Dover in Kent, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Ramsay: retreat and return
Photographed By Michael Herrick, September 8, 2018
1. Ramsay: retreat and return Marker
The German attack into western Europe in May 1940 led to the allied armies rapidly retreating. By late May, the British Expeditionary Force and parts of the French and Belgian armies were trapped and facing death and destruction on the French coast.
Vice-Admiral Ramsay had less than a week to plan Operation Dynamo to rescue the stranded army from Dunkirk. Officials thought that only 45,000 soldiers could be saved. Yet, under his inspired command, over 900 ships and boats of the Royal Navy Merchant Navy, allied navies and civilian volunteers (the Little Ships) evacuated over 338,000 men in just ten days, often under intense German attacks.
Operation Neptune 1944
Admiral Ramsay was allied Naval Commander-in-Chief for Operation Neptune, the naval side of Operation Overlord, the allied invasion of Europe on D-Day, 6 June 1944. His planning ensured that an enormous invasion fleet (6, 33 vessels) took troops and equipment to the landing beaches and supported them by shelling the German defences.
On the first day alone 130,000 men landed in Normandy.
What to see
The maps engraved in the pavement below show the evacuation routes for Operation Dynamo and the main routes of Operation Neptune. ( photo captions )
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this page online
- A view from a D-Day landing craft with British soldiers approaching the shore: ‘From the Landing Craft Assault: we watched the 'planes dive-bombing near Le Hamel, D-Day, 6th June l 944' by J C Heath.
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1940.
Location. 51° 7.603′ N, 1° 19.443′ E. Marker is in Dover, England, in Kent. Memorial can be reached from the intersection of Castle Hill Road and Canons Gate Road, on the left when traveling south. Located at the Hospital Battery at the cliff’s edge next to Dover Castle. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dover, England CT16 1HU, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Operation Dynamo (here, next to this marker); Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay (here, next to this marker); Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay (here, next to this marker); Fighting the Enemy in the Sky (a few steps from this marker); Command, Control and Communication (within shouting distance of this marker); Saluting Platform (within shouting distance of this marker); A View to the West
Photographed By Michael Herrick, September 8, 2018
2. Statue of Vice-Admiral Ramsay near the Marker
Also see . . .
1. Operation Dynamo on Wikipedia. (Submitted on January 13, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Normandy landings on Wikipedia. (Submitted on January 13, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
3. Invasion of Normandy on Wikipedia. (Submitted on January 13, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 116 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 13, 2019, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
