| Dates | Tour (Click on links for more details) | No. of Days | Price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13th - 15th 2022 | Battle of the Somme 3 Day Tour | 3 | £399 per person* |
DAY 1 - Somme Battlefield Tour
on the Eurostar to Lille where your chauffeur will collect you for the one hour journey to the Somme region to start your battlefield tour. Alternatively group travel can be made from London, either coach or V Class Mercedes.
Through the channel ports of Dover and Folkstone, and shortly crossing to Calais – France.
Red Baron Crash Site
Next, our two day Somme battlefield tour commences with a visit to the resting place of the most famous WW1 fighter pilot, Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Notably called ‘The Red Baron’, who was shot down and killed On the 21st April, 1918.
Albert
After this our next visit is the town of Albert, this was a key location, being the central town behind the allies lines at the battle of the Somme. Here we observe the statue of the Golden Virgin at Basilica of Notre Dame De Brebieres. The statue became a focal point during the Somme campaign until April,1918, after the British surrendered Albert to the German forces. During our time in Albert we visit the Somme 1916 Trench Museum here we experience underground trench exhibits, displaying life in the trenches and understand the lives of the French, British and German soldiers during World War I, seeing different scenes like the First Aid Post, how it was for the troops in the winter, letter writing, society games and trench art. etc.
Fricourt German Cemetery
A somber reminder of the immense loss of life on both sides of the conflict can be seen at the German Military Cemetery at Fricourt It is the resting place for 17027 German WW1 soldiers. A communal grave of over 5000 German troops is part of the Cemetery. The troops died on the Somme battlefields during the four years of the Great War.
Lochnagar Crater
We next visit the memorial at The Lochnagar Mine Crater which is the largest man-made crater of WW1. The British 179th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers tunnelled beneath a German strongpoint called “Schwaben Höhe”. On the morning of 1st July, 1916 the mine was exploded, Twenty seven tons of high explosives were detonated resulting in a crater some 137 metres in diameter and 67 metres deep. This caused severe damage to the German trench system. Today the Lochnagar Crater has been preserved as a memorial to all the men and women of all nations who suffered in the Great War.
McCrae’s Football Battalion
The 16th Royal Scots battalion were also known as McCrae’s battalion, Edinburgh’s Finest and the Sporting Battalion. Here they are remembered at the Contalmaison Cairn. This monument commemorates the professional and amateur sports people from the Edinburgh area who volunteered to fight. This included hundreds of football club supporters who joined with the sportsmen.
Caterpillar Military Cemetery
Caterpillar Valley was the scene of furious fighting during the Somme campaign. The valley changed hands on a few occasions after fierce exchanges between forces. A little cemetery was created in 1916, after the Armistice this cemetery was hugely increased when the graves of more than 5,500 officers and men were brought in from other small cemeteries and battlefields of the Somme.
Lunch
Delville Wood Military Cemetery An interesting stop takes us to Delville Wood also known as Devil’s Wood. This was the area of particularly ferocious fighting during the battle of the Somme. The wood was taken by South African soldiers in July 1916, the South African troops held on grimly, during numerous German counter attacks for six days until they were relieved. After the War, South Africa purchased the site and it serves as a memorial to South Africans who fell during the WW1 conflict.
Peronne Museum
A tour of the Peroone Somme Museum, a research and information center dedicated to the Battle of the Somme. It was here in 1916, It was the scene of one of the bloodiest chapters of the First War. It was here 400,000 dead, missing and more 500,000 soldiers were wounded. We stay the Night in Albert
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DAY 2 - Somme Battlefield Tour
Next on your Somme battlefield tour is The village of Pozieres. Consequently where another bitter fight to control the area took place. Significantly, the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions regained possession of the surrounding ridges and village.
Furthermore, you will discover on your Somme battlefield tour that there were over 23000 casualties, the memorials here are a resonance to the name of Pozieres. Additionally, an Australian historian quotes that Pozieres “is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth”.
Coffee
Mouquet Farm (Mucky Farm). Notably, known to the British soldiers as Mucky Farm and to the Australians as Moo-Cow Farm this was the scene of another position that changed hands several times during the Somme offensive. Furthermore, Mouquet Farm was connected to the Schwaben Redoubt via a system of trenches known as The Mouquet Switch.
Thiepval
Namely, Thiepval Memorial is a vital part of the Somme battlefield tour. Specifically, this commemorates the missing of the Somme battlefield. In addition, the memorial bears the names of 72,194 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces. Notably, these soldiers died in the Somme battle before 20 March 1918 and have no known graves. To clarify, over 90 percent of those commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial died in the 1916 Battles of the Somme between July and November, 1916.
Ulster Tower
Notably, the tower is a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division and was sited near to the famous Schwaben Redoubt (Feste Schwaben) that the Division attacked on July 1st, 1916.
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park is a memorial site dedicated to the commemoration of the Dominion of Newfoundland Forces members who were killed during World War I. The Battle of the Somme was the regiment’s first major engagement and during an assault that lasted approximately 30 minutes the regiment was all but wiped out. Owing to this, the losses sustained by the Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916 were staggering. Furthermore, the 800 Newfoundlanders who went into battle that morning only 68 were able to answer the roll call the next day. In detail, with more than 700 killed, wounded or missing. While the dead included 14 sets of brothers including four lieutenants from one family.
Hawthron Ridge
Notably, the explosion of the mine under Hawthorn Ridge was the first of the nine mines to be detonated across the Somme. Significantly, this commenced the Somme offensive. In particular, it was recorded by Geoffrey Malins at 7.20am on the 1st July, 1916 and is one of the best known films of the Great War. Due to this, the mine was blown up for a second time on the 13th November when the 51st Highland Division captured the ridge and village.
Serre Road Military Cemeteries
Chiefly, Serre was one of the strongly fortified villages held by the Germans at the start of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Next, we travel along the Serre Road where we will visit various cemeteries. Important to realise is, The Pals Battalions from Yorkshire and Lancashire were involved in the attacks around this area endured decimating losses.
Sheffield Memorial Park
Sheffield Memorial Park is the final leg of your Somme battlefield tour. Equally important, it is a wooded area where the original front line trenches and the shell-holes in the ground have been preserved. Furthermore, at the front of the memorial park, the shallow outline of the original 1st of July 1916 frontline trench can still be seen. Given that it was actually the Accrington Pals who attacked from the trenches here on the 1st, of July. Last, we drive to your drop off and onward locations. Additionally, if you would like to find out more information about the Somme and the battles that took place there, you can read more here at Wikipedia.
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The Somme Battlefields
Per Person
*£399
2 Day Tour
Private Guided Tour
A 2 day tour of The Somme Battlefields is usually between *£399 per person based on a minimum of 4 people of a tour. This price varies depending on the time of year and hotel availability.
This covers the cost of your own private chauffeur battlefield guide, tour vehicle, entrance fees, hotel room for 1 night sharing a twin room and pickup/drop off at Lille Eurostar train station – which is only 1 hour 20 minutes from London.
A single occupancy fee may apply depending on hotel availability.
To reserve your dates a 20% deposit is required with the remainder of the tour price paid by 2 weeks before tour departure.
On booking an in-depth itinerary and maps will be sent to you for your tour of the Somme Battlefields.
Terms & Conditions
