7-Day Break

Day 1 – Local departure then onwards 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’ 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, to silence the guns on either flank and visit the various beach areas, where 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 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. 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). 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 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, and return home.B

B=Breakfast

Accommodation
You’ll stay for two nights at the 2-star Kyriad Rouen Nord in Mont-Saint-Aignan. In St. Nazaire you stay for three nights at the recently opened 3-star Express by Holiday Inn. 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.

Extras
Optional Excursions.
Single room supplement £139.

Travel Insurance: from £39.95

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Named accommodation may be changed if necessary by the tour operator. If this is the case you will be advised of all new details at time of enquiry. All holidays and prices are subject to availability and changes.