Leger Holidays Battlefield Bulletin by Leger Holidays Ltd

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Battlefields Bulletin

MARCH 2012

PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR

EXCLUSIVE

NO. 12

SECRET UNDERGROUND WAR SITE REVEALED! By Iain McHenry - Leger Battlefields Guide

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

he village of La Boisselle sits on the front lines that ran across the Picardy countryside prior to the 1916 Battle of the Somme. When the British took over the sector from the French in the summer of 1915 the ground had already been heavily fought over. By July 1916 the ruined village was fortified and in German hands, enclosed by a maze of trenches and divided from the British lines by a belt of mine craters, evidence of a separate war that took place below the ground.

Today, there are still visible reminders of the fighting. Many Leger travellers will have visited the huge Lochnagar Crater, a few hundred metres south of the village, the result of 60,000 lbs of explosive blown at 0728 hrs on the

morning of 1 July 1916. The sharper eyed amongst you will have spotted the chalky outlines of the former trenches snaking their way across the now peaceful fields. As your coach made its way towards the crater many

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

will have had their attention drawn to an area of rough ground on the southeastern edge of La Boisselle. This 2hectare piece of privately owned land is known as the Glory Hole. Still scarred by mine craters, it is now the subject of a long term, in-depth archaeological, historical, technological and genealogical study by the La Boisselle Study Group.

up towards the surface. In the chamber was a 50-foot deep shaft, that connects the 30-foot level with the main fighting tunnels at a depth of 80 feet. The entire Glory Hole sector has an estimated 5 miles of tunnels beneath it. The allied tunnels descend to 100 feet and consist of three main levels. Facing them was a slightly deeper German system; together they

As a result of a personal plea for help by the French landowners, historian Peter Barton brought together an international group of specialists to form the La Boisselle Study Group. I became one of the founder members, and in 2011 between Leger battlefield tours, I worked with the landowners and project members clearing many years of tree and vegetation growth. The Group has its own team of dedicated archaeologists led by Anthony Byledbal of the University of Artois. The ground clearance exposed more mine craters, shell holes and vestiges of trenches. Stormy weather had also caused a small collapse on the

continued on page 2...

there are still at least 38 French and British soldiers buried in the deep tunnels land which revealed a tunnel (X incline) leading to a chamber off which a further incline (W Adit) led

WIN a two part DVD about the Somme Battlefields

We are offering the chance for one lucky person to win a two part DVD about the Battlefields

of the Somme courtesy of Pen and Sword Military Books. Both DVDs contain a visual tour of each of the key areas in the northern and southern sectors of the Somme battlefield, together with maps, archive film and contemporary stills. Key attacks are introduced and narrated and guidance is given on how to visit the battlefields today. Includes interactive, then and now, panoramic views from certain key points of the battlefield and

In this issue... Access All Areas – Take this exclusive opportunity and visit the re-opened tunnels at La Boisselle. See page 5

Discover more on foot – Take a Battlefields Walking Tour with our Specialist Battlefield Guide.

plus...

See page 11

An Island’s Bravery – Discover how Malta played a pivotal role in World War II. See page 22

a contemporary map of the whole front which has not been seen before. Simply Visit www.battlefields-ofeurope.co.uk, and fill in your details to entre our free prize draw. Closing date 30th April 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

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

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PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR

NO. 12

I Secrets of the Underground War revealed from page 1 The Glory Hole with British trenches (red), German trenches (dark green) and tunnels at depths of between 12m and 30m.

formed a secret underground week that eventually saw the head of battlefield in which men fought until W Adit open for the first time in over the beginning of the Battle of the 90 years. The entrance and tunnel was Somme in 1916. Archival and made safe, the site interpreted and genealogical research in the UK and signed, and an Open Day held for the France has shown that there are still at local people. Many hundreds visited least 38 French and British soldiers the site, astonished to see what lies buried in the deep tunnels, victims of beneath their feet. With the support of the underground war. Research the landowners, from the very outset continues in Munich and Stuttgart to of the project the LBSG has had public reveal the German side of the story access at the core of its philosophy. If and will lead to the identification and we are working, the site is always location of missing German miners. open. The project’s profile is therefore These men were lost beyond recovery, already of the highest order, and our entombed in the galleries by work continues to draw intense media underground explosions. It is a interest. You may have seen coverage purpose of the on BBC News project to ensure and in that they remain newspapers and The British tunnelling undisturbed in magazines. In perpetuity and addition Peter campaign remained an that their resting Barton was official secret until 1962 and places are historical second to the espionage war consultant for the permanently marked on the recent BBC remained the most secret surface above. adaptation of type of warfare employed Birdsong, and the With a contract against the enemy LBSG hosted a and visit to the Glory archaeological Hole and tunnels permission in by actors Eddie place, and with continuing archival Redmayne and Joseph Mawle to research in the UK and Germany, experience a special understanding of October 2011 saw the first week of the roles they were to play. excavations at the site. The team focused on the entrance to X incline, a small section of Quémart Trench, and locating the head of W Adit. It was a

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

WHY DID THE MAGINOT LINE FAIL? The Maginot Line was a huge system of defensive bunkers built along the French border in the 1930s to protect it from another German invasion. ith the loss of so many young men in WW1 France realised that by the late 1930s it would struggle to resist a German attack and Minister of War Andre Maginot became the architect of a policy of protection; the Maginot Line with the latest technology and weapons would act like a steel and concrete wall against attack.

W 2

of the incline which has revealed the Study Group will be present on site to original tramway running from surface guide people both on the surface and to shaft. Work continues, and Peter underground, and to answer questions Barton and Mike Fox have been regarding the project and the commissioned by the BBC to produce underground war. An exhibition of a documentary on the underground maps, tunnel plans, photographs and war, utilising the site at La Boisselle. artefacts recovered so far will also In order to launch the project in time form part of this special visit designed for the 2014 exclusively for commemorative Leger travellers. period, the LBSG Given the Leger Holidays rose have so far funded to the challenge and kindly tremendous the project from international their own pockets agreed to sponsor the interest that the and through centenary of the project donations by Great War is friends and already individuals. This can no longer generating in the media, and the continue, and a dedicated fundraising unique nature of the project, the campaign is now underway with many Glory Hole will form one of the prime large companies, including Leger focal points for education, Holidays, coming on board as commemoration and memorialisation sponsors. The money raised will allow throughout the 2014 – 2019 period. us to continue the archaeology and The British tunnelling campaign exploration, and eventually achieve remained an official secret until 1962 the key long-term aim of preserving and second to the espionage war the site in perpetuity and erecting remained the most secret type of memorials commemorating the many warfare employed against the enemy. men still buried beneath. Join us on this special tour to explore and learn Leger Holidays rose to the challenge about this secret troglodyte war. and kindly agreed to sponsor the project. In return we are putting together a specialist tour on the history of the underground war in the Ypres Salient and Somme to run in September 2012. The Somme day will include a special visit to the Glory Hole and offer a chance for all on board to visit the ongoing archaeological work. The La Boisselle

For more information about the La Boisselle Study Group and to keep up to date with the project, please visit the website: www.laboisselleproject.com

I Turn to page 5 for full details on our Underground War 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 via our website at: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk, by telephone: 01226 734222 and by post: 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S70 2AS. Leger customers are eligible to receive 20% OFF all orders if they quote ‘leger’ when ordering.

By 1939 much of Maginot’s ambitious plan had not been realised and hundreds of miles of border were not uniformly protected; in essence some areas were better protected than others. When the line was attacked in May 1940 the original defensive positions at places like Villy la Ferte and Fermont proved impregnable but the ‘frontier line’ with only a few bunkers, barbed wire and minefields could not resist the German Blitzkrieg. Our new tour takes us to several of the most impressive Maginot Line bunker systems, giving us a chance to see how big and impressive the real Maginot Line was and the different types of defences that were put in place. Our journey takes us to small

scale Ouvrages like Villy la Ferte where we see how the garrison held out, the German attempts at

our new tour takes us to several of the most impressive Maginot Line bunker systems destruction still visible on the bunkers and turrets, and get a glimpse into the wider defences as this is still an area where the anti-tank rails and barbed wire is visible. At Fermont we go deep underground and ride on an old

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PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR

ammunition train, and at Immerhof and Hackenberg we see the power and size of the bunkers. We also explore other aspects of the 1940 campaign on the tour Belgium was invaded in 1940 as it had been in 1914 and a new series of forts had been placed on the border, the most

famous of which was Eben Emael where German paratroop forces landed on the roof with gliders. The visits in Belgium give us a chance to compare the approach to defence with France and ask what might have been if a proper Maginot Line had existed here.

We also do not forget the British Army; British units served in Eastern France in 1939/40 and on one part of the Maginot Line. We visit the site of the first ever British soldier killed in WW2 at Luttange and look at their forgotten involvement in the story.

NO. 12 This new tour is one of the most fascinating and vivid we have brought to the battlefield programme in some time; we go underground, we explore the Maginot Line forts, bunkers and turrets and get a real insight into what one of the iconic subjects of the Second World War was all about – and what it meant for France.

I Turn to page 13 for full details on our Maginot Line tour.

Villy la Ferte 1940

Leger’s link to the History Channel Look out for our TV adverts on what will be the 5th year of Leger Battlefields Tours sponsoring the History and Military History Channel. Learn more about our tours and discover for yourself how our Specialist Battlefield Guides explain the conflicts from WWI and WWII on our Podcasts created by the History Channel. View them for free on www.visitbattlefields.co.uk.

s’ Travellertales

A great way to learn about our Battlefields tours is to hear from other travellers’ experiences. Discover for yourself what made their tour a moving and memorable event...

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Elaine Calvert Elaine Calvert and her husband, Mick, chose Leger’s five-day All Quiet on the Western Front Battlefields tour because of their shared interest in WW1. This was their second tour with Leger, their first being Operation Market Garden. On the journey to our hotel our Battlefields Guide, Marc introduced himself and the drivers (both named Alan) and gave us information and very informative print outs of the places we would be visiting. Our hotel was The Ambassador Best Western Hotel in Menen, and was clean, very comfortable and the buffet breakfast would suit every taste. A GREAT START We started our tour on the Ypres Salient, which showed us where the

Western Front was held throughout the War. Our day ended in Ypres where, every evening at 8pm, the Last Post is sounded by buglers at the Menin Gate. All the names of soldiers who have no known resting place are recorded here. On the second day we visited Arras, where we were invited to explore the underground tunnels which had been built by New Zealand tunnellers. To walk through these tunnels that were built over 90 years ago was like entering another world, which of course, it was for the men who had lived down there all those years ago. We also visited Vimy Ridge, the highest point on the Western Front and it was here that so many young men lost their lives. On day 3 we visited the Somme and walked in the footsteps of a lost generation, which is still talked about today. Along the route can be seen unexploded shells which are being

found by local farmers when their fields are ploughed. We also visited the Irish Peace Tower and the Mine Crater at La Boiselle. This is the biggest crater on the Western Front and when it was detonated it was said to be heard in London. HELPING HANDS Marc and the two Alans were always helpful and for a few of our fellow passengers who wanted to make private visits, Marc helped them to locate their loved ones before standing back and leaving them alone for quiet remembrance. During our tour we visited many Commonwealth cemeteries created for the fallen of WW1, all of them are filled with English flowers and, thanks to the War Graves Commission, are kept immaculately as lasting monuments to the fallen. There were many other places we visited, too numerous to mention here, but

Elaine & Mick Calvert, Leicester nevertheless places that we shall never forget. Our thanks go to Marc who gave us so much of his knowledge and time to enable us to walk in the footsteps of history. We would highly recommend this Leger tour to anyone interested in WW1. Next time we’re hoping to join the Leger tour The Dunkirk Landings. Mave Turner, London.

