New Dunkirk film stirs family's memories of ancestors who fought in battle

The word Dunkirk is one that's always held a lot of meaning for the Mallon family.

Both of James Mallon's grandfathers fought in the Battle of Dunkirk in the spring of 1940 during the Second World War.

So on Saturday, Mallon decided to bring his parents, a few aunts and uncles and other members of his extended family to see Christopher Nolan's latest flick, Dunkirk.

'I came close to tears'

"You felt like you were right there," Mallon said. "I was jumping quite a bit. There was this intensity to it that I've really never experienced in a movie before. A couple of times I came close to tears when I imagined one of my grandfathers in that situation."

Mallon's grandfather on his mother's side, Matthew McEwan, was just 21 years old at the Battle of Dunkirk.

"He and his best friend were able to get to the beach and his best friend was killed," Mallon said.

"When he returned to Scotland, his hair all fell out and came in white. It really impacted his life."

Mallon's mother said watching the film was an emotional experience.

"I'd hate to really think what it was like actually being there. I mean that was horrific, but I can't, I can't imagine," Linda Mallon said. "It obviously left a lot of these men damaged. How could you even be sane after going through something like that? It's quite sad."

Stories from the war

She said while her father never talked about the war when she was growing up, it was something he spoke about with his grandson.

James Mallon said he remembers a particular moment with his grandfather, sitting in the sand at Lawrencetown Beach in 1985.

"He was sitting cross-legged and he said, 'This is how I used to sit when I fired the Bren gun.…' He just started talking, and he'd never talked about it before," Mallon said.

"It was sunny, there was a nice breeze and we were sitting on a sand dune and looking out at the ocean. So how could it not take you back there and make you think about it?"

His grandfather told him about being on board a ship during Dunkirk, and when they got off the dock, a dive-bomber came down to attack.

"They were able to shoot the plane and everyone on the ship applauded and cheered," Mallon said. 

Mallon's other grandfather, James Mallon, was in the Royal Corps of Signals. He was responsible for laying telephone wires and was on one of the last rowing boats to leave Dunkirk.

"One day he was in a field, doing something in a field, and a German plane came down and he thought that was it, he was going to be killed," Mallon said. "The plane flew right down, flew over his head and waved its wings, and flew off."

Ronnie Mallon described the film on Saturday as impressive.

"Thank God I'm not my dad," he said. "It was brutal, people killing each other."

'War is not just an abstract thing'

Ronnie Mallon's sister, Anne McLevey, was also at the movie on Saturday.

"It was very emotional. Very emotional. But I felt very close to my father. I was quite surprised — I found a very loving presence close to me," McLevey said.

She said her father never spoke about Dunkirk, other than to say it was "very awful."

"Seeing the movie brought it home," she said. "Dunkirk was a name, and was a horrible time, but when you actually see the human side of it, it makes war more horrific."

McLevey felt her father would be delighted to know 14 members of his extended family got together to take an interest in Dunkirk.

"I think it's important for the young people to realize that war is not just an abstract thing. It affects everyone," she said. "And maybe they'll try harder in the future to have more peace and see the sacrifice their grandfathers [made]."

James Mallon said he thinks war movies like Dunkirk are important.

"We need to know our history. And the past generations, they made incredible sacrifices. They were young kids — I mean my grandfather was 21 and they laid down their lives," he said.

"We forget that the things we enjoy today were bought at a great price. And it's good to stop and honour that, and to be immersed in that story."