Spirit of Remembrance is pleased to offer you a specially designed tour by Major Nicholas Haines: "Hear how - and see some of the places where - the best trained army the British Empire had ever sent into the field acquitted itself superbly in the face of a numerically vastly superior enemy.

The tour deals with the doings of many British and Imperial regiments during the Great War and is inspired by some of the party wishing to visit battlefields where their relatives fought."

We wish to bring you a comprehensive itinerary with images and information regarding the places you will visit, so wherever there is a red highlight there is additional information and images.  To learn more about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemeteries in the area please click here to see an interactive Google map, (you may need to download the maps interface software)

Your guide:      Major Nicholas Haines

Your itinerary:  Click here to view map

Cost:           £535    Per person based on twin/double share)

                  £153    Single Supplement

Dates:        Thu 04- Mon 08 Oct 2012  (5 days / 4 nights)

                        &

                 Thu 07 - Mon 11 Mar 2013 (5 days / 4 nights)

Day 1: Thursday 4th October 2012 

We depart from London in our executive 35 seater coach and travel to Dover for the P & O Ferry crossing to Calais and travel on to Mons
The remainder of the day and evening is at leisure to discover the beautiful town of Mons which is full of delightful restaurants and bars.

Overnight accommodation at the Best Western Lido Hotel in Mons
Meals:

Day 2: Friday 5th October  2012

Following breakfast at leisure we will visit

• Casteau where members of “C” Squadron, 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards (4DG) fired the first British shot of the War and drew the first blood on 22 August 1914 
• Obourg where the Middlesex Regiment fought in the Battle of Mons the next day
• Saint Symphorien Cemetery at Mons where the first and last British soldiers to be killed in the War are buried among many others. It is an exceptional place of quiet and peace and is the home to both Allied and German soldiers - together in death.

Return to Mons for lunch at your own expense.
In the afternoon we shall see where the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers (9L) and 4DG charged the German guns at Audrégnies before moving South to Le Cateau where the 2nd British Corps withstood an onslaught by two German corps.

Overnight accommodation at Hotel Memorial in Saint Quentin
Meals: B

Day 3: Saturday 6th October 2012
After breakfast we will visit Moÿ-del’Aisne where the 12th Royal Lancers (12L) defeated a squadron of German cavalry that had been surprised by the Greys earlier then on to Néry where the 1st Cavalry Brigade defeated a German cavalry division on 1 September 1914.
We then head North to visit some of the Somme Battlefields including:

• Thiépval
• Ulster Tower

For further information visit the CWGC Battle of the Somme webpages and  view some original film

Overnight accommodation at the Hotel d'Angleterre in Arras
Meals: B

Day 4: Sunday 7th October 2012

After breakfast you will visit some of the following places

• The Canadian National Memorial on Vimy Ridge
• If time, Neuve Chappelle where the soldiers of India and Portugal are commemorated
• Fromelles where many Australian and British soldiers were reburied in 2010 & 2011 
• Armentières and the Ypres Battlefields.

We will be staying at a charming family run hotel in Ypres and this evening at 8.00pm we will attend the “Last Post” ceremony at the Menin Gate (click here for a film)

Overnight accommodation at the Hotel Albion in Ypres
Meals: B

Day 5: Monday 8th October 2012

After breakfast you will visit the following places

• Visit Voormezeele where members of the Honourable ArtilleryCompany are buried, 
• Tyne Cot, the largest British war cemetery and other battlefields in the Ypres area.

We’ll then begin our return passing

• Brandhoek CWGC where Captain Noel Chavasse, one of the only 3 officers ever to win 2 VCs is buried 
• Lijsenthoek where Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler QAIMNS, one of the many nursing sisters to be killed whilst on active service during the Great War, died

P&O Ferry crossing to Dover then to London

Click here to see more Spirit of Remembrance web pages on  Ypres and the Somme