Private Tour of the Battle of Dunkirk Sites: the East Mole, the British Memorial and the Dunkirk Mus
Dunkirk, France
Trip Type: Private Sightseeing Tours
Duration: 3 hours
During 3 hour private tour, you'll discover the sites of the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo with an English/French/Dutch speaking guide. In a comfortable car or in a recent minibus, you will see the famous Dunkirk beaches, the East Mole, the impressive British Memorial and other must see sites. The tour also includes a visit of the Dunkirk 1940 Museum.
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During 3 hour private tour, you'll discover the sites of the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo with an English/French/Dutch speaking guide. In a comfortable car or in a recent minibus, you will see the famous Dunkirk beaches, the East Mole, the impressive British Memorial and other must see sites. The tour also includes a visit of the Dunkirk 1940 Museum.During this private tour, starting at 10am or 2pm, your English/French/Dutch speaking guide will show you the sites that recall the dramatic events that took place in and around Dunkirk in 1940, where the city was the theater of the biggest evacuation operation in military history. In 9 days time, 338,000 allied soldiers were evacuated from the "Pocket of Dunkirk", which was completely surrounded by the enemy. The success of "Operation Dynamo" was the German's first major setback since they invaded Poland in 1939 and it was very probably one of the decisive turning points in the history of World War II.
Depending on the size of the group, you'll board a comfortable car (up to 3 people) or a modern minibus (for 4 to 8 people) either in the morning or in the afternoon.
You start with the visit of the Dunkrik 1940 Museum, where you get a good overview of the events that led to the evacuation of the allied forces from 26th May to 4th June. The museum is located in the fortifications that served as the headquarters for the French and Allied forces during the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo.
Then, your guide will take you to the beaches, which are now very peaceful, but it is still possible to imagine the tens of thousands of young men queuing on the sand, hoping to embark one of the ships in order to escape from the "Hell of Dunkirk". At the port, from where you will have a view over the East Mole, which was used by the British to evacuate more than 200,000 allied troops, including tens of thousands of French Soldiers. You will make a stop at the impressive British Memorial. It commemorates more than 4,500 casualties of the British Expeditionary Force who died in the campaign of 1939-40 and who have no known grave. The memorial was designed by Philip Hepworth and unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 29 June 1957. The engraved glass panel, depicting the evacuation, was designed by John Hutton.Right next to the Memorial is the British Cemetery..
Then, if the tide is low, you will walk to the wreck of the Crested Eagle, which can still be accessed on Zuydcoote beach. This paddle steamer was hit by German bombs while it was preparing to leave the East Mole. It could not be controlled anymore and, with more than 600 men on board, it drifted, burning like a torch, towards the north. Eventually, it ran aground at Zuydcoote beach. 300 men died.
Meals are not included, but there are bottles of water on board the car/minibus.
Depending on the size of the group, you'll board a comfortable car (up to 3 people) or a modern minibus (for 4 to 8 people) either in the morning or in the afternoon.
You start with the visit of the Dunkrik 1940 Museum, where you get a good overview of the events that led to the evacuation of the allied forces from 26th May to 4th June. The museum is located in the fortifications that served as the headquarters for the French and Allied forces during the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo.
Then, your guide will take you to the beaches, which are now very peaceful, but it is still possible to imagine the tens of thousands of young men queuing on the sand, hoping to embark one of the ships in order to escape from the "Hell of Dunkirk". At the port, from where you will have a view over the East Mole, which was used by the British to evacuate more than 200,000 allied troops, including tens of thousands of French Soldiers. You will make a stop at the impressive British Memorial. It commemorates more than 4,500 casualties of the British Expeditionary Force who died in the campaign of 1939-40 and who have no known grave. The memorial was designed by Philip Hepworth and unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 29 June 1957. The engraved glass panel, depicting the evacuation, was designed by John Hutton.Right next to the Memorial is the British Cemetery..
Then, if the tide is low, you will walk to the wreck of the Crested Eagle, which can still be accessed on Zuydcoote beach. This paddle steamer was hit by German bombs while it was preparing to leave the East Mole. It could not be controlled anymore and, with more than 600 men on board, it drifted, burning like a torch, towards the north. Eventually, it ran aground at Zuydcoote beach. 300 men died.
Meals are not included, but there are bottles of water on board the car/minibus.
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