Dorchester Takes Centre Stage in World’s Largest WW2 Tank Event
Thursday, May 17th, 2012This summer is shaping up to be a truly exceptional one for Dorchester events. As well as the Olympic torch passing through the town and the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, we will be treated to the rare and tremendously exciting spectacle of dozens of original Second World War tanks and vehicles on our streets, in a unique historical recreation called Armour & Embarkation 2012.
Armour & Embarkation 2012 – The Essential Info
The event will take place over 3 days from 22-24th June. On display will be up to twenty tanks and over fifty original vehicles from the war, with all drivers and crew dressed in authentic WWII uniforms.
Friday 22nd will be Education Day. This has organised with local schools to give pupils the chance to see firsthand vehicles from the war, and learn about how they were used. WW2 historians and the some of the vehicles’ owners themselves we be on hand to answer questions and offer insights into these incredible machines. Event time–11:00–14:00.
Saturday 23rd will be the main Armour & Embarkation day, with the convoy of vehicles heading from Maiden Newton into Dorchester via Martinstown. You will have a chance to see the whole convoy together parked up in Charles Street in the afternoon, and can join a ceremony laying wreaths at the Cenotaph in South Street at 4pm. After 5pm, the convoy will set off on its route around the centre of Dorchester, with up to 10,000 spectators expected to line the streets to witness the spectacle.
On Sunday 24th the convoy will head down to Weymouth for 9am to join the annual Veterans Day Parade along the seafront, before returning to Maiden Newton at the end of the day.
Why Is It Significant?
This event will see the largest collection of WWII tanks together in Dorset since the end of the war. The chance to not only see but also hear these amazing machines in action is incredibly rare, and has an added significance here in Dorchester as it will recreate the convoy which drove into our town almost 70 years ago in the build-up to the D-Day landings.
What Can You Do To Help?
This is a major event attracting thousands of visitors to Dorchester, and will be covered by the likes of The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and the Daily Express. The organisers are asking for sponsorship from local businesses to help with the cost of putting on the event, and have a number of suggested packages available for sponsors, depending on how much they wish to give. For more information on sponsorship click here.
Update 29/06/12
To see photos and videos of the tanks and military vehicles take a look at our dorchester tank event review blog.
