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First & Last Shots

The city of Mons in Belgium is where the first and last shots of WW1 were fired by the British and Commonwealth forces, and where the first and last soldiers died. On this tour, accompanied by a Specialist Battlefield Guide, we visit battlefields around Mons and Nimy Bridge, the excellent Mons War Museum, moving memorials including that of Canadian soldier George Lawrence Price, recognised as the last to die during The Great War, plus, the St. Symphorien Cemetery where the first and last casualties of the battle are now laid to rest.

Tour Includes

3 nights hotel with continental breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guide
Regional joining points (call for your nearest)

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Regional departure by coach, then to our hotel in Belgium, where we stay for three nights.

We start our tour at Casteau, just outside Mons, where we see the 4th Dragoon Guards Memorial close to the spot where they engaged the Germans just before the Battle of Mons, firing the first shots of the British Army on the Western Front. On the other side of the road, we visit a Canadian memorial on the site of their final advance on 11th November 1918: four years of war separated by a few yards of ground. From here, we move on to the Battle of Mons on 23rd August 1914 and see the battlefield around Nimy Bridge where the first two Victoria Crosses of the war were awarded to men of the Royal Fusiliers. In central Mons, we see the memorials at the Town Hall and the ‘Guardroom Monkey’ and have lunch here before going to the western side of the battlefield to see where the Norfolks were at Elouges, and the Cheshires close by. We also see where British cavalry made a classic charge at Audregnies, resulting in the award of two Victoria Crosses.

Includes Breakfast

Nimy Bridge Mons Audregnies

Today we begin at the Mons War Museum, an excellent museum which explains the role of Mons in conflict over many centuries, but in particular, the First World War. We then look at the areas where fighting took place around the city in November 1918. After lunch we visit the Memorial to George Lawrence Price, the last British and Commonwealth casualties at 10.58am on 11th November 1918, just two minutes before the end. We end the tour at the moving and impressive St. Symphorien Cemetery, which contains the graves of the first and last casualties, as well as German casualties from the battle.

Includes Breakfast

St. Symphorien Cemetery Mons War Museum

Return home.

Includes Breakfast

Accommodation

You will stay for three nights at the 3-star Casteau Resort, Mons. The hotel is situated close to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the central command of NATO-military forces. Each well-appointed bedroom comes equipped with cable satellite television with CNN® and BBC channels. The hotel also features an exercise room, sauna and Jacuzzi. Friendly, English-speaking staff are ready to ensure a comfortable and memorable stay.