Expeditionary Force
Fall Gelb (original variant) plannedOpponents British Expeditionary Force
Dunkirk pocket involves British Expeditionary Force
Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies appliesTo British Expeditionary Force
United Kingdom military operations in Europe hasNotableOperation British Expeditionary Force
this entity surface form: British Expeditionary Force in World War I
I Corps (British Army) subordinateTo British Expeditionary Force
British V Corps partOf British Expeditionary Force
Commander-in-Chief on the Western Front appliesTo British Expeditionary Force
Commander-in-Chief on the Western Front commandedFormation British Expeditionary Force
British XIII Corps partOf British Expeditionary Force
Viscount Gort associatedWithOrganization British Expeditionary Force
4th Panzer Division engagedAgainst British Expeditionary Force
Naval Commander, Operation Dynamo associatedWith British Expeditionary Force
Battle of the Ardennes (1940) belligerent British Expeditionary Force