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The Greatest Raid of All
On May 10th 1940, after a period known as the 'phoney war', German troops invaded the Low Countries and France. Just less than one month later some 380,000 British and French troops had been evacuated from the Channel ports – and Britain braced itself for an invasion.
Winston Churchill, within days, was decrying the defensive habits, and demanding that a raiding force should be formed, 'specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror'. The Commandos were formed. Later, the Americans, using the same formula would form the Rangers. The Commandos operated in every theatre of the Second World War, but the action they were perhaps best known for was 'The Greatest Raid Of All' – the raid on the vast dry docks at St. Nazaire – the only docks on the Atlantic coast capable of holding the mighty German battleship, Tirpitz, sister ship to the Bismarck.
Holiday Itinerary
7-Day Break
- Day 1 – To the Rouen area for a two-night stay.
- Day 2 – OPERATION JUBILEE (included). We spend the day in the Dieppe area, studying 'Operation Jubilee' – 19th August, 1942 – where three VC's were to be awarded. This was the 'on-off' operation agreed to by Mountbatten and the ill fated practice for D-Day, involving the Commandos and the 2nd Canadian Division. We study the Commando aspect of the raid, to silence the guns on either flank. We examine, and we also visit the various beach areas, where the Canadian troops suffered so dreadfully. Continue to the beach and seafront areas where the Allied Armour came to grief. On Green Beach we talk about the raid within a raid, where a RAF technician was used to secure German Radar Secrets. We also visit the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Dieppe where many of the fallen from the raid are buried.B
- Day 3 – We leave Rouen and travel to St. Nazaire for 3 nights.B
- Day 4 – OPERATION CHARIOT (included). We spend the day in the St. Nazaire area, studying 'Operation Chariot' – 'The Greatest Raid Of All', where five VC's were to be awarded. As well as looking at the Combined Operations aspect of the raid, it is an ideal location to talk about the Atlantic War, involving some of the surface raiders and U-Boats, both of which were to use St. Nazaire. Visiting the Dock area and bunkers in the area, we also visit the Commonwealth Graves War Cemetery where the fallen are buried, including Sgt.T F Durrant VC.B
- Day 5 – LORIENT AND THE U-BOAT PENS (included). Today we continue our study of aspects of the war in the Atlantic, by visiting the U-Boat Pens at Lorient, seeing the vast Keroman submarine base. The U-Boat offensive was to have an enormous effect on Great Britain, and her supplies from the United States. A war with many casualties, many of whom were civilian members of the Merchant NavyB
- Day 6 – NORMANDY (included). We travel to the Caen area in Normandy. On this day we will be looking at some of the Commando/Ranger input to D-Day, 6th June 1944, visiting sights including Pointe du Hoc, where the American Rangers stormed the cliffs with just 225 men to disable the big guns which could have caused havoc to the shipping off Omaha and Utah beaches. We then take a look at some of the activities of the 1st and 4th British Special Service Brigades, who were to support the landings on the British and Canadian beaches – thus enabling the Infantry and Armoured Brigades to move towards their main D-Day objectives.B
- Day 7 – To Calais, then return home.B
B=Breakfast Br=Brunch L=Lunch D=Dinner
