After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, 10 Platoon of the West Staffordshire Regiment is ordered to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force; sent to join a conflict, that after years of military underfunding, they are not appropriately manned or equipped to fight. Throughout the autumn and winter of 1939 / 1940, strengthened by conscription, they prepare for another war of attrition, using training methods and tactics unchanged since the trench stalemate of 1914 - 1918. When the expected conflict fails to materialise, 10 Platoon settle into the routine of the "Phoney War" in an almost carefree adventure, finding themselves far from home in a foreign land with different customs and values.
Meanwhile, driven by Nazi ideology, a ruthless, better equipped and highly trained German military machine waits to unleash a new type of warfare - Blitzkrieg or Lightning War; employing aircraft and fast-moving armoured ground forces together in close cooperation. Having tested and refined the concept during their invasion of Poland, the Germans attack Denmark and Norway in April 1940, then invade the Netherlands and Belgium in May, before falling upon the British Expeditionary Force that had moved forward to meet them.
On the collapse of their French and Belgian Allies, 10 Platoon are forced to withdraw through a series of defensive lines, turning to face the Germans each time they stop; constantly tired and hungry, and with a relentless enemy snapping at their heels. Under continuous threat of aerial or artillery attack, and amid the destruction of towns and cities, they witness death of friend and foe alike; and the suffering of refugees who they are powerless to help. Mental and physical resilience are tested to the limit, fighting for their lives as the chaos of war unfolds around them; where life is cheap and there is no time to mourn the dead. Realising they are helpless to influence their fate, and not knowing if they will be alive at the end of each day, they are ordered north to the Channel coast with the remains of the Expeditionary Force; where they cling to the hope of evacuation from Dunkirk.
Using a diary framework to portray the opening actions of the war as the conflict escalated across the globe, and the decisions and actions of political figures and key military leaders, shows how and why the campaign on the continent unfolded the way it did. The implications of these actions were seldom if ever understood by the combat soldier, who simply fought to uphold his Regimental pride, and for the man stood beside him in their trench. An Epilogue to the book follows the impact of these decisions and actions on the remainder of the campaign in France, and traces the roles played by these historical characters through 1940 and beyond.