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

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PUBLISHED BY THE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS TOUR OPERATOR

Find out why 7 out of 10 customers choose Silver Service...

NO. 11

I have always travelled on Silver Service with Leger – everything is catered for. Reenee Tan, Bristol.

More than simply your method of transport, our SILVER SERVICE departures offer a coach with added comfort and facilities, plus extra benefits such as porterage in your hotels and extra included excursions on selected tours. For added comfort I Sit back and relax in specially-designed, deluxe reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and more legroom than standard coaches*. I Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control. I Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.

For added enjoyment I Time flies with our onboard entertainment system. With free personal headphones you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs**. Or why not follow your journey’s progress with our satellite navigation display. I Extra leisure – with a choice of reading material, cards, board games etc.

For added convenience I Washroom and servery on board offering a range of refreshments. I Personal flip-down tables*. I Your own, reserved seat – you can even guarantee front or second row seats for a small supplement. I Porterage† in all hotels, so you really don’t have to lift a finger.

Silver Service in Europe

It’s got to be

SILVER SERVICE for extra legroom and luxury across Europe On most of our tours you can upgrade to SILVER SERVICE luxury coach travel, for comfort and style across Europe. ur SILVER SERVICE deluxe coaches prove to be more and more popular each year, making your tour even more comfortable.

Chat to your friends in the comfortable rear lounge

Your SILVER SERVICE journey starts from the moment you meet your tour coach at the port. Then, as you travel onwards, it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy the added comfort and extras you get by choosing SILVER SERVICE. Watch your journey’s progress on the onboard satellite navigation system, listen to a CD, enjoy time to relax and talk to fellow travellers in the rear lounge and enjoy the added comfort you get with SILVER SERVICE, only by Leger Holidays.

Taking care of you all the way When you reach your destination, you can rest assured that your luggage will be taken care of with porterage included† on all our SILVER SERVICE tours, making your SILVER SERVICE experience even better value for money.

“The coach was very comfortable and the Silver Service certainly lived up to our expectations, with the extra leg room and the relaxing lounge area at the rear of the coach.” Geoff & Jenny Warren, Lancashire.

“I have always travelled on Silver Service with Leger – everything is catered for: drinks, books, games, magazines, music and DVDs, and on the long journeys the lounge is really useful for socialising with other passengers. The extra legroom also makes the journey more comfortable and relaxing.” Reenee Tan, Bristol.

PLEASE NOTE: On Silver Service tours, for operational reasons, your feeder coach journey may be by Executive coach (to and from the Channel port) where you 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 have footrests 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 coach crew. †Porterage at hotels is for one piece of luggage per person (max. 20 kilos).

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits and excursions as described 3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

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

Lochnagar

THE UNDERGROUND WAR

NEW

– TUNNELLERS ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Poem written by soldiers onto the chalk wall of a tunnel. Much of the graffiti found so far was written by the soldiers attached to the tunnellers for labour duties.

4 DAYS FROM £259 Take this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the people involved with the painstaking excavation of the ‘lost labyrinth’ – the maze of tunnels running below 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 the Somme, re-opened after almost a century. Before the tunnels are opened up for general public viewing, we have been able to arrange special access for our customers to walk along the inside of the tunnels, discovering more about the lives of the men lost in them. Once the excavation work is over, viewing will only be available through the grids at the tunnel entrance.

In 2011 the La Boisselle Group began work on a system of British tunnels under the Somme battlefields; Leger Battlefields Guide Iain McHenry has been heavily involved in this project and we are pleased to introduce a new tour focusing on the war beneath the Western Front and bringing the pages of ‘Birdsong’ to life. It includes a specially arranged visit to the La Boisselle site.

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to northern France or Belgium for a three-night stay. DAY 2 We begin our tour in Flanders where tunnelling for the British Army began in 1915. At Hill

60, one of the most mined sites near Ypres, we see evidence of the craters and learn the story of the Tunnellers, also visiting the mighty Caterpillar Crater. We then travel via the site of Vampire Farm – a massive British dugout built by the Tunnellers – to Zonnebeke to visit the Passchendaele War Museum and their dugout experience. After lunch at Hooge we look at the story of 177 Tunnelling Company and see the unique RE Grave. We then travel down the Messines Ridge, the scene of the ‘big bang’ in June 1917 when 19 mines were blown simultaneously, and see the Spanbroekmolen and Peckham craters. At Kemmel we look at the fate of

trapped miners and on the Ploegsteert Memorials see the only Tunneller VC: Sapper William Hackett. We end the day in Ypres for the moving Last Post. B

DAY 3 We travel to the Somme for our specially arranged visit to the La Boisselle Project site, the so-called Glory Hole at La Boisselle, being given an in-depth guided tour and special access to the tunnels (weather/safety permitting). After lunch we visit Tunnellers graves at Becourt, look at the story of the Livens Flame Projector, and visit the scene of the Hawthorn Mine at BeaumontHamel; filmed and photographed, the explosion here has become an iconic image of the Great War. We end the day at Thiepval where many Tunnellers are commemorated. B DAY 4 Journey to Calais then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

Lochnagar Crater with La Boisselle in the middle distance. The chalky lines are traces of British and German trenches. The Glory Hole is the grassed area on the edge of the village.

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three nights at a minimum 3-star hotel in Belgium or northern France. The hotel will have a bar and all bedrooms will have a T.V. and telephone. We use hotels such as the 4-star Hotel Alize in Mouscron and the 3-star Hotel Des Acacias in Neuville-en-Ferrain.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4BTN Sep 21 £259

Lochnagar Crater

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

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IWM Q1500

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR Life in the trenches

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT 4 DAYS FROM £289 • 5 DAYS FROM £319 Join us on this tour of the major battlefields, cemeteries and monuments to the Missing on the Western Front. We have a choice of either a 4 or 5-day tour. Both tours discover the harrowing stories of the destruction, bravery and sacrifice of the infamous battles of the Somme and Ypres Salient, taking time, in the company of our expert Battlefield Guide, to learn about not just the how and why, but also some of the personal stories. Our 5-day tour also incorporates the fascinating site of the Wellington Quarries, a massive system of tunnels, plus Vimy Ridge with its impressive visitors’ centre. DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Belgium or northern France for a three or four-night stay. DAY 2 Battlefields of Flanders Today we look at the battlefields around Ypres; this was the main British battlefront in World War I where more than 250,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers died.

We start at the preserved trenches at Sanctuary Wood and see the museum before moving on to Tyne Cot Cemetery. In the afternoon we head to the Messines Ridge sector and the nearby Irish Peace Tower which commemorates the role of Irish troops from both North and South. At Ploegsteert we study the story of the

Christmas Truce and see the Ploegsteert Memorial. We end the day at the ‘Last Post Ceremony’ in Ypres. Each night, at 8pm the Last Post is played at the Menin Gate which commemorates approximately 55,000 men who were never found. B

DAY 3 (5-day break) Tunnels and Trenches We begin the day at Arras and spend the morning in the Wellington Quarries – a massive system of tunnels used by British troops in WW1, and dug by New Zealand Tunnellers. We then visit the Arras Memorial and travel out to Monchy le Preux to look at the defence of the village by the Newfoundland Regiment. We end the day at Vimy Ridge, captured by the Canadians in April 1917, seeing the preserved trench system, visitors’ centre and impressive memorial on Hill 145 – the highest point on Vimy Ridge. Vimy was a defining moment for Canada in World War I and this is arguably one of the finest memorials on the Western Front. B

before seeing Newfoundland Park with its preserved trenches. We end the day at Serre and see the area where war poet Wilfred Owen fought. B

DAY 4 (4-day break) or DAY 5 (5-day break) To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL Executive coach departures will stay for three or four nights at the 4-star Best Western Ambassador in Menen. The hotel has a bar and lift. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone and

Please note: the Wellington Tunnels are accessible to visitors of all abilities. The tunnel system is reached by a lift, and there are wooden walk-ways throughout.

DAY 3 (4-day break) or DAY 4 (5-day break) The Somme, Death of a Generation

Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres

The haunting Somme battlefield is our destination today. We begin at the Historial Museum at Péronne and then to the largest British Mine Crater on the Western Front at La Boisselle. At Thiepval we visit the Memorial and the visitors’ centre then the Ulster Tower, which commemorates those from Ulster who fell on the Somme,

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See the Thiepval Me

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Battlefield visits as described 3 or 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

UPGRADE TO SILVER SERVICE FOR LUXURY COACH TRAVEL AND ENJOY ADDED BENEFITS The trenches at Vimy Ridge

By far the most memorable and emotional though, was the visit to Thiepval to pay respects to my Grandad and to lay crosses where his name is. Anne Hathaway, Manchester.

Extra legroom for your added comfort

Menin Gate

Free personal headphones with a choice of music & DVDs

ARMISTICE DAY IN YPRES

Spacious rear lounge Deluxe, reclining seats Porterage at your hotel See page 4 for full details.

REDUCED PRICES FOR CHILDREN

hairdryer. Silver Service departures will stay for three or four nights at the 4-star Best Western Hotel Alize situated close to the main square of Mouscron in Belgium. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but snacks are available from the bar. There are also a number of restaurants and bars nearby. The hotel has a lift and all bedrooms have T.V., telephone, tea/coffee-making facilities, hairdryer and air-conditioning. When demand is high other hotels of a similar standard will be used such as the 3-star Hotel Altia or Des Acacias in Neuville-enFerrain.

On selected dates Call for details

4-DAY BREAK EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4BWF Apr 26 £289 Jun 1 £289 Jul 27 £289 Aug 24 £289 Sep 7 £289

Oct 5 Apr 5 May 3 May 30 Jun 14

£289 2013 £289 2013 £289 2013 £289 2013 £289

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 4BWFV May 25 £329 Jul 20 £339 Aug 9 £339 Oct 25 £329

Feb 21 Mar 14 Mar 29 Apr 19

£289 2013 £299 2013 £299 2013 £339 2013

5-DAY BREAK EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5BWF May 14 £375 Jun 25 £365 Jul 16 £365

Sep 17 Mar 25 Apr 8

£359 £319 2013 £349 2013

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5BWFV Apr 16 £415 May 28 £425 Jun 11 £425 Jul 2,23 £425 Aug 13,27 £425 Sep 3,10,24£425 Oct 1,8 £419 Oct 22 £419

morial to the missing

Feb 18 Mar 11 Mar 25 Apr 1

2013

£369 £389 2013 £399

(Easter)

2013

Apr 22 May 13

2013

£415 £415 2013 £429

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

4 DAYS FROM £289 NOV 9 Local departure by coach then to northern France or Belgium for a three-night stay. NOV 10 The Ypres Salient Today we visit sites in and around the Flanders battlefields, the main British sector in WW1. We start at the excellent Passchendaele Memorial Museum with its extensive displays of artefacts and reconstructed WW1 dugout. We then see Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world, also seeing the Visitors’ Centre. Lunch at Hooge. In the afternoon we go to Zillebeke to see the unique ‘Aristocrats Cemetery’ where officers from the landed gentry families of Britain are buried. At Hill 60 we look at mine warfare beneath the Western Front, seeing examples of huge mine craters blown by both sides. We end the day at Essex Farm, where Canadian Poet John McCrae wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ in May 1915. B

Menin Gate

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three nights at a minimum 3-star hotel in Belgium or northern France. The hotel will have a bar and all bedrooms will have a T.V. and telephone.

