General Petraeus tours Dover war tunnels

General David Petraeus has toured tunnels in Kent which were used as the nerve centre for the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II.

The US four-star general and designate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was in Dover to visit Brigadier Simon Wolsey.

Brig Wolsey is commander of the British Army's 2 (South East) Brigade.

The former Pentagon colleagues visited tunnels under Dover Castle which were used during the WWII evacuation.

The labyrinth was used to organise Operation Dynamo - the rescue of more than 380,000 British and French troops trapped on the beaches of northern France in 1940.

'Quality time'

Brig Wolsey took over responsibility for the military in Kent, Surrey and Sussex in June 2010 but worked at the Pentagon from 2006 to 2008.

Gen Petraeus acted as the US commander in both Afghanistan and Iraq and was nominated to head the CIA by President Barack Obama in April.

"The commander is a former chief of plans for us in Iraq during the latter part of the surge and was then the chief of plans at US Central Command and I was privileged to command there as well," said Gen Petraeus.

"We have had a lot of quality time together, so it is really great to see him again and of course to see this fantastic castle."

The general is expected to take over at the CIA in September.