World War 2 Battlefield Tours – 2010

The tour list gives the full index of all of our battlefield tours, pilgrimage tours and war graves tours for both World War I, World War II and other notable battles and conflicts. Expanded details of all battlefield tours are also available in our brochure, contact us for a copy.

World War 2: The Dyle Line to Dunkirk

The story of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), 1940.

29th May – 2nd June

5 Days, 4 Nights

£550.00

Day 1 – We travel to the Brussels area for our first nights stay.

Day 2 – Travel to the River Dyle and along the British Expeditionary Force's sector, covering actions of the divisions including army's first Victoria Cross of WW2. Drive to the Escaut Canal line, and then along the BEF's sector of it. We will cover the retreat to that line and the action on it; then travel to the Gort Line and deal with that retreat and fighting. We will overnight in the Ypres area

Day 3 – Travelling to Arras, we cover the counter attack there, then to La Basse Canal to
discus the actions there and then onto Le Paradis to cover the massacre. We will drive up the corridor to Cassel and cover the actions of the strong points, then to Esquelbecq
and the site of the massacre, traveling then to Calais to cover the fighting there.
Overnight Ypres area with attendance at the Last Post Ceremony.

Day 4 – We drive to the Dunkirk Perimeter and around it covering the various actions. We
travel down the beach to Bray Dunes and give stand on Op Dynamo. Then Dunkirk
and East Mole, ending the day with a visit Dunkirk CWGC Cemetery for a Service of
Remembrance

Day 5 – On our final day we will travel back to Dover, visiting Dover Castle and the Control Centre for the operation.

World War 2 – The Cockleshell Heroes

Operation Frankton
8th – 12th April

5 Days, 4 Nights

£650.00

In 1942 'Operation Frankton' was put into effect, when a group of Royal Marine Commandos were set the task of canoeing some seventy miles up the river Gironde and, by placing limpet mines on the ships in Bordeaux harbour, destroying as many ships as possible, before making their way overland to Spain. Of the twelve men who set off in the canoes on the raid only two managed to complete the mission and safely return to England, the rest either being captured and executed or drowned.

On this tour we cover the story, visiting the area where they were dropped by the submarine HMS Tuna, and follow the route taken by Major Hasler and Marine Sparks, the site of their action and their escape route. We also see the poignant memorials to those who were caught and executed and visit the excellent French Resistance museum in Bordeaux.

This tour flies to Bordeaux where it is met by our local guide and transport. The air flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Avaition Authority, as we act as agent for licenced tour operators: Complete World Travel, ATOL 5457.

World War 2 – Famous Raids Tour

Dieppe, Bruneval, Amiens Prison, with a visit to La Coupole V2 Rocket Site
15th – 19th April

5 Days, 4 Nights

£550.00

The first full day of this tour is spent visiting the scene of the abortive and costly Canadian Raid on Dieppe on the 19th August 1942. We shall inspect the Red and White Beaches in front of the town and then visit the sites of the German Batteries above it. We then go on to view the beaches at Berneval and Quiberville where British Commandos covered the flanks of the main attack. It will also be possible to make Special Visits to the cemeteries in the area.

We will then make the short drive to St. Valery-en-Caux where the 51st Highland Division was forced to surrender to General Rommel on the 12th June 1940. Bad weather combined with German airpower prevented the Royal Navy coming to the rescue of the Division. We continue on to the scene of the famous Bruneval Raid at the secret Radar Station.

The next day we cover the epic attack on Amiens Prison (Operation Jericho), led by Wing Commander Pickard, to release the resistance workers incarcerated there. We will see the bomb damage to the walls, Pickard's crash site and last resting place, and follow the story of the escapees through the Somme Region.

Before our afternoon ferry on the final day we will visit the V2 Rocket site at La Coupole at St. Omer.

World War 2 – Normandy Beaches

Operation Overlord 66th Anniversary Tour
4th – 8th June

5 Days, 4 Nights

£550.00

The first day of this tour is spent travelling to our hotel in Normandy. The next day covers the American involvement, visiting, Utah and ‘Bloody’ Omaha Beaches, Ste. Mere Eglise (with its famous Church on which US Paratrooper John Steele landed), Pont Du Hoc (where Col. James Rudder and his Rangers scaled the sheer cliffs), and visit the very poignant American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.

We spend a day covering the British and Commonwealth landing and dropping zones, visiting, Arromanches, Gold, Juno, Sword, Beaches, following the advance inland. We also visit Bayeux Cemetery and Museum, Pegasus Bridge, Café Gondree (first house liberated) and Ranville. On the 6th June we attend the Airborne Service of remembrance at Ranville Cemetery.

First time back since D Day. Tour guides very good. Dick's remarkable knowledge of local battles and tactics a feature.
R. S. Richards

The following day we depart for a tour of the southern Normandy Battlefields, visiting Vimoutieres, the Falaise Pocket, Hill 112 and Merville Battery. On route back to our ferry at Calais, we cover the action of the Engineers at Troarn Bridge.

The tour offers opportunities for Special Visits to any cemetery in the Normandy area.

World War 2 – St Nazaire Combined Operations Raid

And Normandy Beaches visit – 'The greatest raid of all' – a popular tour, once again led by Peter Lush from The St. Nazaire Society
23rd – 27th July

5 Days, 4 Nights

£550.00

On our first day we travel from the UK to our Hotel in Rouen. The next day sees us en route to St Nazaire and the scene of one of the most daring Combined Operations Raids in history – here a small, lightly armed force took on the might of the German coastal defences and succeeded in ramming HMS Campbeltown, loaded with explosives, into the Normandy Dry Dock gates whilst the Commandos stormed ashore and destroyed the pumping stations and winding gear, rendering the dock inoperable for the rest of the War.

We will visit the submarine pens and take a guided tour around a submarine. We'll visit the Eco Museum and walk the ground covered by these brave men, with a detailed description of each part of the raid and its objectives. We'll visit several cemeteries in the area containing graves of the men who did not return – including graves of those lost in the sinking of the HM Troopship Lancastria in 1940.

We return via Normandy for a day visiting the British and Canadian landing beaches of Gold, Juno, Sword and Arromanches, and other places of interest. One night will be spent in Rouen, two in St Nazaire and one in Normandy.

Special Visits are possible in Normandy, Rennes and St. Nazaire areas.