The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Messines and Ypres

Somme

The battles of the Western Front - The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Messines and Ypres epitomise the sacrifice and heroism of soldiers from the island of Ireland, Great Britain and the Empire. In this tour you will be shown the key areas of the battles which shaped the 20th century and walk in the footsteps of the men who fought in them.

Audio track for Old Regimental Marches


Irish Regiments in 1916
4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards : 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers : 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons : 8th (King’s Royal Irish) Hussars : North Irish Horse : South Irish Horse : Irish Guards : Royal Irish Regiment : Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers : Royal Irish Rifles : Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers) : Connaught Rangers : The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) : Royal Munster fusiliers : Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

The Somme 1916 : Death of a Generation
The Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, was the worst day for deaths in the history of the British Army which suffered nearly 60,000 casualties. By the middle of November the all volunteer army had suffered a total of 415,000 casualties, the French 195,000 and the Germans up to 600,000. It is small wonder there were few households in the country which did not have a loved one involved.

Passchendaele, The Third Battle of Ypres, July to November 1917

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row.” - Major John McCrae

The 16th (Irish) and the 36th (Ulster) Divisions took part in the opening attack on the strong German positions to the east of Ypres. The heavy rain, which continued for a month, made conditions for an attack impossible. However the Divisions moved forward at Langemarck on August 16th. Due to heavy enemy shelling 65% of the leading units were lost before the attack. The 36th had 3,585 casualties and the 16th had 4,231.

“As it was, the Ypres battleground just represented one gigantic slough of despond into which floundered battalions, brigades and divisions of infantry without end to be shot to pieces or drowned, until at last and with immeasurable slaughter we had gained a few miles of liquid mud”

Charles Miller, 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Audio Track for 'Its a long way to Tipperary'

Vimy Ridge : April 1917 Whilst not primarily recognised as an “Irish” battle no visit to the Western Front would be complete without a visit to Vimy Ridge. In this Anglo-Canadian battle there were over 10,500 casualties of which nearly 3,600 were fatal. The National Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge is a stunning piece of architecture, dominating the landscape for miles around. The ground in the Memorial Park has been left undisturbed, with trenches and shell holes clearly visible in the grass. There are preserved trenches and you can stand on the fire steps in both the Canadian and German trenches. You will also visit Grange Tunnel which is a network of underground
passages. There were considerable numbers of Irishmen in the Canadian Expeditionary Force of which four won the VC

Messines Ridge : June 1917 At 3:10am on the 7th June, 1917 nineteen monstrous British mines containing over a hundred ton of high explosives were detonated under the German lines on the Messines Ridge. Beneath an intensive artillery barrage the men of the 16th (Irish) and the 36th (Ulster) Divisions advanced side by side uphill towards the fortress village of Wytschaete. By the time the battle was over the entire ridge was in British hands.

The victory of the Irishmen from North and South was significant. It was not the first time they had fought and won battles but it was the first time they had fought shoulder to shoulder. A Belfast officer of the Ulster Division wrote home

“It’s no lie to say the best possible relationships exists between the Irish Division and our fellows. I know for a fact the Ulster Division would prefer to fight alongside them than any other in the British Army, and there is no doubt the same feeling exists in the 16th Division.”


One amongst the many casualties was the 56 year old Major Willie Redmond M.P, the brother of the leader of Irish Nationalism, John Redmond. Before his death he said “It would be a fine memorial to the men who have died so splendidly if we could, over their graves, build a bridge between North and South”. His body was borne off the battlefield by stretcher bearers from the Ulster Division and he is buried nearby at Locre.

Itinerary

Day 1

You will be collected by coach and transported to your selected hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend at your leisure.

Day 2


Our first stop will be to the Musee des Abris in Albert where, on either side of the subterranean passages, you will see depictions of trench life from the perspective of all combatants. Then it’s off to the mine crater at Lochnagar, the largest mine crater on the Western Front, before heading to the highly impressive Thiepval Memorial and Visitors’ Centre. The memorial bears the names of 73,000 British and South African men who perished in the battle between the 1st July 1916 and 20th March 1918 and who have no known grave.


After lunch you’ll be taken to the Ulster Memorial Tower, Northern Ireland’s National War Memorial, for a presentation on the 36th (Ulster) Division and the part they played in the Battle of the Somme. Weather permitting you will then have a tour of Thiepval Wood, Mill Road and Connaught cemeteries. A wreath will be laid at the Ulster Tower. We end the day with a visit to the preserved trenches at Newfoundland Park before returning to our hotel.

Day 3

The day starts with a visit to the preserved trench lines and tunnels used by Allied forces during the battle of Vimy Ridge. Returning to the Albert area we will visit the Pozieres Memorial and Cemetery. After a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant we will drive past High Wood to Delville Wood to visit the South African Memorial at Longueval. Your final visit of the day will be to the 16th (Irish) Division Memorial at Guillemont where a wreath will be laid.

Day 4

Your first visit of the day will be to the Irish Peace Park near Messines which is dedicated to the memory of all Irish soldiers. This will be followed by a visit to Spanbroekmolen Pool of Peace, the water filled crater of one of the 19 mines that exploded at the start of the battle of Messines Ridge. We will visit the 16th (Irish) Division Memorial at Wytschaete before heading into Ypres to visit The Flanders Field Museum and take lunch. Of course no tour of the area would be complete without visiting Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest British and Commonwealth cemetery in the world. Here you will have time to reflect on the 11,871 graves and the 35,000 names
inscribed on the walls of those who have no known grave.

You will then be taken to Sanctuary Wood to see what some consider the finest stretch of preserved trenches on the Western Front. Then we move to the sombre German cemetery at Langemarck and nearby, at Poelkepelle, the grave of the youngest soldier to die in the Great War, Private John Condon of 3 Royal Irish. Then it is back to Ypres for dinner and the opportunity to attend the moving Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate.

Day 5

Picked up from hotel and returned to airport for return flight to Belfast

Call or email for 2011 dates and prices. Group tours tailored to your needs
 THE ABOVE TOUR IS A SAMPLE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND MAY BE ALTERED IF CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATE

Prices from £499.00

Download a booking form here