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Dover in the Second World War (Paperback)
Loot Price: R455
Discovery Miles 4 550
You Save: R30
(6%)
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Dover in the Second World War (Paperback)
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List price R485
Loot Price R455
Discovery Miles 4 550
You Save R30 (6%)
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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This book tells in detail what it was like to live in an English
town constantly under siege from enemy guns in the Second World
War. Many towns in Britain suffered from enemy action during the
1939-45 war but none endured the almost daily explosions of shells
fired from huge German guns on the French coast, some 21 miles
away. Not only that for there were regular bombing raids while
Luftwaffe pilots machine gunned people in the streets. Many of
those who lived in Dover during the bombing and shelling are no
longer with us but the authors have captured the memories of more
than a score of survivors, some of whom have since died. This fully
illustrated book reveals how the military authorities planned to
demolish homes on the seafront to provide clear lines of fire to
cut down any invaders coming ashore at the port. And how a scheme
was developed to evacuate thousands from the depleted population in
trainloads of 800 at a time. Those who remained were to be herded
into deep shelters in the cliffs and chalk hills so that the
defending troops in the ancient Dover Castle and the Napoleonic
fortifications on the Western Heights could pour firepower down
into the centre of the town. In early 1939 the busy ferry port of
Dover had a population of more than 40,000 but with the enemy 21
miles away preparing to invade, the population dwindled in 1940 to
an estimated 16,500 and the borough council feared widespread
bankruptcy. But while there was an outflow of civilians from the
town, hundreds of Royal Navy personnel and soldiers arrived in
Dover to hit back at the enemy whose fortifications, on a clear
day, could be seen on the cliffs of Calais. Gradually, with the
threat of invasion reducing, there was a drift back of many of
those who had evacuated the town but, once again, there was a rush
to depart in September 1944 when German gunners fi red relentlessly
on Dover in an effort to use up all their shells before the
Canadians fought their way into their heavily fortified gun
emplacements on the cliffs of Pas-de-Calais.
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