Battle of Britain and Dunkirk: Their Finest Hour

Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours is excited to announce our exclusive new Battle of Britain and Dunkirk Tour: Their Finest Hour to commemorate Battle of Britain Day.

The focus will be the critical months of the summer of 1940 when Britain stood alone against the might of Nazi Germany and dealt Adolf Hitler his first great defeat. We begin this incredible story in France, where we study the critical early battles of 1940 that culminated in the British Expeditionary Force’s epic fighting retreat from Arras to the port of Dunkirk, and miraculous evacuation.

After crossing the English Channel to Dover we visit the famous underground bunker at Dover Castle that Admiral Bertram Ramsay used as his headquarters during the Dunkirk evacuation. We then travel extensively throughout Kent and Sussex to take in key sites associated with the Battle of Britain—including the stunning Battle of Britain Memorial atop the White Cliffs of Dover. Our discussion of the aerial battles of that fateful summer continues as we make our way to Duxford for the Imperial War Museum’s internationally renowned Battle of Britain Air Show. With our VIP passes, we will enjoy an exclusive “behind the scenes” tour of Duxford including the Battle of Britain and American Air Power museums.

Afterwards, we continue to London to study the pivotal roles the British private citizens and public servants played during wartime. Along the way we visit Bentley Priory, the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain as well as the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge that served as the command center for 11 Fighter Group. Here at the battle’s peak, Winston Churchill was surveying the plotting board at 11 Group when he uttered those memorable words, “Never in the course of human events has so much been owed by so many to so few.”

We proceed to London’s city center where we have several days to explore the city from its occupation by Roman legions to modern times. Importantly, we visit the sites that tell the story of the Battle of Britain and the famous Blitz that followed. Among the many historic locations on our agenda will be St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Fire Brigade Museum, Imperial War Museum and a special tour of London’s forgotten underground stations. We conclude our tour with an exclusive dinner at the Royal Air Force Club in London.

Tour Highlights

Historians