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast

NOV 11 Ypres and the Armistice Day Ceremonies

FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest

We attend ceremonies in Ypres for 11th November, with a special commemoration at the Menin Gate at 11.00am including the veterans’ parade from the main square in the morning. You will have all day in Ypres to visit WW1 locations in the town, such as the In Flanders Fields Museum or St. Georges Memorial Church. We remain in Ypres until this evening to attend the moving Last Post Ceremony at 8pm. B

Travel by executive coach

Nov 12 Journey to Calais then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4BAF Nov 9

£289

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 4BAFV Nov 9 £319 Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £79; travel insurance from £31.95.

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

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NEW

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Etaples Military Cemetery

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Tyne Cot Cemetery

BEHIND THE LINES VICTORIA CROSS – WOMEN, MEDICS, POETS & PADRES HEROES OF WWI 5 DAYS FROM £379 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to St. Omer for a four-night stay.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

DAY 2 St Omer – The Bull Ring – War Poets We begin at the

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, looking at the role of pilots and observers who flew from St. Omer airfield. Later we visit Etaples town museum, with relics of the base camp, visit the site of the infamous ‘Bull Ring’ training ground, where every soldier who came to France from 1916 onwards trained, and then go to the huge Etaples Military Cemetery. We visit Boulogne Eastern Cemetery for the grave of Julian Grenfell, one of the Great War poets who wrote ‘Into Battle’ and at Wimereux the grave of John McCrae, who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’. B

DAY 3 Rouen – McCudden VC – Haig’s Headquarters We travel to Rouen, stopping at the unique Chinese Cemetery for China’s labour troops. At Rouen, where thousands of soldiers were billeted going to the Battles of Loos and the Somme, we visit the huge St. Sever Cemetery, looking at the story of those who worked at the base camp and hospitals. Next we head to Wavans for the story of the flying ace, Major James McCudden VC MC MM, seeing his grave and at Montreuil, the site of General Sir Douglas Haig’s headquarters, we visit the Ramparts and see Haig’s statue. B

begin at Mont Cassel, the headquarters for French General, Marshall Foch. At Lijssenthoek, the largest behind-thelines cemetery, hear the story of Nurse Nellie Spindler, killed in Flanders, then visit Talbot House in Poperinghe, the original building taken over by padres Tubby Clayton and Neville Talbot and where ‘Toc H’ began in 1915. We visit the Death Cells and Shot at Dawn Memorial commemorating those executed by firing squad in WW1 and end the day looking at the story of air

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

Battlefield visits as described 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

ace Mick Mannock VC, seeing the ground at Butter Lane where he was shot down. B

DAY 5 To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at the 2-star Ibis Hotel St. Omer, situated only 100 metres from the cathedral. The hotel has a bar and restaurant. All bedrooms have a T.V. and telephone.

DAY 4 Cassel Hill – Talbot House – Mick Mannock VC We

Training at Etaples

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5FBL Sep 17 £379

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FBLV Aug 20 Oct 22

£419 Apr 22 £399 Jun 17

2013 2013

5 DAYS FROM £379

£429 £429

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

DAY 2 Flanders Fields & Ypres We begin in Flanders Fields at the grave of Noel Chavasse V.C. & Bar, the only man during the war to be awarded the V.C. twice then see the grave of Jock Skinner V.C., who was carried to his grave by several V.C. winners. We then travel out to the battlefields near Ypres where Chavasse and Skinner were awarded their decorations and look at the ground where the actions took place. After lunch in Ypres we visit the moving St. George’s Memorial Church which contains many WW1 memorials. We then travel to Hill 60 where four V.C.s were won in a single day during the defence of this ground in 1915 seeing the remains of bunkers and mine craters, and a shattered battlefield left as it was in 1918. In the evening, we attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. B

DAY 3 Zeebrugge & Tyne Cot Zeebrugge is where a raid by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines took place in April 1918. We visit the site of the Mole where the raid came in and see the memorials and Zeebrugge Churchyard. We also follow the story of George Bradford V.C., one of two brothers to get the award, seeing his grave at Blankenberge. In the afternoon, we return to Flanders and visit the ground where Edward Cooper, a young Sergeant in the KRRC, received the V.C. for storming a machine-gun bunker. At Tyne Cot we look at Australian V.C. winners in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 and at Zandvoorde look at one of the earliest V.C.s at Ypres from 1914, and one of the last from 1918. We end the day at Hooge Crater Museum with its many artefacts of the fighting. B

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

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

became a V.C. historian in later life, and the hero of the ‘day Sussex died’, Nelson Victor Carter V.C., seeing his grave. Lunchtime in Bethune, followed by a visit to Bethune Town Cemetery for the story of Lieutenant Frank De Pass V.C. of the Indian Army, one of the few Jewish V.C. winners of the war. We then look at the fighting in the Hohenzollern Redoubt at Loos, examining the history of several V.C.s awarded for bravery here. At Hill 70 we follow Piper Laidlaw V.C., who piped his men into action in September 1915 and end at Dud Corner Cemetery where many Loos V.C. heroes are buried and commemorated. B

DAY 5 To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights in the historic Belgian town of Lo at the Hotel Oude Abdij – See page 12 for hotel description.

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5BVCV Prices are per person, based on two sharing.

Aug 27 Sep 10 Sep 24

£379 £379 £379

Apr 22 May 20 Jul 1

£389 £389 2013 £389 2013 2013

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

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

9 Fromelles, Champaign:Layout 2

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

V.C. Corner Cemetery

Trenches at Sommepy

FROMELLES

CHAMPAGNE, MARNE & VERDUN

– THE FORGOTTEN BATTLEFIELD 4 DAYS FROM £289 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to northern France for a threenight stay. DAY 2 Fromelles Museum – Pheasant Wood – Aubers Ridge Our first day begins in Fromelles where we visit the Fromelles Museum. This excellent private collection is the result of many years of work by local enthusiasts and includes some fascinating artefacts connected with the battle. From here we walk to the site of Pheasant Wood, seeing where the mass grave was found, and end the morning at the new Pheasant Wood Cemetery. We continue to nearby Bethune for lunch, then in the afternoon look at the British attack on Aubers Ridge in May 1915. We start at the Le Touret Memorial where many of those who died are commemorated, and walk out to the Cinder Track where heavy casualties were sustained. We then drive through Neuve-Chapelle onto the ridge itself and visit Aubers, seeing German bunkers, ending in Fromelles in the area where Adolf Hitler fought in 1916. We then travel into Ypres for some free time and attend the Last Post at the Menin Gate. B

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluze coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

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

DAY 4 To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three nights at the 3-star Hotel des Acacias in Neuvilleen-Ferrain, on the outskirts of Lille. The hotel has a bar, restaurant and small fitness room. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone, hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities.

DAY 3 Battlefield Cemeteries – VC Corner – British Sector We start today at the battlefield cemeteries at Rue Petillon and Le Trou, connected with operations at Fromelles in 1915 and 1916. We then visit the V.C. Corner Cemetery, and see the Cobbers Statue in the Fromelles Memorial Park. We then take a short walk along the British sector of the battlefield, seeing where the 61st (South Midland) Division fought. Lunchtime in Poperinghe. After lunch we travel via Hazebrouck and Nieppe Forest and look at the air war in this sector seeing where Major Mick Mannock VC was shot down at ‘Butter Lane’ in 1918, and see where he is believed to be buried. We end the

Le Touret Cemetery

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4BFF Sep 7 £289

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 4BFFV Oct 25 £325 Apr 19 2013 £329 Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £99; travel insurance from £31.95

5 DAYS FROM £399 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to the Reims area for a four-night stay.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

DAY 2 Miracle of the Marne – American Marines at Belleau Wood Our journey starts at La Ferte

Battlefield visits as described

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast

sous Jouarre. We see the British Memorial to the Missing of the 1914 campaign and the Royal Engineers Memorial. At Montreuil aux Lihons we visit British graves from September 1914, and at Chateau-Thierry see the huge American Memorial commemorating the 1918 battle. After lunch we follow the story of the US Marines in Belleau Wood. We then see the ‘Ghosts’ monument on the hillside at Butte de Chalmont, and look at British troops in the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918, visiting Raperie British Cemetery. We end the day in Soissons. B

cemetery in Europe with more than 14,000 graves. After lunch we travel to Verdun, to see the Ossuary at Douaumont; an imposing memorial which contains the bones of more than 120,000 soldiers who fell at Verdun in 1916. We then look at the battle of the Verdun forts. B

DAY 3 Champagne – Fort La Pompelle We start at Fort La

home. B

Pompelle; now a museum, it sat on the front line for four years. We then see where the French attacked at Mourmelon in 1915 and 1917, visiting French and German graves, and also the unique Russian Cemetery and Memorial. Lunchtime in Suippes, with extended time to visit the ChampagneMarne Museum, before visiting Navarin Farm and the American Memorial on Blanc Mont, set among Sommepy trenches and shell holes from 1918. B

DAY 4 Meuse-Argonne – Verdun At Vauquois, we see where a whole village was blown off a hillside following tunnelling operations by French and German troops. We then follow the US Advance in September 1918 to Romagne, visiting the War Museum, and nearby Meuse-Argonne War Cemetery – the largest American

FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach with extra legroom – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

DAY 5 To Calais and return Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Mercure Reims Expo, situated on the outskirts of Reims. The hotel offers a restaurant and bar plus lift. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone, hairdryer, and air-conditioning.

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FBRV Apr 9 (Easter) £399 Sep 10 Jun 25 £399 Apr 8 Jul 30 £399 Jun 17

£399 £399 2013 £399 2013

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £99; travel insurance from £31.95

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

10 Gallipoli by Air:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

BY AIR

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits and excursions as described 7 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast and 5 evening meals Return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow to Istanbul (Connections from Manchester to Heathrow available at a supplement from £100 per person)

Travel by air-conditioned coach SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

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

Gallipoli Landing Beaches

GALLIPOLI BATTLEFIELDS 8 DAYS FROM £989 The haunting Gallipoli battlefields, in the Dardanelles, are the grave of more than 30,000 British and Commonwealth troops. Today, it is a vast National Park commemorating those of both sides who fell there in 1915. Time has almost stood still for more 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 1915 campaign, and see many of the more off the beaten track sites not normally seen. Also, unlike many of our competitors, we actually stay on Gallipoli – at the Kum Hotel located between ANZAC and Cape Helles. Truly a unique experience for any serious battlefield enthusiast. DAY 1 Fly to Istanbul where we are met and transferred to our overnight hotel. DAY 2 Gabatepe and Helles Memorial Early departure for the four-hour journey to Gallipoli. We have lunch in Gallipoli town, overlooking the Dardanelles. Following check-in at our hotel, we visit the Helles Memorial to the Missing, where the vast majority of those who fell in 1915 are commemorated, seeing the Turkish gun battery. B,D

DAY 3 British Landings Cape Helles – Krithia We begin our look at Gallipoli by focusing on the landings on 25th April 1915. We start on the British sector, seeing where the River Clyde landed the men of the 29th Division on V Beach, Seddul Bair, and the nearby V Beach Cemetery. We then move on to Lancashire Landing, where the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers won six V.C.s before breakfast. (This visit requires some walking as the roads to the beach are not accessible by coach.)

