Military History BATTLEFIELD TOUR - With Peter Spring - Travelrite International
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Spring’s Military History and Travelrite International
invite you to join the
Military History
BATTLEFIELD TOUR
With Peter Spring
16 September to 4 October, 2021
Visiting Cambridge (Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow), London,
Normandy, The Western Front (Pozieres, Villers-Bretonneux,
Fromelles & Ypres), Arnhem & The Mohne Dam
Military History
BATTLEFIELD TOUR
With tour manager, Peter Spring
Peter started ‘Springs Military History’ in 2014, which offers family military research and
personalised battlefield tour itineraries. His knowledge of military history and his many years
of research make him the ideal person to lead the 2021 Military History Battlefield tour.
Itinerary
DAY 1: Thursday 16 September 2021 Depart Australia
Today we depart for London, UK.
DAY 2: Friday 17 September 2021 Cambridge, UK
On arrival we will transfer to our accommodation in Cambridge. Cambridge
is a city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the prestigious
University of Cambridge, dating to 1209. The rest of the day is free for
independent sightseeing. This evening we will enjoy a welcome dinner.
DAY 3: Saturday 18 September 2021 Cambridge, UK
Duxford Air Show
Today is the first of our two days at The Battle of Britain Airshow at the
Imperial War Museum, Duxford. During the Second World War Duxford
played a prominent role during the Battle of Britain and was later used
by United States Army Air Forces fighter units in support of the daylight
DAY 7: Wednesday 22 September 2021 Caen (Normandy),
bombing of Germany. We will get to witness all the aerial displays of vintage
France
Second World War planes such as the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster right
through to the modern jets of today. Today we catch a morning service on the Eurostar train to Paris. On arrival in
Paris we will board our coach and head towards Normandy. At the town of
DAY 4: Sunday 19 September 2021 Cambridge, UK Vimoutiers we’ll stop to see a preserved German Tiger Tank just to the side
Duxford Air Show of the road. As we head towards Caen we will travel through the town of
Today is our second day at the Air show. Peter will point out some of the Falaise. This was the site of a huge encirclement of the German army as they
highlights of the show. At the conclusion of the Air show we will travel to retreated from Normandy.
London for a three night stay.
DAY 8: Thursday 23 September 2021 Caen (Normandy), France
DAY 5: Monday 20 September 2021 London, UK British Sector of Normandy
In the morning we will enjoy a guided coach tour of London. See Buckingham Today is the first of two days covering the Normandy landings. Operation
Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben and many other famous landmarks. In Overlord launched on the 6th of June 1944 was the largest amphibious
the afternoon visit the Churchill War Rooms built underneath the streets of military operation in history. The British landed on 3 beaches code named
London. This underground Head Quarters was where Winston Churchill and Gold, Juno and Sword with Paratroopers landing to cover the Eastern
the Chiefs of Staff planned and directed the Second World War. This evening flank of the operation. Our first site for the day will be Pegasus Bridge and
you may like to attend a West End Show. the Airborne Museum at Benouville. Captured in the early hours, this vital
bridge was the first objective taken on D-Day. After a visit to the Ranville
DAY 6: Tuesday 21 September 2021 London, UK
War Cemetery where many of 6th Airborne troops are buried we will cover
This morning we head straight to HMS Belfast, one of the largest and
all 3 invasion beaches and see the remains of the pre-fabricated Mulberry
most powerful cruisers ever built. Now moored on the Thames in London,
Harbour off Gold beach. The British Cemetery in Bayeux will also be visited.
