WW1 Battlefields Bimble. The Itinerary 2015

[Pirate]

"Men, we march to the sound of guns". Well in our case we ride:

This trip coincides with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. So a visit to this and a small bit of the 'Band of Brothers', have been added at the request of the group.

Saturday 20th June.

Arrive Calais at around 8am and off to Waterloo. Here you will be able to see French and British camps of 1815 and once the smoke has cleared we might get to see the Scourge of Europe himself. WARNING: don't accept any money from NCO's and the 'keep sake' from the camp followers may be hard to explain to the wife.

Afternoon:

Hotton British War Cemetery, then on to Kampfgruppe Peiper at La Gleize, where one of Peiper's mighty King Tigers is on display. Next, to Baugnez Crossroads and the site of the Malmedy Massacre where we visit the December 44 museum.

Overnight stay in Bastogne

Sunday 21st June

Recogne German Cemetery. Here we get a picture of the dreadful German losses in the Ardennes Campaign

101st Easy Company memorial. We visit the Easy Company Memorial and take a walk with the Band of Brothers as we visit their preserved fox holes in the woods of Bois Jacques and the attack on Foy, (optional visit to the 101st Airborne Museum).

Afternoon:

Head down to Verdun and visit Fort Douaumont with an overnight stay in Verdun.

Monday 22nd June

This morning we take a trip to the Ossuary at Douaumont. This is a very thought provoking and imposing place as it contains the remains of over 120,000 soldiers who died at Verdun in 1916.

Afternoon:

We now make our way to the British sector and the Battlefields of the Somme, with a brief stop at Laon for lunch. Then stops at:

Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park and Trenches
Lochnagar Crater (German Cemetery)

Then on to our base camp near Arras.

Tuesday 23rd June

Today is going to be a bit more relaxed as we visit Auchonvillers (Ocean Villas) and Museum. We can follow in the footsteps of the men as they made their way through this preserved communication trench heading for the front.

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and the Devonshire Cemetery at Mametz. Then back to base for drinks and a meal out.

Wednesday 24th June (afternoon).

For those who have recovered from the affects of the night before, we take a trip up to the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge.

Thursday 25th June

Today we head off into Belgium and Mons. We visit the peaceful and haunting St Symphorien Cemetery, before heading back to the small town of Nimy where the British briefly held the line against the German 1914 onslaught. We visit the Nimy Railway bridge where the first two VC's of the war were awarded to Private Sidney Godley and Lieutenant Maurice Dease of the 4th Royal Fusiliers

Friday 26th June

Today I will take you up to the Ypres battlefields. We start the day at Hill 60; here the ground has been left untouched since the end of the war. We will walk among the craters and remains of the old front line and look at some German pill boxes and bunkers.

Then on to Sanctuary Wood and the Hill 62 Museum with its preserved trenches and 3D photos. The Canadians took this area after some very heavy fighting and we end this bit with a short walk from the museum to the Canadian Memorial.

In the afternoon we leave the Canadians and head over the Zandvoorde to visit the British Cemetery and have a look at the German command bunker. The final stop for this day is at the R.E. grave at Railway Wood.

Saturday 27th June.

Today is our last day of visits and we have a lot to get in, so an earlyish start. Back up to Ypres but we continue until we reach the small town of Langemark Poelkapelle. Here we visit the biggest German Cemetery on the Western Front, with 10,143 soldiers buried here.

We now head back towards Ypres and pay a visit to the Passendaele Museum and reflect at the famous Tyne Cot. Before I bring a close to everything, we head for Essex Farm and Cemetery.

The cemetery was first started by the French army at the first battle of Ypres but was taken over by the British in April 1915. The area was also used as an Advanced Dressing Station. 1,200 are buried here, of which 103 are 'unidentified'. This place also holds the remains of Rifleman Valentine Joe Strudwick. He served with the 8th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade and died on the 14th January 1916, aged 15.

This is also believed to be the place where Major John McCrae composed his famous poem 'In Flanders Fields', after the death of his friend Lieutenant Alex Helmer.

EPILOGUE

Finally we move into Ypres, partake of some of the cafes and see the sights. Then we make our way to the Menin Gate for 8pm and the 'Last Post Ceremony'. Back to base camp

Sunday 28th June

As an extra, due to the time we will be heading home, I will be adding some extra visits around Arras and time permitting any places the group would like to revisit.

[bth2bth2]

looks good mr pirate. looks like it satisfies most of the suggested places of interest.
just need to sort ferry and accomodation / camping.......oh and where to place the club wreath.

thanks for your efforts


brian

[Blitz]

I will start throwing some accommodation suggestions around. Good work thank you

[Blitz]

Thank you for the 101st Band of Brothers sites and I'll be the first to vote for the optional museum visit.

Exceptionally well planned and we would be stupid not to take the recommendations of our resident WW1 expert.

Very excited.

[Pirate]

Just bumping this up, together with the R.B.L. Wreath.

[Pirate]

Bumped for Cadman

Pirate

[CADMAN]

Thanks Pirate I knew it was on here somewhere but I could not find it
Dave.

[Pirate]

Bumped up for David of Spain and for anyone else who may be interested.

Pirate

[Blitz]

Has this any Somme battle related visits Simon ? I can't remember. Also the large hole / lake made by the TNT explosion by the miners ? (Think that's on yr list)

Thanks
Grant