Walking with the Jocks

WWTJ South Itinerary

This 4-day battlefield tour begins in Sittard, with a hard-earned victory and important VC. We visit Waldfeucht, Tripsrath, Afferden and beyond, tracing the Jocks’ journey, looking at the KOSB’s role during key battles across the Roer Triangle, from Operation BLACKCOCK to Operation VERITABLE, and in the clearing of the Rhineland.

DAY ONE

We travel to the low countries in comfort by coach, reaching the Roer Triangle in the late afternoon.
En route, you’ll find out more about the 4th Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. You’ll also get a real sense of the terrain on the Dutch-German border as we reach Sittard for the first night at our hotel.
After a meal, you’ll have the option to hear the story of Captain Peter White’s earlier military service, and to find out more about the specialised training that made the 52nd (Lowland) Division such a formidable force.

DAY TWO

A jam-packed day: it begins with a victory and a VC as we track the Royal Scots Fusiliers’ progress through the villages of Lind and Stein.
From here, we’ll move on through Koningsbosch to Waldfeucht, to a key location for the 13/18 Hussars, and 4th and 5th Battalions of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
We’ll walk the ground together, finding the precise spot to stand with a PIAT if your aim is to knock out a Tiger tank.
From Waldfeucht, it’s on to Klosterhof Farm – as depicted in With the Jocks. Then we move down to Tripsrath, where we’ll walk through the woods to explore the 4th Battalion’s foxholes. This is also the scene of the infamous mine-disaster, and we’ll pause at Brunssum CWGC, before heading back to Sittard.

DAY THREE

This morning we move north, starting the day at Afferden. When Captain Peter White described the 4th Battalion’s attack through the Broderbosch, he left us a trail of clues to find his platoon’s positions. We’ll also walk the ground to the south, to compare German foxholes and self-propelled gun positions too.
It’s a very short distance to Kasteel Bleijenbeek, to witness the approach taken by RAF Typhoons in February 1945. Then it’s on to Haus Loo for a superb view across the battlefield before walking the ground together. Our final stop is Marienbaum, where (if you’re brave) we’ll quite literally dip our feet in the Rhine.

DAY FOUR

We’ll leave our hotel in the morning, making our way home via the CWGC cemeteries at Reichswald and Mook. This is the time to pay our respects to so many of the men we’ve met over the last few days. The tour concludes with a look back on Peter’s journey with his Jocks so far ~ and what lies ahead for the 52nd (Lowland) Division.

WWTJ North Itinerary

To continue the Jocks’ story, this separate 4-day battlefield tour takes us north of the Rhine. We’ll follow the KOSB from Ibbenburen to Rethem to Fallingbostel, starting and finishing in the Hanseatic city of Bremen, as they cross rivers, clear woods, liberate prison camps, and count the cost of pushing back the enemy.

DAY ONE

We arrive in Bremen and make our way straight down to our first hotel near the Dortmund Ems canal. After a meal together, we’ll take a look at what’s happened so far in the 52nd’s progress across North West Europe – and remind ourselves how Captain Peter White and the 4th Battalion KOSB have reached Ibbenburen.

DAY TWO

t’s time to put our walking boots on, as we make our way up and over the Teutoburger Wald. We’ll take the same path that Peter White used to approach Ibbenburen – tossing a coin to decide which company would attack first – and we’ll investigate the circumstances around the largest single loss of life for 10 platoon in one day. Before moving on from Ibbenburen, we’ll pause to count the cost for German infantry as well. Our day concludes travelling north to Bremen once more, settling into our second hotel for the evening. You may want to explore the old town, or join us for a short walk to the Hauptbahnhof – where we will find evidence of the final assault on Bremen.

DAY THREE

t’s an early start this morning for a packed day. We’ll travel down through Sudeweye to understand the devastating result of a direct hit on Captain Peter White’s platoon. Travelling through many of the villages mentioned in With the Jocks, our next stop is Hoya – then on to the scene of fierce fighting in Rethem for the 53rd Welsh, and a unique perspective on war memory that has led to a joint memorial with the German 1 Marine Infanterie. Crossing the River Aller, it’s on to Groß Eilsdorf – scene of the infamous ambush. Expect revelations! After this, we push on to Fallingbostel – pausing at the gates of Stalag XIB before paying our respects at Becklingen CWGC. From here, we head west again: walking the ground to explore the last remaining heath-bunker at Bierden before heading through Uphusen, to retrace Peter’s final approach to Bremen.

DAY FOUR

Wleave our hotel in the morning, finally making our way home.