On May 10th 1940, 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.

DAY 1:
Local departure then onwards to the Rouen area for two nights.

DAY 2: Operation Jubilee (included)
We spend the day in the Dieppe area, studying ‘Operation Jubilee’ where three VC’s were to be awarded. This was the ill-fated practice for D-Day, involving the Commandos and the 2nd Canadian Division. We study the Commando aspect of the raid. 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. 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 a three night stay. 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. B B

DAY 5: Lorient and the U-Boat Pens (included)
We visit the U-Boat Pens at Lorient, seeing the vast Keroman submarine base. B

DAY 6: Normandy (included)
We travel to the Caen area in Normandy. We will look at some of the Commando/Ranger input to D-Day, 6th June 1944, visiting sights including Point 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. We stay overnight in Caen area. B

DAY 7:
To Calais, and return home.

Included Meals: B=Breakfast 

• FREE local joining points

• Travel by Silver Service luxury coach with extra legroom
• Specialist Battlefields Guide
• Battlefield visits as described
• 6 nights' accommodation with continental breakfast

Note: Entrance fees to museums & places of interest are at extra cost

You will stay for two nights at the 2-star Kyriad Rouen Nord in Mont-Saint- Aignan, or similar In St. Nazaire you stay for three nights at the 3-star Holiday Inn Express. The hotel has a lift, lounge area with bar and breakfast room and all bedrooms have T.V. and telephone. You will then stay for one night in the Caen area at a minimum 2-star hotel.