leger holidays battlefield bulletin

Today, there are still visible remindersof the fighting. Many Leger travellerswill have visited the huge LochnagarCrater, a few hundred metres south ofthe village, the result of 60,000 lbs ofexplosive blown at 0728 hrs on the

morning of 1 July 1916. The sharpereyed amongst you will have spottedthe chalky outlines of the formertrenches snaking their way across thenow peaceful fields. As your coachmade its way towards the crater many

will have had their attention drawn toan area of rough ground on the south-eastern edge of La Boisselle. This 2-hectare piece of privately owned landis known as the Glory Hole. Stillscarred by mine craters, it is now thesubject of a long term, in-deptharchaeological, historical,technological and genealogical studyby the La Boisselle Study Group.

As a result of a personal plea for helpby the French landowners, historianPeter Barton brought together aninternational group of specialists toform the La Boisselle Study Group. Ibecame one of the founder members,and in 2011 between Leger battlefieldtours, I worked with the landownersand project members clearing manyyears of tree and vegetation growth.The Group has its own team ofdedicated archaeologists led byAnthony Byledbal of the University ofArtois. The ground clearance exposedmore mine craters, shell holes andvestiges of trenches. Stormy weatherhad also caused a small collapse on the

land which revealed a tunnel (Xincline) leading to a chamber offwhich a further incline (W Adit) led

up towards the surface. In thechamber was a 50-foot deep shaft, thatconnects the 30-foot level with themain fighting tunnels at a depth of 80feet. The entire Glory Hole sector hasan estimated 5 miles of tunnelsbeneath it. The allied tunnels descendto 100 feet and consist of three mainlevels. Facing them was a slightlydeeper German system; together they

1Choose from more than 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest

The village of La Boisselle sits on the front lines that ranacross the Picardy countryside prior to the 1916 Battle of

the Somme. When the British took over the sector from theFrench in the summer of 1915 the ground had already beenheavily fought over. By July 1916 the ruined village wasfortified and in German hands, enclosed by a maze of trenchesand divided from the British lines by a belt of mine craters,evidence of a separate war that took place below the ground.

there are still atleast 38 French andBritish soldiers buried in the deep tunnels

Archaeologists for the first time in almost 100 years have exposed the original tunnel floor

SECRET UNDERGROUNDWAR SITE REVEALED!By Iain McHenry - Leger Battlefields Guide

Battlefields BulletinMARCH 2012 PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR NO. 12

EXCLUSIVEA unique opportunity to accompany archaeologists and historians unearthing the ‘lostlabyrinth’ – the maze of tunnels which played a huge role in the Battle of the Somme.

a two part DVDabout the Somme

BattlefieldsWe are offering the chance forone lucky person to win a twopart DVD about the Battlefields

of the Somme courtesy of Penand Sword Military Books.

Both DVDs contain a visual tourof each of the key areas in thenorthern and southern sectors ofthe Somme battlefield, togetherwith maps, archive film andcontemporary stills. Key attacksare introduced and narrated andguidance is given on how to visitthe battlefields today. Includesinteractive, then and now,panoramic views from certainkey points of the battlefield and

a contemporary map of the wholefront which has not been seenbefore.

Simply Visitwww.battlefields-of-europe.co.uk, and fill in your details toentre our free prizedraw. Closing date 30th April 2012.Terms and conditions apply.

WIN

In this issue...Access All Areas –Take this exclusive opportunityand visit the re-opened tunnelsat La Boisselle.

See page 5

Discover more on foot –Take a Battlefields WalkingTour with our SpecialistBattlefield Guide.

See page 11

plus...An Island’s Bravery –Discover how Maltaplayed a pivotal role inWorld War II. See page 22

continued on page 2...

1 to 4 Intro.qxt:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:21

Choose from more than 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest2

MARCH 2012 PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR NO. 12

� Secrets of the Underground War revealed from page 1

formed a secret undergroundbattlefield in which men fought untilthe beginning of the Battle of theSomme in 1916. Archival andgenealogical research in the UK andFrance has shown that there are still atleast 38 French and British soldiersburied in the deep tunnels, victims ofthe underground war. Researchcontinues in Munich and Stuttgart toreveal the German side of the storyand will lead to the identification andlocation of missing German miners.These men were lost beyond recovery,entombed in the galleries byunderground explosions. It is apurpose of theproject to ensurethat they remainundisturbed inperpetuity andthat their restingplaces arepermanentlymarked on thesurface above.

With a contractandarchaeologicalpermission inplace, and with continuing archivalresearch in the UK and Germany,October 2011 saw the first week ofexcavations at the site. The teamfocused on the entrance to X incline, asmall section of Quémart Trench, andlocating the head of W Adit. It was a

week that eventually saw the head ofW Adit open for the first time in over90 years. The entrance and tunnel wasmade safe, the site interpreted andsigned, and an Open Day held for thelocal people. Many hundreds visitedthe site, astonished to see what liesbeneath their feet. With the support ofthe landowners, from the very outsetof the project the LBSG has had publicaccess at the core of its philosophy. Ifwe are working, the site is alwaysopen. The project’s profile is thereforealready of the highest order, and ourwork continues to draw intense mediainterest. You may have seen coverage

on BBC Newsand innewspapers andmagazines. Inaddition PeterBarton washistoricalconsultant for therecent BBCadaptation ofBirdsong, and theLBSG hosted avisit to the GloryHole and tunnelsby actors Eddie

Redmayne and Joseph Mawle toexperience a special understanding ofthe roles they were to play.

Further engineering and archaeologicalwork has concentrated on clearing W Adit and exposing the original floor

of the incline which has revealed theoriginal tramway running from surfaceto shaft. Work continues, and PeterBarton and Mike Fox have beencommissioned by the BBC to producea documentary on the undergroundwar, utilising the site at La Boisselle.In order to launch the project in timefor the 2014commemorativeperiod, the LBSGhave so far fundedthe project fromtheir own pocketsand throughdonations byfriends andindividuals. This can no longercontinue, and a dedicated fundraisingcampaign is now underway with manylarge companies, including LegerHolidays, coming on board assponsors. The money raised will allowus to continue the archaeology andexploration, and eventually achievethe key long-term aim of preservingthe site in perpetuity and erectingmemorials commemorating the manymen still buried beneath.

Leger Holidays rose to the challengeand kindly agreed to sponsor theproject. In return we are puttingtogether a specialist tour on thehistory of the underground war in theYpres Salient and Somme to run inSeptember 2012. The Somme day willinclude a special visit to the GloryHole and offer a chance for all onboard to visit the ongoingarchaeological work. The La Boisselle

Study Group will be present on site toguide people both on the surface andunderground, and to answer questionsregarding the project and theunderground war. An exhibition ofmaps, tunnel plans, photographs andartefacts recovered so far will alsoform part of this special visit designed

exclusively forLeger travellers.Given thetremendousinternationalinterest that thecentenary of theGreat War isalready

generating in the media, and theunique nature of the project, theGlory Hole will form one of the primefocal points for education,commemoration and memorialisationthroughout the 2014 – 2019 period.The British tunnelling campaignremained an official secret until 1962and second to the espionage warremained the most secret type ofwarfare employed against the enemy.Join us on this special tour to exploreand learn about this secret troglodyte war.

For more information about the LaBoisselle Study Group and to keep upto date with the project, please visitthe website:www.laboisselleproject.com

� Turn to page 5 for fulldetails on our UndergroundWar tour.

20% OFF MILITARY BOOKS!Pen & Sword Books are one of the UK’s leading military history publishers.

Pen & Sword specialise in all areas of military history, naval, maritime,aviation, local history, family history, transport, discovery and exploration,collectables and antiques, nostalgia, true crime and DVDs.

They offer over 3,000 titles in stock that can be accessed and purchased viaour website at: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk, by telephone:01226 734222 and by post: 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S702AS. Leger customers are eligible to receive 20% OFF allorders if they quote ‘leger’ when ordering.

The British tunnellingcampaign remained anofficial secret until 1962 andsecond to the espionage warremained the most secrettype of warfare employedagainst the enemy

Leger Holidays roseto the challenge and kindlyagreed to sponsor theproject

The Glory Hole with British trenches (red), German trenches (dark green)and tunnels at depths of between 12m and 30m.

By 1939 much of Maginot’s ambitiousplan had not been realised andhundreds of miles of border were notuniformly protected; in essence someareas were better protected thanothers. When the line was attacked inMay 1940 the original defensivepositions at places like Villy la Ferteand Fermont proved impregnable butthe ‘frontier line’ with only a fewbunkers, barbed wire and minefieldscould not resist the German Blitzkrieg.

Our new tour takes us to several ofthe most impressive Maginot Linebunker systems, giving us a chance tosee how big and impressive the realMaginot Line was and the differenttypes of defences that were put inplace. Our journey takes us to small

scale Ouvrages like Villy la Fertewhere we see how the garrison heldout, the German attempts at

destruction still visible on the bunkersand turrets, and get a glimpse into thewider defences as this is still an areawhere the anti-tank rails and barbedwire is visible. At Fermont we go deepunderground and ride on an old

WHY DID THEMAGINOT LINE FAIL?

The Maginot Line was a huge system ofdefensive bunkers built along the Frenchborder in the 1930s to protect it from

another German invasion.

our new tour takesus to several of the mostimpressive Maginot Linebunker systems

With the loss of so many young men in WW1 Francerealised that by the late 1930s it would struggle to resist a

German attack and Minister of War Andre Maginot became thearchitect of a policy of protection; the Maginot Line with thelatest technology and weapons would act like a steel andconcrete wall against attack.


MARCH 2012 PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR NO. 12

Elaine Calvert and herhusband, Mick, chose Leger’sfive-day All Quiet on theWestern Front Battlefields tourbecause of their shared interestin WW1. This was theirsecond tour with Leger, theirfirst being Operation MarketGarden.On the journey to our hotel ourBattlefields Guide, Marc introducedhimself and the drivers (both namedAlan) and gave us information andvery informative print outs of theplaces we would be visiting. Our hotelwas The Ambassador Best WesternHotel in Menen, and was clean, verycomfortable and the buffet breakfastwould suit every taste.

A GREAT STARTWe started our tour on the YpresSalient, which showed us where the

Western Front was held throughoutthe War. Our day ended in Ypreswhere, every evening at 8pm, the LastPost is sounded by buglers at theMenin Gate. All the names of soldierswho have no known resting place arerecorded here. On the second day we visited Arras,where we were invited to explore theunderground tunnels which had beenbuilt by New Zealand tunnellers. Towalk through these tunnels that werebuilt over 90 years ago was likeentering another world, which ofcourse, it was for the men who hadlived down there all those years ago.We also visited Vimy Ridge, thehighest point on the Western Frontand it was here that so many youngmen lost their lives.

On day 3 we visited the Somme andwalked in the footsteps of a lostgeneration, which is still talked abouttoday. Along the route can be seenunexploded shells which are being

found by local farmers when theirfields are ploughed. We also visitedthe Irish Peace Tower and the MineCrater at La Boiselle. This is thebiggest crater on the Western Frontand when it was detonated it was saidto be heard in London.

HELPING HANDSMarc and the two Alans were alwayshelpful and for a few of our fellowpassengers who wanted to makeprivate visits, Marc helped them tolocate their loved ones before standingback and leaving them alone for quietremembrance.

During our tour we visited manyCommonwealth cemeteries created forthe fallen of WW1, all of them arefilled with English flowers and, thanksto the War Graves Commission, arekept immaculately as lastingmonuments to the fallen. There weremany other places we visited, toonumerous to mention here, but

nevertheless places that we shall never forget.

Our thanks go to Marc who gave usso much of his knowledge and time toenable us to walk in the footsteps ofhistory. We would highly recommendthis Leger tour to anyone interested inWW1. Next time we’re hoping to jointhe Leger tour The Dunkirk Landings.Mave Turner, London.

� Turn to page 6 for our All Quiet on the Western Front tour

ALL QUIET ON THEWESTERN FRONT

by Elaine Calvert

Elaine & Mick Calvert, Leicester

Choose from more than 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest 3

ammunition train, and at Immerhofand Hackenberg we see the power and size of the bunkers.

We also explore other aspects of the1940 campaign on the tour Belgiumwas invaded in 1940 as it had been in1914 and a new series of forts hadbeen placed on the border, the most

famous of which was Eben Emaelwhere German paratroop forceslanded on the roof with gliders. Thevisits in Belgium give us a chance tocompare the approach to defence withFrance and ask what might have been if a proper Maginot Line hadexisted here.

We also do not forget the BritishArmy; British units served in EasternFrance in 1939/40 and on one partof the Maginot Line. We visit the siteof the first ever British soldier killedin WW2 at Luttange and look attheir forgotten involvement in thestory.