At X Beach we see where HMS Implacable landed 2nd Royal Fusiliers, and have a picnic lunch before we look at the ground fought over by the British in the second phase of the campaign. B,D

DAY 4 ANZAC Beach – Lone Pine Continuing with our look at the 25th April landings we move north to ANZAC, where the Australians and New Zealanders landed. We visit ANZAC itself, spending the morning walking along the landing beach and seeing the battlefield and nearby military cemeteries. Picnic lunch at Lone Pine, where we look at the Australian attack and see the Lone Pine Memorial and Cemetery. We see where Albert Jacka became the first Australian to win the V.C. in WW1, and go to the Nek, where the Australian Light Horse suffered heavily in the August offensives – as graphically illustrated in the film ‘Gallipoli’. The day ends on the New Zealand battlefield at Chunuk Bair, seeing

preserved Turkish trenches. B,D

DAY 5 Suvla Bay – Shell Green In the morning we go up to Suvla Bay, seeing where some of the first British ‘Pals’ battalions came into action in August 1915. Here we study the landings and also look at the history of the ‘Lost Battalion’, the 1/5th Norfolks: the men from the Sandringham Royal estate who disappeared during the fighting at Suvla. We also visit the new Suvla Bay Museum in Anafarta. A picnic lunch will be available. In the afternoon we return to ANZAC and see the peaceful Shrapnel Valley Cemetery and take a walk up to Shell Green where the Australians played a game of cricket in full view of the Turks! B,D

DAY 6 Channakale – Troy We cross the Dardanelles to visit Channakale, seeing the military cemetery, with free time for some shopping and lunch. In the afternoon we travel to Troy, visiting the site of the famous siege and seeing the archaeological remains, before returning to Gallipoli. B,D

Preserved Turkish Trenches

YOUR FLIGHTS Flights are by British Airways from London Heathrow to Istanbul. Manchester flights are via Heathrow (supplement for Manchester departures is from £100 per person). All prices are subject to availability. Flight supplements may apply. Call for more details of flight prices and times.

DAY 7 Istanbul We depart our hotel and arrive in Istanbul at lunchtime. The afternoon is free to visit Istanbul city centre. B DAY 8 Fly back to the U.K. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast, D=Dinner

Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli

YOUR HOTEL Your first and last night will be at the 4-star Grand Anka Hotel or All Seasons in Istanbul. You will also stay for five nights at the 2-star Hotel Kum in Eceabat/Gelibolu, centrally located on the Gallipoli peninsula. Please see our website for further details.

This tour is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd.

BY AIR Tour Ref: K8TGL Sep 15 £989 May 18

2013

£989

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

11 Ypres & Norman:Layout 2

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Leger guests on the Normandy Beaches

British troops marching to the front

WALKING THE WALKING THE YPRES SALIENT D-DAY BEACHES 5 DAYS FROM £419 OF NORMANDY

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Ypres for a four-night stay. DAY 2 The Hills of Flanders – The Bluff

Walk 1: We start in the village of Locre, looking at the subject of soldiers ‘Shot At Dawn’. We then walk out to the site of Locre Hospice. From here we look at operations around Kemmel Hill in April 1918, climbing our way to the top of the hill, seeing the French cemetery, and crossing down into the village. Walk 2: We begin in the village of Voormezeele, and see the grave of George Llewllyn Davies, immortalised in ‘Peter Pan’. We then follow a route to the Ypres-Comines canal, and towards the Bluff. Seeing bunkers and battle-scarred remains of the canal. B

DAY 3 Messines Ridge – Behind The Lines Walk 3: We start in the village of ‘Whitesheet’, in the centre of the Messines Ridge then follow the site of fighting, seeing several small battlefield cemeteries, and a British bunker. In Messines we look at the fighting of 1914 and capture of the village in June 1917.

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE 5 Battlefield walks – each walk is approximately 3-4 hours 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

an optional visit to Nieuport, where the Western Front petered out on the beaches of North Belgium. B

DAY 5 To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Novotel in the centre of Ypres, near the Menin Gate and the market place. The hotel has a lift, bar, and restaurant. All bedrooms have a T.V., hairdryer and air-conditioning.

Walk 4: We look at the work of Casualty Clearing Stations at Brandhoek, seeing the grave of Captain Noel Chavasse VC & Bar and his memorial, before going to Hagle Dump. B

DAY 4 Broodseinde Ridge Walk 5: Our final walk starts at The Passchendaele Memorial Museum then we walk from the grounds of the Zonnebeke Chateau, through the village, and follow the old railway line up onto the Broodseinde Ridge then across to Tyne Cot Cemetery, to the visitors’ centre. In the afternoon, either take free time in Ypres, or join us on

Soliders at Ypres

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5BWY Jun 11 £419 Sep 24

£419

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5BWYV Jul 23 £479 May 6 2013 £479 Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £129; travel insurance from £31.95

5 DAYS FROM £379 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Caen for a four-night stay. DAY 2 Sword & Juno Beaches Walk 1: Our first walk starts on Sword Beach where the men of the 3rd Division landed on D-Day. We follow the route inland to Hermanville War Cemetery. We then walk out to the Hillman Bunker complex, captured by the Suffolk Regiment. Walk 2: We begin on Juno Beach at Bernieres-sur-Mer, seeing the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada House, then follow the Canadian assault inland to Tailleville ending with a visit to the Canadian War Cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer. B

DAY 3 Omaha Beach & St Mere Eglise Walk 3: We start at the huge American War Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. We walk down to the area where the 1st US Infantry Division came ashore seeing the German bunkers and memorials. We move on to Les Moulins, seeing the area where the men of the 29th Division landed, and finish at the ground around the Vierville Draw, immortalised in ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Walk 4: After lunch we travel to St. Mère Église and look at US Paratroop operations. We start at the Iron Mike Memorial at la Fiere, and walk across the marshland to Cauquigny, and then then to ‘Timmes Orchard’, where airborne troops held out for four days, ending with the story of the fighting for the key village of Amfreville. B

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

some of the highest British casualties on D-Day, and follow the landing beach to where the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) came ashore. We follow their route inland and end at Crepon where the Green Howards memorial is located. In the afternoon join us on an optional visit to Pegasus Bridge and Memorial Museum. B DAY 5 To Calais, then home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at either the 2-star Kyriad Caen Sud IFS or the 2-star Carline Caen Nord. See page 14 for hotel descriptions.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5FWN Jun 11 £379

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FWNV Aug 13 £429 Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £129; travel insurance from £31.95

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

12 Belgium & Dunkirk:Layout 2

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Tournai 1940

Visit the museum at Todt Battery

THE BATTLEFIELDS DUNKIRK & OF BELGIUM FORTRESS EUROPE 5 DAYS FROM £299

– WWI, WWII & WATERLOO 5 DAYS FROM £319 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then onwards to Belgium for four nights. DAY 2 First Shots – Blitzkrieg We begin at Mons where the first shots of the war were fired by the British Army in August 1914. We see the memorial to the 4th Dragoon Guards, and visit Nimy Bridge where the first two Victoria Crosses were won. We then see the unique St Symphorien Cemetery, where the first and the last British casualties of WWI are buried. Lunchtime in Mons. In the afternoon, we travel to Waterloo and look at the battle of June 1815. We see the Lion Mound and Visitors Centre. B

DAY 3 Flanders Fields We start the day at the In Flanders Fields US Cemetery, where the American soldiers who fell in Flanders in 1918 are buried. We then travel to Tyne Cot, to see the largest British cemetery and visitors centre. Lunch at Hooge. At Essex Farm we see where Canadian poet John McCrae wrote the immortal ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem in May 1915, and then travel up to Diksmuide to visit the Trenches of Death where the Belgian army fought during 1914-18. At nearby Vladslo we see some unique statues in the German cemetery, carved by the mother of a soldier buried there. The day ends in Ypres, where we attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. B

DAY 4 Tournai – Operation Switchback Moving on to WW2, at Tournai we look at the British Army’s defence of this ground in May 1940 against the German Blitzkrieg, seeing the 1940 graves and the Escaut Canal. We then travel to northern Belgium and visit the Adeghem Canadian War Museum. In the afternoon we look at the advance of allied troops in Belgium

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

during September and October 1944. We examine Operation Switchback, the Canadian landings in Northern Belgium and the crossing of the Leopold Canal, the Canadian War Cemetery at Adeghem, the canal near Eede and nearby memorial and also the beach where the Canadians landed on another ‘D-Day’. B

DAY 5 To Calais, then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Flanders Lodge Hotel in Ypres. The hotel has a bar and restaurant and all bedrooms have T.V. and telephone.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5BWW Jun 11 £319

DAY 2 Dunkirk; Ypres and the Last Post Ceremony Discover the

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

‘miracle’ of the withdrawal at Dunkirk and visit the site of the old mole, including the area of the Dunes where the ‘small ships’ came to prominence. Then study the fighting in and around Calais – the ‘Last Stand’ – seeing the museum in Parc St. Pierre, the Citadel, Fort Neuilly, the Cathedral Bunker and Fort Lapin. In the evening, join our optional excursion to Ypres, to attend the moving Last Post Ceremony at the magnificent Menin Gate Memorial. B

Battlefield visits as described

DAY 3 Coastal Defences We examine the sites once containing huge guns and missiles designed to fire directly across to Britain. See sites at Sangatte, Cap Blanc Nez, Cap Gris Nez, the museum at Todt Battery with its immense Railway Gun and the V3 London Cannon site at Mimoyeques (Mimoyeques site opens 16 Apr - 16 Oct due to bat hibernation site. we can still visit outside of the site). In addition, you’ll visit the V2 complex at Eperlecques. B After a visit to the massacre site at Wormhout, we see the little known V1 (‘buzz bomb’) fixed launch area near Hazebrouck. Continue to the Belgian resort of Ostend where the Atlantic Wall Museum summarises the strength of the Festung Europa – Fortress Europe. B

DAY 5 La Coupole We explore

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5BWWV £379 Sep 10 £389 Apr 29

WHAT’S INCLUDED

2013

4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

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

DAY 4 Wormhout and Ostend

YOUR HOTEL

Apr 30 Jul 16

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

£389 £389

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

this former V2 base and museum, then onto Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights in the historic town of Lo, just over the French border in Belgium at the Hotel Oude Abdij which translates as ‘Old Abbey’.

Hotel Oude Abdij (Old Abbey)

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5BDK Jun 4 Oct 1

£325 Jun 3 £299

2013

£329

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5BDKV Jul 16 Aug 20

£389 Oct 22 £379 Apr 1

2013

£359 £369

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £65; travel insurance from £31.95

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

13 Maginot & Bulge:Layout 2

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Page 1

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

NEW

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Troops during the Battle of the Bulge

Villy la Ferte 1940

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

THE MAGINOT LINE

4 DAYS FROM £269

5 DAYS FROM £299

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Liège for a three-night stay. DAY 2 The Bulge We travel to the northern shoulder of ‘The Bulge’, visiting the American War Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle. Next, we take the route of ‘Kampfgruppe Peiper’of the 1st SS Panzer Division through Bullingen, Thirimont, Baugnez (scene of the Malmedy massacre) and Ligneuville to Stavelot, where we ‘halt’ for the chance to take lunch. In the afternoon, we journey through Trois Ponts to visit the superb Battle of the Bulge Museum at La Gleize. We travel on via Stoumont (the end of Peiper’s route), ending the day at Werbomont and the memorial to the 82nd United States Airborne Division. B

WHAT’S INCLUDED

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

WHAT’S INCLUDED

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

DAY 2 Eben Emael & Fort d’Aubin-Neufchâteau We begin this

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Battlefield visits as described

fortifications tour in Belgium and see the 1930s Liège forts used to defend Belgium against the Blitzkrieg. We start at the famous Eben Emael, assaulted by German Airborne troops in gliders. After lunch we see the heavily fought over Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau, completely surrounded in May 1940. We then travel through the Belgian Ardennes, scene of the Blitzkrieg in May 1940, and into France to our mainstay hotel in Mexy, near the border with Luxembourg. B