HMS Belfast played a crucial role in protecting the Artic Convoys, Russia’s
supply route throughout the war until 1944 when she supported the D-day DAY 9: Friday 24 September 2021 Caen (Normandy), France
landings. In the afternoon we will visit the Imperial War Museum, recognised American Sector of Normandy
as one of the great military museums in the world. Our second day covering the Normandy landings sees us in the American
Sector. Our first stop will be the museum at Utah beach. From here we will
see the area of the US paratrooper landings around Ste-Mere-Eglise and
Ste-Marie-du-Mont. Thousands of Germans died fighting in Normandy and
many of them are buried at La Cambe German Cemetery which we’ll stop at
as we move around to Point-du-Hoc. See where the US Rangers scaled the
cliffs to capture the German gun position. Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach
was the worst sector of the beach, depicted in Saving Private Ryan. It’s here
that we set foot on Omaha Beach. See the infantry man’s view of the beach
and marvel how they made it across the open beach against the German
Beach defences which are still visible. A fitting final stop for the day is the US
Cemetery set atop of the bluffs overlooking Omaha Beach.
DAY 10: Saturday 25 September 2021 Cambrai, France
Travel to Cambrai
Today we leave Normandy and head to Cambrai in Northern France. Along
the way we will visit Dieppe. The Dieppe Raid was an Allied assault on the
German-occupied port of Dieppe, France on 19 August 1942. Our accomm-
odation in Cambrai will be our base for the next 4 nights.
DAY 11: Sunday 26 September 2021 Cambrai, France
Australia on the Western Front (Somme 1916)
Today we switch our attention to the Battlefields of the First World War. On
the 1st of July, 1916 the British attacked along the Somme River to break
through the German lines. Our first stop will be the massive Lochnagar DAY 15: Thursday 30 September 2021 Ypres, Belgium
crater blown on the first day of the attack. The Australians were brought Australia on the Western Front (Ypres Salient)
into the attack a few weeks later at Pozieres. The 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions The 3rd Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele saw the BEF struggle in
were used and sustained 23,000 casualties over 6 weeks. We will spend some the mud to claw their way towards the Passchendaele Ridge. The Australians
time in Pozieres, seeing the Pozieres British Cemetery, 1st Division Memorial, featured prominently, most notably along the Menin Road, at Broodsdiene
Gibraltar fortification, and the Windmill site. Also a walk along the front line and Polygon Wood. We’ll see the 5th Australian Division Memorial inside
of the initial attack. From here we pass Moquet Farm and head to Thiepval Polygon wood and Tyne Cot Cemetery, ground captured by the Australians
Memorial to the missing. From here it’s a short drive to Newfoundland and now the site of the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the World.
Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel. This section of the line was attacked by Again at 8pm we will attend the Last Post ceremony held daily underneath
the Newfoundland regiment on the first day of the attack and were virtually the impressive Menin Gate, containing the names of 53,000 names of soldiers
wiped out. This area still bears the scars of war with shell holes and trench who were killed in the Ypres Salient but have no known grave. Other sites
lines clearly visible. Our final stop will be at Flers where the Australians spent visited on this day will include Hill 60 and Hooge Crater.
the horrible winter of 1916/17.
DAY 16: Friday 1 October 2021 Arnhem, Netherlands
DAY 12: Monday 27 September 2021 Cambrai, France Operation Market Garden
Australia on the Western Front (Bullecourt) Leaving the World War One battlefield behind we head North into Holland.
Early in 1917 the Australian pursued the German Army as they withdrew to Gen Montgomery devised an audacious plan to ‘finish the war by Christmas’
the Hindenburg Line at the town of Bullecourt. The Australians attacked the by capturing the bridges of Holland allowing the Army drive into the top of
frontline twice to the right of the town. The first was a disaster and in the the German industrial centres and cause German war production to collapse.
second attack they were able to hold their positions. Both attacks brought The plan happened to be ‘A Bridge Too Far’. Today we will drive up the route
high casualties. We will visit the Australian Memorial Park and Digger Statue (known as Hell’s Highway) taken by the Army to relieve the 3 Airborne
situated between the two main German front lines. We will also visit the Divisions dropped ahead of them to capture the bridges. We will visit the
Canadian National Memorial and preserved Trenches of Vimy Ridge. landing zones of the Airborne troops and stop at the major bridges along
the way such as Son, Grave and Nijmegen. At Arnhem we’ll see the British
DAY 13: Tuesday 28 September 2021 Cambrai, France
Landing zones and head along the route they took to get to the bridge at
Australia on the Western Front (Somme 1918)
Arnhem stopping at the Oosterbeek Cemetery. At Arnhem we’ll visit the
Villers-Bretonneux was a significant point for the Australian’s as this is where Bridge and where the rescue of the last British troops took place.