This new tour is one of the mostfascinating and vivid we have broughtto the battlefield programme in sometime; we go underground, we explorethe Maginot Line forts, bunkers andturrets and get a real insight into whatone of the iconic subjects of theSecond World War was all about – and what it meant for France.

� Turn to page 13 for fulldetails on our Maginot Linetour.

Leger’s link to theHistory Channel Look out for our TV adverts onwhat will be the 5th year of LegerBattlefields Tours sponsoring theHistory and Military HistoryChannel.Learn more about our tours anddiscover for yourself how ourSpecialist Battlefield Guides explainthe conflicts from WWI and WWIIon our Podcasts created by theHistory Channel. View them forfree on www.visitbattlefields.co.uk.

A great way to learn about our Battlefields tours is to hearfrom other travellers’ experiences. Discover for yourself whatmade their tour a moving and memorable event...talesTravellers’

Villy la Ferte 1940


Choose from more than 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest4

JANUARY 2012 PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR NO. 11

Our SILVER SERVICE deluxecoaches prove to be moreand more popular each year,

making your tour even morecomfortable.

Your SILVER SERVICE journey starts fromthe moment you meet your tour coachat the port. Then, as you travel onwards,it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy theadded comfort and extras you get bychoosing SILVER SERVICE. Watch yourjourney’s progress on the onboardsatellite navigation system, listen to aCD, enjoy time to relax and talk tofellow travellers in the rear lounge andenjoy the added comfort you get withSILVER SERVICE, only by Leger Holidays.

Taking care of you all the wayWhen you reach your destination, youcan rest assured that your luggage willbe taken care of with porterageincluded† on all our SILVER SERVICE

tours, making your SILVER SERVICE

experience even better value for money.

On most of our tours you can upgrade to SILVER SERVICE

luxury coach travel, for comfort and style across Europe.“The coach was verycomfortable and the SilverService certainly lived upto our expectations, withthe extra leg room and therelaxing lounge area at therear of the coach.”

Geoff & Jenny Warren,Lancashire.

“I have always travelled onSilver Service with Leger –everything is catered for:drinks, books, games,magazines, music andDVDs, and on the longjourneys the lounge isreally useful for socialisingwith other passengers. Theextra legroom also makesthe journey morecomfortable and relaxing.”

Reenee Tan, Bristol.

I have always travelled onSilver Service with Leger– everything is catered for.

Reenee Tan, Bristol.

It’s got to beSILVER SERVICEfor extra legroom and luxuryacross Europe

Silver Service in Europe

Find outwhy 7 out of10 customerschoose SilverService...More than simply yourmethod of transport, ourSILVER SERVICE departuresoffer a coach with addedcomfort and facilities, plusextra benefits such asporterage in your hotels and extra includedexcursions on selected tours.For added comfort

� Sit back and relax inspecially-designed, deluxereclining seats, with leatherheadrests, footrests and morelegroom than standardcoaches*.

� Enjoy the perfect temperatureonboard with climate control.

� Relax and have a chat in thespacious rear lounge.

For added enjoyment

� Time flies with our onboardentertainment system.With free personalheadphones you can tuneinto the music channel, listento the radio or watchDVDs**. Or why not followyour journey’s progress withour satellite navigationdisplay.

� Extra leisure – with a choiceof reading material, cards,board games etc.

For added convenience

� Washroom and servery onboard offering a range ofrefreshments.

� Personal flip-down tables*.

� Your own, reserved seat – you can even guarantee frontor second row seats for asmall supplement.

� Porterage† in all hotels, soyou really don’t have to lift a finger.

PLEASE NOTE: On Silver Service tours, for operational reasons, your feeder coach journey may be by Executive coach (to and from the Channel port) whereyou will meet your Silver Service tour coach. * Front-row seats and seats directly in front of the washroom have slightly less legroom and may not havefootrests or flip down tables – these tables may be fixed. **DVDs may be shown, dependent on journey length and are played at the discretion of your coachcrew. †Porterage at hotels is for one piece of luggage per person (max. 20 kilos).

Chat to your friends in the comfortable rear lounge


In 2011 the La Boisselle Groupbegan work on a system of Britishtunnels under the Somme battlefields;Leger Battlefields Guide Iain McHenryhas been heavily involved in thisproject and we are pleased tointroduce a new tour focusing on thewar beneath the Western Front andbringing the pages of ‘Birdsong’ to life.It includes a specially arranged visit tothe La Boisselle site.

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to northern France or Belgium fora three-night stay.

DAY 2 We begin our tour inFlanders where tunnelling for theBritish Army began in 1915. At Hill

60, one of the most mined sites nearYpres, we see evidence of the cratersand learn the story of the Tunnellers,also visiting the mighty CaterpillarCrater. We then travel via the site ofVampire Farm – a massive Britishdugout built by the Tunnellers – toZonnebeke to visit the PasschendaeleWar Museum and their dugoutexperience. After lunch at Hooge welook at the story of 177 TunnellingCompany and see the unique REGrave. We then travel down theMessines Ridge, the scene of the ‘bigbang’ in June 1917 when 19 mineswere blown simultaneously, and see theSpanbroekmolen and Peckham craters.At Kemmel we look at the fate of

trapped miners and on the PloegsteertMemorials see the only Tunneller VC:Sapper William Hackett. We end theday in Ypres for the moving LastPost. B

DAY 3 We travel to the Somme forour specially arranged visit to the LaBoisselle Project site, theso-called Glory Hole at La Boisselle,being given an in-depth guided tourand special access to the tunnels(weather/safety permitting). Afterlunch we visit Tunnellers graves atBecourt, look at the story of the LivensFlame Projector, and visit the scene ofthe Hawthorn Mine at Beaumont-Hamel; filmed and photographed, theexplosion here has become an iconicimage of the Great War. We end theday at Thiepval where many Tunnellersare commemorated. B

DAY 4 Journey to Calais thenreturn home. B

Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights at aminimum 3-star hotel in Belgium ornorthern France. The hotel will have abar and all bedrooms will have a T.V.and telephone. We use hotels such asthe 4-star Hotel Alize in Mouscron andthe 3-star Hotel Des Acacias inNeuville-en-Ferrain.

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDGUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Archaeologists begin the careful task of clearing the debris and for the first time inalmost 100 years exposing the original tunnel floor

Lochnagar

Choose from over 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4BTN

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £80; travel insurance from £31.95.Flight supplements where applicable.

Sep 21 £259

5

WHAT’S INCLUDEDSPECIALIST

BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Battlefield visits and excursions as described

3 nights’ accommodationwith continental breakfast

FREE local joining points – pleasecall for your nearest

Travel by executive coach

Please note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

Lochnagar Crater with La Boisselle inthe middle distance. The chalky lines aretraces of British and German trenches.The Glory Hole is the grassed area on

the edge of the village.

Poem written by soldiers onto the chalkwall of a tunnel. Much of the graffiti foundso far was written by the soldiers attached

to the tunnellers for labour duties.

Take this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunityto join the people involved with the painstaking

excavation of the ‘lost labyrinth’ – the maze of tunnels runningbelow the sleepy village of La Boisselle in northern France,which played a huge role in the Battle of the Somme.Accompanied by a guide, head into to the tunnels under theSomme, re-opened after almost a century. Before the tunnelsare opened up for general public viewing, we have been able toarrange special access for our customers to walk along the insideof the tunnels, discovering more about the lives of the men lostin them. Once the excavation work is over, viewing will only beavailable through the grids at the tunnel entrance.

THEUNDERGROUND WAR

– TUNNELLERS ON THEWESTERN FRONT

4 DAYS FROM £259

Lochnagar Crater

NEW

5 The Underground War:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:24 Page 1

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Belgium or northern France fora three or four-night stay.

DAY 2 Battlefields of FlandersToday we look at the battlefieldsaround Ypres; this was the mainBritish battlefront in World War Iwhere more than 250,000 British andCommonwealth soldiers died.

We start at the preserved trenches atSanctuary Wood and see the museumbefore moving on to Tyne CotCemetery. In the afternoon we head tothe Messines Ridge sector and thenearby Irish Peace Tower whichcommemorates the role of Irish troopsfrom both North and South. AtPloegsteert we study the story of the

Christmas Truce and see thePloegsteert Memorial. We end the dayat the ‘Last Post Ceremony’ in Ypres.Each night, at 8pm the Last Post isplayed at the Menin Gate whichcommemorates approximately 55,000men who were never found. B

DAY 3 (5-day break) Tunnels andTrenches We begin the day at Arrasand spend the morning in theWellington Quarries – a massivesystem of tunnels used by Britishtroops in WW1, and dug by NewZealand Tunnellers. We then visit theArras Memorial and travel out toMonchy le Preux to look at thedefence of the village by theNewfoundland Regiment. We end theday at Vimy Ridge, captured by theCanadians in April 1917, seeing thepreserved trench system, visitors’centre and impressive memorial onHill 145 – the highest point on VimyRidge. Vimy was a defining momentfor Canada in World War I and this isarguably one of the finest memorialson the Western Front. BPlease note: the Wellington Tunnels are accessible tovisitors of all abilities. The tunnel system is reachedby a lift, and there are wooden walk-waysthroughout.

DAY 3 (4-day break) orDAY 4 (5-day break)

The Somme, Death of aGenerationThe haunting Somme battlefield is ourdestination today. We begin at theHistorial Museum at Péronne and thento the largest British Mine Crater onthe Western Front at La Boisselle.At Thiepval we visit the Memorial andthe visitors’ centre then the UlsterTower, which commemorates thosefrom Ulster who fell on the Somme,


Choose from over 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest6

IWM

Q150

0

Join us on this tour of the major battlefields, cemeteries andmonuments to the Missing on the Western Front. We have achoice of either a 4 or 5-day tour. Both tours discover theharrowing stories of the destruction, bravery and sacrifice of theinfamous battles of the Somme and Ypres Salient, taking time,in the company of our expert Battlefield Guide, to learn aboutnot just the how and why, but also some of the personal stories.Our 5-day tour also incorporates the fascinating site of theWellington Quarries, a massive system of tunnels, plus VimyRidge with its impressive visitors’ centre.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT4 DAYS FROM £289 • 5 DAYS FROM £319

Life in the trenches

See the Thiepval MeLast Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres

before seeing Newfoundland Park withits preserved trenches. We end the dayat Serre and see the area where warpoet Wilfred Owen fought. B

DAY 4 (4-day break) orDAY 5 (5-day break)

To Calais and return home. B


YOUR HOTELExecutive coach departures will stayfor three or four nights at the 4-starBest Western Ambassador in Menen.The hotel has a bar and lift.All bedrooms have T.V., telephone and

6 & 7 All Quiet on the Western Front Armistice Day:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:25 Page 1


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Battlefield visits as described

3 or 4 nights’ accommodationwith continental breakfast

FREE local joining points– please call for your nearest



UPGRADE TOSILVER SERVICE

FOR LUXURY COACH TRAVELAND ENJOY ADDED BENEFITS

Extra legroom for your added comfort

Free personal headphones with achoice of music & DVDs

Spacious rear lounge

Deluxe, reclining seats

Porterage at your hotel

See page 4 for full details.

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £79 (4 days) £99 (5 days); travel insurancefrom £31.95.

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5BWF

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5BWFV

May 14 £375Jun 25 £365Jul 16 £365

Sep 17 £359Mar 25 2013 £319Apr 8 2013 £349

Apr 16 £415May 28 £425Jun 11 £425Jul 2,23 £425Aug 13,27 £425Sep 3,10,24£425Oct 1,8 £419Oct 22 £419

Feb 18 2013 £369Mar 11 2013 £389Mar 25 2013 £399Apr 1(Easter) 2013 £415Apr 22 2013 £415May 13 2013 £429

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4BWF

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4BWFV

4-DAY BREAK

5-DAY BREAK

Apr 26 £289Jun 1 £289Jul 27 £289Aug 24 £289Sep 7 £289

Oct 5 £289Apr 5 2013 £289May 3 2013 £289May 30 2013 £289Jun 14 2013 £289

May 25 £329Jul 20 £339Aug 9 £339Oct 25 £329

Feb 21 2013 £289Mar 14 2013 £299Mar 29 2013 £299Apr 19 2013 £339

Choose from over 490 convenient local joining points – call for your nearest 7

NOV 9 Local departure by coachthen to northern France or Belgium fora three-night stay.

