Family’s anger over Dunkirk f ilm snub to hero pier-master
‘How would you feel if it were your father?’
HIS is a story of incredibly selfless courage.
As the pier-master on the beaches of Dunkirk, Commander James Campbell Clouston organised the evacuation of more than 200,000 soldiers – only to be killed when his own boat was hit by German bombers.
Now, although the Royal Navy officer’s bravery has finally been recognised in the new acclaimed film about the 1940 battle, the pier-master in the movie does not use his real name – leaving his family bitterly disappointed.
Instead, the character, played by Sir Kenneth Branagh, has the fictional name Commander Bolton.
Commander Clouston’s son Dane, 78, whose father died when he was just a baby, contacted the producers of the film Dunkirk in January asking if they could at least name him in the credits, but they said this could not happen as they could not honour every hero.
Mr Clouston, who is a former navy officer himself, said: ‘I was quite upset he is not referred to by his proper name.
‘I understand it would be impossible to use everybody’s names correctly in a film, but he was the one pier-master, there was no other person in that role. Obvi- ouslyable given to recognition.’we do, are and very disappointedproud of whathe washe was not
In a letter to British producer Emma Thomas, the father-of-three had written: ‘How would you feel if it were your father, whom you had never known?
‘And what would he have thought about it? I do hope you can agree to at least mention that it was he who was the one and only pier- master for that terrible week.’
Miss Thomas, who is married to the film’s director Christopher Nolan, said all characters were fictionalised ‘ out of respect to the real-life heroes’, explaining: ‘Due to the constraints of making a film that addresses the events from multiple perspectives, we felt we wouldn’t be able to do justice to each individual without telling their stories in their entirety.’
Nolan told USA Today: ‘ Clouston has an incredible story we could not do justice to in the film.
‘I am hopeful it will inspire people who are interested to look into the stories of the real people who were actually there.’
Almost 340,000 Allied troops in total were evacuated from Dunkirk between May 26 and June 4, 1940, by 800 boats of all sizes.
Commander Clouston organised the evacuation from the eastern jetty for five days and nights with barely a break. He returned to Dover on June 1 before volunteer- ing to go back to Dunkirk for the final night of the evacuation. His motor launch was bombed and sank. The officer, who was 39, posthumously received a Mention in Despatches, where acts of heroism are described in official reports for high command. He left behind another son, Moray, and his wife Gwyneth, who died in 2003 aged 96. Commander Clouston was born in Montreal, Canada, but had trained at the Royal Navy College in Dartmouth and served in the Royal Navy. The film, which has received rave reviews, was released in the UK on Friday.