Following four years of occupation, the Allies finally launched Operation “Overlord” on the shores of Normandy on June 6th 1944 to reach their ultimate goal, Berlin.
From defeat to victory, this superb inspirational 4 day WW2 tour will make a journey tracing the events during one of the most gripping periods of the 20th century. From the miracle of the Dunkirk Shield, to the Dieppe Raid and the beaches of Normandy this trip travels along Hitler's Atlantic Wall following in the footsteps of the brave.
In Dunkirk, time is made to understand more fully the Dunkirk Shield and Operation Dynamo - the evacuation from Dunkirk is one of the most celebrated military events in British history. En route visits to the remnants of the Maginot Line in Cassel are included together with the massacre sites at Le Paradis and Esquelbecq.
Locations connected with the tragic Dieppe landings of 1942 involving British, Canadian and American units are also revealed.
At Bayeux time is spent covering the British and Canadian landing and drop zones. Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches, each have their own individual reminders of epic events - the Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches, Pegasus Bridge, Cafe Gondree (the first house to be liberated), Merville Battery and many other places of interest. Respects to the locally fallen can be made at Divisional and Unit Memorials.
Exploring American involvement includes visits to Utah and "bloody" Omaha Beaches of Normandy. Nearby Colleville Cemetery contains the remains of nearly 10,000 servicemen. Stops are also made at Ste Mere Eglise, where paratrooper John Steele got caught on the church steeple and home to the Iron Mike Memorial of the US Airborne Forces.
The Allied invasion of north-west Europe was a remarkable achievement and provided the springboard from which Western Europe could finally be rid of German occupation.
This tour departs on selected dates from 04 May to 09 October 2010 and includes three nights in charming and distinctive accommodation, services of a specialist battlefield guide, breakfast daily, two evening meals and local entrance fees.
Running a variety of battlefield tours throughout the year and with an intimate and educated knowledge of all the places it visits, Back-Roads Touring Company’s unwavering small group ethos means that it really can get beyond the ordinary to explore the heart, soul and history of its carefully chosen destinations.
For more information on small group European Battlefield touring with Back-Roads Touring Co and for a brochure on a variety of themed tours throughout the UK and Europe, visit http://www.abmc.gov