NOV 10 The Ypres SalientToday we visit sites in and around theFlanders battlefields, the main Britishsector in WW1. We start at theexcellent Passchendaele MemorialMuseum with its extensive displays ofartefacts and reconstructed WW1dugout. We then see Tyne CotCemetery, the largest CommonwealthWar Cemetery in the world, also seeingthe Visitors’ Centre. Lunch at Hooge.In the afternoon we go to Zillebeke tosee the unique ‘Aristocrats Cemetery’where officers from the landed gentryfamilies of Britain are buried. At Hill60 we look at mine warfare beneaththe Western Front, seeing examples ofhuge mine craters blown by both sides.We end the day at Essex Farm, whereCanadian Poet John McCrae wrote ‘InFlanders Fields’ in May 1915. B

NOV 11 Ypres and theArmistice Day CeremoniesWe attend ceremonies in Ypres for11th November, with a specialcommemoration at the Menin Gate at11.00am including the veterans’parade from the main square in themorning. You will have all day in Ypresto visit WW1 locations in the town,such as the In Flanders Fields Museumor St. Georges Memorial Church.We remain in Ypres until this eveningto attend the moving Last PostCeremony at 8pm. B

Nov 12 Journey to Calais thenreturn home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights at aminimum 3-star hotel in Belgium ornorthern France. The hotel will have abar and all bedrooms will have a T.V.and telephone.

ARMISTICEDAY IN YPRES

4 DAYS FROM £289

Menin Gate


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE


3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast



Travel by Silver Service deluxecoach available – See page 4 for details



EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4BAF

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4BAFV

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £79; travel insurance from £31.95.

Nov 9 £289

Nov 9 £319

The trenches at Vimy Ridge

By far the mostmemorable and emotionalthough, was the visit toThiepval to pay respectsto my Grandad and to laycrosses where his name is.

morial to the missing

hairdryer. Silver Service departures willstay for three or four nights at the4-star Best Western Hotel Alizesituated close to the main square ofMouscron in Belgium.The hotel does not have a restaurant,but snacks are available from the bar.There are also a number of restaurantsand bars nearby. The hotel has a liftand all bedrooms have T.V., telephone,tea/coffee-making facilities, hairdryerand air-conditioning. When demand ishigh other hotels of a similar standardwill be used such as the 3-star HotelAltia or Des Acacias in Neuville-en-Ferrain.

REDUCED PRICES FOR CHILDREN

On selected datesCall for details

Menin Gate

Anne Hathaway, Manchester.

6 & 7 All Quiet on the Western Front Armistice Day:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:25 Page 2


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Belgium for a four night stay.

DAY 2 Flanders Fields & YpresWe begin in Flanders Fields at thegrave of Noel Chavasse V.C. & Bar, theonly man during the war to be awardedthe V.C. twice then see the grave ofJock Skinner V.C., who was carried tohis grave by several V.C. winners. Wethen travel out to the battlefields nearYpres where Chavasse and Skinnerwere awarded their decorations andlook at the ground where the actionstook place. After lunch in Ypres wevisit the moving St. George’s MemorialChurch which contains many WW1memorials. We then travel to Hill 60where four V.C.s were won in a singleday during the defence of this groundin 1915 seeing the remains of bunkersand mine craters, and a shatteredbattlefield left as it was in 1918. In theevening, we attend the Last PostCeremony at the Menin Gate. B

DAY 3 Zeebrugge & Tyne CotZeebrugge is where a raid by the RoyalNavy and Royal Marines took place inApril 1918. We visit the site of theMole where the raid came in and seethe memorials and ZeebruggeChurchyard. We also follow the storyof George Bradford V.C., one of twobrothers to get the award, seeing hisgrave at Blankenberge. In theafternoon, we return to Flanders andvisit the ground where Edward Cooper,a young Sergeant in the KRRC,received the V.C. for storming amachine-gun bunker. At Tyne Cot welook at Australian V.C. winners in theBattle of Passchendaele in 1917 and atZandvoorde look at one of the earliestV.C.s at Ypres from 1914, and one ofthe last from 1918. We end the day atHooge Crater Museum with its manyartefacts of the fighting. B

DAY 4 Richebourg, Bethune& Loos We head to northern Franceto Richebourg where we look at thestory of Sir John Smyth V.C., who

became a V.C. historian in later life,and the hero of the ‘day Sussex died’,Nelson Victor Carter V.C., seeing hisgrave. Lunchtime in Bethune, followedby a visit to Bethune Town Cemeteryfor the story of Lieutenant Frank DePass V.C. of the Indian Army, one ofthe few Jewish V.C. winners of the war.We then look at the fighting in theHohenzollern Redoubt at Loos,examining the history of several V.C.sawarded for bravery here. At Hill 70we follow Piper Laidlaw V.C., whopiped his men into action in September1915 and end at Dud Corner Cemeterywhere many Loos V.C. heroes areburied and commemorated. B

DAY 5 To Calais and return home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights in thehistoric Belgian town of Lo at theHotel Oude Abdij – See page 12 forhotel description.


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE



FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest



VICTORIA CROSSHEROES OF WWI

5 DAYS FROM £379

NEWSPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDGUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to St. Omer for a four-night stay.

DAY 2 St Omer – The Bull Ring– War Poets We begin at theLonguenesse Souvenir Cemetery,looking at the role of pilots andobservers who flew from St. Omerairfield. Later we visit Etaples townmuseum, with relics of the base camp,visit the site of the infamous ‘Bull Ring’training ground, where every soldierwho came to France from 1916onwards trained, and then go to thehuge Etaples Military Cemetery. Wevisit Boulogne Eastern Cemetery forthe grave of Julian Grenfell, one of theGreat War poets who wrote ‘IntoBattle’ and at Wimereux the grave ofJohn McCrae, who wrote ‘In FlandersFields’. B

DAY 3 Rouen – McCudden VC– Haig’s Headquarters We travel toRouen, stopping at the unique ChineseCemetery for China’s labour troops.At Rouen, where thousands of soldierswere billeted going to the Battles ofLoos and the Somme, we visit the hugeSt. Sever Cemetery, looking at the storyof those who worked at the base campand hospitals. Next we head to Wavansfor the story of the flying ace, MajorJames McCudden VC MC MM, seeinghis grave and at Montreuil, the site ofGeneral Sir Douglas Haig’sheadquarters, we visit the Rampartsand see Haig’s statue. B

DAY 4 Cassel Hill – TalbotHouse – Mick Mannock VC Webegin at Mont Cassel, the headquartersfor French General, Marshall Foch.At Lijssenthoek, the largest behind-the-lines cemetery, hear the story of NurseNellie Spindler, killed in Flanders, thenvisit Talbot House in Poperinghe, theoriginal building taken over by padresTubby Clayton and Neville Talbot andwhere ‘Toc H’ began in 1915. We visitthe Death Cells and Shot at DawnMemorial commemorating thoseexecuted by firing squad in WW1 andend the day looking at the story of air

ace Mick Mannock VC, seeing theground at Butter Lane where he wasshot down. B

DAY 5 To Calais and returnhome. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the2-star Ibis Hotel St. Omer, situatedonly 100 metres from the cathedral.The hotel has a bar and restaurant.All bedrooms have a T.V. andtelephone.

BEHIND THE LINES– WOMEN, MEDICS, POETS & PADRES

5 DAYS FROM £379

Etaples Military Cemetery

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5BVCVPrices are per person, based on two sharing.

Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £69; travel insurance from £31.95.

Aug 27 £379Sep 10 £379Sep 24 £379

Apr 22 2013 £389May 20 2013 £389Jul 1 2013 £389


EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5FBL

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FBLV

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £89; travel insurance from £31.95

Sep 17 £379

Aug 20 £419Oct 22 £399

Apr 22 2013 £429Jun 17 2013 £429


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE




Travel by executive coach – upgradeto Silver Service deluxe coachavailable – See page 4 for details


Training at Etaples

Tyne Cot Cemetery

8 Behind the Lines:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:26 Page 1


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to northern France for a three-night stay.

DAY 2 Fromelles Museum –Pheasant Wood – Aubers RidgeOur first day begins in Fromelleswhere we visit the Fromelles Museum.This excellent private collection is theresult of many years of work by localenthusiasts and includes somefascinating artefacts connected withthe battle. From here we walk to thesite of Pheasant Wood, seeing wherethe mass grave was found, and end themorning at the new Pheasant WoodCemetery. We continue to nearbyBethune for lunch, then in theafternoon look at the British attack onAubers Ridge in May 1915. We start atthe Le Touret Memorial where manyof those who died are commemorated,and walk out to the Cinder Trackwhere heavy casualties were sustained.We then drive through Neuve-Chapelleonto the ridge itself and visit Aubers,seeing German bunkers, ending inFromelles in the area where AdolfHitler fought in 1916. We then travelinto Ypres for some free time andattend the Last Post at the Menin Gate. B

DAY 3 Battlefield Cemeteries – VC Corner – British SectorWe start today at the battlefieldcemeteries at Rue Petillon and Le Trou,connected with operations atFromelles in 1915 and 1916. We thenvisit the V.C. Corner Cemetery, and seethe Cobbers Statue in the FromellesMemorial Park. We then take a shortwalk along the British sector of thebattlefield, seeing where the 61st(South Midland) Division fought.Lunchtime in Poperinghe.After lunch we travel via Hazebrouckand Nieppe Forest and look at the airwar in this sector seeing where MajorMick Mannock VC was shot down at‘Butter Lane’ in 1918, and see wherehe is believed to be buried. We end the

tour at the ANZAC Cemetery, finalresting place of many Australians. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights at the 3-star Hotel des Acacias in Neuville-en-Ferrain, on the outskirts of Lille.The hotel has a bar, restaurant andsmall fitness room. All bedrooms haveT.V., telephone, hairdryer andtea/coffee making facilities.

V.C. Corner Cemetery


EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4BFF

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4BFFV


Sep 7 £289

Oct 25 £325 Apr 19 2013 £329


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE




Travel by executive coach – upgradeto Silver Service deluze coachavailable – See page 4 for details


FROMELLES – THE FORGOTTEN BATTLEFIELD

4 DAYS FROM £289

Le Touret Cemetery

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to the Reims area for afour-night stay.

DAY 2 Miracle of the Marne –American Marines at BelleauWood Our journey starts at La Fertesous Jouarre. We see the BritishMemorial to the Missing of the 1914campaign and the Royal EngineersMemorial. At Montreuil aux Lihons we visitBritish graves from September 1914,and at Chateau-Thierry see the hugeAmerican Memorial commemoratingthe 1918 battle. After lunch we followthe story of the US Marines in BelleauWood. We then see the ‘Ghosts’monument on the hillside at Butte deChalmont, and look at British troopsin the Second Battle of the Marne in1918, visiting Raperie BritishCemetery. We end the day in Soissons. B

DAY 3 Champagne – Fort LaPompelle We start at Fort LaPompelle; now a museum, it sat on thefront line for four years. We then seewhere the French attacked atMourmelon in 1915 and 1917, visitingFrench and German graves, and alsothe unique Russian Cemetery andMemorial. Lunchtime in Suippes, withextended time to visit the Champagne-Marne Museum, before visitingNavarin Farm and the AmericanMemorial on Blanc Mont, set amongSommepy trenches and shell holesfrom 1918. B

DAY 4 Meuse-Argonne –VerdunAt Vauquois, we see where a wholevillage was blown off a hillsidefollowing tunnelling operations byFrench and German troops. We thenfollow the US Advance in September1918 to Romagne, visiting the WarMuseum, and nearby Meuse-ArgonneWar Cemetery – the largest American

cemetery in Europe with more than14,000 graves. After lunch we travel toVerdun, to see the Ossuary atDouaumont; an imposing memorialwhich contains the bones of morethan 120,000 soldiers who fell atVerdun in 1916. We then look at thebattle of the Verdun forts. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the 3-star Mercure Reims Expo, situatedon the outskirts of Reims. The hoteloffers a restaurant and bar plus lift. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone,hairdryer, and air-conditioning.


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE




Travel by Silver Service deluxecoach with extra legroom – See page

4 for detailsPlease note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

CHAMPAGNE,MARNE & VERDUN

5 DAYS FROM £399


Trenches at Sommepy

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FBRV


Apr 9 (Easter) £399Jun 25 £399Jul 30 £399

Sep 10 £399Apr 8 2013 £399Jun 17 2013 £399

9 Fromelles, Champaign:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:27 Page 1

DAY 1 Fly to Istanbul where weare met and transferred to ourovernight hotel.

DAY 2 Gabatepe and HellesMemorial Early departure for thefour-hour journey to Gallipoli. Wehave lunch in Gallipoli town,overlooking the Dardanelles.Following check-in at our hotel, wevisit the Helles Memorial to theMissing, where the vast majority ofthose who fell in 1915 arecommemorated, seeing the Turkish gunbattery. B,D

DAY 3 British Landings Cape Helles – Krithia We begin our look atGallipoli by focusing on the landingson 25th April 1915. We start on theBritish sector, seeing where the RiverClyde landed the men of the 29thDivision on V Beach, Seddul Bair, andthe nearby V Beach Cemetery. We thenmove on to Lancashire Landing, wherethe 1st Lancashire Fusiliers won sixV.C.s before breakfast. (This visitrequires some walking as the roads tothe beach are not accessible by coach.)

