1940 - 2015
Operation
Dynamo
75 years on
Dunkirk France
2015 commemorations
“Little Ships” return to Dunkirk
2015 marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle
of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo. To
commemorate the event, the Association of
Dunkirk Little ships announced the return of
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more than 50 boats, from 21th to 25 May.
They will be escorted by the RNLI and the Royal
Navy.
Event programme
The Dunkirk spirit
May 1940: The North of France is swept up in the
frightening upheaval of war. The German army’s
lightning advance towards the English Channel has
entrapped the French and British troops like fish in
a net. Their only chance of salvation now lies in the
sea: all eyes are on Dunkirk.
Envisioned on 19 May and carried out from 26 May
to 4 June, Operation Dynamo led to the evacuation
of the British Expeditionary Force and thousands of
northern French soldiers. It was the largest
evacuation effort in military history, and an
unimaginable success at the heart of a humiliating
defeat, a “miracle” that allowed 338,226 allied
soldiers (including 123,095 French and 16,816
Belgian soldiers) to escape the hell of Dunkirk and
reach Great Britain, the nation that had become
the spearhead of the fight against the Nazis.
Thursday 21th May: Arrival of the Little Ships at
the end of the afternoon (weather permitting).
The little ships will be welcomed on the quay by
the period vehicles of the War & Peace display
team.
Friday 22th May 3:30pm: Commemorative
ceremony at the British cemetery and memorial
(route de Furnes)
Saturday 23th May 11:00 am
Commemorative ceremony at the Allied
memorial on the beach (time to be confirmed)
Saturday 23th May 3:00 pm (start time
subject to modification)
Parade in the streets of Dunkirk
(marching bands, period military vehicles
and cars...).
Sunday 24th May 10:00 am
Ceremony on Zuydcoote beach to honour the
victims of the Crested Eagle, a paddle steamer
sunk in 1940. The wreck can still be seen at low
tide.
Sunday 25th May at around 2:30pm
Military vehicles on the promenade of
Dunkerque Malo les Bains.
tourism
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DUNKERQUE TOURISM – 4 PLACE CHARLES VALENTIN 59140 DUNKERQUE FRANCE – [email protected] – www.ot-dunkerque.fr
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Battle of Dunkirk museum
Settled in the Bastion 32 bunkers, this museum
tells the incredible story of Operation Dynamo
and the evacuation of 338 000 allied soldiers.
The Memorial houses a rich collection of
weapons, uniforms, models, photos and maps
of military operations.
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Open from 1 April to 30 September
More info on www.dynamo-dunkerque.com
Shipwrecks on the beaches
At low tide, the remains of a few ships can still
be seen on the beaches between Zudcoote and
Bray Dunes. They stil bear witness to the
brutality of the battles. Among them are those
of two paddlewheel steamboats: the Devonia,
which sank on 30 May 1940 after being hit by a
German bomb, and the Crested Eagle, bombed
on 29 May as it was transporting 200 men. Most
of the troops on board were killed in the fire, the
others were gunned down by the Germans as
they tried to reach the shore.
DUNKIRK 1940 – 2015
SHORT BREAK OFFER
The Dunkirk Tourist Board offers a
special week-end package including:
1 night at the Borel Hotel****,
breakfast included.
Tickets to the Memorial du Souvenir
(Dunkirk war museum), to the Fort
des Dunes and to the temporary
exhibition at the Port Museum.
Price per person: from € 69*
* based on a shared double room.
tourist tax not included
subject to availability. This offer is valid from 2nd
June to 20th September 2015
Information and bookings:
www.ot-dunkerque.fr/en
Exhibitions
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From 22th to 24 May, from 10am to 6pm, the
Dunkirk Divers Association presents an
exhibition on the shipwrecks of Operation
Dynamo, on board the Princess Elizabeth. An
exceptional opportunity to go on board this
historic paddle steamer which is normally closed
to the public. Acces is free.
Four years, eleven months, five days: 4th June
1940 / 9th May 1945
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PORT MUSEUM – FROM 8 MAY to 15 NOV
Four years, eleven months, five days… that’s the
exact duration of the German occupation of
Dunkirk. The inhabitants found themselves
trapped, surrounded and eventually under house
arrest in their own town.
The exhibition focuses on the fate of the
civilians, on traces of the events that still show in
the urban landscape, and on what we do with
that particular history today, in sculpture,
photography and music.
www.museeportuaire.fr
The Fort des Dunes
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This 19 Century fort was bombed by the
Germans during the battle of Dunkirk. Inside the
fort, an exhibition tells the story of the events of
1940. Take the audiotour around the impressive
building and explore the history of the fort.
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Open from 2 June – 19 september 2015
Built in Britain in 1926-1927, this paddle steamer
was converted into a minesweeper at the outset
of World War II. She took part in Operation
Dynamo. Princess Elizabeth made four trips
from Dover to Dunkerque to rescue 1673 men in
total, among which were 500 French soldiers.
tourism
DUNKERQUE TOURISM – 4 PLACE CHARLES VALENTIN 59140 DUNKERQUE FRANCE – [email protected] – www.ot-dunkerque.fr