British and French Prisoners of War near Sen-Valery-en-Caux — May 1940

July 29, 2025 - Reading time: 6 minutes

British and French prisoners of war captured near Veules-les-Roses, Northern France, during the Battle of France, May 1940, published in Picture Post with a misleading caption.

This photograph shows British and French prisoners of war captured by German forces near Veules-les-Roses, close to Sen-Valery-en-Caux, in Northern France during the **early stages of the Battle of France in May 1940. As a result of the German offensive between May 10 and June 21, 1940, approximately 1.5 million soldiers from the Anglo-French forces were taken prisoner, marking one of the largest mass surrenders in history.

The photograph was published on May 10, 1940, in the British magazine Picture Post, with a caption mistakenly stating it was taken near Dunkirk, even though the German assault on the city had just begun, and the Dunkirk evacuation was still weeks away. This misleading caption highlights the early confusion of the German advance and the rapidity of the collapse of Allied defenses.

Captured at a time when the German blitzkrieg was sweeping through Western Europe, this image provides a snapshot of the human cost of the conflict, showcasing the sheer scale of the German victory. The prisoners seen here would later endure difficult conditions in German POW camps, symbolizing the devastation of the Battle of France and the fate of those captured in its wake.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: National Archives, USA / Eva Braun Collection
📍 Location: Veules-les-Roses, France
📅 Date of photo: May 1940
📷 Photographer: Unknown

• British and French POWs

• German prisoners of war

• Battle of France May 1940

• Dunkirk evacuation timeline

• German POW camps

• Anglo-French defeat

• French surrender WWII

• German blitzkrieg May 1940

• Picture Post WWII

• WWII French occupation