At X Beach we see where HMSImplacable landed 2nd Royal Fusiliers,and have a picnic lunch before we lookat the ground fought over by theBritish in the second phase of thecampaign. B,D

DAY 4 ANZAC Beach – LonePine Continuing with our look at the25th April landings we move north toANZAC, where the Australians andNew Zealanders landed. We visitANZAC itself, spending the morningwalking along the landing beach andseeing the battlefield and nearbymilitary cemeteries. Picnic lunch atLone Pine, where we look at theAustralian attack and see the Lone PineMemorial and Cemetery. We see whereAlbert Jacka became the firstAustralian to win the V.C. in WW1,and go to the Nek, where theAustralian Light Horse suffered heavilyin the August offensives – asgraphically illustrated in the film‘Gallipoli’.The day ends on the New Zealandbattlefield at Chunuk Bair, seeing

preserved Turkish trenches. B,D

DAY 5 Suvla Bay – Shell GreenIn the morning we go up to Suvla Bay,seeing where some of the first British‘Pals’ battalions came into action inAugust 1915. Here we study thelandings and also look at the historyof the ‘Lost Battalion’, the 1/5thNorfolks: the men from theSandringham Royal estate whodisappeared during the fighting atSuvla. We also visit the new Suvla BayMuseum in Anafarta. A picnic lunchwill be available. In the afternoon wereturn to ANZAC and see the peacefulShrapnel Valley Cemetery and take awalk up to Shell Green where theAustralians played a game of cricket infull view of the Turks! B,D

DAY 6 Channakale – TroyWe cross the Dardanelles to visitChannakale, seeing the militarycemetery, with free time for someshopping and lunch. In the afternoonwe travel to Troy, visiting the site ofthe famous siege and seeing thearchaeological remains, beforereturning to Gallipoli. B,D

DAY 7 Istanbul We depart ourhotel and arrive in Istanbul atlunchtime. The afternoon is free tovisit Istanbul city centre. B

DAY 8 Fly back to the U.K. B

Included Meals: B=Breakfast, D=Dinner

YOUR HOTELYour first and last night will be at the4-star Grand Anka Hotel or AllSeasons in Istanbul. You will also stayfor five nights at the 2-star Hotel Kumin Eceabat/Gelibolu, centrally locatedon the Gallipoli peninsula. Please seeour website for further details.

YOUR FLIGHTSFlights are by British Airways fromLondon Heathrow to Istanbul.Manchester flights are via Heathrow(supplement for Manchesterdepartures is from £100 per person).All prices are subject to availability.Flight supplements mayapply. Call for more detailsof flight prices and times.


Gallipoli Landing Beaches

This tour is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd.

BY AIRTour Ref: K8TGL

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £189; travel insurance from £41.95.Flight supplements where applicable.

Sep 15 £989 May 18 2013 £989

10


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE


7 nights’ accommodationwith continental breakfast and

5 evening meals

Return flights with British Airwaysfrom London Heathrow to Istanbul

(Connections from Manchesterto Heathrow available at a supplement

from £100 per person)

Travel by air-conditioned coach


BY AIR

The haunting Gallipoli battlefields, in the Dardanelles, are thegrave of more than 30,000 British and Commonwealth troops.Today, it is a vast National Park commemorating those of bothsides who fell there in 1915. Time has almost stood still formore than 90 years, with the ground very little changed;trenches and positions from WW1 visible everywhere.

This tour will look at the key locations connected with the 1915campaign, and see many of the more off the beaten track sitesnot normally seen. Also, unlike many of our competitors, weactually stay on Gallipoli – at the Kum Hotel located betweenANZAC and Cape Helles. Truly a unique experience for anyserious battlefield enthusiast.

GALLIPOLIBATTLEFIELDS

8 DAYS FROM £989

Preserved Turkish Trenches

Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli

10 Gallipoli by Air:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:28 Page 1

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Ypres for a four-night stay.

DAY 2 The Hills of Flanders – The Bluff Walk 1: We start in the village ofLocre, looking at the subject ofsoldiers ‘Shot At Dawn’. We then walkout to the site of Locre Hospice. Fromhere we look at operations aroundKemmel Hill in April 1918, climbingour way to the top of the hill, seeingthe French cemetery, and crossingdown into the village.

Walk 2: We begin in the village ofVoormezeele, and see the grave ofGeorge Llewllyn Davies, immortalisedin ‘Peter Pan’. We then follow a routeto the Ypres-Comines canal, andtowards the Bluff. Seeing bunkers andbattle-scarred remains of the canal. B

DAY 3 Messines Ridge– Behind The LinesWalk 3: We start in the village of‘Whitesheet’, in the centre of theMessines Ridge then follow the site offighting, seeing several small battlefieldcemeteries, and a British bunker. InMessines we look at the fighting of1914 and capture of the village inJune 1917.

Walk 4: We look at the work ofCasualty Clearing Stations atBrandhoek, seeing the grave ofCaptain Noel Chavasse VC & Bar andhis memorial, before going to HagleDump. B

DAY 4 Broodseinde RidgeWalk 5: Our final walk starts at ThePasschendaele Memorial Museum thenwe walk from the grounds of theZonnebeke Chateau, through thevillage, and follow the old railway lineup onto the Broodseinde Ridge thenacross to Tyne Cot Cemetery, to thevisitors’ centre. In the afternoon, eithertake free time in Ypres, or join us on

an optional visit to Nieuport, wherethe Western Front petered out on thebeaches of North Belgium. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the3-star Novotel in the centre of Ypres,near the Menin Gate and the marketplace. The hotel has a lift, bar, andrestaurant. All bedrooms have a T.V.,hairdryer and air-conditioning.


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

5 Battlefield walks – each walk isapproximately 3-4 hours





WALKING THE YPRES SALIENT

5 DAYS FROM £419


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Caen for a four-night stay.

DAY 2 Sword & Juno BeachesWalk 1: Our first walk starts on SwordBeach where the men of the 3rdDivision landed on D-Day. We followthe route inland to Hermanville WarCemetery. We then walk out to theHillman Bunker complex, captured bythe Suffolk Regiment.

Walk 2: We begin on Juno Beach atBernieres-sur-Mer, seeing the Queen’sOwn Rifles of Canada House, thenfollow the Canadian assault inland toTailleville ending with a visit to theCanadian War Cemetery atBeny-sur-Mer. B

DAY 3 Omaha Beach &St Mere EgliseWalk 3: We start at the huge AmericanWar Cemetery overlooking OmahaBeach. We walk down to the areawhere the 1st US Infantry Divisioncame ashore seeing the Germanbunkers and memorials. We move onto Les Moulins, seeing the area wherethe men of the 29th Division landed,and finish at the ground around theVierville Draw, immortalised in ‘SavingPrivate Ryan’. Walk 4: After lunch we travel to St.Mère Église and look at US Paratroopoperations. We start at the Iron MikeMemorial at la Fiere, and walk acrossthe marshland to Cauquigny, and thenthen to ‘Timmes Orchard’, whereairborne troops held out for four days,ending with the story of the fightingfor the key village of Amfreville. B

DAY 4 Gold Beach;Pegasus Bridge (optional)Walk 5: We start on the right flank ofGold Beach at Asnelles, seeing wherethe 1st Hampshires landed suffering

some of the highest British casualtieson D-Day, and follow the landingbeach to where the Yorkshire Regiment(Green Howards) came ashore.We follow their route inland and endat Crepon where the Green Howardsmemorial is located. In the afternoonjoin us on an optional visit to PegasusBridge and Memorial Museum. B

DAY 5 To Calais, then home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at eitherthe 2-star Kyriad Caen Sud IFS or the2-star Carline Caen Nord. See page14 for hotel descriptions.

Leger guests on the Normandy Beaches


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

5 Battlefield walks – each walk isapproximately 3-4 hours





WALKING THED-DAY BEACHESOF NORMANDY

5 DAYS FROM £379


British troops marching to the front

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5FWN

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FWNV


Jun 11 £379

Aug 13 £429

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5BWY

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5BWYV


Jun 11 £419 Sep 24 £419

Jul 23 £479 May 6 2013 £479


Soliders at Ypres

11 Ypres & Norman:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:29 Page 1


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen onwards to Belgium for fournights.

DAY 2 First Shots – BlitzkriegWe begin at Mons where the first shotsof the war were fired by the BritishArmy in August 1914. We see thememorial to the 4th Dragoon Guards,and visit Nimy Bridge where the firsttwo Victoria Crosses were won. Wethen see the unique St SymphorienCemetery, where the first and the lastBritish casualties of WWI are buried.Lunchtime in Mons. In the afternoon,we travel to Waterloo and look at thebattle of June 1815. We see the LionMound and Visitors Centre. B

DAY 3 Flanders FieldsWe start the day at the In FlandersFields US Cemetery, where theAmerican soldiers who fell in Flandersin 1918 are buried. We then travel toTyne Cot, to see the largest Britishcemetery and visitors centre. Lunch atHooge. At Essex Farm we see whereCanadian poet John McCrae wrote theimmortal ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem inMay 1915, and then travel up toDiksmuide to visit the Trenches ofDeath where the Belgian army foughtduring 1914-18. At nearby Vladslo wesee some unique statues in the Germancemetery, carved by the mother of asoldier buried there. The day ends inYpres, where we attend the Last PostCeremony at the Menin Gate. B

DAY 4 Tournai – OperationSwitchback Moving on to WW2, atTournai we look at the British Army’sdefence of this ground in May 1940against the German Blitzkrieg, seeingthe 1940 graves and the Escaut Canal.We then travel to northern Belgiumand visit the Adeghem Canadian WarMuseum. In the afternoon we look atthe advance of allied troops in Belgium

during September and October 1944.We examine Operation Switchback,the Canadian landings in NorthernBelgium and the crossing of theLeopold Canal, the Canadian WarCemetery at Adeghem, the canal nearEede and nearby memorial and alsothe beach where the Canadians landedon another ‘D-Day’. B

DAY 5 To Calais, then return home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the3-star Flanders Lodge Hotel in Ypres.The hotel has a bar and restaurant andall bedrooms have T.V. and telephone.

Tournai 1940



BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE




Travel by executive coach – upgradeto Silver Service deluxe coachavailable – See page 4 for detailsPlease note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

THE BATTLEFIELDSOF BELGIUM

– WWI, WWII & WATERLOO5 DAYS FROM £319

12

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5BWW

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5BWWV


Jun 11 £319

Apr 30 £379Jul 16 £389

Sep 10 £389Apr 29 2013 £389

DUNKIRK &FORTRESS EUROPE

5 DAYS FROM £299


Visit the museum at Todt Battery

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Belgium for a four-night stay.

DAY 2 Dunkirk; Ypres and theLast Post Ceremony Discover the‘miracle’ of the withdrawal at Dunkirkand visit the site of the old mole,including the area of the Dunes wherethe ‘small ships’ came to prominence.Then study the fighting in and aroundCalais – the ‘Last Stand’ – seeing themuseum in Parc St. Pierre, the Citadel,Fort Neuilly, the Cathedral Bunker andFort Lapin. In the evening, join ouroptional excursion to Ypres, to attendthe moving Last Post Ceremony at themagnificent Menin Gate Memorial. B

DAY 3 Coastal DefencesWe examine the sites once containinghuge guns and missiles designed to firedirectly across to Britain. See sites atSangatte, Cap Blanc Nez, Cap Gris Nez,the museum at Todt Battery with itsimmense Railway Gun and the V3London Cannon site at Mimoyeques(Mimoyeques site opens 16 Apr - 16Oct due to bat hibernation site. we canstill visit outside of the site). Inaddition, you’ll visit the V2 complex atEperlecques. B

DAY 4 Wormhout and OstendAfter a visit to the massacre site atWormhout, we see the little known V1(‘buzz bomb’) fixed launch area nearHazebrouck. Continue to the Belgianresort of Ostend where the Atlantic WallMuseum summarises the strength of theFestung Europa – Fortress Europe. B

DAY 5 La Coupole We explorethis former V2 base and museum, thenonto Calais and return home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights in thehistoric town of Lo, just over the Frenchborder in Belgium at the Hotel OudeAbdij which translates as ‘Old Abbey’.

This family-run 3-star hotel has aspacious lounge area, bar, restaurant,large patio and lift.All bedrooms have a T.V., telephone andhairdryer.


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE






EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5BDK

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5BDKV


Jun 4 £325Oct 1 £299

Jun 3 2013 £329

Jul 16 £389Aug 20 £379

Oct 22 £359Apr 1 2013 £369

Hotel Oude Abdij (Old Abbey)

12 Belgium & Dunkirk:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:33 Page 1

THE MAGINOTLINE

5 DAYS FROM £299


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Liège for a three-night stay.

