5 - Day Break

Day 1 – Local departure by coach then onwards to St Omer for a four-night stay.
Day 2 – St Omer – The Bull Ring – War Poets (included). We begin our tour today at the Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, looking at the role of the many pilots and observers of the Royal Flying Corps and RAF who flew from the St Omer airfield. We then travel to Etaples for lunch. In the afternoon we see the 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. Here we see the graves of those who died of wounds, including many army nurses and landworkers. In Boulogne we visit Boulogne Eastern Cemetery for the grave of Julian Grenfell, one of the Great War poets who wrote ‘Into Battle’ in 1915 and at Wimereux we visit the grave of John McCrae, the Canadian medic and poet who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ at Ypres in 1915, also seeing his memorial. B
Day 3 – Rouen – McCudden VC – Haig’s Headquarters (included). Today we travel to Rouen, stopping en route at the unique Chinese Cemetery at Noyelles, commemorating China’s Labour troops. Rouen was the site of the main British base in France up to 1916 and where thousands of soldiers were billeted going to the Battles of Loos and the Somme. Here we visit the huge and impressive St Sever Cemetery and Extension, looking at the story of those who worked at the base camp and hospitals, and also Theodore Hardy VC, an army padre decorated for bravery in 1918. Lunchtime in Rouen and in the afternoon we head for Wavans where we look at the story of one of the greatest flying aces of WW1, Major James McCudden VC MC MM, seeing his grave and visiting the ground where his last flight took place. Moving on to Montreuil, the site of General Sir Douglas Haig’s headquarters – GHQ – we visit the Ramparts and see Haig’s statue. B
Day 4 – Cassel Hill – Talbot House – Mick Mannock VC (included). We begin at Mont Cassel – once the hill the Grand Old Duke of York marched his 10,000 men up and down – and during WW1 was a headquarters for French General, Marshall Foch. We see his statue here and the site of his HQ. At Lijssenthoek we visit the largest behind the lines cemetery looking at the story of Nurse Nellie Spindler, killed in Flanders. We then visit Talbot House in Poperinghe where we visit the original building taken over by padre’s Tubby Clayton & Neville Talbot and where ‘Toc H’ began in 1915. Lunchtime in Poperinghe before visiting the Death Cells and Shot at Dawn Memorial commemorating those who were executed by firing squad in WW1. We end the day back in Northern France looking at the story of air ace Mick Mannock VC, seeing the ground at Butter Lane where he was shot down and visiting what may well be his grave at Laventie. B
Day 5 – To Calais and return home. B

Included Meals: B=Breakfast D=Dinner

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

Accommodation
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

Extras
Single room supplement £89
Travel Insurance - from £31.95

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Named accommodation may be changed if necessary by the tour operator. If this is the case you will be advised of all new details at time of enquiry. All holidays and prices are subject to availability and changes.