Battlefield visits as described

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

DAY 3 Ouvrage Fermont & Villy la Ferte We start our look at the

home. B

3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

REDUCED PRICES FOR CHILDREN On selected dates Call for details

DAY 3 Bastogne, Bure and Bande We travel to Houffalize, where we make a brief stop at the German Cemetery at Recogne. We have time for lunch in the town of Bastogne before entering the British Sector to see Bure and then Bande, the location of the infamous roadside cellar massacre, by the SS. We also visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Hotton. B

DAY 4 To Calais then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

An American Sherman tank

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three nights at the 4-star Alliance Hotel in Liège. The hotel is only a few minutes’ walk from the historical centre. The hotel has a lift, bar, restaurant, heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, steambath and fitness club. All bedrooms have a T.V., telephone, hairdryer and tea/coffee-making facilities.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4BBM Jul 20 £275 Sep 21 Aug 24 £269

£279

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 4BBMV Oct 18 £329 Apr 19 Mar 14 2013 £319

2013

£329

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £85; travel insurance from £31.95

Maginot Line at Ouvrage Fermont. This massive system of bunkers and tunnels came under attack in May 1940. We descend in the original lifts, travel on an old ammunition train and see the fighting bunkers during our morning’s guided tour of the site. In the afternoon we see Villy la Ferte, a smaller Maginot Line complex which saw heavy fighting in May 1940. The site has been left as it was, with antitank rails, barbed wire and bunkers showing wartime damage. B

DAY 4 Ouvrage Immerhof & Ouvrage Hackenberg Today we continue with our look at the classic Maginot Line locations with a visit to Ouvrage Immerhof. Sited in the Thionville sector, it was built in the early 1930s with an extensive system of infantry and combat bunkers. In an excellent state of preservation we spend the morning visiting the whole site. In the afternoon we travel to Ouvrage Hackenberg. Set on high ground, this is the largest fortification on the whole Maginot Line. We continue our look at British troops in this area with a visit to the cemetery

DAY 5 To Calais, then return Included Meals: B=Breakfast Please note: the Maginot Forts we visit on this tour are deep underground, can be cold and there are numerous steps, therefore this tour does involve some walking. Due to the large size of these forts visits typically take 90-120 minutes and are fully guided.

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three-nights at the 3-star Ibis Longwy Mexy. The hotel has a restaurant and bar. All bedrooms have T.V. and telephone. Your overnight stay in Liège will be in a city-style hotel.

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5FML Oct 8 £299

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FMLV Jul 16 Aug 13 Sep 3,24

£389 Apr 22 £389 May 20 £389 Jun 10

2013 2013 2013

£379 £389 £389

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £85; travel insurance from £31.95

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

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

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

D-DAY LANDINGS IN NORMANDY 4 DAYS FROM £229 • 5 DAYS FROM £339 See the landing beaches and battlegrounds, military cemeteries and museums of the single biggest invasion force ever assembled. DAY 1 Depart from your chosen local joining point and travel to the Channel port for the crossing to France. We continue into Normandy for a three or four-night stay.

DAY 2 The British Sector Included battlefield visit beginning in the British Sector, studying some of the initial landings by the brave 6th Airborne Divison, visiting Pegasus Bridge, heroically taken by Major John Howard and his men – see Café Gondré and the Pegasus Memorial Museum. We then pay our respects at Ranville Commonwealth Cemetery and at Bréville Ridge, an important

sector of high ground. Our guide tells the story of the battles for the eastern flank and the battles for Caen. Prior to time for lunch in Ouistreham, we visit the Merville Gun Battery, which was disarmed at great cost by the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment under the brilliant command of Lt. Col. Terence Otway D.S.O. in the early hours of 6 June. It is now a superbly restored museum. In the afternoon we visit Sword Beach where the British 3rd infantry division, accompanied by commandos, landed. B

4-DAY break only We also visit Juno Beach and then conclude the day at Arromanches, with its fine Mulberry Harbour Museum. 5-DAY break only We conclude the day with a visit to the Grand Bunker Museum at Ouistreham before moving onto the German underground defensive bunkers, codenamed ‘Hillman’.

DAY 3 The American Sector We enter the highly emotive American Sector, visiting the American Cemetery overlooking tragic Omaha Beach, and the beach itself, walking in the footsteps of these brave young men. We also visit the Airborne Museum in Ste. Mère Église, the scene of some of the tragic landings of the U.S. Paras, the Screaming Eagles and the AllAmericans. In the afternoon we see Utah Beach where the U.S. Infantry landed to link with the Paratroopers to secure the Cherbourg Peninsula and make a stop at the German Peace Garden Cemetery, where 21,000 fallen from the Normandy Campaign are buried. Before returning to our hotel we also visit the headland of Pointe du Hoc, courageously taken by the American Rangers. B

to the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Bayeux. B

DAY 4 (4-day break) or DAY 5 (5-day break) To Calais then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three or four nights at either the 2-star Kyriad Caen Sud IFS or the 2-star Hotel Carline Caen Nord, both situated on the outskirts of Caen. Both hotels have a bar and restaurant, and the Hotel Carline has a lift. The Kyriad has no lift, but rooms are only on two floors. All bedrooms have a T.V. and telephone. Due to demand, other hotels of a similar standard may be used.

4-DAY break only We also include a visit to see the huge guns at the Battery at Longues-sur-Mer. DAY 4 (5-day break only) British & Canadian Sector

Veterans at the Merville Battery

We return to the British/Canadian Sector looking at Juno and Gold Beaches, spending time on the Landing beaches, visiting memorials and studying some of the beach defences, with a stop at Courseulles the centre of operations for Juno Beach. We then move on to Gold Beach landing area, hearing the story of the only Victoria Cross of D-Day won by CSM Stan Hollis, following his story inland to the Mulberry Harbour museum. From Arromanches we move on to the preserved German coastal battery at Longues-sur-Mer where you will be able to see the guns and Command Post featured in the film ‘The Longest Day’. We conclude our day with a visit

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

See the Sherman Tank

14 and 15 D-Day Landings Day After:Layout 1

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WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Page 2

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

UPGRADE TO SILVER SERVICE FOR LUXURY COACH TRAVEL AND ENJOY ADDED BENEFITS

I can thoroughly recommend any of these tours and I personally have been returning with my own group of veterans and their relatives for many a year.

Extra legroom for your added comfort

Saint Lo

Spacious rear lounge

THE DAYS AFTER D-DAY

Porterage at your hotel See page 4 for full details.

Sergeant Gordon Newton CLH, 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment, who took part in the assault on the Merville Battery on 6 June 1944.

5 DAYS FROM £389 4-DAY BREAK EXECUTIVE COACH

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

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

Oct 18 Mar 14 Apr 19 May 3 May 30 Jun 28

£275 £229 2013 £269 2013 £279 2013 £279 2013 £289 2013

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 4FDNV Jul 20 £325 Feb 21 2013 Aug 9 £325 Mar 14 2013 Oct 25 £299 Mar 28 2013 Apr 5,19 2013

£269 £279 £289 £299

5-DAY BREAK EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 5FDN Apr 16 £359 Apr 15 2013 £359 Jul 2 £359 May 27 2013 £359 Aug 20 £349 Jun 10 2013 £359 Sep 3 £355 Sep 24 £355

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FDNV May 21 £425 Jun 11,25 £425 Jul 16 £415 Jul 23,30 £415 Aug 13,27 £415 Sep 17 £415 Oct 8,22 £399 Feb 18 2013 £339 Mar 11 2013 £359 Memorial at Juno Beach

Mar 25 Apr (easter) Apr 8 Apr 29 May 13 May 27 Jun 3 Jul 1

£375 2013 £389 2013 £389 2013 £399 2013 £419 2013 £419 2013 £429 2013 £429 2013

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

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to the Caen area for four nights. DAY 2 American Sector, Operation Cobra, Mortain Offensive We follow the American Breakout – or Montgomery’s famed breakout in the West and the push from Omaha and Utah Beaches which culminated in the Battle for St. Lo and ‘Operation Cobra’. We travel down to Avranches via St. Lo and the Perriers road to see the start of the battle for Brittany and to visit the American cemetery at St. James. Then we move on to the American stand at Mortain where they thwarted the German ‘Operation Luttich’. B DAY 3 Operation Epsom, Operation Martlett, Operation Bluecoat We study some of Montgomery’s ill-fated attempts to take the city of Caen. With visits to Hill 112 – ‘Operation Epsom’ and its protective flank ‘Operation Martlett’ at Fontenay-le-Pesnel where we see the 49th Division Memorial and War cemetery. Lunchtime finds us in Villers Bocage where we investigate the story of Michael Wittman and his encounter with ‘The Desert Rats’. We will also visit the town of Tilly-sur-Seulles, taken and re-taken 23 times and its nearby cemetery at ‘Jerusalem’ crossroads. We also take the opportunity of studying ‘Operation Bluecoat’; one of Montgomery’s breakout battles towards Mont Pincon. B DAY 4 Operation Goodwood, Falaise Road We continue with the inland battle of ‘Operation Goodwood’, Montgomery’s final battle for Caen. We take the opportunity to visit either the

WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service – see page 4 for full details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

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 from the battlefields of Normandy. We drive and walk along the ‘Corridor of Death’, the route of the German escape, through the villages of Tournai and St. Lambert – where we hear the story of Major Currie VC. We end the day at the Polish Memorial at Montormel, the scene of the Polish stand – isolated without food and ammunition for three days. B DAY 5 To Calais then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at the the 2-star Kyriad Caen Sud IFS. See page 16 for description.

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5FDAV Apr 16 £389 Oct 22 Jul 2 £399 May 20

£389 2013 £389

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £99; travel insurance from £31.95.

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

16 Op Gard & Arnhem:Layout 2

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SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

Troops landing, 1944

Arnhem Landings, 1944

ARNHEM & THE OPERATION MARKET RHINE CROSSING GARDEN & ARNHEM 5 DAYS FROM £399 DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Arnhem-Velp for a two-night stay.

4 DAYS FROM £319

WHAT’S INCLUDED

DAY 2 Arnhem – Battle for the

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE

Bridges We begin at the Ginkel Heath

Battlefield visits as described

drop zone and follow the route towards Arnhem. En route to the battle site for the Oosterbeek perimeter we visit the Airborne Museum; Oosterbeek Church and Baskeyfield VC Memorial. We then follow the ‘lower road’ into Arnhem. B

4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast and 2 evening meals

DAY 3 River Rhine, Rees, Wesel and Hamminkeln En route to the Ahr Valley for a two-night stay, we travel south to the March 1945 British crossings at Rees, Wesel, Rhine and Hamminkeln. Our first stop is Nijmegen, where we study the start of battles for the Rhine. Then to the Rhine Crossing at Wesel, ‘Operation Plunder’. After lunch in Wesel we visit the airborne landings of ‘Operation Varsity’. B,D

FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

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

DAY 2 Ysselsteyn, and Nijmegen and Groesbeek Liberation Museum Today we see the German Cemetery at Ysselsteyn, before passing through Son, Veghel and Uden to Grave for a brief stop. We then travel to Nijmegen, where you can spend time at leisure or join our optional excursion in the afternoon to the National Liberation Museum at Groesbeek, which overlooks the Landing Zones of the American 82nd Airborne Division. During the tour we also see the Groesbeek Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, which contains the memorial bearing the names of 1103 Commonwealth Servicemen (many lost at Arnhem) who have no known grave. B

DAY 3 Oosterbeek & Arnhem Today is devoted to exploring Heelsum and Wolfheze before continuing to the bridge at Arnhem, which was defended by the British 1st Airborne Division. We then see St. Elizabeth Hospital, the scene of bitter fighting, and Acacialaan, where Sgt. Baskeyfield won his V.C., before arriving at the 1st Airborne Museum. Housed in the Hartenstein Hotel at Oosterbeek, this was the headquarters of the Arnhem Division. B

DAY 4 Remagen – The Rhine Crossing We travel to Meckenheim, where we pick up the route of the American 9th Armoured Division and its dash for the bridge at Remagen, and visit the museum. After time for lunch in the town, we travel down the Rhine to cross over and visit the tunnel and heights of Erpel, which controlled the Remagen Bridge, to study the German aspect of the battle. B,D

DAY 5 To Calais and return

DAY 4 To Calais and return

home. B

Included Meals: B=Breakfast

Airborne Museum, Arnhem

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for two nights at the 4-star Golden Tulip Arnhem-Velp, Holland, or similar. The hotel has a lounge, bar and excellent restaurant with terrace. Sauna and Turkish bath are available free of charge. All bedrooms have a telephone, T.V., tea/coffee-making facilities and

DAY 1 Local departure by coach then onwards to Arnhem-Velp for a three-night stay.