DAY 2 The Bulge We travel tothe northern shoulder of ‘The Bulge’,visiting the American War Cemeteryat Henri-Chapelle. Next, we take theroute of ‘Kampfgruppe Peiper’of the1st SS Panzer Division throughBullingen, Thirimont, Baugnez (sceneof the Malmedy massacre) andLigneuville to Stavelot, where we‘halt’ for the chance to take lunch.In the afternoon, we journey throughTrois Ponts to visit the superb Battleof the Bulge Museum at La Gleize.We travel on via Stoumont (the endof Peiper’s route), ending the day atWerbomont and the memorial to the82nd United States AirborneDivision. B

DAY 3 Bastogne, Bure andBande We travel to Houffalize, wherewe make a brief stop at the GermanCemetery at Recogne. We have timefor lunch in the town of Bastognebefore entering the British Sector tosee Bure and then Bande, the locationof the infamous roadside cellarmassacre, by the SS. We also visitthe Commonwealth War GravesCommission Cemetery at Hotton. B

DAY 4 To Calais then returnhome. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights at the 4-star Alliance Hotel in Liège.The hotel is only a few minutes’ walkfrom the historical centre. The hotelhas a lift, bar, restaurant, heatedindoor swimming pool, sauna,steambath and fitness club.All bedrooms have a T.V., telephone,hairdryer and tea/coffee-makingfacilities.



BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE






BATTLE OFTHE BULGE

4 DAYS FROM £269


Villy la Ferte 1940

13

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Liège and our overnight hotel.

DAY 2 Eben Emael & Fortd’Aubin-Neufchâteau We begin thisfortifications tour in Belgium and seethe 1930s Liège forts used to defendBelgium against the Blitzkrieg. We startat the famous Eben Emael, assaultedby German Airborne troops in gliders.After lunch we see the heavily foughtover Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau,completely surrounded in May 1940.We then travel through the BelgianArdennes, scene of the Blitzkrieg inMay 1940, and into France to ourmainstay hotel in Mexy, near theborder with Luxembourg. B

DAY 3 Ouvrage Fermont &Villy la Ferte We start our look at theMaginot Line at Ouvrage Fermont.This massive system of bunkers andtunnels came under attack in May1940. We descend in the original lifts,travel on an old ammunition train andsee the fighting bunkers during ourmorning’s guided tour of the site.In the afternoon we see Villy la Ferte, asmaller Maginot Line complex whichsaw heavy fighting in May 1940. Thesite has been left as it was, with anti-tank rails, barbed wire and bunkersshowing wartime damage. B

DAY 4 Ouvrage Immerhof &Ouvrage Hackenberg Today wecontinue with our look at the classicMaginot Line locations with a visitto Ouvrage Immerhof. Sited in theThionville sector, it was built in theearly 1930s with an extensive systemof infantry and combat bunkers. In anexcellent state of preservation wespend the morning visiting the wholesite. In the afternoon we travelto Ouvrage Hackenberg. Set on highground, this is the largest fortificationon the whole Maginot Line.We continue our look at British troopsin this area with a visit to the cemetery

at Luttange, where the first Britishsoldier killed in WW2 is buried. B



Please note: the Maginot Forts we visit on this tourare deep underground, can be cold and there arenumerous steps, therefore this tour does involvesome walking. Due to the large size of these fortsvisits typically take 90-120 minutes and are fully guided.

YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three-nights at the3-star Ibis Longwy Mexy.The hotel has a restaurant and bar.All bedrooms have T.V. andtelephone. Your overnight stay inLiège will be in a city-style hotel.


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE






An American Sherman tank


On selected dates Call for details

Troops during the Battle of the Bulge

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4BBM

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4BBMV


Jul 20 £275Aug 24 £269

Sep 21 £279

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5FML

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FMLV


Oct 8 £299

Jul 16 £389Aug 13 £389Sep 3,24 £389

Apr 22 2013 £379May 20 2013 £389Jun 10 2013 £389

NEW

Oct 18 £329Mar 14 2013 £319

Apr 19 2013 £329

13 Maginot & Bulge:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:34 Page 1

DAY 1 Depart from your chosenlocal joining point and travel to theChannel port for the crossing toFrance. We continue into Normandyfor a three or four-night stay.

DAY 2 The British SectorIncluded battlefield visit beginning inthe British Sector, studying some of theinitial landings by the brave 6thAirborne Divison, visiting PegasusBridge, heroically taken by Major JohnHoward and his men – see CaféGondré and the Pegasus MemorialMuseum. We then pay our respects atRanville Commonwealth Cemeteryand at Bréville Ridge, an important

sector of high ground. Our guide tellsthe story of the battles for the easternflank and the battles for Caen. Prior totime for lunch in Ouistreham, we visitthe Merville Gun Battery, which wasdisarmed at great cost by the 9thBattalion of the Parachute Regimentunder the brilliant command of Lt.Col. Terence Otway D.S.O. in the earlyhours of 6 June. It is now a superblyrestored museum. In the afternoon wevisit Sword Beach where the British3rd infantry division, accompanied bycommandos, landed. B

4-DAY break only We also visitJuno Beach and then conclude the dayat Arromanches, with its fine MulberryHarbour Museum.

5-DAY break only We concludethe day with a visit to the GrandBunker Museum at Ouistreham beforemoving onto the German undergrounddefensive bunkers, codenamed‘Hillman’.

DAY 3 The American SectorWe enter the highly emotive AmericanSector, visiting the American Cemeteryoverlooking tragic Omaha Beach, andthe beach itself, walking in thefootsteps of these brave young men.We also visit the Airborne Museum inSte. Mère Église, the scene of some ofthe tragic landings of the U.S. Paras,the Screaming Eagles and the All-Americans. In the afternoon we seeUtah Beach where the U.S. Infantrylanded to link with the Paratroopers tosecure the Cherbourg Peninsula andmake a stop at the German PeaceGarden Cemetery, where 21,000 fallenfrom the Normandy Campaign areburied. Before returning to our hotelwe also visit the headland of Pointe duHoc, courageously taken by theAmerican Rangers. B

4-DAY break only We alsoinclude a visit to see the huge guns atthe Battery at Longues-sur-Mer.

DAY 4 (5-day break only)British & Canadian SectorWe return to the British/CanadianSector looking at Juno and GoldBeaches, spending time on the Landingbeaches, visiting memorials andstudying some of the beach defences,with a stop at Courseulles the centre ofoperations for Juno Beach. We thenmove on to Gold Beach landing area,hearing the story of the only VictoriaCross of D-Day won by CSM StanHollis, following his story inland tothe Mulberry Harbour museum. FromArromanches we move on to thepreserved German coastal battery atLongues-sur-Mer where you will beable to see the guns and CommandPost featured in the film ‘The LongestDay’. We conclude our day with a visit

to the Commonwealth War GravesCemetery at Bayeux. B

DAY 4 (4-day break) orDAY 5 (5-day break)To Calais then return home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three or four nightsat either the 2-star Kyriad Caen SudIFS or the 2-star Hotel Carline CaenNord, both situated on the outskirtsof Caen. Both hotels have a bar andrestaurant, and the Hotel Carline hasa lift. The Kyriad has no lift, butrooms are only on two floors. Allbedrooms have a T.V. and telephone.Due to demand, other hotels of asimilar standard may be used.

Utah Beach was the furthest west of the five beaches designated for the D-Day landings in June 1944


Veterans at the Merville Battery See the Sherman Tank

See the landing beaches andbattlegrounds, militarycemeteries and museums of thesingle biggest invasion forceever assembled.

D-DAY LANDINGS INNORMANDY

4 DAYS FROM £229 • 5 DAYS FROM £339


14 and 15 D-Day Landings Day After:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:36 Page 1


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE


3 or 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast





I can thoroughly recommend any ofthese tours and I personally havebeen returning with my own groupof veterans and their relatives formany a year.

Sergeant Gordon Newton CLH, 9th BattalionParachute Regiment, who took part in the assault on

the Merville Battery on 6 June 1944.

REDUCED PRICES FOR CHILDREN On selected dates

Call for details

Evening meal package!Available for each hotel. 4-day tour: 2 evening meals £30.00per person;

5-day tour: 3 evening meals £45.00 per person

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to the Caen area for four nights.

DAY 2 American Sector, OperationCobra, Mortain Offensive We followthe American Breakout – orMontgomery’s famed breakout in theWest and the push from Omaha andUtah Beaches which culminated in theBattle for St. Lo and ‘OperationCobra’. We travel down to Avranchesvia St. Lo and the Perriers road to seethe start of the battle for Brittany andto visit the American cemetery atSt. James. Then we move on to theAmerican stand at Mortain where theythwarted the German ‘OperationLuttich’. B

DAY 3 Operation Epsom,Operation Martlett, OperationBluecoat We study some ofMontgomery’s ill-fated attempts totake the city of Caen. With visits toHill 112 – ‘Operation Epsom’ and itsprotective flank ‘Operation Martlett’at Fontenay-le-Pesnel where we see the49th Division Memorial and Warcemetery. Lunchtime finds us in VillersBocage where we investigate the storyof Michael Wittman and his encounterwith ‘The Desert Rats’. We will alsovisit the town of Tilly-sur-Seulles,taken and re-taken 23 times and itsnearby cemetery at ‘Jerusalem’crossroads. We also take theopportunity of studying ‘OperationBluecoat’; one of Montgomery’sbreakout battles towards Mont Pincon. B

DAY 4 Operation Goodwood,Falaise Road We continue with theinland battle of ‘OperationGoodwood’, Montgomery’s finalbattle for Caen. We take theopportunity to visit either the

Canadian or Polish war cemetery,before heading into Falaise for lunch.After we head into the Falaise pocket,the scene of the final break out fromthe battlefields of Normandy. We driveand walk along the ‘Corridor ofDeath’, the route of the Germanescape, through the villages of Tournaiand St. Lambert – where we hear thestory of Major Currie VC. We end theday at the Polish Memorial atMontormel, the scene of the Polishstand – isolated without food andammunition for three days. B

DAY 5 To Calais then return home. B


YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the the2-star Kyriad Caen Sud IFS. See page16 for description.

THE DAYSAFTER D-DAY

5 DAYS FROM £389

Saint Lo


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE




Travel by Silver Service– see page 4 for full details


SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FDAV


Apr 16 £389Jul 2 £399

Oct 22 £389May 20 2013£389


Memorial at Juno Beach

UPGRADE TO SILVER SERVICE






EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 5FDN

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5FDNV

Apr 16 £359Jul 2 £359Aug 20 £349Sep 3 £355Sep 24 £355

Apr 15 2013 £359May 27 2013 £359Jun 10 2013 £359

May 21 £425Jun 11,25 £425Jul 16 £415Jul 23,30 £415Aug 13,27 £415Sep 17 £415Oct 8,22 £399Feb 18 2013 £339Mar 11 2013 £359

Mar 25 2013 £375Apr (easter) 2013 £389Apr 8 2013 £389Apr 29 2013 £399May 13 2013 £419May 27 2013 £419Jun 3 2013 £429Jul 1 2013 £429

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4FDN

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4FDNV

4-DAY BREAK

5-DAY BREAK

Apr 20 £269May 4,25 £279Jun 1 £289Jun 22 £279Jul 27 £279Aug 24 £279Sep 21 £279

Oct 18 £275Mar 14 2013 £229Apr 19 2013 £269May 3 2013 £279May 30 2013 £279Jun 28 2013 £289

Jul 20 £325Aug 9 £325Oct 25 £299

Feb 21 2013 £269Mar 14 2013 £279Mar 28 2013 £289Apr 5,19 2013 £299

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £69 (4 days) £95 (5 days); travel insurancefrom £31.95.

14 and 15 D-Day Landings Day After:Layout 1 8/3/12 09:36 Page 2

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen onwards to Arnhem-Velp fora three-night stay.

DAY 2 Ysselsteyn, andNijmegen and GroesbeekLiberation MuseumToday we see the German Cemetery atYsselsteyn, before passing through Son,Veghel and Uden to Grave for a briefstop. We then travel to Nijmegen,where you can spend time at leisure orjoin our optional excursion in theafternoon to the National LiberationMuseum at Groesbeek, whichoverlooks the Landing Zones of theAmerican 82nd Airborne Division.During the tour we also see theGroesbeek Commonwealth WarGraves Cemetery, which contains thememorial bearing the names of 1103Commonwealth Servicemen (many lostat Arnhem) who have no knowngrave. B

DAY 3 Oosterbeek & ArnhemToday is devoted to exploring Heelsumand Wolfheze before continuing to thebridge at Arnhem, which was defendedby the British 1st Airborne Division.We then see St. Elizabeth Hospital, thescene of bitter fighting, and Acacialaan,where Sgt. Baskeyfield won his V.C.,before arriving at the 1st AirborneMuseum. Housed in the HartensteinHotel at Oosterbeek, this was theheadquarters of the ArnhemDivision. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights in the4-star Golden Tulip Hotel in Arnhem-Velp or similar. The hotel has a lounge,bar and excellent restaurant withterrace. Sauna and Turkish bath areavailable free of charge. All bedroomshave a telephone, T.V., tea/coffee-making facilities and hairdryer. Thehotel has two floors and does not havea lift.

