After retiring I decided to develop my interest in military history. I now lecture on the Battle of Britain most weeks, to a variety of audiences, and have recently started delivering talks on both Operation Jubilee (the Dieppe Raid), and Operation Chastise (Dambusters' Raid). The talks last for around 40 minutes and I'm always happy to take questions.
Although the Dieppe raid, Operation Jubilee, has been acknowledged by most as a disaster, it is a fantastic story of bravery in a desperate situation. This will be a talk of around 40 minutes, with time then available for Q and A. The talk will cover:
- The situation in 1942, leading up to Operation Jubilee
- The objectives - political, operational and intelligence
- Combined Operations
- The resources committed - Navy, Airforce and Army
- The defences
- What happened - the lead up, the channel crossing, the landings and the withdrawal
- The failures and any successes
- The supreme acts of bravery
- The lessons learned for D Day
The talks are designed to be fascinating, gripping and emotional, with enough analysis, detail and pace to engage the audience completely. A number of relevant anecdotes bring the stories to life and the audience is left in no doubt as to the bravery and supreme effort made by those involved.
All donations will go to the Blind Veterans Charity.