Lone Pine Memorial & Cemetery

Gallipoli With Lord Ramsbotham & Cicely Taylor 17th – 21st September 2018

The Ultimate Travel Company Escorted Tours

Gallipoli With Lord Ramsbotham & Cicely Taylor 17th – 21st September 2018 Contact Emily Pontifex Direct Line 020 7386 4664 Telephone 020 7386 4620 Fax 020 7386 8652 Email [email protected]

Guest Lecturer: Lord Ramsbotham David Ramsbotham was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade, and later the Royal Green Jackets in 1958 after reading history at Cambridge. He served in East Africa, the Far East, Germany and Northern Ireland, and visited Oman on several occasions during the Yemeni war in Dhofar. He includes military history among his interests, and has accompanied tours to Gallipoli several times.

Tour Leader: Cicely Taylor After many years spent devising and leading walking holidays for Serenissima and other travel companies, Cicely turned to accompanying rather less energetic touring and cruise groups, sometimes together with her artist and writer husband Max as a lecturer. With well over a hundred tours to numerous destinations under her belt, she continues to embark on new adventures with un-dimmed enthusiasm.

Detailed Itinerary

A fascinating and illuminating tour to the haunting landscape of the Gallipoli Peninsula, site of one of the bloodiest and most ineffectual Allied military campaigns of World War I. Here some 200,000 soldiers lay buried, tragic victims of the ill-fated eight month Allied campaign in the Dardanelles.

This began in 1915 with an appeal from Russia for help against the Turks who were attacking in the Caucasus. Initially this took the form of a naval attack on the Dardanelles in the March to open the way for an attack on Istanbul, thus allowing the passage of reinforcements through the Black Sea. The failure of this naval attack was followed by landings on 25th April on the southern (Cape Helles) and western (Anzac) sides of the Gallipoli Peninsula, with the intention of eliminating the guns that were preventing naval advance. Their costly failure against the Turkish defence, commanded by a German general, led to stalemate, which a second landing Suvla Bay in August was intended to break. This too failed and all three sites were eventually abandoned in January 1916.

Throughout the tour Guest Lecturer Lord Ramsbotham will give talks and illuminating insights into the history of the campaign.

View of Istanbul from Bosphorus Kilitbahir Fort

Day 1: Monday, 17th September London / Istanbul We depart from London Heathrow on a morning British Airways flight to Istanbul.

On arrival, we transfer to the Sultanahmet, the heart of the old city, and the Eresin Crown Hotel where one night is spent. Located close to the Blue Mosque, with the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace only a short walk away, this comfortable hotel has a delightful terrace restaurant with views across the Bosphorus, and even a small museum. Dinner this evening will be taken at Hamdi Restaurant overlooking the Sea of Mamara.

Day 2: Tuesday, 18th September Istanbul / Canakkale This morning we leave the city for the 184-mile drive along the coast of the Sea of Marmara to Galibolu (the Turkish name for Gallipoli). During the journey Lord Ramsbotham will talk about the Dardanelle’s campaign. After lunch by the harbour, we begin our examination of the savage, varied and haunting Gallipoli Peninsula.

Our first visit this afternoon is to Suvla Bay, site of Allied troop landings and, at the end of the campaign, the evacuation of many troops. We then continue to Scimitar Hill, site of an ill-fated British attack on 23rd August that resulted in 60% casualties, and Hill 60, site of the last major assault of the campaign and today a cemetery and New Zealand memorial obelisk.

Late this afternoon we reach the small town of Eceabat and cross the Dardanelles by ferry to Canakkale, a town built around a busy port. Three nights will be spent here at the well-appointed Kolin Hotel, which is situated in the city centre close to the sea. Dinner this evening is at the hotel.

French Cemetery, Gallipoli Australian troops charging at Anzac

Day 3: Wednesday, 19th September Canakkale & Gallipoli Today we take the ferry back across the Dardanelles to Eceabat and drive to the small fishing village of Kilitbahir, which is dominated by a massive fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 during his successful siege of Constantinople. There are also remains of a defensive system of forts, ramparts and mines set up to prevent foreign naval passage through the straits that played an important role in 1915, and which we will visit together with the new museum here.

We then drive south down the peninsula towards Cape Helles, viewing the offshore sites of the Allied naval action en-route. The remainder of the day will be spent on the Cape, site of the 29th Division landings on 25th April. We begin at Gully Beach, one of the few landing sites sheltered from shell fire, and Gully Ravine where a battle on 28th June resulted in limited success at high cost. We then visit W beach, landing site of the Lancashire Fusiliers when six VCs were awarded, and the nearby cemetery on Hill 114. We then visit the Helles Memorial, an impressive 30m obelisk that also commemorates soldiers of the British Empire who have no known grave. Nearby lies V Beach tucked amongst old Ottoman fortifications, and the biggest British cemetery.