Included Meals: B=Breakfast

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 3 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – upgrade to Silver Service deluxe coach available – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for three nights in the 4-star Golden Tulip Hotel in ArnhemVelp or similar. The hotel has a lounge, bar and excellent restaurant with terrace. Sauna and Turkish bath are available free of charge. All bedrooms have a telephone, T.V., tea/coffeemaking facilities and hairdryer. The hotel has two floors and does not have a lift.

REDUCED PRICES FOR CHILDREN On selected dates. Call for details

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 4HMG May 25 £319 Sep 21 Jul 20 £319 Jun 14

2013

£319 £329

SILVER SERVICE

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 5GARV Oct 8 £415 Apr 29 Mar 25 2013 £399 Jun 3

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Tour Ref: 4HMGV 2013 2013

£429 £429

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £65; travel insurance from £31.95

Oct 18 Mar 14 German cemetery at Ysselsteyn

2013

£349 Apr 19 £349

2013

£359

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £59; travel insurance from £31.95

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

17 Set Europe Ablaze:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

NEW

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits: GAFF & Pithiviers; Brive-la-Gaillarde & the French Resistance; Bordeaux & Operation FRANKTON; Oradour-sur-Glane 6 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach – See page 4 for details SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

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

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

‘SET EUROPE ABLAZE’ S.O.E, S.A.S. & THE FRENCH RESISTANCE 7 DAYS FROM £529

At the same time a little-known French General, Charles de Gaulle, urged his countrymen to resist the Nazi invaders. The period of 1941 to early 1944 was one of intense struggle against a hostile occupying force and a battle to establish proper ‘circuits’ within the interior of France to pave the way for the anticipated invasion. When that great day dawned on June 6th 1944, a new unit entered the fray; the Special Air Service. Having proved itself in the Desert battles of 1941-43, it was expanded into two Regiments and was to play a key role in the liberation of France in 1944. This new tour follows some of the early SAS missions, visiting the sites of action and paying tribute to the fallen. We also follow some of the events surrounding the actions of the Resistance. DAY 1 Local departure by coach, then to the Rouen area for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 Operation GAFF & Pithiviers We leave Rouen and head

Resupply drop, France 1944

first to La-Roche-Guyon. We look at the S.A.S. mission (‘Operation GAFF’) to kill or capture General Erwin Rommel at his Headquarters at LaRoche-Guyon. We later continue to the Pithiviers area to Chambon-laForet Cemetery, to see the grave of Major Ian Fenwick S.A.S. who was killed in August 1944 and at Chilleursaux-Bois Cemetery are the graves of two S.A.S. Troopers who were killed in a German ambush in August 1944. They were all part of ‘Operation GAIN’. After a lunch stop near

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

DAY 3 Brive-la-Gaillarde & the French Resistance We spend time in the Brive-la-Gaillarde and Tulle area. We start with a visit to the French Resistance Museum which is dedicated to Edmond Michelet, a renowned resistance fighter and politician. We trace the path of the 2nd S.S. ‘Das Reich’ Panzer Division through this part of France and the efforts of the French Resistance to delay it. Caught up in one of the ‘sweeps’ of the surrounding countryside was the now famous S.O.E. agent, Violet Szabo. We look at the actions that led to her capture. B

DAY 4 Bordeaux & Operation FRANKTON Today we enjoy a visit to the city of Bordeaux and one of its Military Museums (Centre National Jean Moulin), with the chance to explore this important historical place. We also look at ‘Operation FRANKTON’, the mission by Royal Marines to destroy German shipping in the harbour in1942. B

DAY 5 Oradour-sur-Glane Today we visit the remembrance village of Oradour-sur-Glane, scene of an infamous massacre of the villagers by German S.S. troops in 1944. The village has been left exactly as it was during the war. We learn about the events of this fateful day before returning to Limoges and the chance to visit the Musée de la Resistance et de la Deportation in Limoges. You will also have time for last-minute shopping in the town. B

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

HU 16541

With these words, on the 19th July 1940, Winston Churchill gave the newly created Special Operations Executive the go ahead to conduct subversive operations in Europe in support of Britain’s war effort.

S.O.E. agent, Violet Szabo the 2nd S.S. Panzer Division and the disastrous consequences it had for one of the Squadrons in the Verrières area near Poitiers and a visit to the Rom Communal Cemetery where many of them are buried. We continue to our hotel in the Paris area for the night. B

DAY 7 To Calais and return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for four nights at the 2-star Hotel Du Parc. The hotel has a restaurant and bar. All bedrooms have T.V. and telephone. Your overnight stay in Rouen will be in a minimum 2-star hotel, while your overnight stay in Paris will be in a city-style hotel.

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 7FSAV Jun 11 £559 Apr 27 Sep 8 £559 Jun 8 Oct 22 £529

2013 2013

£559 £559

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £139; travel insurance from £41.95.

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

18 Colditz Dambusters:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELDS GUIDE Battlefield visits as described 8 nights’ accommodation with 8 continental breakfasts FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

UPGRADE TO SILVER SERVICE SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

FOR LUXURY COACH TRAVEL AND ENJOY ADDED BENEFITS Extra legroom for your added comfort

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

COLDITZ, DAMBUSTERS & THE GREAT ESCAPE 9 DAYS FROM £649 Honouring the commitment and spirit of the RAF during WWII, this poignant reminder of the RAF’s contribution visits the Rhur Valley, Dresden, Zagan, Berlin and Swiss Saxony and allows time for Personal Cemetery Visits at Rheinburg, Reichswald, Bergen-op-Zoom , Steenburgen and The Berlin War Cemetery. DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Holland for an overnight stay. DAY 2 Ruhr Valley and Rheinberg En route to our overnight stay in Jena we visit the Möhne Dam, in the Ruhr Valley, which was heroically breached by the Lancasters of 617 Squadron in

1943. We also visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Rheinberg. B DAY 3 Colditz We visit the castle and museum at Colditz (entrance and guided tour extra). Hear the story of the ‘Red Fox’, Mike Sinclair, killed on an escape attempt, and also Douglas Bader, plus many more. Then on to Dresden for some free time and a twonight stay. B DAY 4 The Dresden Raids and Swiss Saxony Uncover the tumultuous history of the great city of Dresden. During the war it suffered almost complete destruction, but has since been painstakingly restored to its former glory. On our optional excursion to the Swiss Saxony area you will come across the Bastai, a spectacular rock formation towering 194 metres above the Elbe River. B

DAY 5 Zagan We cross the border to visit Zagan, the Polish camp from where ‘The Great Escape’ was planned, then travel on to Berlin for a two-night stay. B DAY 6 Battle for Berlin At the Berlin War Cemetery, we pause for reflection at the graves of many RAF crews shot down over the city. We also see the remains of the Anhalter Bahnhof. An equally poignant reminder of the war is the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (memorial church), a ruin amongst the wealth of the Ku-Damm shopping area. Join us on our optional Berlin by Night tour, where we visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. B

Spacious rear lounge Deluxe, reclining seats Porterage at your hotel See page 4 for full details.

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE: Pre-book 4 evening meals to be taken at your hotel in Dresden and Berlin £59 per person

YOUR HOTEL You will stay overnight in Holland at the NH Konigshof or similar, in Veldhoven, near Eindhoven, followed by one-night at the 4-star Best Western in Jena, then two nights at the 3-star Ramada Resident Hotel in Dresden or similar. You will then spend two nights at the 3-star H2 Berlin Alexanderplatz or similar, overnight at the 4-star Golden Tulip in Arnhem-Velp, or similar and finally overnight at a citystyle hotel in Belgium. The Möhne Dam was destroyed by British bombers

DAY 7 We cross Germany into Holland for an overnight stay in the Arnhem area. B DAY 8 Arnhem and Dambusters To Arnhem, which was the site of the famous and controversial ‘Operation Market Garden’. We then visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Reichswald. Later, we visit Bergen-op-Zoom Cemetery. Afterwards, we travel to Steenburgen to see the famous Dambuster Memorial and the graves of Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC and Jim Warwick. Then travel to our hotel in Belgium for an overnight stay. B DAY 9 To Calais and return home. B

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

Free personal headphones with a choice of music & DVDs

Included Meals: B=Breakfast

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

The Möhne Dam

EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 9GCZ Sep 1

£649 Jun 8

2013

£659

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 9GCZV May 12 £789 Sep 29 Jun 16 £789 Oct 20 Jul 7 £789 Apr 20 Aug 4 £789 May 18 Sep 8 £789

£769 £739 2013 £699 2013 £799

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £169; travel insurance from £44.95

19 Hitlers Capitals:Layout 2

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Page 1

WHAT’S INCLUDED

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE Historical visits as described 8 or 11 nights’ accommodation with 8 or 11 continental breakfasts FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by executive coach – Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

UPGRADE TO SILVER SERVICE FOR LUXURY COACH TRAVEL AND ENJOY ADDED BENEFITS Extra legroom for your added comfort

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

HITLER’S CAPITALS

Free personal headphones with a choice of music & DVDs Spacious rear lounge Deluxe, reclining seats Porterage at your hotel

THE RISE & FALL OF THE THIRD REICH 9 DAYS FROM £629 • 12 DAYS FROM £989 Discover the haunting story of the rise and fall of the Third Reich from 1923 to 1945 through the historic sites and places of Hitler’s capitals; Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin. 9-DAY ITINERARY Munich & Nuremberg DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Belgium for an overnight stay. DAY 2 To Bad Aibling, near Munich, for a three-night stay. B DAY 3 Munich Munich was the birthplace of National Socialism, and Hitler’s attempt to seize power in the Beer Hall, Putsch. We tour the areas of Nazi influence, including the route of the Putsch to the Feldherrnhalle, and the sites of the former Nazi Headquarters, the ‘Brown House’ and the Königsplatz parade ground. B DAY 4 Berchtesgaden We travel to Hitler’s town capital at Berchtesgaden, the Nazi enclave, the National Redoubt. We also visit the ‘Eagle’s Nest’, commissioned by Martin Bormann on behalf of the Nazi Party as a present for Hitler’s 50th birthday. We see, too, the site of Hitler’s former home, the Berghof. B

former parade grounds and stadiums. The city was chosen as the site for the famous ‘Nuremberg Trials’ and we see the famous court house where many Nazis, including Goering and Hess, were tried. B DAY 7 The Rhine We travel north to the River Rhine. Join an optional cruise on the majestic river with lunch included. Overnight in the Rhine or Moselle area. B DAY 8 The Ardennes Offensive We travel through the Ardennes Forest, the area used by Hitler during the winter of 1944/1945 in his last attempt to divide and defeat the Allies as they advanced towards Germany. The operation, known as the ‘Battle of the Bulge’, was to cause major problems to the Allies. Overnight stay in Belgium. B DAY 9 To Calais, then return home. B

Also including Berlin DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to Belgium for an overnight stay. DAY 2 Travel across Germany to Berlin for three nights. B DAY 3 Berlin Full day in and around Berlin. We visit the Wannsee Conference Centre (entrance is approximately €2 per person, subject to modern day conferences not taking place) where the infamous meeting took place that determined the ‘Final Solution’ and fate of European Jews. B DAY 4 Nazi Berlin We look at the story of Hitler’s rise and fall, visiting the Reichstag Building, the Olympic Stadium and Bell Tower, Brandenburg Gate and the former Chancellery area, standing above Hitler’s bunker. We then discover the Topography of Terror (notorious SS/Gestapo areas) and the Karlshorst Museum – the former Soviet HQ and location of the Third Reich surrender. B DAYS 5 TO 12 As days 2 to 9 of the 9-day tour. 8xB Included Meals: B=Breakfast Please Note: the running order of the above itineraries may differ.

