Motorbikes in the Dunkirk Museum 1940 Operation Dynamo

Dunkirq 1940 Operation Dynamo Museum

Cannon in front of the Dunkirk Museum 1940 Operation Dynamo

Bastion 32 and its curtain walls were built in 1874 as part of the coastal defence. They were chosen during Operation Dynamo (May to June 1940), as a command post for Admiral Abrial (commander of the French Northern Maritime Forces), and General Fagalde, responsible for the defence of Dunkirk.During the German occupation, the bastion was used as a military hospital and was partially transformed, with some parts fortified. In particular, a German casemate 515 can still be seen in the LAAC (Modern Art Museum) park behind the curtain walls.After the war, the seafront fortifications were left as they were until 1975. That year, the site was redeveloped to accommodate the expansion of the shipyards from 1975 to 1980. The curtain walls of Bastion 32 survived the demolitions and now house the Dunkirk 1940 Museum. The is managed by the Association Mémorial du Souvenir, and tells the incredible story of the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo. This is done through a rich collection of archives, maps, vehicles and other military objects.