Western Front Battlefield Tours

Example Tour - The Poets Tour

The men and women who fought in the Great War left a unique record of their experiences in the letters they sent home, their diaries and memoirs and, above all, the haunting poetry of a generation that fought and died on the Western Front. This tour follows in their footsteps to the battlefields, placing the poetry and prose of writers in context with the landscape they fought over.

The tour will encompass the works of celebrated writers such as Sassoon, Graves and Owen, but will also place a great deal of emphasis on unique letters and memoirs of lesser-known poets and authors and ordinary soldiers who chronicled the events that they lived through in their own words.

Drawing on a rich archive of unpublished material we will look at the influences, not only on the battlefields, that created the rich heritage of poetry and prose written during the Great War and in doing so will try understand why the words of that generation still means so much to us today.

Images from our 2008 Poet's tour. Left to right; the Forrester's house from where Owen wrote his last letters home; reading poetry at the grave of Lt. Colonel John McCrae; on the battlefield of Agincourt

The Itinerary

For 2009 we have extended the tour by an additional day to enable a full day following in the footsteps of Wilfred Owen. The group size has also been increased to allow for the cost of a small coach with driver. This will allow Anne and myself to concentrate on the tour itinerary without the distraction of driving. Each customer will be given a tour pack which includes the poetry "discussed and dissected" during the tour.

Day one

Once the group have assembled:

Here we read out some letters from soldiers leaving the shores of Britain to fight in Flanders and France and provide a background to war poetry in general – what influenced it initially, what poets were popular in 1914 and some historical detail about why war broke out in August 1914 and how Great Britain became involved in it.

Poems to Look At:

1914 Sonnet Sequence, “The Soldier”, by Rupert Brooke “For The Fallen”, Laurence Binyon “England To Free Men”, John Galsworthy “For All We Have and Are”, Rudyard Kipling

After crossing the Channel we have options to stop at:

CALAIS – a possible visit to WIMEREUX where John McCrae is buried and to visit the cemetery to read “In Flander’s Fields” and to speak a little of his life in Canada prior to the Great War and the significance of the poem to war poetry in general.

ETAPLES – the large training camp and distribution centre for troops. Made famous by Percy Topliss “The Monocled Mutineer” and his involvement in the “mutiny”.The largest Commonwealth Cemetery was established here during the Great War.

Lady Angela Forbes – the aristocrat that organised a much-loved canteen for the troops and who argued with Douglas Haig about running it. Her biography “Memories and Base Details” will be referred to.

AGINCOURT – Although not connected with the Great War this would be an ideal place to look at what influenced a generation of young men to see war as “glorious” and an “adventure”. It also highlights that this area has been a battleground for English/British soldiers for centuries and has a link with the Peronne Road area in the Somme that Henry’s troops marched from on their way to Agincourt.

ST. POL – Relate the story of “The Unknown Soldier” and its connections with St. Pol.

“Somewhere in France” – John Hogben 

Day Two

THE BATTLEFIELD OF LOOS – 1915

The day would start at the Double Crassier with an assessment of key events from the Great War from its start in 1914 – Mons, Le Cateau, Festubert etc. leading up to the battle of Loos. From the vantage point of the Double Crassier an overview of the battle can be covered and an introduction made to the literature associated with the area, in particular:

“A Fox Under My Cloak”, by Henry Williamson The poetry of Charles Hamilton Sorley “Goodbye To All That”,  and Robert Graves.

DUD CORNER CEMETERY – Brief overview of Sorley’s life and a reading of some of his poems and letters, his service with the Suffolks and his death at the end of the battle of Loos. Focus on his originality at a time when poetry was largely of a patriotic nature and the quality of the poems, often written on bits of paper in the trenches. Read out some of his letters and poems.

LONE TREE – Henry Williamson’s account in “A Fox Under My Cloak” and how it came to be written although he was not there! It highlights the value of the novel in recalling the war through another medium other than poetry.

CAMBRIN – The Royal Welch Fusiliers involvement in the battle and a look at the prose of Dr. Dunn and Robert Graves; featuring exclusive access to archive material.

The grave of John Kipling? and the controversy that still surrounds it.

Arras - Accommodation and second night.

Day Three

THE SOMME BATTLEFIELDS

THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM - 1915:

BOIS FRANCAIS

Using unique letters we provide an interesting insight into trench life prior to the battle of the Somme and the arrival of Kitchener’s “New Army”.From here we drive to Newfoundland Park. This part of the Somme battlefield incorporates the area of Sassoon’s 7th Division vantage point watching the troops go over the top on July 1st. Using the latest satellite navigation technology we have located the site where Sassoon gained his Military Cross! 

THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

Including the Visitor Centre and preserved trenches at Newfoundland Park. The reading of a selection of poems relating to aspects of the war in general.

1916 - MAMETZ, THE ROYAL WELCH FUSILIERS AND THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME.

Lt. Ewart Alan Mackintosh M.C One of the lesser known war poets, known as the Highland Divisions Poet. Mackintosh was killed during the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917

This provides us with a good opportunity to concentrate a fairly easy walk in one area. A walk up to the 38th Division memorial would enable us to relate Lt. Wyn Griffith’s story in “Up to Mametz”. Graves and David Jones also left full accounts of the day’s actions and several poems of Sassoon’s and Graves will be read. Also included would be R.H. Tawney’s account of being wounded in “No Man’s Land” when a sergeant with the 22nd Manchesters.

THIEPVAL-MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING OF THE SOMME

Our day is completed with a vist to the largest British war memorial in France. We allow time to visit the excellent visitors centre with  its superb audio visual programme, and bookshop!

Overnight accommodation in Arras

Day four

Y P R E S

Poperinghe – We start the tour of the Salient with a visit to Toc H to see Talbot House and a visit to the museum. In the grounds we overview the importance of Ypres in the First World War.

A visit to the preserved trenches at Bayernwald and a look at the German perspective of the war. Including extracts from the novel “All Quiet of the Western Front”.

HEDD WYN MEMORIAL AND FRANCIS LEDWIDGE MEMORIAL – An account of the poets’ part in the events of 1917 (a contrast between the random death of Ledwidge and Hedd Wyn dying of wounds received at Pilckem Ridge) and reading of their poetry.

VANCOUVER CORNER – The first recorded use of poison gas on the Western Front and how the Canadians helped save the day. Reading of Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”.

LANGEMARCK GERMAN CEMETERY – A Look at the difference in cemetery layout and rememberance. Also the significance of the four “mourning” figures at Langemark and how this place is Germany’s “1st day of the Somme” and its connection to the “Student Battalions” of 1914 mentioned in Henry Williamson’s “How Dear is Life”.

TYNE COT CEMETERY – Its significance as the largest British CWGC and a walk around the cemetery explaining the significance of the Pill Boxes and the part the area played in Third Ypres.

Our day in the "Salient" will end with our attendance at the Last Post Ceremony at 8.00pm under the Menin Gate

Over night in Arras

Day Four

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF WILFRED OWEN

Wilfred Owen managed to leave a remarkable impression on the world through his poetry and prose during his brief life as a British officer in the Great War.

Our day will follow his short but poignant journey from the German dug out on the Somme, where he wrote "The Sentry",through the actions at Joncourt, which saw him gain the Military Cross. Finally to his grave, only yards from where he was killed during the last few days of the war. 

Overnight in Arras

Day Five

THE BATTLEFIELDS OF ARRAS

Our final day revolves around two of the lesser known, but equally important war poets, Isaac Rosenberg and Edward Thomas. Both men were killed in action - Thomas on the opening day of the Battle of Arras (9th April 1917) and Rosenberg during a German trench raid in April 1918. Both are commemorated in the Arras sector.

We complete the tour with a guided tour of the Wellington Caves. These medieval underground caves were connected together by a series of tunnels. This made it  possible to safely assemble upto 24,000 soldiers during the preparations for the Battle of Arras in April 1917. The visitors centre also includes a film show about the ensuing battle.

 Isacc Rosenberg; his background of poverty not patriotic fervour was the reason he enlisted.