YOUR HOTEL

DAY 5 Munich; Dachau Free time in the beautiful city of Munich, rebuilt in its original style after the ravages of the war. In the afternoon we visit Dachau, one of the first true Concentration Camps – a moving reminder of the brutality of National Socialism and all that it entailed. We then travel on to Nuremberg or Bayreuth for a two-night stay. B DAY 6 Nuremberg Full day in and around the city Hitler considered to be the ‘Capital of the Party’, seeing examples of Nazi architecture, the

12-DAY ITINERARY

Munich

You will stay for three nights at the 3-star Hotel Johannisbad in Bad Aibling, 40 miles from Munich, followed by two nights at the 3-star Ramada Landhotel in Nuremberg or the 4-star Ramada Residenzschloss Hotel in Bayreuth. Your overnight stay in the Rhine or Moselle area will be in a minimum 2-star hotel. Overnight stays in Belgium will be in city-style hotels. The 12-day tour will also stay for three nights at the 3-star H2 Berlin Alexanderplatz, or similar, on days 2 to 4.

See page 4 for full details.

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE – PRE-PURCHASE YOUR MEAL PACKAGE 9-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

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

9-DAY TOUR EXECUTIVE COACH Tour Ref: 9GHC Jun 16 £629

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 9GHCV Jul 28 Sep 29

£799 Jun 15 £799

2013

£799

12-DAY TOUR SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 12GHCV May 28 £989 May 20 Jul 23 £989

2013

£995

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)

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

Travel Door-to-Door 12-day holiday only – call for more details

20 Anne Franks Butcher:Layout 2

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Page 1

WHAT’S INCLUDED

SPECIALIST BATTLEFIELD GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE Historical visits as described 11 nights’ accommodation with 11 continental breakfasts FREE local joining points – please call for your nearest Travel by Silver Service deluxe coach with extra legroom – See page 4 for details Please note: entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

TRAVEL BY SILVER SERVICE LUXURY COACH WITH ADDED BENEFITS

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

THE STORY OF ANNE FRANK & OSCAR SCHINDLER

Extra legroom for your added comfort Free personal headphones with a choice of music & DVDs Spacious rear lounge Deluxe, reclining seats Porterage at your hotel See page 4 for full details.

12 DAYS FROM £929 A moving and thought-provoking journey of remembrance. DAY 1 Local departure by coach then to the Noordwijkerhout area, near Amsterdam for an overnight stay. DAY 2 Anne Frank’s House Today we follow the story of the Frank Family with a visit to Anne Frank’s House. The Frank family went into hiding in the ‘secret annexe’ of their home on 6th July 1942 and stayed for 25 months until their betrayal on 4th August 1944. The former hiding place, where Anne Frank wrote her diary, is now a museum, recounting the history of the eight people in hiding and those who helped them during the war. Anne Frank’s diary is among the original objects on display. After, we travel on to the Hannover or Hahnenklee area for the night. B

DAY 3 Bergen-Belsen and Anne Frank’s Memorial Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, were taken to BergenBelsen concentration camp where thousands were dying of hunger and sickness daily. Today, all that remains on the site is a graveyard. We pause to pay our respects, seeing the memorial dedicated to Anne Frank and her sister, who both died at Bergen-Belsen. Onward travel to Berlin for a threenight stay. B DAY 4 Berlin and the Final Solution We spend today in and around Berlin where we visit the Wannsee Conference Centre (entrance is approximately €2 per person and entry is subject to modern day conferences not taking place) where the infamous meeting took place that determined the ‘Final Solution’ and fate of European Jews. B DAY 5 German Resistance and the Holocaust Memorial We see the new Holocaust monument and several sites associated with Jewish culture. This memorial is in the heart of Berlin, near the German Parliament Building and the famous Brandenburg Gate. We also spend time exploring where modern Berlin fuses with Cold War Berlin: the Allied Museum, Check Point Charlie, the remains of the Berlin Wall and Glienicke Bridge, where East and West swapped spies. B DAY 6 We travel to Krakow for a three-night stay. B

Auschwitz

DAY 7 The Oscar Schindler Story and Kasimirsh We visit some of the sites used by Oscar Schindler in his remarkable attempt to save the lives of

his workers. Oscar Schindler spent millions to protect and save his Jews and died penniless, but he earned the everlasting gratitude of the Schindler-Jews. B DAY 8 Auschwitz A site of great significance to the Holocaust, we visit Auschwitz, seen as the central point in the plan to exterminate a whole race. In June 1942, the biggest murder campaign in history began, when the Nazis began their plot to systematically destroy the entire Jewish population of Europe. The great majority of Jews deported to Auschwitz – men, women and children – were immediately sent to their deaths in the gas chambers. An extremely moving day. B DAY 9 We travel to Prague for an overnight stay. B DAY 10 The Heydrich Story and Nuremberg Reinhard Heydrich was one of Hitler’s most ruthless Nazis, second in importance only to Heinrich Himmler in the SS organisation, and the principle planner of the Final Solution. We briefly cover his story as we pass through the Czech Republic. On arrival in Nuremberg, we look into the War Crimes Trials and see the court house used to administer justice to many who took part. We stay tonight in Nuremberg or Bayreuth. B DAY 11 Travel through the Rhine Valley to Belgium for an overnight stay. B DAY 12 To Calais, then return home. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast

Travel Door-to-Door call for more details

Anne Frank’s House, Amsterdam

YOUR HOTEL You’ll stay overnight at the 3-star NH Leeuwenhorst or similar, to the west of Amsterdam, followed by the 4-star Ramada Hotel Britannia or the 3-star Ramada Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hahnenklee. In Berlin, you’ll stay for three nights at the 3-star H2 Berlin Alexanderplatz or simular. You then stay for three nights at the 3-star Holiday Inn Express or similar in Krakow. In Prague you will stay at the 3-star Hotel Belvedere or the 3-star Ibis Mala Strana and then you’ll will stay overnight at the 3-star Ramada Landhotel in Nuremberg or the 4-star Ramada Residenzschloss Hotel in Bayreuth. Overnight stay in Belgium will be in a city-style hotel.

SILVER SERVICE Tour Ref: 12RFSV Apr 30 £939 Oct 1 Jul 23 £969 May 6 Aug 13 £969 Jul 29

2013 2013

£929 £949 £989

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £249; travel insurance from £46.95

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

21 Italian Campaign by Air:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED Specialist Battlefield Guide Battlefield visits and excursions as described 7 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast, 7 evening meals and 1 lunch Return flights to Rome Airport transfers in Italy All airport taxes Travel by air-conditioned coach Please Note: Entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

NEW ITINERARY FOR 2012 Sangro River War Cemetery

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN 8 DAYS FROM £839 Italy was considered the ‘soft under-belly’ of the Third Reich, but saw some of the toughest fighting in WW2. During two years, more than 50,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers fell on battlefields like Anzio, Cassino, Salerno and the Sangro. Join us on our fly-tour to look at these key battle sites. DAY 1 Fly from your chosen airport to Rome where you’ll be met and transferred to Cassino for a seven-night stay. D DAY 2 Salerno & Caserta We start our tour at Salerno, where British forces landed in 1943. We see the beach-head, and the Roman Ruins where the Americans fought. We visit Salerno War Cemetery, seeing the grave of the great-grandson of the Duke of Wellington, and then go to the beach-head area, seeing where the British and American troops landed, before taking lunch close to the Greek-Roman ruins at Paestum. In the afternoon, we travel to Caserta, Sherman Tank Memorial at Cassino

visiting the War Cemetery, looking at the story of Yorkshire and England cricketer, Hedley Verity, and see the Caserta Palace, where General Alexander had his headquarters. B,D DAY 3 Monte Cassino In Cassino we visit the Cassino War Cemetery and Cassino Memorial to the Missing. We include a visit to the excellent Historiale Di Cassino multimedia museum, where lunch is also included, and then in the afternoon we travel up to the abbey and Polish War Cemetery. We also visit the German War Cemetery at Caira. B,L,D DAY 4 Hill 593, Snakeshead Ridge & the Liri Valley We continue with our look at MonteCassino with a specially arranged visit to Hill 593 and Snakeshead Ridge,

BY AIR where much of the actual fighting took place. (Please note this will involve some walking.) We also walk down to Albaneta Farm and the wreck of a Sherman Tank, now a memorial to Polish troops. After lunch, we look at the fighting in the Liri Valley, seeing the ground at Acquino Aerodrome and looking at the Hitler Line defences between Acquino and Pontecorvo, before ending the day at the Gari/Rapido River, the scene of a disastrous American assault in 1944. B,D DAY 5 Anzio Today we look at the Battle of Anzio, seeing the US War Cemetery at Nettuno before having lunch in the seaside town of Anzio. After lunch we see the Anzio War Museum, Anzio War Cemetery and the Beachhead Cemetery, before going to the infamous Flyover at Campo di Casni, scene of fighting in 1944. B,D DAY 6 Sangro & Ortona We head north today, travelling to the Adriatic coast at Ortona, where we have a short walking tour of the town seeing where street to street and house

Anzio War Cemetery

to house fighting took place; Ortona was a place of great Canadian sacrifice in December 1943. We also visit the war museum and spend lunchtime in the town. In the afternoon, we visit the Canadian dead at the Moro River War Cemetery and end the day in the Sangro Valley and Sangro War Cemetery. B,D DAY 7 Minturno On our final day we travel to Minturno War Cemetery where the men who fell in the Volturno and Garigliano Crossings and in the fighting at nearby Monte Camino are buried. In the afternoon we return to Cassino for free time in the town, and a final visit to the Cassino War Cemetery. B,D DAY 8 We return to Rome for our flight home to the UK. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

YOUR HOTEL You will stay for seven nights at the 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 FLIGHTS Flights to and from Rome are available from 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 flight prices and times. This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.

