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BATTLES FOR FRANCE
D-Day Beaches, Agincourt & the Somme
Lest we forget…the pity and sorrow of war
9 day tour including arrival/departure days
There have been few events in man's history to compare with those which took
place in June 1944 unless, perhaps, you were a soldier in the trenches of the
Somme, or 'crying God for Harry' at the 15th century battle of Agincourt. Our
tour explores these major battlefields and associated museums, and illustrates
the grim realities of war.
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES FOR YEAR 2002
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Arrive London |
Depart London |
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Saturday |
Sunday |
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18-May |
26-May |
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22-Jun |
30-Jun |
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31-Aug |
08-Sep |
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05-Oct |
13-Oct |
Price: US$1,899.00
Single Supplement: US$405.00
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Day One - Saturday
London arrival. Most tour participants tend to arrive on a morning flight
and are then transferred to our London hotel. This afternoon we take an
introductory tour visiting the Imperial War Museum and, if time permits,
Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms. Coincidentally, our London hotel in the suburb of
Chiswick is within a few hundred yards of where the first V1 rocket fell on
London!
Day Two - Sunday
This is our own 'longest day'. We leave London early in the morning heading
southwest. Our itinerary contains many unique references and sites connected
with the days leading up to June 6, 1944 before we board our ferry to France .
There are also several of the better known sites, including the Portsmouth D-Day
museum and see Eisenhower's HQ where 'Operation Overlord' was planned. We take
the early afternoon ferry across the channel arriving in France four hours
later. This will undoubtedly be a less stressful crossing than the men faced on
the night of June 5.
Days Three, Four & Five - Mon, Tue & Wed
Over these momentous days we visit sites whose names will be etched into
20th century history; the D-Day beaches Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, Gold,
Arromanches, Pegasus Bridge, the Falaise Pocket, Operation Epsom. We'll also
visit the solemn national cemeteries, and museums en route, with a major
highlight being the Caen Peace Memorial museum. We'll see sights connected with
all of the allied armies and will be able to amend the itinerary on a daily
basis to visit any location which might have a special meaning for one of our
tour participants. Depending on the date of tour there may be a special
commemorative event taking place at one of the sites and we'd always endeavor to
visit such. In addition, we'll also visit Renaissance Bayeux and see the famed
Tapestry of the Battle of Hastings, 1066.
Day Six - Thursday
After a short tour of Joan of Arc's Rouen and its medieval cathedral, today
we'll step back to the days of the Great War of 1914-19 and specifically to the
events which mark the Somme as one of the most poignant battlegrounds of
Northern France. Fought on the chalky fields in 1916, the Battle of the Somme
was the bloodiest and most costly encounter of the British Army's long and
glorious history. Almost 60,000 men fell on the very first day. The line
advanced just six miles over the following five months of battle and cost over
400,000 lives. The Somme became known as 'the glory and the graveyard of Lord
Kitchener's army'. We'll visit preserved trenches, museums and several other
noted battlegrounds. Amazingly, even after above eighty years, the area still
yields up from its soils the remnants of man and machine. There are still areas
we cannot walk through because of unexploded ordinance. Finally, we'll visit the
city of Arras and, if time permits, take a tour of the underground
fortifications.
Day Seven - Friday
'Cry God for Harry and England and bring on the dogs of war!' Agincourt, one
of the greatest of all medieval battles, fought between the English and French
forces, will be one of the day's focal points. It was here that the long bow
came into its own for the first time and made all the difference. Even though
this battle took place nearly 600 years ago, you can still feel the chill of the
atmosphere and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you hear
tales of both bravery and massacre. Later, as we drive northward, we'll pass the
site of the main airfield used by the Luftwaffe for its 'Battle of Britain'
campaign and finally enter into the space age with a visit V1 and V2 rocket
sites from WW2 before taking the Channel Tunnel Shuttle back to the UK.
Day Eight - Saturday
We'll round our battlefields tour off with visits to 'Battle', scene of the
1066 battle of Hastings. Fittingly, the climax to our superb tour is a visit to
Winston Churchill's home of Chartwell. Here, you'll not only see an excellent
display of artifacts relating to this great old warrior's life (from the Boer
War to the Cold War) but also almost smell his cigar smoke!
Day Nine - Sunday
Airport transfers for those who are returning home today. Others may wish to
extend their stay in London and continue with their themed visits of military or
war related sites. We will be delighted to make arrangements for those with a
special interest in visiting museums or bases connected with their own service
career.
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