OPERATION MARKETGARDEN & ARNHEM

4 DAYS FROM £319


DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Arnhem-Velp for a two-nightstay.

DAY 2 Arnhem – Battle for theBridges We begin at the Ginkel Heathdrop zone and follow the routetowards Arnhem. En route to thebattle site for the Oosterbeekperimeter we visit the AirborneMuseum; Oosterbeek Church andBaskeyfield VC Memorial. We thenfollow the ‘lower road’ into Arnhem. B

DAY 3 River Rhine, Rees,Wesel and Hamminkeln En route tothe Ahr Valley for a two-night stay, wetravel south to the March 1945 Britishcrossings at Rees, Wesel, Rhine andHamminkeln. Our first stop isNijmegen, where we study the start ofbattles for the Rhine. Then to theRhine Crossing at Wesel, ‘OperationPlunder’. After lunch in Wesel we visitthe airborne landings of ‘OperationVarsity’. B,D

DAY 4 Remagen – The RhineCrossing We travel to Meckenheim,where we pick up the route of theAmerican 9th Armoured Division andits dash for the bridge at Remagen, andvisit the museum. After time for lunchin the town, we travel down the Rhineto cross over and visit the tunnel andheights of Erpel, which controlled theRemagen Bridge, to study the Germanaspect of the battle. B,D



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for two nights at the4-star Golden Tulip Arnhem-Velp,Holland, or similar. The hotel has alounge, bar and excellent restaurantwith terrace. Sauna and Turkish bathare available free of charge. Allbedrooms have a telephone, T.V.,tea/coffee-making facilities and

hairdryer. The hotel has two floors anddoes not have a lift. You’ll then stay fortwo nights at the 3-star standard HotelZum Weissen Kreuz in Altenahr.The hotel has a bar and restaurant.All bedrooms have T.V.

Troops landing, 1944



BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE


4 nights’ accommodationwith continental breakfast and

2 evening meals




ARNHEM & THERHINE CROSSING

5 DAYS FROM £399


Arnhem Landings, 1944

16

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 5GARV


Oct 8 £415Mar 25 2013 £399

Apr 29 2013 £429Jun 3 2013 £429

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 4HMG

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 4HMGV


May 25 £319Jul 20 £319

Sep 21 £319Jun 14 2013 £329

Oct 18 £349Mar 14 2013 £349

Apr 19 2013 £359

Airborne Museum, Arnhem


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE







On selected dates. Call for details

German cemetery at Ysselsteyn

16 Op Gard & Arnhem:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:38 Page 1

DAY 1 Local departure by coach,then to the Rouen area for anovernight stay.

DAY 2 Operation GAFF &Pithiviers We leave Rouen and headfirst to La-Roche-Guyon. We look atthe S.A.S. mission (‘Operation GAFF’)to kill or capture General ErwinRommel at his Headquarters at La-Roche-Guyon. We later continue tothe Pithiviers area to Chambon-la-Foret Cemetery, to see the grave ofMajor Ian Fenwick S.A.S. who waskilled in August 1944 and at Chilleurs-aux-Bois Cemetery are the graves oftwo S.A.S. Troopers who were killed ina German ambush in August 1944.They were all part of ‘OperationGAIN’. After a lunch stop near

Orléans, we continue to Limoges,where we stay for four nights. B

DAY 3 Brive-la-Gaillarde & theFrench Resistance We spend time inthe Brive-la-Gaillarde and Tulle area.We start with a visit to the FrenchResistance Museum which is dedicatedto Edmond Michelet, a renownedresistance fighter and politician. Wetrace the path of the 2nd S.S. ‘DasReich’ Panzer Division through thispart of France and the efforts of theFrench Resistance to delay it. Caughtup in one of the ‘sweeps’ of thesurrounding countryside was the nowfamous S.O.E. agent, Violet Szabo.We look at the actions that led to hercapture. B

DAY 4 Bordeaux & OperationFRANKTON Today we enjoy a visitto the city of Bordeaux and one of itsMilitary Museums (Centre NationalJean Moulin), with the chance toexplore this important historical place.We also look at ‘OperationFRANKTON’, the mission by RoyalMarines to destroy German shippingin the harbour in1942. B

DAY 5 Oradour-sur-GlaneToday we visit the remembrancevillage of Oradour-sur-Glane, scene ofan infamous massacre of the villagersby German S.S. troops in 1944. Thevillage has been left exactly as it wasduring the war. We learn about theevents of this fateful day beforereturning to Limoges and the chanceto visit the Musée de la Resistance etde la Deportation in Limoges. You willalso have time for last-minuteshopping in the town. B

DAY 6 We leave Limoges thismorning and look at the S.A.S.attempts to block the move north of

The Remembrance village of Oradour Sur Glane – scene of an infamous SS Massacre


S.O.E. agent, Violet Szabo

Resupply drop, France 1944

NEW

HU

165

41


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Battlefield visits: GAFF &Pithiviers; Brive-la-Gaillarde & the

French Resistance; Bordeaux &Operation FRANKTON;

Oradour-sur-Glane



Travel by Silver Service deluxecoach – See page 4 for details


SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 7FSAV


Jun 11 £559Sep 8 £559Oct 22 £529

Apr 27 2013 £559Jun 8 2013 £559

the 2nd S.S. Panzer Division and thedisastrous consequences it had for oneof the Squadrons in the Verrières areanear Poitiers and a visit to the RomCommunal Cemetery where many ofthem are buried. We continue to ourhotel in the Paris area for the night. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay for four nights at the 2-star Hotel Du Parc. The hotel has arestaurant and bar. All bedroomshave T.V. and telephone. Yourovernight stay in Rouen will be in aminimum 2-star hotel, while yourovernight stay in Paris will be in acity-style hotel.

With these words, on the 19th July 1940, Winston Churchillgave the newly created Special Operations Executive the goahead to conduct subversive operations in Europe in support ofBritain’s war effort.

At the same time a little-known French General, Charles deGaulle, urged his countrymen to resist the Nazi invaders.

The period of 1941 to early 1944 was one of intense struggleagainst a hostile occupying force and a battle to establish proper‘circuits’ within the interior of France to pave the way for theanticipated invasion. When that great day dawned on June 6th1944, a new unit entered the fray; the Special Air Service.Having proved itself in the Desert battles of 1941-43, it wasexpanded into two Regiments and was to play a key role in theliberation of France in 1944.

This new tour follows some of the early SAS missions, visitingthe sites of action and paying tribute to the fallen. We alsofollow some of the events surrounding the actions of theResistance.

‘SET EUROPE ABLAZE’S.O.E, S.A.S. & THE FRENCH RESISTANCE

7 DAYS FROM £529


17 Set Europe Ablaze:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:39 Page 1

Honouring the commitmentand spirit of the RAF duringWWII, this poignant reminderof the RAF’s contribution visitsthe Rhur Valley, Dresden,Zagan, Berlin and SwissSaxony and allows time forPersonal Cemetery Visits atRheinburg, Reichswald,Bergen-op-Zoom , Steenburgenand The Berlin War Cemetery.

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Holland for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 Ruhr Valley and RheinbergEn route to our overnight stay in Jenawe visit the Möhne Dam, in the RuhrValley, which was heroically breachedby the Lancasters of 617 Squadron in

1943. We also visit theCommonwealth War GravesCommission Cemetery at Rheinberg. B

DAY 3 Colditz We visit the castleand museum at Colditz (entrance andguided tour extra). Hear the story ofthe ‘Red Fox’, Mike Sinclair, killed onan escape attempt, and also DouglasBader, plus many more. Then on toDresden for some free time and a two-night stay. B

DAY 4 The Dresden Raids andSwiss Saxony Uncover the tumultuoushistory of the great city of Dresden.During the war it suffered almostcomplete destruction, but has sincebeen painstakingly restored to itsformer glory. On our optionalexcursion to the Swiss Saxony area youwill come across the Bastai, aspectacular rock formation towering194 metres above the Elbe River. B

DAY 5 Zagan We cross the borderto visit Zagan, the Polish camp fromwhere ‘The Great Escape’ wasplanned, then travel on to Berlinfor a two-night stay. B

DAY 6 Battle for Berlin At theBerlin War Cemetery, we pause forreflection at the graves of many RAFcrews shot down over the city.We also see the remains of theAnhalter Bahnhof. An equally poignantreminder of the war is the KaiserWilhelm Gedächtniskirche (memorialchurch), a ruin amongst the wealth ofthe Ku-Damm shopping area. Join uson our optional Berlin by Night tour,where we visit the Checkpoint CharlieMuseum. B

DAY 7 We cross Germany intoHolland for an overnight stay in theArnhem area. B

DAY 8 Arnhem and DambustersTo Arnhem, which was the site of thefamous and controversial ‘OperationMarket Garden’. We then visit theCommonwealth War GravesCommission Cemetery at Reichswald.Later, we visit Bergen-op-ZoomCemetery. Afterwards,we travel to Steenburgen to see thefamous Dambuster Memorial and thegraves of Wing CommanderGuy Gibson VC and Jim Warwick.Then travel to our hotel in Belgium foran overnight stay. B



YOUR HOTELYou will stay overnight in Holland atthe NH Konigshof or similar, inVeldhoven, near Eindhoven, followedby one-night at the 4-star Best Westernin Jena, then two nights at the 3-starRamada Resident Hotel in Dresden orsimilar. You will then spend two nightsat the 3-star H2 Berlin Alexanderplatzor similar, overnight at the 4-starGolden Tulip in Arnhem-Velp, orsimilar and finally overnight at a city-style hotel in Belgium.


Read Mr & Mrs Keller’s Traveller’s Tale on page 4

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 9GCZ

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 9GCZV


Sep 1 £649 Jun 8 2013 £659

May 12 £789Jun 16 £789Jul 7 £789Aug 4 £789Sep 8 £789

Sep 29 £769Oct 20 £739Apr 20 2013 £699May 18 2013 £799

18

Perched high on a cliff top is the POW camp, at medieval Colditz Castle

The Möhne Dam


BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE


8 nights’ accommodationwith 8 continental breakfasts


Travel by executive coachPlease note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.









FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE:Pre-book 4 evening meals to

be taken at your hotel in Dresden and Berlin

£59 per person

COLDITZ,DAMBUSTERS & THE

GREAT ESCAPE9 DAYS FROM £649

The Lancaster was the most successful bomber used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II

The Möhne Dam wasdestroyed by British

bombers

18 Colditz Dambusters:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:40 Page 1

9-DAY ITINERARYMunich & Nuremberg

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Belgium for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 To Bad Aibling, nearMunich, for a three-night stay. B

DAY 3 Munich Munich was thebirthplace of National Socialism, andHitler’s attempt to seize power in theBeer Hall, Putsch. We tour the areas ofNazi influence, including the route ofthe Putsch to the Feldherrnhalle, andthe sites of the former NaziHeadquarters, the ‘Brown House’ andthe Königsplatz parade ground. B

DAY 4 Berchtesgaden We travel toHitler’s town capital at Berchtesgaden,the Nazi enclave, the NationalRedoubt. We also visit the ‘Eagle’sNest’, commissioned by MartinBormann on behalf of the Nazi Partyas a present for Hitler’s 50th birthday.We see, too, the site of Hitler’s formerhome, the Berghof. B

DAY 5 Munich; Dachau Free timein the beautiful city of Munich, rebuiltin its original style after the ravages ofthe war. In the afternoon we visitDachau, one of the first trueConcentration Camps – a movingreminder of the brutality of NationalSocialism and all that it entailed. Wethen travel on to Nuremberg orBayreuth for a two-night stay. B

DAY 6 Nuremberg Full day in andaround the city Hitler considered to bethe ‘Capital of the Party’, seeingexamples of Nazi architecture, the

former parade grounds and stadiums.The city was chosen as the site for thefamous ‘Nuremberg Trials’ and we seethe famous court house where manyNazis, including Goering and Hess,were tried. B

DAY 7 The Rhine We travel northto the River Rhine. Join an optionalcruise on the majestic river with lunchincluded. Overnight in the Rhine orMoselle area. B

DAY 8 The Ardennes OffensiveWe travel through the ArdennesForest, the area used by Hitler duringthe winter of 1944/1945 in his lastattempt to divide and defeat the Alliesas they advanced towards Germany.The operation, known as the ‘Battle ofthe Bulge’, was to cause majorproblems to the Allies. Overnight stayin Belgium. B


12-DAY ITINERARY Also including Berlin

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to Belgium for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 Travel across Germany toBerlin for three nights. B

DAY 3 Berlin Full day in andaround Berlin. We visit the WannseeConference Centre (entrance isapproximately €2 per person, subjectto modern day conferences not takingplace) where the infamous meetingtook place that determined the ‘FinalSolution’ and fate of European Jews. B

DAY 4 Nazi Berlin We look at thestory of Hitler’s rise and fall, visitingthe Reichstag Building, the OlympicStadium and Bell Tower, BrandenburgGate and the former Chancellery area,standing above Hitler’s bunker.We then discover the Topography ofTerror (notorious SS/Gestapo areas)and the Karlshorst Museum – theformer Soviet HQ and location of theThird Reich surrender. B

DAYS 5 TO 12 As days 2 to 9 ofthe 9-day tour. 8xB


Please Note: the running order of theabove itineraries may differ.

