J. B. Priestley's Speech During The Dunkirk Evacuation

During the years of the Second World War, 20th century technology such as the radio had become more affordable to a wider range of socio-economic classes in Britain. The result of this new medium for communication was the effective and widespread transmission of current events to an increasingly diverse audience. Through audio experiences of speeches, live reports and the incorporation of imperial themes into entertainment programming, an audience unprecedented in both size and diversity came into closer contact with current events, and ultimately became a key component in creating feelings of national identity and solidarity as well as raising home front morale. At the outset of war, the government shut down television leaving radio to take

One individual from Britain’s upper class remarked, “My own private courage was badly bruised… and each person one spoke to was more depressing than the last.”. Thanks to speech broadcasts by impeccable orators, the event became immortalized in minds of the nation. On June 5th, 1940, the day after the end of the evacuation, J.B. Priestley gave hope to the country via radio broadcast. He eloquently described the courage and defiance of the “little steamers” that bravely “snatch[ed] glory out of defeat”. On June 18th, Winston Churchill solidified the memory of Dunkirk during his broadcast saying that it would be remembered as Britain’s “finest hour”. Due to Priestley and Churchill’s advanced oratory skills, in combination with their speeches transmitted via radio, not only were they able to inform but also inspire a broader audience than would have otherwise been possible. The picture painted is further illustrated in the diary of Nella Last, when reflecting on the incident that transpired in Dunkirk. She talks about the heroism of those rescued and their rescuers. She also mentioned how the event “…made [her] feel a part of something that was undying and never old…”. This illustrates that even a housewife from Barrow-in-Furness, a shipbuilding town in Lancashire, was immediately informed of the Dunkirk evacuation. It also reveals

The BBC, otherwise known as the Home Service during the war years, was a monopoly at the time and therefore had tremendous influence in domineering programs such as The Four Feathers, By wielding such authority over popular radio programs, they could inject said shows with imperial themes with the intent of reinforcing a sense of common origin and heritage for which its people could fight to preserve. The image of the empire portrayed by the BBC created a sense of comfort and power among many residing in Britain. By comparing their superiority to other countries during a time of instability and in the face of destruction, the BBC subliminally created a false sense of safety in some minds of the