Oh, they didn't disappoint! The White Cliffs are stunning and beautiful. The white chalk that stands so majestically above the English Channel is even more incredible in person than it is in pictures. Of course one of the reasons I was eager to stand on top of the cliffs was to look out over the Channel, and imagine the dozens of planes that flew across it in the 1940s. Those brave men who ventured across to the continent to fight the cause of freedom.
It certainly isn't lost on me that the cliffs are white--a beautiful symbol of what they represented to so many men who were searching for the homing beacon of Dover. The knowledge that once the cliffs were in view, it was only a few more minutes until they were above English soil: friendly land. How beautiful they must have looked rising through the mist as the fighters and bombers made their way home to England!
Visible from the White Cliffs, is Dover Castle. Originally one of Henry II's castles, it is more famous for its involvement in Operation Dynamo and it's role during the Battle of Britain and the subsequent battles of World War Two. But wow--plan on an entire day just at this castle! We only had a few hours, and so we chose two things to see: the Great Tower, which tells about Henry II's time there, and the Secret Wartime Tunnels that aided in Operation Dynamo.
In the Great Tower, they had recreated what it would have looked like at the time of Henry II. Our King Henry absolutely loved that--things to touch, lots of bright colors, and even his very own throne!
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| Choosing their favorite shields. |
So, the Secret Tunnels--it's an incredible 45 minute guided tour on how the tunnels were used in Operation Dynamo--a little known event to Americans. Before we entered the Second World War, the British had been fighting the Nazis alongside the French for over two years. In the Spring of 1940, the British and French soldiers were pushed all the way to the town of Dunkirk in Northern France as the Nazi's took control of the country. Dunkirk is a coastal town along the English Channel. In other words, the British and French had been pushed completely out of France. Now, they were facing complete annihilation. Unless they could escape across the channel.
The "miracle at Dunkirk" is an event cemented into hearts and minds of the British. In an incredibly organized evacuation, 338,226 soldiers were rescued from France. For days and nights, the troops were loaded onto ships and transported back across the Channel home. But the amazing thing, was besides the 39 British destroyers and other warships, the famous "little ships of Dunkirk" were also involved. Merchant boats, fishing boats, pleasure craft, and even lifeboats were volunteered by locals to help rescue their soldiers. Think about that: a fishing boat against the might of the German artillery along the coast of France. But they did it!
Many of the men who were withdrawn felt like failures, as if they had gone to France and returned as cowards forced to surrender. But their friends and families didn't see it that way. No, they looked at their soldiers and said: "You never gave up. You fought till the very last minute, to the very edge of the shore, and still you are here in uniform, ready to cross the waters again to defeat the evil of Nazism." Now, the British identify with the "Spirit of Dunkirk," reminding themselves that no matter the odds, the British never give up. They never give in, and they always keep fighting.
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| No photography inside---but this is the outside of the tunnels! |
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| One tired Henry. |
By the time we reached the Tunnels, poor little Henry was exhausted. We were inside about 5 minutes before he leaned back in his buggy and fell fast asleep. And, believe it or not, he slept the entire hour we were down there. Through the noise, the flashes of lights, everything. Even at the end, when the sounds of battle were recreated, he stayed fast asleep. What a champ!
Our day in Dover was wonderful. I only wish we could have spent three or four days instead of just one!
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