World War 2 Battlefield Tours – 2012 (page 4)

'... if necessary alone.'

8th – 12th September
5 Days, 4 Nights

£580.00

In a unique tribute to our countrymen who 'stood alone' in those dark days of 1940-41 we offer a special 70th anniversary tour commemorating those years. This will encompass how the nation prepared to face the Nazi invasion and endured the onslaught from the skies. Several Battle of Britain sites will be visited where the story will unfold of how 'the few' triumphed against the odds.

We will also cover the Blitz on London during the terrible months between September 1940 and May 1941, visiting several landmarks of our capital city. The tour will culminate with a tour of the Cabinet War Rooms in Whitehall from where Churchill oversaw our 'finest hour'.

Day 1 – Travel to Dover, visiting the RDF (Radar) site at Swingate en route, so vital to the air defence of these islands. After lunch at Dover we will discuss the town's role in the war. From there we travel to the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne and learn of the opening phases of the Battle of Britain. We then move onto the former RAF airfield at Hawkinge, the most forward of Fighter Command's bases, where a museum tells the story. A visit to the CWGC cemetery nearby to pay our respects completes the first full day. Hotel for two nights in Folkestone area.

Day 2 – We start by walking the beach at Dymchurch where the German 16th Army planned to land. We look at the defences in the area, including the smallest armoured train in the world, and follow the German intended line of advance to the Royal Military Canal. We walk part of this defensive 'stop line' and examine the British Defence plan, including the role of the Auxiliaries, Britain's secret resistance organisation.

Day 3 – Traversing the southern coastline, stopping at some of the beaches the Germans planned to land from their improvised invasion fleet, we will examine those plans and preparations, and those of the Royal Navy to defeat it, including their actions in attacking the German fleet in port.

Visits include Pevensey Castle, the site of a Roman fortification turned into a formidable anti-invasion obstacle and where William The Conqueror landed in 1066; and also Cuckmere Haven where the German 6th Division were to come ashore. This latter visit includes a three mile walk, over flat and easy ground. Stories will unfold of the creation and work of the Home Guard.

From here we will make our way inland to Tonbridge, the Headquarters of XII Corps tasked with repulsing an invasion. The night will be spent in the Tonbridge area.

Day 4 – Sees us visiting several sites associated with the Battle of Britain, including Biggin Hill, Kenly, the RAF Memorial at Runnymeade, and 11 Group Operations Room which now houses a splendid museum. We learn of how the nation's planning and preparation for the air war developed and why its superb organisation gave it the vital edge, and of the courage of 'The Few'.

Day 5 – Our final day will encompass a leisurely walk in central London where the story of the Blitz will be told. For eight months the capital endured a terrible ordeal resulting in 40,000 deaths, but the humour displayed will shine through individual stories, both tragic and miraculous. 'Business as usual' and 'we can take it' will reverberate throughout the day. Visits to the Battle of Britain Memorial on the Thames and the Cabinet War Rooms at Whitehall will bring the tour to its close.