YOUR HOTELYou will stay for three nights at the 3-star Hotel Johannisbad in BadAibling, 40 miles from Munich,followed by two nights at the 3-starRamada Landhotel in Nuremberg orthe 4-star Ramada ResidenzschlossHotel in Bayreuth. Your overnight stayin the Rhine or Moselle area will be ina minimum 2-star hotel. Overnightstays in Belgium will be in city-stylehotels. The 12-day tour will also stayfor three nights at the 3-star H2 BerlinAlexanderplatz, or similar, on days 2 to 4.


Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Munich

Discover the haunting story of the rise and fall of the ThirdReich from 1923 to 1945 through the historic sites and placesof Hitler’s capitals; Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin.

HITLER’S CAPITALSTHE RISE & FALL OF THE THIRD REICH

9 DAYS FROM £629 • 12 DAYS FROM £989


FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE – PRE-PURCHASE YOUR

MEAL PACKAGE9-Day Tour – Pre-book 5

evening meals – Days 2 to 6£60 per person

12-Day Tour – Pre-book 8 evening meals – Days 2 to 9

£109 per person

Travel Door-to-Door12-day holiday only – call for more details

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 12GHCV

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement£135 (9 days), £199 (12 days); travel insurance from£44.95 (9 days), £46.95 (12 days)

May 28 £989Jul 23 £989

May 20 2013 £995

EXECUTIVE COACHTour Ref: 9GHC

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 9GHCV

Jun 16 £629

Jul 28 £799Sep 29 £799

Jun 15 2013 £799









9-DAY TOUR

12-DAY TOUR

Visit the ‘Eagle’s Nest’– perched on a mountain summit, it was built for Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday


HISTORICAL GUIDE

Historical visits as described

8 or 11 nights’ accommodationwith 8 or 11 continental breakfasts


Travel by executive coach –Please note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

19 Hitlers Capitals:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:45 Page 1

DAY 1 Local departure by coachthen to the Noordwijkerhout area,near Amsterdam for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 Anne Frank’s House Today we follow the story of the FrankFamily with a visit to Anne Frank’sHouse. The Frank family went intohiding in the ‘secret annexe’ of theirhome on 6th July 1942 and stayed for25 months until their betrayal on 4thAugust 1944. The former hiding place,where Anne Frank wrote her diary, isnow a museum, recounting the historyof the eight people in hiding and thosewho helped them during the war. AnneFrank’s diary is among the originalobjects on display. After, we travel onto the Hannover or Hahnenklee areafor the night. B

DAY 3 Bergen-Belsen and AnneFrank’s Memorial Anne Frank and hersister, Margot, were taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp wherethousands were dying of hunger andsickness daily. Today, all that remainson the site is a graveyard. We pause topay our respects, seeing the memorialdedicated to Anne Frank and her sister,who both died at Bergen-Belsen.Onward travel to Berlin for a three-night stay. B

DAY 4 Berlin and the FinalSolution We spend today in andaround Berlin where we visit theWannsee Conference Centre (entranceis approximately €2 per person andentry is subject to modern dayconferences not taking place) wherethe infamous meeting took place thatdetermined the ‘Final Solution’ andfate of European Jews. B

DAY 5 German Resistance and theHolocaust Memorial We see the newHolocaust monument and several sitesassociated with Jewish culture.This memorial is in the heart of Berlin,near the German Parliament Buildingand the famous Brandenburg Gate. We also spend time exploring wheremodern Berlin fuses with Cold WarBerlin: the Allied Museum, CheckPoint Charlie, the remains of theBerlin Wall and Glienicke Bridge,where East and West swapped spies. B

DAY 6 We travel to Krakow fora three-night stay. B

DAY 7 The Oscar Schindler Storyand Kasimirsh We visit some of thesites used by Oscar Schindler in hisremarkable attempt to save the lives of

his workers. Oscar Schindler spentmillions to protect and save his Jewsand died penniless, but he earned theeverlasting gratitude of theSchindler-Jews. B

DAY 8 Auschwitz A site of greatsignificance to the Holocaust, we visitAuschwitz, seen as the central point inthe plan to exterminate a whole race.In June 1942, the biggest murdercampaign in history began, when theNazis began their plot to systematicallydestroy the entire Jewish population ofEurope. The great majority of Jewsdeported to Auschwitz – men, womenand children – were immediately sentto their deaths in the gas chambers. Anextremely moving day. B

DAY 9 We travel to Prague for anovernight stay. B

DAY 10 The Heydrich Story andNuremberg Reinhard Heydrich wasone of Hitler’s most ruthless Nazis,second in importance only to HeinrichHimmler in the SS organisation, andthe principle planner of the FinalSolution. We briefly cover his story aswe pass through the Czech Republic.On arrival in Nuremberg, we look intothe War Crimes Trials and see thecourt house used to administer justiceto many who took part. We staytonight in Nuremberg or Bayreuth. B

DAY 11 Travel through the RhineValley to Belgium for an overnightstay. B




Auschwitz

A moving and thought-provoking journey of remembrance.

THE STORY OF ANNE FRANK& OSCAR SCHINDLER

12 DAYS FROM £929


Travel Door-to-Doorcall for more details

SILVER SERVICETour Ref: 12RFSV


Apr 30 £939Jul 23 £969Aug 13 £969

Oct 1 £929May 6 2013 £949Jul 29 2013 £989

TRAVEL BYSILVER SERVICE LUXURY COACH WITH

ADDED BENEFITS







Anne Frank with her parents, Edith and Otto, and older sister, Margot


HISTORICAL GUIDE

Historical visits as described

11 nights’ accommodationwith 11 continental breakfasts


Travel by Silver Service deluxecoach with extra legroom

– See page 4 for detailsPlease note: entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

Anne Frank’s House, Amsterdam

YOUR HOTELYou’ll stay overnight at the 3-star NHLeeuwenhorst or similar, to the westof Amsterdam, followed by the 4-starRamada Hotel Britannia or the 3-starRamada Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten inHahnenklee. In Berlin, you’ll stay forthree nights at the 3-star H2 BerlinAlexanderplatz or simular. You thenstay for three nights at the 3-starHoliday Inn Express or similar inKrakow. In Prague you will stay at the3-star Hotel Belvedere or the 3-starIbis Mala Strana and then you’ll willstay overnight at the 3-star RamadaLandhotel in Nuremberg or the 4-star Ramada Residenzschloss Hotelin Bayreuth. Overnight stay inBelgium will be in a city-style hotel.

20 Anne Franks Butcher:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:46 Page 1

DAY 1 Fly from your chosenairport to Rome where you’ll be metand transferred to Cassino for aseven-night stay. D

DAY 2 Salerno & CasertaWe start our tour at Salerno, whereBritish forces landed in 1943. We seethe beach-head, and the Roman Ruinswhere the Americans fought. We visitSalerno War Cemetery, seeing thegrave of the great-grandson of theDuke of Wellington, and then go to thebeach-head area, seeing where theBritish and American troops landed,before taking lunch close to theGreek-Roman ruins at Paestum.In the afternoon, we travel to Caserta,

visiting the War Cemetery, looking atthe story of Yorkshire and Englandcricketer, Hedley Verity, and see theCaserta Palace, where GeneralAlexander had his headquarters. B,D

DAY 3 Monte CassinoIn Cassino we visit the Cassino WarCemetery and Cassino Memorial tothe Missing. We include a visit to theexcellent Historiale Di Cassino multi-media museum, where lunch is alsoincluded, and then in the afternoon wetravel up to the abbey and Polish WarCemetery. We also visit the GermanWar Cemetery at Caira. B,L,D

DAY 4 Hill 593, Snakeshead Ridge& the Liri ValleyWe continue with our look at Monte-Cassino with a specially arranged visitto Hill 593 and Snakeshead Ridge,

where much of the actual fighting tookplace. (Please note this will involvesome walking.) We also walk down toAlbaneta Farm and the wreck of aSherman Tank, now a memorial toPolish troops. After lunch, we look atthe fighting in the Liri Valley, seeingthe ground at Acquino Aerodrome andlooking at the Hitler Line defencesbetween Acquino and Pontecorvo,before ending the day at theGari/Rapido River, the scene of adisastrous American assault in1944. B,D

DAY 5 Anzio Today we look at theBattle of Anzio, seeing the US WarCemetery at Nettuno before havinglunch in the seaside town of Anzio.After lunch we see the Anzio WarMuseum, Anzio War Cemetery and theBeachhead Cemetery, before going tothe infamous Flyover at Campo diCasni, scene of fighting in 1944. B,D

DAY 6 Sangro & OrtonaWe head north today, travelling to theAdriatic coast at Ortona, where wehave a short walking tour of the townseeing where street to street and house

to house fighting took place; Ortonawas a place of great Canadian sacrificein December 1943. We also visit thewar museum and spend lunchtime inthe town. In the afternoon, we visit theCanadian dead at the Moro RiverWar Cemetery and end the day in theSangro Valley and Sangro WarCemetery. B,D

DAY 7 MinturnoOn our final day we travel toMinturno War Cemetery where themen who fell in the Volturno andGarigliano Crossings and in thefighting at nearby Monte Camino areburied. In the afternoon we return toCassino for free time in the town, anda final visit to the Cassino WarCemetery. B,D

DAY 8 We return to Rome for ourflight home to the UK. B

Included Meals:B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

YOUR HOTELYou will stay for seven nights atthe 4-star Hotel Rocca in Cassino.The hotel offers a restaurant, bar,lift and lounge.All bedrooms have T.V., telephone,hairdryer and air-conditioning.

YOUR FLIGHTSFlights to and from Rome are availablefrom Bristol, East Midlands, Gatwick,Heathrow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool,Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted.All flights are subject to availability.Flight supplements may apply.Please call for more details of flightprices and times. This holidayis operated by Leger AirHolidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.

SPECIALIST HISTORICALGUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Sangro River War Cemetery

BY AIRTour Ref: K8ICI

Prices are per person, based on two sharing.Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £149; travel insurance from £41.95.

May 19 £839Sep 15 £849

May 18 2013 £849

WHAT’S INCLUDEDSpecialist Battlefield Guide


7 nights’ accommodation withcontinental breakfast, 7 evening

meals and 1 lunch

Return flights to Rome

Airport transfers in Italy

All airport taxes


Please Note: Entrance fees to museumsand places of interest are at extra cost.

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN8 DAYS FROM £839

This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays. ATOL 3880 21

Sherman Tank Memorial at Cassino

NEW ITINERARY FOR 2012

Italy was considered the ‘soft under-belly’ of the Third Reich,but saw some of the toughest fighting in WW2. During twoyears, more than 50,000 British and Commonwealth soldiersfell on battlefields like Anzio, Cassino, Salerno and the Sangro.Join us on our fly-tour to look at these key battle sites.

Anzio War Cemetery

BY AIR

21 Italian Campaign by Air:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:47 Page 1

DAY 1 Fly from your chosenairport to Malta where you will be metand transferred to the Fortina Hotel inSliema, overlooking Valletta for aseven-night stay. D

DAY 2 Valletta Enjoy a walkingtour of Valletta including the upperBarracca Gardens, Memorial Bell, St.John’s Co-Cathedral, Grand HarbourBastions, Palace Armoury, Fort St Elmoand National War Museum (home ofMalta’s George Cross). Lay a wreathat the Royal Malta ArtilleryMemorial. B,D

DAY 3 Service ofRemembranceFull-day coach tour including a Serviceof Remembrance at Mtarfa MilitaryCemetery and lunch in a localrestaurant; also we visit PembrokeCemetery, Mosta Dome, and the MaltaAviation Museum at Ta’ Qali airfieldand Mdina’s St. Paul’s Cathedral.B,L,D

DAY 4 Tour of Vallettaincluding the National War andCommonwealth Air Force Memorials,Lascaris War Rooms, WWII Museum,the 100 ton gun at Rinvella Batteryand Ta Capucin War Cemetery.Optional evening social function withthe Legion Malta branch. B,D

DAY 5 Day at leisure or optionalactivities such as the Blue Grotto, aharbour cruise, browsing the market,or Sunday service in St. Paul’sAnglican Church. B,D

DAY 6 Optional full-day excursionto Gozo visiting the Citadel, a fishingvillage, craft shops, the Inland Sea(optional) and the Azure Window.Lunch included at the Hotel SanAndrea (for guests who join theoptional excursion). B,D

DAY 7 Personal cemetery visitsand wreath laying ceremony.Afternoon at leisure. B,D

DAY 8 Return flight to youroriginal departure airport. B

Included Meals: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner

YOUR HOTELYou will stay for seven-nights at the 4-star Fortina Hotel in Sliema.Accommodation will be in deluxegarden view rooms, with air-conditioning, T.V., hairdryer, safe andtea and coffee facilities. The hotel hasspa facilities, indoor and outdoorswimming pools, three bars and fiverestuarants.