The day ends with visits to the striking French Cemetery above Morto Bay, and the Turkish Memorial, including the First Martyrs Memorial, before we return to the ferry (and Canakkale) via the summit of Achi Baba – the strategic target that cost so many Allied lives. A picnic lunch will be provided and dinner will be taken at the hotel.

Day 4: Thursday, 20th September Canakkale & Gallipoli This morning we return to the Gallipoli Peninsula and drive to Anzac Bay, where Lord Ramsbotham will talk about the course of the campaign. The hills above the cove are now the site of cemeteries and memorials for all the troops who fought and died here.

We begin with a visit to the Gabatepe Museum, which contains touching artefacts from both sides of the conflict, before visiting the Turkish Abide Memorial and Cemetery, and the Ari Burnu Cemetery at ANZAC Cove.

After a picnic, accompanied by a talk by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Supervisor (subject to confirmation), we view the harbour and visit Lone Pine, the largest memorial and cemetery to those buried in unmarked graves or at sea. Nearby is Johnston’s Jolly, site of the Turkish Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and where we can still see Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels. After visits to the Quinn’s Post, Nek and Walker’s Ridge Cemeteries, the day ends at Chunuk Bair, scene of some of the fiercest fighting and where the New Zealand War Memorial is situated, before we return to Eceabat and cross to Canakkale. Dinner this evening is at the hotel.

Australian light horseman using a periscope rifle Turkish trenches

Day 5: Friday, 21st September Canakkale / Istanbul / London We leave Cannakale this morning and take the ferry back to the mainland for the drive back to Istanbul. En- route, lunch will be taken at Tekirdag, one time capital of Thrace and a busy port set on a picturesque bay, before we catch a British Airways late-afternoon flight back to London, arriving at Heathrow Airport early evening.

Tour Price

COST PER PERSON: £1,995 Single supplement: £199 A fee of £95 per person will be charged for those who would like to travel out or back separately from the main group.

The tour cost includes:  economy class scheduled flights  air passenger duty, passenger service charge, airline security charges, airport taxes and fuel surcharges where applicable – currently £80 (liable to change without notice)  accommodation throughout as shown in the itinerary  breakfast daily; 4 lunches; 4 dinners  all visits and excursions as per the itinerary  all transportation as detailed in the itinerary  all entrance fees  local English-speaking guide/s  gratuities to driver/s; gratuities in restaurants; porterage  the services of your tour leader and guest lecturer throughout

The tour cost does NOT include:  travel insurance  items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls / laundry etc.)  visa  gratuities to guide/s  government levies or taxes introduced after costing and publication of this programme on 10/08/17

Changes to the Itinerary Please note, that certain elements of this itinerary, and/or the order of events, may well be subject to alteration due to circumstances beyond our control.

Fitness to travel Whilst we do not impose any age limitations on joining a tour, participants must be reasonably fit. The very nature of the sightseeing involved in our tours (and the difficulties of direct access by coach in various places) means that a considerable amount of walking and standing is unavoidable on almost all tours. We regret that our tours are not suitable for people who have difficulty in walking, may require wheelchair assistance at any time, or are unable to keep pace with the group. If you are in any doubt as to the suitability of a tour, please make this known to us before you book and we will advise you accordingly. The Ultimate Travel Company reserves the right to decline a reservation without necessarily giving a reason. Your tour leader may also decline to take participants on particular excursions if they feel that the rest of the group will be held up.

Airline Tickets As a tour operator we have access to special airfares. While these offer good value, they do carry certain restrictions applied by the airline. Please ask us for details.

Note: If you are thinking about using air miles to upgrade to a premium cabin on the flights, please check with us first as fare restrictions might not permit this.

Accommodation Hotels are chosen on the basis of category, character and location. The majority will be at least 4 star, otherwise the best available. The projected size of the group will often rule out the use of luxury boutique hotels. Sometimes the style of hotel will mean that not all rooms are of the same size or have the same outlook.

Health Requirements There are no mandatory health requirements for visitors to Turkey, and no inoculations are required.

Passport and Visa Information Passengers should hold a full passport. British passport holders will require a visa to visit Turkey. The visa can be obtained in advance or on arrival. To make arrival at Istanbul Ataturk airport as quick as possible for the group we request participants apply for a visa online ahead of travel to Istanbul (details will be provided two months before travel). Nationals of other countries should consult their local Turkish Consulate. Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of departure from Turkey.

FCO Advice Travel advice issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office can be viewed at www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.