Dunkirk spirit

Dunkirk spirit was a term for a type of siege mentality.
In 1978, K9 Mark II informed that Amelia Rumford that his power was depleted as a result of firing his photon beam at the Ogri, to which she asked "Where's that Dunkirk spirit?" (TV: The Stones of Blood)
The people inside the Reception area of St Helen's Hospital showed a touch of Dunkirk spirit when the hospital was surrounded by zombies in 2009. Hospital staff handed out refreshments to the trapped patients, while nurses went round with trays of tea and biscuits. (PROSE: Bay of the Dead)
Aboard the SS Pentallian in the 42nd century, the Tenth Doctor asked Orin Scannell "Where's your Dunkirk spirit?" when he believed that the ship had no chance of escaping the Torajii star. (TV: 42)
Category:Jargon, slang and colloquialisms