Our September residential trip saw us taking in the moles, menus and wrecks of Dunkirk.
OK, the start could have been better. An agency driver didn’t show up and by the time the coach got to Portsmouth it was clear that it wouldn’t make it to Dover. Back to Bursledon for a substitute coach, and a replacement driver (who turned out to superb) arranged to meet us at Dover. Upshot was no comfort break on the way and a bit less time at Dover than planned – all cope-able with and full marks for improvisation to Angela Holidays.
We did have time for a brief visit to Admiral Ramsay’s subterranean headquarters at Dover. There were a couple of excellent audio-visual presentations projected onto the walls and the experience brought home the desperate time facing the headquarters staff, working themselves to exhaustion without seeing daylight.
Ferry, check-in and dinner accounted for the rest of the day. A decent night’s sleep was needed to set us up for a busy programme on Wednesday, starting with the Dunkirk 1940 Museum – not enormous but packed to the gunwales with interesting stuff. A short walk from there took us to the East Mole from which about two thirds of the evacuated troops embarked. A break allowed us to forage for lunch, after which local guide joined us for a nominal two-hour tour (which took nearer three). This took in the French memorials at Malo-les-Bains, a little-known perspective on the East Mole from the west, and the British Memorial where we were privileged to lay a wreath and pause for a moment’s contemplation. The day was capped by a meal aboard the Princess Elizabeth, a paddler now converted to a restaurant and a Dunkirk veteran herself. Incidentally, the ship was named after our late queen.
On our final day we had to be packed and out by 9.00 (remembering we were an hour ahead of BST) to catch the low spring tide and view the wrecks of Crested Eagle and Devonia at Zuydcoote (note the Flemish influence on place names). The story of Crested Eagle is especially poignant: having taken on survivors from Fenella and Grenade she was bombed shortly after setting sail. Lt Cdr Booth managed to beach the doomed, blazing ship, thus saving about half the 600-odd people aboard.
From there it was back to the port and an uneventful journey home.
Please see our Events page for future attractions.