The Silent Cities: The CWGC Story

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

We visit the ‘Forgotten Front’ today – the ground between some of the main battlefields of the later war period. Here we examine the early battles of 1914 and 1915, seeing the Le Touret Memorial to the Missing, and the Indian Cemetery at Zelobes. Lunchtime in Bethune and in the afternoon, we see the Loos Memorial and then visit the new extension to the Loos British Cemetery where dead recovered from new building work in Lens and the Canal du Nord will be buried. We also visit Quarry Cemetery for the story of Fergus Bowes-Lyon and the battles at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. We then return to our hotel.

Key Visits

Loos Memorial Le Touret Memorial Quarry Cemetery, Montauban

Today we begin in Northern France near Arras and visit the CWGC Experience where we have a specially arranged visit looking at the global work the Commission does, with talks and demonstrations. We then visit Vimy Ridge to look at the Canadian commemoration of their dead, seeing battlefield cemeteries on the Ridge, and the missing commemorated on the Vimy Memorial. Lunchtime in Arras and then we visit the Somme Battlefields looking at the early work of the Imperial war Graves Commission at Louvencourt, one of the ‘experimental’ cemeteries. We then look at New Zealand on the Somme and their missing at Caterpillar Valley, examining the story of their Unknown Warrior. After dinner we return to the battlefields for a special illumination of the Thiepval Memorial as it gets dark, which means a late finish and return to our hotel.

Key Visits

Leger Group at Vimy Ridge CWGC Experience, Arras

Today we are in Flanders and look at the early war British sector along the Messines Ridge, visiting the Ploegsteert Memorial and some of the battlefield cemeteries started in 1914, also examining the story of the Christmas Truce. After included lunch at Hooge, with time to see the new exhibition about the cemeteries, we get an update from the Commission about the work at the Menin Gate, and then examine the cemeteries in Ypres itself including Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, and Ypres Town Cemetery, where we look at the story of War Graves Gardeners seeing their special plot and talking to modern day gardeners about the work they do today. We stay in Ypres for free-time and attending the Last Post Ceremony before we return to our hotel.

Key Visits

Menin Gate Ploegsteert Memorial Last Post Ceremony CWGC Workshop, Ypres

Return home.