Battle Honours

Picardy Battlefields with Gary Sheffield
2024-07-14 - 2024-07-18 | Battle Honours Limited, Hill Farm Barn, Stowmarket Road,, Ringshall, Suffolk, IP14 2HZ, United Kingdom
War in Champagne

This tour, limited to just 20 spaces will study the undervisited sector of the Western Front in and around Reims. This strategic city, set among Champagne vines and rolling hills was hotly contested from September 1914 to the Armistice. British troops arrived in May 1918 and thee divisions played a significant role in the defence of the city and then the start of the Advance to Victory in July 1918 alongside French, American and Italian troops. This tour, jointly led by Clive and Julian is based in the centre of Reims at the comfortable modern 3* B&B Hotel. With days focussing on the Adre Valley, East of Reims and Chateau Thierry, this tour inclusive of a Champagne tasting and museum entries will study an area of the war seldom offered.

Tour Dates: 23 – 27 August 2026 Price Per Person: £1100Deposit: £100Single Supplement: £120:00 Included – • Return crossing Dover to Calais Hotel as follows: 4 nights at the 3* B&B Hotel, Reims CentreCoach and driver throughout, all fuel and tolls• 1 x Winery visit, museum entries included

Itinerary

Sunday 23 August

Travel Day – With pick ups at Ebbsfleet International and Dover Eastern Docks before onward travel via Calais to Reims and check into the B&B Hotel Reims Centre

Monday 24 August

Tardenois – today we focus on the Ardre Valley and fighting between May/July 1918 involving the 19th (Western) Division, 62nd (West Riding) Division and 51st (Highland) Division during the Battle of Tardenois and the heights of Mont Bligny. The rolling landscape lends itself to walking the ground and we will visit the sites of Memorials, Cemeteries and Victoria Cross actions along the way before visiting the Italian Memorial and Cemetery and ending with a tour of a local family run champagne house, whose vines the BEF fought through in 1918.

Tuesday 25 August

Reims Today we focus on the French front to the Eats of the city of Reims, including a visit to the impressive Fort Pompelle that was defended by both French and Russian troops during the war. This well preserved fort contains an excellent museum and the position guarded the road to Reims between 1915 and the Armistice being continually fought over. We then head east via Suippes, visiting a number of isolated cemeteries and memorials before a visit to the extensive trench system and open air museum of La Main de Massiges. This hilltop position was constructed initially by German troops in September 1914 and became a much contested location with both French and German troops building extensive underground dugouts and overland trench systems. Though largely reconstructed in the last 20 years after decades of being hidden, the location really is a must see on the Western Front to understand everyday trench life in the Great War. A free evening in Reims will allow time to explore the city or watch the impressive ‘Son et lumiere’ on the cities cathedral.

Wednesday 26 August
Chateau Thierry
Today we turn our attention to the American Expeditionary Forces in and around Chateau Thierry. From their defence of the strategic bridges across the Marne and assault up the castle walls, we then visit the impressive ABMC Memorial and visitors centre that sits on the highground overlooking the city. We then travel the short distance to Belleau Wood and follow the US Marine Corps troops, part the 2nd US Division and thier fighting through the forest, one that is still today littered with trenches, dugouts and disgarded field guns and mortars. We end the day by visiting the German and US Cemeteries nearby, participating in the Taps Ceremony before returning to Reims

Thursday 27 August

Day 1Scheduled flights from London to Istanbul. Transfer to Gallipoli by coach to the Hotel Grand Anzac in Canakkale. This is a 4 hour transfer on a fully air-conditioned coach. We will stop off for a short snack/toilet break halfway through the journey. All our transfer coaches have Wi-Fi and complimentary bottled water on board. Monday 12 May 2025 – Anzac Day The best way to study an amphibious landing is by boat. Our morning will be spent studying the Gaba Tepe from the sea before we come ashore to walk from Beach Cemetery, via Shrapnel Valley up to the heights of Plugges Plateau, the first ridge captured by the Anzac’s on 25 April 1915. After lunch at a local restaurant, we will continue the Anzac advance from the Second Ridge at Lone Pine, to the furthest advance of the Australian and New Zealand troops on that first day of the landing. This walk will take us over Pine Ridge, down into Legge Valley and up onto the Third Ridge (Gun Ridge), the final objective of the covering force, ending the walk at Mustafa Kemal’s command post on the Scrubby Knoll. Tuesday 13 May 2025 – Helles Day Beginning the morning on the top of Achi Baba, where we will experience panoramic views of the Helles battlefield, we will descend down to the beaches. Next stop is Erturgal Fort, trenches and the Ottoman memorial to Sgt Yahya, all overlooking V Beach. We will visit V Beach CWGC Cemetery, the spit of rock where the River Clyde came shore, all under the shadow of Seddulbahir Fort. We will then advance up through the village to Doughty-Wylie’s Grave, and then the Helles Memorial. After lunch at V Beach Café, we will walk from the French artillery battery onto Hunter-Weston Hill and then Lancashire Landing CWGC Cemetery. From there we will visit W Beach to recount the story of the 6 VC’s Before Breakfast before ascending onto Hill 114 to explore the old base-camp of the MEF. We end the day with visit to the Bengodi/Asmadan Vinyard for a tasting flight (foot passage ferry option for non-winers). Wednesday 14 May 2025 – Gully Ravine Day We will spend the whole day exploring Gully Ravine, starting at the Ottoman Nuri Yamut Memorial we will walk across the seaward cliffs to Gurkha Bluff, just above Y Beach. We will continue along Gully Spur, visiting Geoghegan’s Bluff and the football field for lunch. We will then continue to follow the ravine to Gully Beach. Exiting the ravine we will walk along the West Krithia to finish the day at Pink Farm CWGC Cemetery. Thursday 15 May 2025 – Suvla Day We will begin the morning on the once hotly contested Scimitar Hill (Hill 70) before following the Ottoman trench lines on to the top of the W Hills where we will get excellent views of both the Suvla and North Anzac battlefield. Walking down to Hetman Chair and Dead Man’s Gully, we will finish at Chocolate and Green Hill. After a packed lunch at the museum in Buyuk Anafarta, we will walk from the Jandarma Memorial to Kidney Hill, Caribou Hill and then to Azmak CWGC Cemetery, also visiting the new Ottoman cemetery site on Kiretch Tepe. We will finish the day at Suvla Point and General Stopford’s HQ. Friday 16 May 2025 Return to Istanbul or, Optional extension to the island of Imbros to explore the sites of Sir Ian Hamilton’s GHQ, Kephalos ‘K’ Beach, the Australian Field Bakery site, RNAS airfields and the journalist camp to name but a few. After a packed lunch at the museum in Buyuk Anafarta, we will walk from the Jandarma Memorial to Kidney Hill, Caribou Hill and then to Azmak CWGC Cemetery, also visiting the new Ottoman cemetery site on Kiretch Tepe. We will finish the day at Suvla Point and General Stopford’s HQ. Saturday 17 May 2025 Return to Istanbul for those who stayed for the optional day to Imbros.

BookingDeposits can be paid via BACS transfer (IBAN if overseas) both account details are on the bottom of the booking form. If you wish to pay by credit card, drop us an email and we will send you the relevant link. Cheques can be made payable to “Battle Honours Ltd”

Book Here

Travel Day Today we head back to Calais after a free morning in Reims and onward travel to Dover and Ebbsfleet Internation

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