WESTERN FRONT BATTLEFIELD TOURS 21 April 2016 departure features Anzac Day ceremony AT VILLERS- 12 DAYS DEPARTING 20 APRIL 2015 BRETONNEUX 10 DAYS, DEPARTING TOUR DOCUMENTATION PACK 21 APRIL 2016 & 29 APRIL 2016 100 YEARS insightvacations.com INCLUDING Anzac Day ceremony at Villers-Bretonneux Villers Bretonneux BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT 21 – 30 APRIL 2016 DAY 1: THU 21 APRIL 2016 ceremony conducted at the Australian National Memorial, surrounded by the graves of soldiers Pullman Montparnasse, Paris YOUR BATTLEFIELD GUIDE killed in the local 1918 fighting, is a never to be Welcome to Paris. A transfer is provided at forgotten experience. Following the ceremony 8:30am from Charles De Gaulle airport to the we will go to Bapaume for lunch with time AARON PEGRAM hotel. Late afternoon, join your Tour Director for any special request cemetery visits before and battlefield guide for a welcome drink and returning to the hotel for rest. (B,L,D) an opportunity to meet fellow tour members. DAY 6: TUE 26 APRIL 2016 DAY 2: FRI 22 APRIL 2016 Novotel Centrum, Ypres Novotel Amiens Pole Jules Verne Today head for Flanders and the ancient town Travelling north of Paris we begin treading of Ypres. On the way we make an important the First World War battlefields. We head to stop at Fromelles to see where the Australians the Somme battlefields of 1916, and see the fought the disastrous action on 19th-20th July poignant Windmill Memorial, the 1st Australian 1916. We visit the old battlefield and go to Division Memorial, and the remains of the the war museum, “Cobbers” Memorial, VC famous ‘Gibraltar’ blockhouse. Other sites of Corner and the new Pheasant Wood Cemetery great importance we will see are La Boiselle (the with lunch in a nearby cafe. After crossing the astonishing mine crater is still there) and Thiepval, border, we make our way through Ploegsteert where the great British memorial to the ‘missing’ Wood and climb Hill 63 to see the Messines stands. Late afternoon check into hotel for battlefield. Tonight, there is a chance to visit freshen up and dinner. (B,L,D) some fine restaurants in the town square. (B,L) DAY 3: SAT 23 APRIL 2016 DAY 7: WED 27 APRIL 2016 Novotel Amiens Pole Jules Verne Novotel Centrum, Ypres Aaron Pegram currently works in the We begin today with a visit to the Franco- Today we concentrate on the Australians’ Military History Section as the Memorial’s Australien Museum at Villers-Bretonneux, before experiences in the terrible Third Battle of Ypres First World War Centenary historian. A returning to the Somme battlefields. Travel to (or simply “Passchendaele”); here we had young and enthusiastic First World War Bullecourt, via the Somme winter region around 38,000 casualties over several weeks during late historian, Aaron regularly publishes on Butte de Warlencourt and Flers, Bapaume, the 1917. Explore the preserved German trenches town captured on 17 March 1917, and the at Bayernwald. Then to the former battlefields the Australians’ campaign on the Western Hindenburg outpost line villages around which at Hill 60, Menin Road, Polygon Wood where Front in history magazines and journals several battles were fought. Tour the battlefield the 5th Division Memorial stands, Tyne Cot in Australia and overseas. He is the editor of Bullecourt, then attend a reception and lunch Cemetery (the largest Commonwealth War of William Cull’s memoir ‘Both Sides of with the locals and inspect the local memorials, Cemetery which contains two Australian VCs), the Wire’: the memoir of an Australian including the Bullecourt “Digger”, and the War and Passchendaele village. This evening we dine officer captured in the Great War’ (2011) Museum. Tonight is free to enjoy the atmosphere together before participating in the moving and is currently completing a PhD on the of the canal waterfront. (B,L) “Last Post” ceremony and wreath-laying at the Menin Gate Memorial. (B,HD) 3,861 Australians taken prisoner by the DAY 4: SUN 24 APRIL 2016 German Army on the Western Front. In Novotel Amiens Pole Jules Verne DAY 8: THU 28 APRIL 2016 addition to his studies on the First World Today we tour the sites of heavy fighting in War, Aaron has written about the air 1918, where the AIF confirmed its outstanding Novotel Centrum, Ypres Today enjoy a full day tour visiting two war over Europe in the Second World reputation as fighting troops. We go to the War, and is developing into one of the Australian Corps Memorial at Le Hamel, the beautiful UNESCO listed Belgium cities. We Memorial’s specialists on Australia’s Richthofen (‘The Red Baron’) crash site, and the begin at historic Bruges with its wonderful art, 3rd Australian Division Memorial at Sailly-le-Sec, architecture, canals, and lace shops, perhaps involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. before a lunch stop at Peronne. This major town enjoy ice-cream and waffles in one of the many Aaron’s research & tour guiding has taken little cafes or a scenic boat cruise. Then it’s onto was liberated by Australians on 1 September him to battlefields in France and Belgium Ghent and explore the palaces, cathedrals and 1918. Afterwards, we visit Mont St Quentin several times and he is passionate about medieval architecture. Tonight is available to where we see the famous 2nd Australian Division enjoy free time and relax in Ypres. (B) Australian military history, and brings to Memorial, then on to the Hindenburg Line to our tours a solid understanding of the view the Bellicourt tunnel. Finally, Montbrehain DAY 9: FRI 29 APRIL 2016 AIF’s operations, tactics and stories from where the Australians fought their last infantry its campaign on the Western Front. action of the war. A free evening in Amiens or Le Meridien Etoile, Paris perhaps turn in for an early night to prepare We conclude our tour of the battlefields for Anzac Day. (B,L) returning to Paris via Vimy Ridge, the spectacular DAY 10: SAT 30 APRIL 2016 Canadian Memorial and the park and museum DAY 5: MON 25 APRIL 2016 at Compiegne, where the Armistice was signed After breakfast the tour comes to an end with Novotel Amiens Pole Jules Verne on 11 November 1918. This evening join our a group transfer to the airport mid-morning. (B) ANZAC Day; a special day. We have an early farewell dinner for a cruise along the Seine, rise to join thousands of fellow Australians for seeing the beautiful sights of Paris and Notre B - Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Hotel DInner, the Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux. The Dame Cathedral by night. (B,HD) HD = Local Restaurant/Highlight Dinner BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT 21 – 30 APRIL 2016 29 APRIL – 08 MAY 2016 DAY 1: FRI 29 APRIL 2016 DAY 5: TUE 03 MAY 2016 Pullman Montparnasse, Paris Mercure Cathedral, Amiens YOUR BATTLEFIELD GUIDE Welcome to Paris. A transfer is provided at 15:00 We travel further east today to visit the sites from Charles De Gaulle airport to the hotel. Late of Australian actions during the final months NICK FLETCHER afternoon, join your Tour Director and battlefield of the war. Peronne, held by the Germans for guide for a welcome drink and an opportunity to most of the war, was captured by Australian meet fellow tour members. forces in early September 1918, houses the DAY 2: SAT 30 APRIL 2016 ‘Historiale de la Grand Guerre’, a very modern museum portraying conditions on the Western Mercure Cathedral, Amiens Front during the war. We also travel to Mont Travelling north of Paris we begin treading St Quentin, which was regarded by some the First World War battlefields. We head to British commanders as the ‘finest feat of arms the Somme battlefields of 1916, and see the by the Australians’ in the entire war and see poignant Windmill Memorial, then the 1st the famous 2nd Australian Division Memorial, Australian Division Memorial, and the remains of then on to the Hindenburg Line to view the the famous ‘Gibraltar’ blockhouse. Other sites of Bellicourt tunnel, the 4th Australian Division great importance we will see are La Boiselle (the Memorial. Finally we travel to Montbrehain, astonishing mine crater is still there) and Thiepval, where the AIF fought its last action of the First where the great British memorial to the ‘missing’ World War. Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local stands. Late afternoon check into hotel for freshen waterfront restaurant. (B,D) Nick Fletcher has worked at the up and dinner. (B,L,D) DAY 6: WED 04 MAY 2016 Australian War Memorial for more DAY 3: SUN 01 MAY 2016 than eighteen years. Much of his early Novotel Centrum, Ypres time was spent as part of the Travelling Mercure Cathedral, Amiens Today head for Flanders and the ancient town Exhibitions Unit, which develops and Today we explore the main Australian battlefields of Ypres. On the way we make an important tours AWM exhibitions all over Australia. of 1917. We travel to Bullecourt, via the Somme stop at Fromelles to see where the Australians In 2000, he transferred to the Military winter region around Butte de Warlencourt and fought the disastrous action on 19th-20th July Heraldry and Technology Section as a Flers (where “trench foot”, the wet and the 1916. We visit the old battlefield and go to the curator, and became Head of this section freezing cold was remembered by many old war museum, “Cobbers” Memorial, VC Corner soldiers as the worst experience of the war), and the new Pheasant Wood Cemetery. Later in 2010. In 2011, he transferred to the Bapaume, and the Hindenburg outpost line settle in at hotel.