Dover:  Britain’s Front Line

The Second World War produced many accounts of courage and heroism under fire. Even those in civilian life played their part with enormous fortitude and sometimes with heroic effort. All of these deserve to be remembered and recognised by those of us who enjoy our freedoms because of those efforts.

 

During the Second World War the fighting came to the Home Front at a level never before experienced. Many towns and cities across the country, notably London, Coventry, Liverpool and Southampton, suffered from massive bombing raids. Dover too suffered the bombs dropped from the air but for the people of Dover there was more. Soon after the capitulation of France land based guns began to fire at the South East Coast, with Dover as their primary target. Fighter aircraft sent out to harass the convoys using the English Channel would also attack the town, strafing people on their way to work and taking shots at the barrage balloons hanging over the town.

 

Through it all Dover endured. From tunnels cut into the chalk beneath the Castle military planners oversaw the evacuation of Dunkirk and would continue to co-ordinate efforts throughout the war. In the run-up to D-Day Dover became the centre of a network of deception designed to misdirect the Germans. At the time when the war was almost won Dover became more of a target than ever.

 

By the end of the war over two hundred Dovorians had lost their lives to enemy action and ninety-nine percent of the town had suffered damage. But Dover had endured it all and kept this vital town open for business. When the enemy guns in Cape Gris Nez were taken by the Canadian 1st Army telegrams of congratulations flooded in from all over England and the Allied nations, thanking Dover for its courage and fortitude under such extreme considerations. The East London air-raid wardens, who had themselves seen the worst of the Blitz, said that, “if ever a town deserved the George Cross it was Dover".

 

The George Cross for Dover Campaign is not only about a medal. Dover has a very rich history and has been at the forefront of relations with mainland Europe for over 3,000 years. It is our desire to see that history recognised, appreciated and enjoyed by many future generations.

 

While it is obvious that the award is uppermost in our minds, there is more to this campaign than just the medal.

 

One of the great forgotten forces that persevered through bombing, shelling and hardship to keep the country a land fit for heroes was the civilian population. Men, women and children lost their lives to enemy action in the course of going about their daily lives. Through their sacrifice there were craft and munitions manufactured, food parcels prepared and the country kept fit to return to. These heroes too deserve their recognition and we feel that it is long deserved.

 

It is our desire to see a permanent memorial to the civilians of Dover who lost their lives during wartime. There already is an obvious site for this next to the remains of St. James church. These ruins already stand as a reminder of the destruction rained down upon Dover and we would like to see the grassy area behind them given over to a garden of remembrance. Such a garden would then become the perfect site to position a permanent memorial to those lost civilians who, through their sacrifice, helped to win the war against tyranny.

 

Although at wars end official estimates noted that 99% of the town had suffered damage from bombing, shelling and strafing, the history of Dover is still very much alive in our streets. As a campaign dedicated to Dover’s proud history we feel that it should be more widely acknowledged and celebrated. Every street and open space has its own story to tell and we want to see those stories told.

 

It is our intention to publish a series of visitor guides to locations in the town that tell the true stories of those sites. We hope that through these residents and visitors alike will get to know and love the town as much as we do and encourage others to visit.

 

At the same time we want to preserve the memories of Dover under fire for future generations, so that they can learn from the lessons of the past. Our futures are dependent on our past and we want to do our part in building a solid future with the proper respect for those that went before.

 

The George Cross for Dover Campaign is rightly proud of this our proud, stalwart and heroic town and believe it has an equally proud future ahead of it. We want to ensure that this future grows out of a respect for the struggle and sacrifice on which it has been built. The greatest resource Dover has is the spirit and fortitude of its people and they must never be forgotten. Dover is not just England’s front door, it is and always has been Britain’s frontline and it is the people of Dover who have always kept that trust for the whole country.
 

 

Cllr Chris Precious

Chairman

The George Cross for Dover Campaign

 

Now it is time for Dover to receive the George Cross for the people of Dover past and present and to turn St. James Church Ruin into a garden of Remembrance.