ANZAC DAY ON THE WESTERN FRONT

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Felix Logan
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1 INFO PACK ANZAC DAY ON THE WESTERN FRONT

2 The team at Pillow would like to say thank you for showing interest in our ANZAC Day tour on the Western Front. Whether you are visiting this history enriched area for the first time, or you ve experienced it before, you are in for an unforgettable couple of days as we learn about Australia s involvement on the Western Front during the First World War. We ve put together this document to help you gain a better understanding of the tour we offer, and what the event is all about. If you have any further questions after reading this info pack, please give us a call on. If you don t have time to read the whole document and just want to skip to the good bits, here s what you ll find: What is ANZAC Day? Page 3 Why the Western Front? Page 3 What We Offer Page 4 Itinerary Page 5 Meeting us in Lille Page 5 Getting to Lille Page 6 About the Hotel Page 6 Solo Travellers Page 7 Only Australians? Page 7 About the Places we visit Page 7 Page 2

3 What is ANZAC Day? You probably don t need us to tell you that ANZAC Day is a big deal for all Aussies and Kiwis... Proudly one of the most important days in both nations calendars, ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces. On April 25, 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula. The ANZAC forces were met with fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders, and what was meant to be an easy win for the ANZACS turned into an 8 month long stalemate, which eventually ended with the ANZACS being evacuated and sadly, over 8,000 lives lost. Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the ANZACs left behind a powerful legacy - The legend of the ANZAC spirit became an important identity of both nations. Today, Australians and Kiwis recognise 25 April as an occasion of national remembrance, not only for the fallen heroes from the Gallipoli campaign, but all the brave service men and women from past and present. So all this talk of Gallipoli, why should I go to the western front? Gallipoli is generally the most remembered campaign during World War as it was the ANZACS first major involvement in the war and many Australians and New Zealanders flock to Turkey all year round to pay their respects. However, after the 8 month ordeal in Gallipoli, more than 310,000 Australian troops fought on the Western Front in France with around 53,000 losing their lives. So, whilst it was at Gallipoli where the ANZAC s first showed their bravery and courage, it was on the Western Front in France and Belgium where ANZAC soldiers served and gave their lives in highest numbers during horrendous warfare. One example of ANZAC participation on the Western Front was the battle at Villers-Bretonneux where two brigades of Australian troops liberated the village on ANZAC Day 1918, and not only halted a German advance, but forced their retreat. Each year at the Australian memorial at Villers- Page 3

4 Bretonneux a dawn service held on 25 th April we will visit this dawn service during our 3 day ANZAC Day tour. As well as the dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux, we will also visit Ypres to attend the Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate; Tyne Cot cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world; Polygon Wood cemetery, Hill 60, Fromelles, Bullecourt, Pozieres and Adelaide cemetery. There are so many ANZAC battlefields, memorials and cemeteries in France and Belgium we just don t have the time to fit them all in, so our local history guides have picked out some of the most important ones and will leave you speechless with the stories they can tell you about individual soldiers who courageously fought in battles at these historic places. What We Offer runs an emotional 3 day tour visiting some of the major ANZAC battlefields and memorials in Northern France and Belgium. We have local expert World War One tour guides who will take you to the historic sites, armed with many heroic stories to tell, and prepared to answer any questions you may have. You will also be joined by an experienced Pillow tour guide who will make sure everything runs smoothly. We will stay in a 3 star, central Lille hotel, which is a great place to wind down after a long day soaking up all that war history. You have the option to either meet us in London, for a return trip on our private coach; alternatively, you can make your own way to France and join our tour at Lille. Please visit to see our tour prices. Page 4

5 Itinerary The itinerary is for our tour which departs from London and returns to London. If you d prefer to meet us in France, please see the Meeting us in Lille section below. Day 1-23 April Meet at Embankment Tube Station (Central London) at 7.30am for 8am departure to Dover and our crossing to France. Once in France we will drive to the Ypres area of Belgium, visiting famous ANZAC battlefields and memorials like Polygon Wood, Hill 60 and Tyne Cot before free time in Ypres for dinner (not included) and the moving Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate at 8pm. We then drive to France and check into our central Lille hotel around 9.30pm. Day 2 24 April After breakfast in the hotel, we visit Fromelles, Bullecourt and Pozieres. After lunch in Arras (not included) we visit the Thiepval memorial and Beaumont Hamel trenches. We will then return back to our hotel in Lille around 6pm for dinner (not included) and an early night as we have a very early start tomorrow! Day 3 25 April A very early start (2.30 am) for the drive to the Somme area of France, and Villers-Brettoneux to attend the dawn service which starts at 5.30am. After the dawn service we visit Victoria School museum and see the Don t forget Australia sign. We then visit Adelaide cemetery and Le Hamel. After a break for an early lunch (included) we will drive back to our hotel in Lille, collect our bags and head back to Calais and London. We are expected to arrive back in London by 8pm when the tour will terminate. Meeting us in lille If you are already on the continent, or would prefer to catch the Eurostar across to France, then we are more than happy to meet you at our hotel in Lille and we can start the tour there! There are many ways to get to Lille: car, coach, train (with both domestic and international trains including the Eurostar) Page 5