YOUR FLIGHTSFlights to Malta are with Air Maltaor Easyjet from London Gatwick andManchester or from Bristol and Lutonwith Ryanair. All prices are subject toavailability. Flight supplements mayapply. Call for more details of flightprices and times.

This tour is operated by Leger AirHolidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.Flight supplements mayapply.

IWM

A25

400

Ta Capucin Cemetery

Com

mon

wea

lth W

ar G

rave

Com

miss

ion

Pict

ures


HISTORICAL GUIDE

7 nights’ accommodationwith continental breakfast and7 evening meals and 1 lunch

Return flights to Malta includingall taxes and charges



Carrier in Valletta Harbour

BY AIRTour Ref: K8MGC


Oct 3 £955

BY AIR

Malta played a pivotal role in World War II as the only British-held harbour between Gibraltar and Alexandria. Besieged from1940 to 1943, it was crucial in supplying the naval convoyswhich reinforced the Allies in the Western Desert. We rememberthe endurance of all those who helped to ensure Malta’ssurvival, including the fighter squadrons based on the island andthe naval convoys that ran the gauntlet. From March to April1942 Malta absorbed twice the tonnage of bombs dropped onLondon during the Blitz; 1,493 citizens were killed and 3,784wounded. In 1942 King George VI awarded the island theGeorge Cross-Britain’s highest civilian award for bravery.

MALTA, G.C.AN ISLAND’S BRAVERY

8 DAYS FROM £955


Valletta

22 Malta Islands Bravery:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:48 Page 1

DAY 1 Join the flight toWashington DC. Upon arrival you willbe met and transferred to your hotelfor a two-night stay.

DAY 2 Washington DCThis morning we take an included half-day city tour by coach. We begin thetour with an introduction to Civil Warhistory at the Museum of AmericanHistory. Spend the afternoon at leisure.

DAY 3 GettysburgWe travel this morning to Gettysburg,Pennsylvania for a tour of the famousbattlefield. The Battle of Gettysburg inJuly 1863 is often quoted as the CivilWar’s turning point and resulted in theConfederates, under General Robert ELee, retreating back to Virginia aftertheir attempted second invasion intoUnion territory. Abraham Lincoln, inNovember of the same year, deliveredhis famous Gettysburg Address here atthe dedication ceremony for theGettysburg National Cemetery. In the evening, join our included‘Ghosts of Gettysburg’ tour. Stayovernight in Gettysburg.

DAY 4 Antietam Battlefield andHarper’s Ferry Included visit to thebattlefield of Antietam (admissionincluded), the bloodiest one-day battlein US history where Lee’s invasion ofMaryland was ended. Onwards toHarper’s Ferry, where in 1859 JohnBrown led his famous party of 21 menand secured the federal armoury; theslave uprising was to precipitate theonset of the Civil War. Overnight inHarper’s Ferry.

DAY 5 Lynchburg, VirginiaWe travel to Lynchburg, an importantcentral transportation centre for theConfederacy army as well as having alarge hospital for Confederate soldiers,and scene of the Battle of Lynchburg in1864. We take a tour of the townbefore spending an overnight here.

DAY 6 Appomattox, Petersburgand Richmond We travel first toAppomattox, where in 1865 GeneralLee surrendered to Lt. General UlyssesS Grant, which signalled the end of theSouthern States’ attempt to create aseparate nation. The surrender set thestage for the emergence of anexpanded and more powerful FederalGovernment and the end of the war

led directly to the adoption of the13th, 14th, and 15th amendments tothe Constitution – ending slavery,providing citizenship and malesuffrage. We visit the Museum of theConfederacy and then on to thePetersburg Battlefield (admissionincluded), where the Union Army heldthe Confederates in a 292-day siege,the longest in American warfare.Travel on to nearby Richmond for anovernight stay.

DAY 7 Arlington CemeteryWe return to Washington, arriving latemorning. Spend the afternoon in thecapital or join our optional visit toArlington National Cemetery.

DAYS 8 & 9 We head thismorning to Manassas/Bull Run, wheretwo battles took place, beforetransferring to the airport for thereturn overnight flight home.

YOUR HOTELSAll hotels are of a minimum European3-star standard and have a restaurantor bar on site or nearby. All rooms areen suite and have T.V., telephone andair-conditioning.

• Omni Shoreham Hotel or similar,Washington (nights 1, 2 and 7)

• Best Western Gettysburg or similar,Gettysburg (night 3)

• Quality Inn Harper’s Ferry orsimilar, Harper’s Ferry (night 4)

• Hampton Inn or similar,Lynchburg (night 5)

• Best Western Executive Hotel orsimilar, Richmond (night 6)

Please Note: due to local laws at least one person ineach room booked must be 21 years of age or over.

YOUR FLIGHTSFlights are with Virgin Atlantic orBritish Airways from LondonHeathrow to Washington. Regionalconnections to Heathrow availablefrom a supplement of £115 per person.All prices are subject to availability.Flight supplements may apply.Call for more details of flightprices/times. This holiday isoperated by Leger AirHolidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.


President Lincoln visiting the Antietam Battlefield, 1862

BY AIRTour Ref: K9ACW

Prices are per person, based on two sharing atwin room. Extras: all meals; optional excursions;admission to places of interest except thosementioned as included; gratuities; single roomsupplement £445; travel insurance from £69;regional flight supplements.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Visa/ESTA is required priorto travelling. Please call for details.

WHAT’S INCLUDEDFully escorted in the USA bya Specialist Historical Guide

Historical visits and excursionsas described

7 nights’ accommodation sharing atwin room on a room-only basis

Return scheduled flights fromLondon to Washington

Airport transfers in the USA

Airport taxes

Air-conditioned coach travel

Hotel porterage for onebag per person


BY AIR

THE AMERICANCIVIL WAR

9 DAYS FROM £1599

Optional Excursion

Arlington NationalCemetery

This excursion needs to bepre-booked – cost £20 per person

Designated a military cemetery onJune 15 1864, Veterans and militarycasualties from every one of thenation's wars since the AmericanCivil War are interred in thecemetery. During the guided visityou will see many of Arlington’sfamous memorials, including theEternal Flame of the Kennedy grave,and the world-famous Tomb of theUnknowns.

This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays. ATOL 3880 23

General Ulysses S. Grant

Washington, Gettysburg, Antietam, Harper’s Ferry,Appomattox, Petersburg, Richmond... the years 1861 to 1865saw America torn between allegiances in the deadliest war in thehistory of the country. Eleven southern states broke away fromthe US federal government (the Union) to form the Confederacy.The conflict between the two groups of states – the Civil War –ended slavery and restored the Union, at a monumental cost ofover half a million deaths.

Sep 17 £1599Sep 16 2013 £1649

23 American Civ War:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:50 Page 1

Day 1 Overnight flight fromLondon Heathrow to Johannesburgwith South African Airways. D*

Day 2 Johannesburg Arrive thismorning in Johannesburg to be met byour guide and coach. We continue tothe town of Dundee and the 4-starRoyal Country Inn, our base for thenext four nights. B*,D

Day 3 Isandlwana Today we willfirstly travel to Isandlwana to see thebattlefield where 24,000 Zulu impisout-manoeuvred and wiped out almostan entire British Regiment (the 24th)in less than half an hour! Continue toRorke’s Drift where a handful of

soldiers steadfastly fought off 4,000Zulus for 12 hours. B,D

Day 4 Dundee Spend time todayin and around Dundee seeing theexcellent Talana Museum displayingthe events of the Anglo Boer War. B,D

Day 5 Ladysmith & ColensoAfter breakfast we travel west viaLadysmith and the Siege Museum toColenso one of the great battles of theAnglo Boer War. It was one of thethree British defeats that made upBlack Week during the Boer War.Make your way by 4x4 vehicle to thesummit of Spioenkop where yourguide recreates the tragic battlebetween ‘Boer and Brit’ over nine daysin January 1900. Return to Dundee intime for dinner. B,D

Day 6 Leave Dundee and visit themonument dedicated to the‘Voortrekkers’ who, vastlyoutnumbered, heroically defendedthemselves against a Zulu attack. VisitLancaster Hill, scene of an engagementbetween the Lancaster Regiment andthe Boers after the relief of Ladysmith.Continue to the 3-star Natal Spa HotSprings and Leisure Resort, situatedbetween Vryheid and Paulpietersburgfor a two-night stay. B,D

Day 7 Hlobane Re-live the routeof the British forces at Hlobane by theZulus where the British once again

underestimated the enemy and paid aheavy price. However the situationwas quickly reversed by the British thenext day, as we will hear when we visitKambula. B,D

Day 8 Zululand Today we traveldeep into the heart of Zululand seeingwhere the Prince Imperial of Francewas killed in a Zulu ambush. Wecontinue to the famed valley of theZulu Kings and to the MtonjaneniLodge in Ulundi for two nights. B

Day 9 Ulundi We will see thebattlefields and experience the historyaround Ulundi. The 4th July 1879 wasto be a significant date for the Zulunation. The battle at Ulundi was to beshort lived, not only was it to be thefinal battle for Chief Cetewayo and hiswarriors but was also the break up ofthe Zulu nation. B

Day 10 We travel to Durban foran afternoon flight to Johannesburgand connect with the eveningovernight South African Airways flightto London. B,D*

Day 11 Arrive this morning atLondon Heathrow airport. B*

Included Meals:B=Breakfast, D=Dinner

Meals marked with an asterisk* are

taken in flight.

YOUR HOTELSThroughout your tour, you will stay inminimum 3-star European standardhotels. All bedrooms will have en-suitefacilities and T.V., You will stay for fournights at the Royal Country Inn, orsimilar in Dundee, followed by twonights at the Natal Spa Hotel, orsimilar in Vryheid. You will then spendtwo nights at the Mtonjaneni Lodge,or similar in Ulundi.

YOUR FLIGHTSFlights are with South African Airwaysfrom London Heathrow toJohannesburg and return fromDurban. Regional connections areavailable from Glasgow, Manchesterand Newcastle from a supplement of£100 per person.All prices are subject to availability andflight supplements may apply.Please call for more detailsof flight prices/times.

This holiday is operated byLeger Air Holidays Ltd.ATOL 3880.


Redcoats and Zulu warriors at close quarters during a re-enactment

BY AIRTour Ref: K11SAB

The deposit for this holidayis £600 per person.Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single roomsupplement £255; travel insurance from £69

Oct 14 £2149 Oct 13 2013 £2199

WHAT’S INCLUDEDFully escorted in South Africa

by a Specialist HistoricalBattlefield Guide

Historical visits and excursionsas described

8 nights’ accommodationwith breakfast and 6 evening

meals in hotels

2 breakfasts and eveningmeals in flight

Outbound scheduled flightfrom London Heathrow to

Johannesburg

Return flight from Durban viaJohannesburg to London

Regional connections availableat a supplement, see below

All airport taxes and security charges

Air-conditioned coach travel

Hotel Porterage for 1 bag per person


BY AIR

DISCOVER THEHISTORY OF THE

BOER & ZULU WARS11 DAYS FROM £2149

Accompanied by ourSpecialist guide learn thestory of the Zulu battles inKwazulu-Natal, ‘the lastBritish outpost’, and gain aninsight into the tacticalwarfare of the battles, whichrocked Victorian Britain. Wealso look at the key events ofthe Anglo Boer War, thebattles, guerrilla warfare andwhy the Boers won the peaceif not the war.

0147

44

Call today to book 0844 686 2934 or visit www.battlefieldsbulletin.co.uk

All holidays are subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. The full terms and conditions applicable to your holiday can befound on our website. Calls may be recorded for training purposes and your protection.

24 Boer & Zulu:Layout 2 8/3/12 09:50 Page 1

leger holidays battlefield bulletin

Documents

boisselle study group

battle ofthe somme

maze of tunnels

metres south ofthe village

nearestthe village

ground clearance exposedmore

ruined village

leger travellerswill