BY AIR Tour Ref: K8ICI May 19 Sep 15

£839 May 18 £849

2013

£849

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

This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays. ATOL 3880

22 Malta Islands Bravery:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

BY AIR

SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE 7 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast and 7 evening meals and 1 lunch Return flights to Malta including all taxes and charges Travel by air-conditioned coach Please Note: Entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

Ta Capucin Cemetery

Valletta

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Pictures

MALTA, G.C. AN ISLAND’S BRAVERY 8 DAYS FROM £955 Malta played a pivotal role in World War II as the only Britishheld harbour between Gibraltar and Alexandria. Besieged from 1940 to 1943, it was crucial in supplying the naval convoys which reinforced the Allies in the Western Desert. We remember the endurance of all those who helped to ensure Malta’s survival, including the fighter squadrons based on the island and the naval convoys that ran the gauntlet. From March to April 1942 Malta absorbed twice the tonnage of bombs dropped on London during the Blitz; 1,493 citizens were killed and 3,784 wounded. In 1942 King George VI awarded the island the George Cross-Britain’s highest civilian award for bravery. Carrier in Valletta Harbour

DAY 1 Fly from your chosen airport to Malta where you will be met and transferred to the Fortina Hotel in Sliema, overlooking Valletta for a seven-night stay. D DAY 2 Valletta Enjoy a walking tour of Valletta including the upper Barracca Gardens, Memorial Bell, St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Grand Harbour Bastions, Palace Armoury, Fort St Elmo and National War Museum (home of Malta’s George Cross). Lay a wreath at the Royal Malta Artillery Memorial. B,D

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

DAY 3 Service of Remembrance

You will stay for seven-nights at the 4-star Fortina Hotel in Sliema. Accommodation will be in deluxe garden view rooms, with airconditioning, T.V., hairdryer, safe and tea and coffee facilities. The hotel has spa facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, three bars and five restuarants.

Full-day coach tour including a Service of Remembrance at Mtarfa Military Cemetery and lunch in a local restaurant; also we visit Pembroke Cemetery, Mosta Dome, and the Malta Aviation Museum at Ta’ Qali airfield and Mdina’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. B,L,D

DAY 8 Return flight to your original departure airport. B Included Meals: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner

YOUR HOTEL

YOUR FLIGHTS

DAY 4 Tour of Valletta including the National War and Commonwealth Air Force Memorials, Lascaris War Rooms, WWII Museum, the 100 ton gun at Rinvella Battery and Ta Capucin War Cemetery. Optional evening social function with the Legion Malta branch. B,D

Flights to Malta are with Air Malta or Easyjet from London Gatwick and Manchester or from Bristol and Luton with Ryanair. All prices are subject to availability. Flight supplements may apply. Call for more details of flight prices and times.

DAY 5 Day at leisure or optional activities such as the Blue Grotto, a harbour cruise, browsing the market, or Sunday service in St. Paul’s Anglican Church. B,D

This tour is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd. ATOL 3880. Flight supplements may apply.

IWM A25400

DAY 6 Optional full-day excursion to Gozo visiting the Citadel, a fishing village, craft shops, the Inland Sea (optional) and the Azure Window. Lunch included at the Hotel San Andrea (for guests who join the optional excursion). B,D

BY AIR Tour Ref: K8MGC Oct 3

£955

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £89; travel insurance from £41.95.

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

23 American Civ War:Layout 2

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

BY AIR

Fully escorted in the USA by a Specialist Historical Guide Historical visits and excursions as described 7 nights’ accommodation sharing a twin room on a room-only basis Return scheduled flights from London to Washington Airport transfers in the USA Airport taxes Air-conditioned coach travel Hotel porterage for one bag per person SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR

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

President Lincoln visiting the Antietam Battlefield, 1862

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 9 DAYS FROM £1599 Washington, Gettysburg, Antietam, Harper’s Ferry, Appomattox, Petersburg, Richmond... the years 1861 to 1865 saw America torn between allegiances in the deadliest war in the history of the country. Eleven southern states broke away from the 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 of over half a million deaths. DAY 1 Join the flight to Washington DC. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for a two-night stay. DAY 2 Washington DC This morning we take an included halfday city tour by coach. We begin the tour with an introduction to Civil War history at the Museum of American History. Spend the afternoon at leisure.

DAY 3 Gettysburg We travel this morning to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a tour of the famous battlefield. The Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 is often quoted as the Civil War’s turning point and resulted in the Confederates, under General Robert E Lee, retreating back to Virginia after their attempted second invasion into Union territory. Abraham Lincoln, in November of the same year, delivered his famous Gettysburg Address here at the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery. In the evening, join our included ‘Ghosts of Gettysburg’ tour. Stay overnight in Gettysburg.

DAY 4 Antietam Battlefield and Harper’s Ferry Included visit to the battlefield of Antietam (admission included), the bloodiest one-day battle in US history where Lee’s invasion of Maryland was ended. Onwards to Harper’s Ferry, where in 1859 John Brown led his famous party of 21 men and secured the federal armoury; the slave uprising was to precipitate the onset of the Civil War. Overnight in Harper’s Ferry.

DAY 5 Lynchburg, Virginia We travel to Lynchburg, an important central transportation centre for the Confederacy army as well as having a large hospital for Confederate soldiers, and scene of the Battle of Lynchburg in 1864. We take a tour of the town before spending an overnight here.

DAY 6 Appomattox, Petersburg and Richmond We travel first to Appomattox, where in 1865 General Lee surrendered to Lt. General Ulysses S Grant, which signalled the end of the Southern States’ attempt to create a separate nation. The surrender set the stage for the emergence of an expanded and more powerful Federal Government and the end of the war

YOUR HOTELS All hotels are of a minimum European 3-star standard and have a restaurant or bar on site or nearby. All rooms are en suite and have T.V., telephone and air-conditioning. • Omni Shoreham Hotel or similar, Washington (nights 1, 2 and 7) • Best Western Gettysburg or similar, Gettysburg (night 3)

led directly to the adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution – ending slavery, providing citizenship and male suffrage. We visit the Museum of the Confederacy and then on to the Petersburg Battlefield (admission included), where the Union Army held the Confederates in a 292-day siege, the longest in American warfare. Travel on to nearby Richmond for an overnight stay.

DAY 7 Arlington Cemetery We return to Washington, arriving late morning. Spend the afternoon in the capital or join our optional visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

DAYS 8 & 9 We head this morning to Manassas/Bull Run, where two battles took place, before transferring to the airport for the return overnight flight home.

• Quality Inn Harper’s Ferry or similar, Harper’s Ferry (night 4) • Hampton Inn or similar, Lynchburg (night 5) • Best Western Executive Hotel or similar, Richmond (night 6) Please Note: due to local laws at least one person in each room booked must be 21 years of age or over.

YOUR FLIGHTS Flights are with Virgin Atlantic or British Airways from London Heathrow to Washington. Regional connections to Heathrow available from a supplement of £115 per person. All prices are subject to availability. Flight supplements may apply. Call for more details of flight prices/times. This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd. ATOL 3880. General Ulysses S. Grant

Optional Excursion

Arlington National Cemetery This excursion needs to be pre-booked – cost £20 per person Designated a military cemetery on June 15 1864, Veterans and military casualties from every one of the nation's wars since the American Civil War are interred in the cemetery. During the guided visit you will see many of Arlington’s famous memorials, including the Eternal Flame of the Kennedy grave, and the world-famous Tomb of the Unknowns.

This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays. ATOL 3880

BY AIR Tour Ref: K9ACW Sep 17 Sep 16

2013

£1599 £1649

Prices are per person, based on two sharing a twin room. Extras: all meals; optional excursions; admission to places of interest except those mentioned as included; gratuities; single room supplement £445; travel insurance from £69; regional flight supplements. IMPORTANT NOTE: Visa/ESTA is required prior to travelling. Please call for details.

24 Boer & Zulu:Layout 2

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BY AIR

WHAT’S INCLUDED Fully escorted in South Africa by a Specialist Historical Battlefield Guide Historical visits and excursions as described 8 nights’ accommodation with breakfast and 6 evening meals in hotels 2 breakfasts and evening meals in flight Outbound scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Johannesburg

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

DISCOVER THE HISTORY OF THE BOER & ZULU WARS 11 DAYS FROM £2149 Accompanied by our Specialist guide learn the story of the Zulu battles in Kwazulu-Natal, ‘the last British outpost’, and gain an insight into the tactical warfare of the battles, which rocked Victorian Britain. We also look at the key events of the Anglo Boer War, the battles, guerrilla warfare and why the Boers won the peace if not the war. Day 1 Overnight flight from London Heathrow to Johannesburg with South African Airways. D* Day 2 Johannesburg Arrive this morning in Johannesburg to be met by our guide and coach. We continue to the town of Dundee and the 4-star Royal Country Inn, our base for the next four nights. B*,D Day 3 Isandlwana Today we will firstly travel to Isandlwana to see the battlefield where 24,000 Zulu impis out-manoeuvred and wiped out almost an entire British Regiment (the 24th) in less than half an hour! Continue to Rorke’s Drift where a handful of

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

Day 4 Dundee Spend time today in and around Dundee seeing the excellent Talana Museum displaying the events of the Anglo Boer War. B,D Day 5 Ladysmith & Colenso After breakfast we travel west via Ladysmith and the Siege Museum to Colenso one of the great battles of the Anglo Boer War. It was one of the three British defeats that made up Black Week during the Boer War. Make your way by 4x4 vehicle to the summit of Spioenkop where your guide recreates the tragic battle between ‘Boer and Brit’ over nine days in January 1900. Return to Dundee in time for dinner. B,D

Day 6 Leave Dundee and visit the monument dedicated to the ‘Voortrekkers’ who, vastly outnumbered, heroically defended themselves against a Zulu attack. Visit Lancaster Hill, scene of an engagement between the Lancaster Regiment and the Boers after the relief of Ladysmith. Continue to the 3-star Natal Spa Hot Springs and Leisure Resort, situated between Vryheid and Paulpietersburg for a two-night stay. B,D

Day 7 Hlobane Re-live the route of the British forces at Hlobane by the Zulus where the British once again

underestimated the enemy and paid a heavy price. However the situation was quickly reversed by the British the next day, as we will hear when we visit Kambula. B,D

Day 8 Zululand Today we travel deep into the heart of Zululand seeing where the Prince Imperial of France was killed in a Zulu ambush. We continue to the famed valley of the Zulu Kings and to the Mtonjaneni Lodge in Ulundi for two nights. B Day 9 Ulundi We will see the battlefields and experience the history around Ulundi. The 4th July 1879 was to be a significant date for the Zulu nation. The battle at Ulundi was to be short lived, not only was it to be the final battle for Chief Cetewayo and his warriors but was also the break up of the Zulu nation. B Day 10 We travel to Durban for an afternoon flight to Johannesburg and connect with the evening overnight South African Airways flight to London. B,D* Day 11 Arrive this morning at London Heathrow airport. B* Included Meals: B=Breakfast, D=Dinner Meals marked with an asterisk* are taken in flight.

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 be found on our website. Calls may be recorded for training purposes and your protection.

Return flight from Durban via Johannesburg to London Regional connections available at a supplement, see below All airport taxes and security charges Air-conditioned coach travel Hotel Porterage for 1 bag per person Please Note: Entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost.

YOUR HOTELS Throughout your tour, you will stay in minimum 3-star European standard hotels. All bedrooms will have en-suite facilities and T.V., You will stay for four nights at the Royal Country Inn, or similar in Dundee, followed by two nights at the Natal Spa Hotel, or similar in Vryheid. You will then spend two nights at the Mtonjaneni Lodge, or similar in Ulundi.

YOUR FLIGHTS Flights are with South African Airways from London Heathrow to Johannesburg and return from Durban. Regional connections are available from Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle from a supplement of £100 per person. All prices are subject to availability and flight supplements may apply. Please call for more details of flight prices/times. This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.

BY AIR Tour Ref: K11SAB Oct 14 £2149 Oct 13 2013 £2199 The deposit for this holiday is £600 per person. Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Extras: optional excursions; single room supplement £255; travel insurance from £69

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SPECIALIST HISTORICAL GUIDE ON EVERY TOUR