A four month delay to opening has proven well worth the wait for visitors to the county’s latest exhibition on the Dunkirk evacuation.

The new free display at Dover Museum marks the 80th anniversary of what was hailed a “miracle of deliverance” by Britain’s Second World War Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The display, prepared in readiness for the national commemorations in May, is only now open to visitors after the museum reopened its doors on Wednesday, September 16 following lockdown .

It tells how the evacuation of most of the British Expeditionary Force along with French and Belgian forces from Dunkirk was masterminded by Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay from his headquarters in the tunnels deep beneath Dover Castle.

Operation Dynamo started on May 26, 1940 and ended on June 4, 1940, with 338,226 men evacuated from the port and beaches around Dunkirk.

The display includes equipment used by the soldiers on the beach, like rifles, gas masks, tin hats and a rigid stretcher used to retrieve and treat the injured. There is a section about Dover - a front town at war, and photographs of the rescue mission and biographies of some of the hailed strategists.

New Covid-secure visiting arrangements have been developed and accredited under the Visit Britain ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry-standard.

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The number of visitors in the museum’s four galleries is restricted to ensure that everyone can enjoy their visit, while maintaining social distance recommendations.

Visitors can book a slot to visit the museum online and will be required to provide Track and Trace information and must wear face masks.

Cllr MJ Holloway, DDC’s cabinet member for tourism, said: “The new Dunkirk exhibition is a superb addition to the galleries. The curatorial team have done a fantastic job in telling the story of another chapter in Dover’s rich history as a frontline town.”

For more exhibitions and days out see What's On

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