6 How do I get to LILLE? Arriving by plane There is an Airport in Lille, which is about 10km from the city centre. Ryanair, Easyjet and Air France all fly into this airport, however, none are direct from England. Please see here for more information on Lille airport. If you can t find a connecting flight from your preferred destination, you could choose to fly to Paris, where you could catch a train direct from Charles De Gaulle Airport to Lille. The journey from Paris takes about an hour and will cost you around 30. See here for more information. Arriving by Train There are two train stations in Lille Lille Flandre train station and Lille Europe station. Both stations are practically side by side, and both are in short walking distance to our hotel. You can take the Eurostar from London direct to Lille Europe station. The journey from London takes about an hour and a half, and it is generally cheaper when you book tickets well in advance. about the hotel We stay in the lovely 3 star Hotel Ibis Styles Lille Centre Gare Beffroi. The hotel is ideally located in Lille, and just a short walk from the Lille Flandre train station, and 10 minutes walk from the Lille Europe train station (Eurostar train station). Not only is the hotel close to the two train stations, there are many supermarkets, shops and restaurants nearby for you to enjoy in your free time in Lille. The hotel boasts a colourful, contemporary and stylish feel, with a communal area and bar for you to relax and get to know your new travel buddies in the evenings. The twin and double rooms are neat and fully equipped with comfortable beds, TV, air conditioning, and full bathroom facilities. There is free wifi in the hotel reception and in your room. Included in the price of the tour is a continental style buffet breakfast each morning offering a selection of food and drink. Due to our early 2.30am start on the morning of the 25 th, we won t be there at the hotel for the continental breakfast, but there will be free tea, coffee and pastries available at the Australian memorial at Villers-Brettoneux after the dawn service. The Hotel Ibis Styles Lille Centre Gare Beffroi is an excellent place to rest your head after immersing yourself in the rich history of the Western Front; we know that you will be pleased with the comfort and style of this fantastic hotel. Page 6

But I m a solo traveller, is that okay? Yes, of course! We have loads of solo travellers each year and we guarantee you will soon make friends and have a fantastic experience.

7 But I m a solo traveller, is that okay? Yes, of course! We have loads of solo travellers each year and we guarantee you will soon make friends and have a fantastic experience. Our prices are based on two people sharing a room, so we will allocate you a room buddy of the same sex before you arrive at the hotel. If you do want a single supplement, these are available. Please send an to contact@pillow.co.uk and ask about a single supplement for our ANZAC Day tour. A TOUR JUST FOR AUSSIES - Can kiwis come too? We do not discriminate if you are not Australian, then you are more than welcome to join our tour. Just please be aware that majority of the cemeteries and memorials that we visit are Australian. Yes, we visit Tyne Cot, which is a Commonwealth Cemetery, but our WW1 Guides will be focusing solely on Australian stories from soldiers buried there. The dawn service we attend on ANZAC Day is at an Australian memorial and the main focus is Australia s involvement in the war. This particular tour itinerary is intended for Australian clients, but if you fancy joining us, then that is okay! About the places we visit Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux is a small French town approximately 10 miles east of Amiens, with a population of around 4,000 people. This small town played a crucial part during World War One, being the last line of defence before the city of Amiens, which was a crucial allied base with supplies and transport links to the ports. In 1918 the Germans launched a massive attack to try and finish World War One quickly. They forced back allied soldiers all over the western front, and tried to take the city of Amiens. On two separate occasions the town of Villers-Bretonneux was the scene of horrific last ditch fighting. At dawn on April , after a bloody battle, Australian soldiers took back the town of Villers- Bretonneux, forcing the German line back until the end of the war. In 1938 a huge Australian memorial was built on the outskirts of Villers-Bretonneux to remember those Australians killed in the area between 1916 and The memorial lists 10,773 names of Page 7

