The battle of the Somme has a unique place in British military and social history. Men came here from every town and village in Britain, every country of the Empire and battalions from almost every regiment in the British Army fought here at some time during the battle. The losses affected the whole of society – the casualties exceeded 400,000 men, from the ‘worst day in the history of the British Army’ to 18th November when the 51st Highland division took Beaumont Hamel, one of the first day’s objectives.

We will be discussing the politics and the command decisions, the personalities and the experiences of the men who fought there but most of all we will be looking at the ground over which they fought and learning what happened there.

Your guide to these battles is Dr. Graham Dunlop who has an exceptional eye for terrain; this feel for the ground and his clear explanations of what happened will add to your knowledge and understanding whether you are a first time visitor or a long time student. The ridges, valleys and woods are a vital factor in the success or failure of attacks. The uncut wire, the strength of the deep German defences and the effectiveness of their machine guns were reflected in the reports and casualty lists. The consequences are seen on the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval and in the CWGC cemeteries.

We will follow the events chronologically, from the devastating attacks of 1st July all along the ‘Old Front Line’ from Serre to Maricourt. We will look at the planning and results of the night attacks and the battles for the woods. The 15th September offensive was a far cry from July 1st. Tactics had developed with experience, supported by new technology such as the ‘tank’ and the ‘creeping barrage’. It was still a hard struggle and as the autumn rains arrived breakthrough had still not been achieved. But the Battle of the Somme was over.

This tour is an excellent ‘follow on’ to our introductory ‘Tipperary ‘tour or a fine introduction to the 1916 battles.

ITINERARY
Day 1 (Friday): Depart Victoria Coach Station, London at 08:45. Dover – Calais ferry. We drive south to Arras, visiting on the way the battlefield of Fromelles, the Diversionary attack fought by the Australians on 19th July. We check into our hotel for dinner and a 3 night stay.
Day 2: Today we study some of the areas of the 1st July attacks, including the success of the 30th and 18th divisions on the right of the line, the 21st divisions attack towards Fricourt; the 34th and 8th divisions advance towards Sausage and Mash valleys and the additional problems of the mines. We look at the formidable obstacle that was the Leipzig Salient and examine the reasons for the success of the 36th Ulster Division. There will be time for a visit to the great Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval and the Visitor centre with its excellent bookshop. Group lunch in Auchonvillers. We then move on to look at the 29th Divisions attack, the blowing of the mine that formed Hawthorn Crater and the Pals Battalions bitter experience at Serre. Own dinner in Arras.
Day 3: This morning we look at some of 4th Army’s assaults south of the Roman Road. The night attacks, the difficulties of taking the woods and the major assault in mid September, including the first use of tanks. After a lunch break in Albert we will look at actions north of the road including the Australians dogged attacks at Pozieres, and the Canadians in the area of Courcelette. Finally we compare the success of the 51st Highland division, in spite of the autumn mud, with the failure of 1st July. Dinner in our hotel.
Day 4: Today we will look ‘behind the lines’ at Bailleulmont, Montreuil, the beautiful CWGC cemetery at Etaples and discuss the training camps, hospitals and rest areas that stretched along the coast. Calais-Dover ferry arriving approx 18:45 Dover and 20:30 London.