Above the Battlefield – The War in the Air

Local departure by coach, then to our hotel in northern France/Belgium, where we stay for four nights.

We start in Northern France and visit the grave of Albert Ball VC, one of the great British air fighters who was shot down and buried by the Germans. We also visit his crash site and see the memorial.

In Arras we see the Air Services Memorial at the Arras Memorial. After lunch we travel to Butter Lane to see where Major Edward ‘Mick’ Mannock VC was shot down in 1918 after a long and distinguished flying career.

We then visit the grave of an unknown airmen who could be Mannock: an amazing detective story!

We begin today at the St. Omer airfield, one of the main bases of the Royal Flying Corps and RAF in WW1.

We then travel to Wavans to visit the grave of Major James McCudden VC, one of the leading pilots of the Great War.

We have lunchtime in Doullens before seeing the site of Vert Galant Farm airfield, base of the famous 56th Squadron.

At Bertangles we see where the Red Baron was originally buried before travelling to the site of his crash behind Australian lines in 1918.

In Flanders we visit the new Guynemer Air Museum at Poelcapelle, where a new display of artefacts relating to the war and a replica of French ace Georges Guynemer aircraft is on display.

We also see the Guynemer memorial, and then look at the story of German pilot Werner Voss at Langemarck.

After lunch at Hooge, we see where Major Hawker VC shot down German airman Hans Roser and then travel to Bailleul to look at the site of the aerodrome there and visit Bailleuil Communal Cemetery and visit the grave of Thomas Mottershead VC, who was killed with the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

We end the tour in Ypres, and attend the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.

Return home.