8 Australian soldiers with no known grave. Each year their memorial hosts an ANZAC Day dawn service, which is the largest dawn service outside of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. Over 5,000 people attending each year, many of whom are the residents of Villers-Bretonneux, who are still genuinely thankful for what these soldiers did almost 100 years ago. During our ANZAC Day tours, you will attend the ANZAC Day Dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux, and you will have time to visit the memorial. You will also visit the town centre, and visit Victoria School and see the Don t forget Australia sign. We will also take you to Adelaide cemetery, where the unknown soldier of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra used to lie. Fromelles Fromelles is a small village located in northern France, approximately 10 miles from the city of Lille. This area of the front line was generally quiet throughout World War One, apart from two days in July The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19 and 20 July 1916, and was originally intended to be a diversion from the main battle of the Somme which was raging 50 miles to the south. This was the first time the Australian Imperial Force fought on the western front, and the Australian 5th division (which had only just arrived in France days before) joined forces with the British 61st Division for the attack. They would be attacking the experienced 6th Bavarian Reserve Division, which contained a young soldier called Adolf Hitler. All in all, the battle was a total disaster and unquestionably a German victory. It did little to divert German attention away from the Somme, and Allied losses were shocking. After just one day and night, 1,500 British and 5,533 Australian soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The Australian war memorial describes the battle as the worst 24 hours in Australia s entire history. When we visit Fromelles during our tour, you will see the new military cemetery at Pheasant Wood, and you will also see the area where the latest mass graves were found. We will also visit the Australian memorial park and see the Don t forget me, cobber statue, and you will visit the original VC corner memorial park. Our professional WW1 guides will give a full account of the battle and answer any questions you may have. Pozieres Pozières is a small village (population less than 250) located in North France. The town is associated with ANZAC history because it was the location of bitter and costly fighting for the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions in mid These battles were part of a much larger operation called the Battle of the Somme. Page 8

The battle plan was quite simple, the Australian 1st Division would attack Pozières from the south, and the British 48th Division would attack the German trenches west of the village.

9 The battle plan was quite simple, the Australian 1st Division would attack Pozières from the south, and the British 48th Division would attack the German trenches west of the village. Before the attack started, the British sent a massive bombardment of the German lines, including heavy shelling, phosgene and tear gas. While the bombardment was happening, Australian troops crept into no-man s land and rushed the German trenches as soon as the bombardment stopped. What followed was some horrendous fighting; the Australians encountered strong resistance and had to attack German machine gun nests. British 48th Division was successful in attacking the trenches west of Pozieres, and a further Australian attack captured a German bunker called Gibraltar. Eventually Pozieres was secured by the Australians on the evening of 23 July After the battles, the village of Pozieres lay in ruins and the Australians had suffered terrible losses. The Australians lost more men (23,000) in six weeks fighting for Pozieres as they had in the whole Gallipoli Campaign. Australian official historian Charles Bean said, The Pozières ridge is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth. During our ANZAC day tour, we will visit Pozieres and see the First Australian Division Memorial which is located in the village. We will also see the remains of Gibraltar blockhouse or bunker, and see the Australian War Memorial s Windmill site. Bullecourt Bullecourt is a very small village (population approx 250) located in northern France, approximately 11 miles south west from the city of Arras. The town is associated with ANZAC history because of two battles fought here during April and May These battles were part of a much larger operation called the Battle of Arras. The Battle of Arras (9 April to 16 May 1917) was a major Allied offensive, involving troops from Britain, Canada, Newfoundland and ANZAC Soldiers. The aim of the attack was to capture parts of the Hindenburg line which was on high ground facing the allies, and also divert German soldiers away from a new massive French attack (called the Nivelle Offensive) which was also going to take place at the same time approximately 50 miles further south. With this in mind, the allies attacked a broad area of land from Vimy Ridge in the North to Bullecourt in the South. ANZAC soldiers were asked to attack in the south and in particular, the village of Bullecourt. When the battle came to an end on 17 May 1917, Bullecourt was in allied hands. All in all, the British 62 Division lost so many men it was devastated as a fighting unit, and the Australians lost Page 9

10 over 7,000 men in what one historian called small, tactically useless piece of ground. To make matters worse, the French Nivelle Offensive had also largely failed. After the war, Bullecourt was completely rebuilt, but in the early 1980s did not have any memorials to remember those who fought here. In 1981 a Bullecourt school teacher, Claude Durand raised funds for a memorial outside the church, a bronze ANZAC slouch hat and plaque. The Australians built a memorial park in 1992, and a fantastic statue of a digger was added in During our ANZAC Day tour, you will visit Bullecourt, see the slouch hat and digger memorials, and our professional WW1 guides will show you the battlefields. So as you can see, our ANZAC Day tour is a history rich, emotional few of days something that you need to experience for yourself to see the true extent of the war. If you would like to book your place please visit, or if you would like to speak to someone first you can call the head office on, or contact@pillow.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you in Lille! Page 10

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