they stopped the German offensive heading for Amiens. We will visit the
grave from which the Australian Unknown Soldier was exhumed and the
school which bears the sign to ‘Never Forget Australia’. We will travel to the
Australian National Memorial. On this site also a visit to the new Sir John
Monash Centre. From here we will trace the advance of the Australian Corps
from July 1918 at Le Hamel to Montbrehain in the October stopping at the
2nd, 3rd and 4th Division Memorials’ along the way.
DAY 14: Wednesday 29 September 2021 Ypres, Belgium
Australia on the Western Front (Fromelles and Messines)
Today we head North towards Fromelles. The 5th Division attack on the
German Trenches at Fromelles was Australia’s first major attack on the
Western Front. Here we will visit VC Corner cemetery, the Australian Memorial
Park and the new cemetery at Pheasant Wood. Those interred at Pheasant
Wood are those from the recently discovered mass graves. Then we travel
into Belgium with our first stop just outside Ploegstreet Wood. Just to the
North of the wood was the site of the famed ‘Christmas Truce’ soccer match. DAY 17: Saturday 2 October 2021 Frankfurt, Germany
Nearby is the town of Messines. In June 1917 Messines Ridge was captured Target Germany: 617 Squadron
by the Australian 3rd and 4th Divisions along with the NZ Division. Here we’ll Of all Bomber Command’s Squadrons used during the Second World War
see the NZ memorial and old German Pillboxes. Our accommodation for the 617 Squadron is the most famous. This squadron was specially raised for the
next 2 nights will be in the iconic Western Front town of Ypres. This will allow raid on the Dams of the Ruhr Valley. Today we will see 3 of the 4 Dams that
us to attend the 8pm Last Post service at the Menin Gate. were attacked that night. The first Dam we will see is the Sorpe and then we
head to the Mohne Dam. This was the first of the two Dams destroyed by the
‘bouncing bomb’ in May 1943. On the way to the Mohne we pass through
Arnsberg and see the bridge destroyed by the Grand Slam Bomb. Our last
site of the tour will be the Eder Dam. Set amongst imposing hills, marvel at
the skill of the pilots to get the aircraft down and onto the target and destroy
the dam. Our accommodation is in Frankfurt. This evening we will enjoy a
farewell dinner to celebrate the end of our wonderful tour.
DAY 18: Sunday 3 October 2021 Departure
Time for last minute shopping and sightseeing. In the afternoon we drive to
Frankfurt airport to catch our flight back to Australia
DAY 19: Monday 4 October 2021 Arrive in Australia
The tour concludes as we arrive back in Australia.
Military History Cambridge Arnhem
BATTLEFIELD TOUR London Arnsberg
Ypres
Fromelles
Cambrai Frankfurt
Normandy
16 September to 4 October, 2021 Caen
2020 PRICE PROTECTED
Price per person twin share $ 6,995
Taxes per person $ 265
Total Package per person $ 7,260
Single supplement $ 1595
Included in the tour price :
• Return economy-class air travel from Australia to London and return from Frankfurt.
• Travel in first-class chartered coaches.
• Accommodation in first-class and moderate first-class hotels, taxes and service charges.
• Daily breakfast in Europe and England.
• Welcome and Farewell dinners
• Sightseeing tours as listed in the itinerary.
• Eurostar train travel from London to Paris
• Entrances to attractions as detailed in itinerary.
• Tour management by Peter Spring.
• A Travelrite travel bag.
Not included in the price:
• Passport and visa fees
• Travel insurance
• Meals unless specified in the itinerary
• Sightseeing and general expenses unless specified in the itinerary
• Additional travel arrangements not in the detailed itinerary.
These will be quoted for separately.
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MILHIST21 – GLG0700
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