Build up to D-Day 1944

Come to the south of England and explore sites linked to the preparations for the D-Day Normandy Landings, Operation Overlord, in 1944, as well as some iconic WW2 museums. Connecting the epic story of D-Day in Normandy with the events in southern England as the vast Allied Armies assembled for victory makes this a fascinating tour. From the preparation and planning to the unique kit developed, this tour adds a new dimension to our understanding. Ben Mayne, Battlefield Guide.

Tour Includes

4 nights hotel with English breakfast
4 evening meals
Specialist Battlefield Guide
Convenient local joining points
Porterage at the hotel

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Regional departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then travel to Southampton for a four-night stay. Alternatively, you can choose to join at the hotel.

Includes Dinner

We begin by travelling down to Dorset and stopping at Tarrant Rushton Airfield to look at the story of the gliders, which took off from here and went on to land at Pegasus Bridge in Normandy.

We then continue to the Bovington Tank Museum (entrance included), for a full exploration of this site.

Later we visit Weymouth to see where Allied troops embarked for Normandy, visiting the memorial.

We end the day at the Castletown D-Day Centre (entrance included), a new museum focussing on the connections with Normandy and operations across the channel in 1944.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Tarrant Rushton Airfield Bovington Tank Museum Castletown D-Day Centre Creech Woods Marshalling Area,

We begin today outside Portsmouth at the Creech Woods Marshalling Area, seeing where the build-up for D-Day took place.

We then travel to Southwick to discuss the heart of the D-Day Command and then go to the new D-Day Experience Museum (entrance included) in Portsmouth. Here, we also see the original D-Day Landing Craft Tank, which was recently restored and installed at the museum.

We then visit the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and look at the stories of Royal Naval personnel who died on D-Day commemorated here.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

D-Day Museum, Portsmouth Portsmouth Naval Memorial Portsmouth Naval Memorial

Today we travel to the Gosport area to look at D-Day embarkations and then continue to Hayling Island where we look at pre-D-Day training and Langstone Harbour we see a remaining section of the Mulberry Harbour used in 1944.

Later, we look at the key role of 2nd Tactical Airforce on D-Day and visit the RAF Tangmere Museum (entrance included) near Chichester.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner