Our Somme 1916 Self-Drive ItinerarySection A (Serre and Sheffield Park)Itwasherethatmanyofthe‘Pals’ battalionsfromtownssuchas Accrington,BarnsleyandChorley went‘overthetop’at0730hrson Saturday1stJuly1916.The preservedgroundincludeswhatis leftoftheoldFrontLinefromwhere onecanlookovertheareaofno manslandwheresomanysoldiers fromKitchener’sNewArmywould perishthatmorningbackin1916.OurSelf-Driveguideincludes accountsofthosewhowerethere (includingGerman),aswellas‘then andnow’imagesandcomparative WW1 trench maps.SectionB(NewfoundlandPark and Beaumont Hamel)This‘park’andvisitorcentrecomprisesanareaoffrontlineleft almostexactlyasitwasafterthe battle,withjustthepassageoftime havingroundedoffthescared features.Tostandinthevery trenchesof1stJuly1916,andto thenwalkacrossthetreacherous‘No Man’sLand’,wheresomanyfeell,isa very moving experience indeed.NearbyisthemassiveHawthorn Ridgeminecraterwhichhasrecently beenmademoreaccessiblewhere,at tenminutesbeforezerohouronthe firstdayoftheBattle,morethan eighteentonsofexplosivewas detonatedbeneaththeGerman trenches,footageofwhichissooften seenontelevision.Ourguidewill directyoutotheexactspotwhere thefilmwastaken,soyoumay comparethepictureofthemine exploding'then'tothepreciseterrain today.SectionC(Thiepval,including theThiepvalMemorialtothe Missing/visitorcentreand museum)Thiepvalwasthesceneofparticularly savagefightingasBritishtroops battledthroughoutJuly,Augustand Septemberof1916totaketheridge thatdominatedthebattlefield.Itwas herethatthe36thUlsterDivision famouslyachievedsuchsuccesson theopeningday(butataterrible cost).Itwasonthisridgethatthe massiveMemorialtothe Missingoffrom1915to 1917(mainly1916)was erectedin1932,whichtoday bearsthenamesofnearly 73,000BritishandSouthAfrican soldiers who have no known grave. Section D (La Boisselle)Thissectionincludesthetragicattack across‘MashValley’,theattackonLa BoisselleandOvillersLaBoisselle,aswellasavisit tothehuge‘LochnagarCrater’,thelargestmine craterstilltobefoundon theWesternFronttoday.Usingthe mapssuppliedyouwillbeableto convertthevalleytodaytohowit wouldhavelookedinJuly1916,a tasktheisalmostimpossibleifone doesnothavetheappropriate maps/diagrams etc to hand.Section E (Fricourt)Thislatestadditiontoourguidetakes youtoManselCopseandthe DevonshireTrenchwherethe inscriptionatthecemeteryentrance simply says:“The Devonshires held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still”.Thissection(likealltheother sections)includesanoriginaltrench mapofthebattletotakeFricourtand Mametz,aswellasdiagramsand presentdaymaps.Your'guide'for thisareaalsoincludesthefamous 'TambourMines'(threemines detonatedbeneaththeGerman trenchesatthestartoftheSomme offensive on 1st July 1916).Section F (Mametz Wood)ThebattlesforFricourtandMametz sawvaryingdegreesofsuccesson 1stJuly,butonceagainatahigh cost,withthestragglingMametz Woodseeingsomeofthefiercest fighting.OurSelf-Driveguidewill takeyoutothe38thDiv.Welsh Memorialfromwhereonehasa commandingviewofthisforeboding wood, so eerily silent today.Section G (Delville Wood)DelvilleWoodbecamea cauldronofalmost unimaginablesufferingasSouth African,followedbyBritishand Commonwealthtroopsmetthe Germandefendershead-on.The battleforthewoodlastedfrom15th Julythroughtomid-September,as thebattleragedonewaythenthe other. Thewood,andmanyofthosewho occupieditfrombothsides,were groundtofragments,ahauntingfact whichseemstopermeatethewood today,whichhasbeenleftasitwas attheendofthebattle(cleared pathwaysofoldallowyoutowalk throughoutthewood).Thissection alsoincludesthenearbyNewZealand MemorialtheMissingoftheSomme battlefield 1916.Section H (Pozieres) Itwasherethatover22,000 Australiansoldierswerelostinthe takingandholdingofthissmall villageinJuly/Augustof1916.Such wastheintensityofthe bombardmentoftheAustralian ‘positions’atPozièresthathardlya singlebrickremainedintactatthe endofthebattle.TheWindmill Memorial,whichstoodatthefurthest edgeofthevillage,wasthesceneof particularlybitterfighting.The Memorial simply says:“This spot was the centre of the struggle in this area and was captured by Australian troops who fell more thickly on this ridge than on any other battlefield of the war”(my underline)Villers BretonneuxOurSommeself-driveguidecanbe extendedsoastoincludeaseparate half-day(ish…)guidetothe Australian,CanadianandBritish battlefieldofVillersBretonneux1918. Thisguidewillbeprovidedatno extracostforthose(mainly Australian)clientsspecificallywishing to make a detour to this battlefield.
Our Somme 1916 Self-Drive Itinerary(Ypres Itinerary below - click here)Section A (Serre and Sheffield Park)Itwasherethatmanyofthe‘Pals’battalionsfromtownssuch asAccrington,BarnsleyandChorleywent‘overthetop’at 0730hrsonSaturday1stJuly1916.Thepreservedground includeswhatisleftoftheoldFrontLinefromwhereonecan lookovertheareaofnomanslandwheresomanysoldiers fromKitchener’sNewArmywouldperishthatmorningbackin 1916.OurSelf-Driveguideincludesaccountsofthosewho werethere(includingGerman),aswellas‘thenandnow’ images and comparative maps.Section B (Newfoundland Park and Beaumont Hamel)This‘park’andvisitorcentrecomprisesanareaoffrontline leftalmostexactlyasitwasafterthebattle,withjustthe passageoftimehavingroundedoffthescaredfeatures.To standintheverytrenchesof1stJuly1916,andtothenwalk acrossthetrecherouus‘NoMan’sLand’,wheresomanyfell,is a very moving experience indeed.NearbyisthemassiveHawthornRidge minecraterwhichhasrecentlybeen mademoreaccessiblewhere,atten minutesbeforezerohouronthefirst dayoftheBattle,morethaneighteen tonsofexplosivewasdetonatedbeneath theGermantrenches,footageofwhich issooftenseenontelevision.Ourguide willdirectyoutotheexactspotwhere thefilmwastaken,soyoumaycompare thepictureofthemineexploding'then' to the precise terrain today.SectionC(Thiepval,includingtheThiepvalMemorialto the Missing/visitor centre and museum)Thiepvalwasthesceneofparticularlysavagefighting asBritishtroopsbattledthroughoutJuly,Augustand Septemberof1916totaketheridgethatdominated thebattlefield.Itwasherethatthe36thUlster Divisionfamouslyachievedsuchsuccessonthe openingday(butataterriblecost).Itwasonthis ridgethatthemassiveMemorialtotheMissingoffrom1915to 1917(mainly1916)waserectedin1932,whichtodaybears thenamesofnearly73,000BritishandSouthAfricansoldiers who have no known grave. Section D (La Boisselle)Thissectionincludesthetragicattackacross‘Mash Valley’,theattackonLaBoisselleandOvillersLa Boisselle,aswellasavisittothehuge‘Lochnagar Crater’,thelargestminecraterstilltobefoundonthe WesternFronttoday.Usingthemapssuppliedyouwill beabletoconvertthevalleytodaytohowitwouldhave lookedinJuly1916,atasktheisalmostimpossibleifonedoes not have the appropriate maps/diagrams etc to hand.Section E (Fricourt)ThislatestadditiontoourguidetakesyoutoManselCopse andtheDevonshireTrenchwheretheinscriptionatthe cemetery entrance simply says:“The Devonshires held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still”.Thissection(likealltheothersections)includesanoriginal trenchmapofthebattletotakeFricourtandMametz,aswell asdiagramsandpresentdaymaps.Your'guide'forthisarea alsoincludesthefamous'TambourMines'(threemines detonatedbeneaththeGermantrenchesatthestartofthe Somme offensive on 1st July 1916).Section F (Mametz Wood)ThebattlesforFricourtandMametzsawvaryingdegreesof successon1stJuly,butonceagainatahighcost,withthe stragglingMametzWoodseeingsomeofthefiercestfighting. OurSelf-Driveguidewilltakeyoutothe38thDiv.Welsh Memorialfromwhereonehasacommandingviewofthis foreboding wood, so eerily silent today.Section G (Delville Wood)DelvilleWoodbecameacauldronofalmost unimaginablesufferingasSouthAfrican,followedby BritishandCommonwealthtroopsmettheGerman defendershead-on.Thebattleforthewoodlastedfrom15th Julythroughtomid-September,asthebattleragedoneway thentheother.Thewood,andmanyofthosewhooccupiedit frombothsides,weregroundtofragments,ahauntingfact whichseemstopermeatethewoodtoday,whichhasbeenleft asitwasattheendofthebattle(clearedpathwaysofold allowyoutowalkthroughoutthewood).Thissectionalso includesthenearbyNewZealandMemorialtheMissingofthe Somme battlefield 1916.Section H (Pozieres) Itwasherethatover22,000Australian soldierswerelostinthetakingandholding ofthissmallvillageinJuly/Augustof1916. Suchwastheintensityofthebombardment oftheAustralian‘positions’atPozieresthat hardlyasinglebrickremainedintactatthe endofthebattle.TheWindmillMemorial, whichstoodatthefurthestedgeofthe village,wasthesceneofparticularlybitter fighting. The Memorial simply says:“This spot was the centre of the struggle in this area and was captured by Australian troops who fell more thickly on this ridge than on any other battlefield of the war”Villers BretonneuxOurSommeself-driveguidecanbeextendedsoastoinclude aseparatehalf-day(ish…)guidetotheAustralian,Canadian andBritishbattlefieldofVillersBretonneux1918.Thisguide willbeprovidedatnoextracostforthose(mainlyAustralian) clients specifically wishing to make a detour to this battlefield.Our Ypres Self-Drive ItineraryThe Menin GateTheMeninGate(leftwithYprescentre imagesbelow)islocatedattheeastern edgeofYprestowncentreandisincludedin theopeningsectionofourYpresguide undertheintroductiontothetown, includingbestplacestostandetcwhen attendingtheLastPostceremony,whichis heldat8.00pmeveryevening(without exception).Section A (Hellfire Corner) Anotoriousintersectionofroadsandformerrailwaywhere navigatingthejunctionwasverymuchamatteroflifeand death.Our‘thenandnow’photosandaccompanyingnarrative willallowyoutostandatthisveryspottoseehowthebusy roundabout of today looked back in all those years ago.Section B (Hill 60)This(thankfully)preservedareawasoneofthe mostviolentlycontestedareasoftheYpres battlefield,bothaboveandbelowground.Tunnelling companies,includingmanyfromAustralia,lost countlesstunnellersintheundergroundbattlesas eachsidetriedtoburrowbeneatheachother’s defences.Thereisamemorialheretoallthosesoldiersfrom Australiawholosttheirlivesonandunderthismostheavily defendedareaoftheYpresbattlefield(amemorialalsohas bullet/shrapnelmarksfromanotherwartofollowthis‘warto endallwars’…).Thesurfaceofthelandstillshowstheshell holesandminecratersthatspeakvolumesfortheappallingbattlesthatravagedthis ‘hill’,whichwasinfacttheapre-WW1pile ofspoilfromtheadjacentrailwaycutting.Attherearofthehillonecandiscoverone ofthebestGerman(andsubsequently 'modified'bytheBritish)concrete fortifications,aswitnessedbythebunker's shell-ravagedexterior.Thisisanareamost largecoachvisitorsrarelygettoseedueto a weight restriction on an adjacent bridge.Section C (The Bluff)NeartoHill60isanpartofthebattlefieldveryfewpeopleget tovisit.TheBluffwasahotlycontestedareaofhighground adjacenttotheYpres-Cominescanal.TheBritishendeavoured toholdthishighground(theoldspoilfromwhenthecanal wasconstructed)atahighcost.Theremainsofthenumerous minesdetonatedherebybothsidescanstillbeseentoday(if oneknowswheretolook….)witharecentwoodenwalk-way whichallowsvisitorstowalkthroughthesometimeswater-logged craters.Section D (Clapham Junction)Germanthird-linedefencesfoughtoverduringtheThirdbattle of Ypres (and other occasions).Section E (Hooge) Anotherhotlycontestedareasofthefrontlinewheresomany liveswerelostinthecontinuingebbandflowofattacksand counterattacks.Anexcellentthoughsmallmuseumnow standsclosetowhereminecratersoncepock-markedthe landscape(includingawellpreservedGermanbunkerashort distancefurtheruptheMeninRoad).Awalksupportedbya smartphoneapphasrecentlyopenedallowingvisitorstofollow the old Front Line to the west of the Menin Road.Section F (Sanctuary Wood, museum and Hill 62) Thisnotoriousbattlefieldhasbeenpreserved,alongsideacafe and museum crammed full of artefacts from the Great War.Section G (Royal Engineer’s Memorial) Amostpoignantmemorialtojustafewofthemany servicemenwhodiedundertakingminingoperationsonthe Ypresbattlefield(manyofwhomstilllyeentombedbeneath yourfeetwhereyounowstandsurveyingthebattlefield).Our Self-Driveguidewillallowyoutocontrastandcomparethe farmlandoftodaywiththeverysamespotassoclearlyshown whenonestudiesthegrippingrealityofthebattlefieldas depicted in the trench maps of 1916Section H (Passchendaele) ThisisthebiggestsectionofourYpresSelf-Driveguide.The finalandmosttragicphaseoftheThirdbattleofYpres1917 wheresoldiersfromtheUK,Australia,NewZealandand Canadasufferedlossesinsuchunimaginablenumbersand suchunimaginableconditions.Passchendaelebecameabattlethenameofwhich,liketheSommeandmanyother battlefields,stillcastsashadowoverthelegacyoftheGreat War.Thissectionincludesthemuch-filmedTyneCotCemetery ontheslopesofthePasschendaeleridgeandvisitorcentre,as wellastheexcellent‘trenchexperience’museumtobefound at nearby Zonnebeke.Section I (Vancouver Corner) ThisisthebattlefieldofApril1915wheretheGermansfirst usedgasandwheretherenowstandsthestriking'Brooding Soldier'CanadianMemorialtoover2000oftheirservicemen whodiedheredefendingtheeasternflankoftheGerman advance.Section J (Langemark)ThelargestGermancemeteryintheareaandnewvisitor centre.Averysombreandforbodingcemeterywithahistory whichalsoreflectsdecisionsmadefollowingthesecondworld war..Section K (Yorkshire Trench and Dug-OutFollowingexcavationsbackinthelateninetiesanareaofthe oldFrontLinedatingbackto1915-1917wasexcavatedand made available for visitors to explore todaySection L (Essex Farm)ThecemeteryandstrikingremainsofaFirstAidstationjust behindtheFrontLinewheretheCanadianphysicianJohn McCraepennedhismemorablepoem‘InFlandersFields’.Itis herewheremanybelievetheoriginsofthepoppycanbe traced,whichtodayactsasanenduringsymbolof remembrance for all wars.
Unexploded shells and shell cases found by a farmer when clearing just a small part of the notorious High Wood (Somme)DO NOT TOUCH!!