THE BATTLE OF THE

SOMME

one of the most bitterly contested and costly battles of the First World War The Battle of The Somme was designed to act as a diversion in order to ease the pressure on the French army in the Verdun area. After a week-long artillery bombardment, it opened on the morning of 1 July 1916 with the detonation of a series of underground mines along a front that was less than 15 miles long. These explosions signalled the start of months of bloody and muddy attrition across a relatively small area of Picardie in Northern France The Battle of the Somme was one of the defining events of the First World War and is often remembered for the huge losses on the first day but the Somme offensive continued over the following months - a total of 141 days - and men from every part of Britain and across the Empire took part. When it was halted in November, more than 1,000,000 Commonwealth, French and German soldiers had been wounded, captured, or killed.

“A truly amazing weekend. Thanks so much for arranging this tour and showing us the outstanding sites. Also for the efforts of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for preserving the memory of soldiers fallen, sacrifices they made for us and showing the scale of what happened during the conflicts.” - Ross

OUR TOUR OF THE SOMME

LET US LEAD YOU ON A DRIVE OF DISCOVERY AND REMEMBRANCE LIKE NO OTHER Our tour starts from the historical town of Albert, a place in which soldiers of 1916 were billeted just behind the British lines. Over three days we will give you an insight from a different perspective of this famous battlefield, travelling in a small convoy of a maximum of 5 vehicles, on routes once trod by infantry. You’ll be accompanied throughout the tour by our expert guides in the lead vehicle. You’ll receive CB commentary as we drive along our route so you can really get a sense of where troops came from and what their objectives were. To book, click on the link for your chosen date. We only require a £100 deposit per vehicle or full payment if the tour is less than eight weeks away. Eight weeks before the tour we will send you a balance request and invoice. Once the balance is paid we will send you an information pack including meeting places, times, booking references etc. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at: info@battlefieldsbycar.com

EXAMPLE ITINERARY Non-contractual Tour example, subject to alteration when necessary Day 1 Independent travel to Albert, Somme. Welcome, introductions and briefing. The tour starts with a guided tour of the tunnels beneath the Basilica of the town that were used as a refuge by the civilians who remained throughout the fighting, but now house the Somme 1916 museum. On leaving the museum we head out of town and stop in Mash Valley, our route then takes us near Courcelette, Mouquet Farm and finishing the day at Thiepval Memorial to the Missing which contains the names of more than 72,000 British and South African soldiers who have no known grave. Arrival time back at Albert around 17:30. We usually have a table booked for 19:30 at a well-appointed restaurant just outside Albert. This is optional but gives you chance to relax after your journey and also get to know each other over four delicious, typically French courses in a local restaurant. The cost is approximately €35pp including wine. Day 2 Meet at a local supermarket so you can stock up on fuel and provisions for the day before setting out, to venture to key areas of the battlefield. We visit the Lochnagar Crater, caused by the detonation of 28 tons of high explosive at 07.28 on that fateful day. We move on to Fricourt German cemetery to see how Germany commemorates its war dead. We cover Mametz Wood and the Welsh Dragon just before our lunch stop at Delville Wood. In the afternoon, we travel routes once trod by infantry as they advanced to their start points in the attack that saw the Tank go into action for the very first time. We visit a German bunker and will see villages that were occupied, fought over and liberated but in the process, were completely destroyed. We finish the day at Pozieres British Cemetery and Memorial, normally around 17:00 Day 3 During the last day of the Tour we travel up the Ancre Valley to the Frontlines and visit the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel where preserved trenches can be seen and walked in. The landscape here hasn’t changed in over 100 years. We move on to the Sunken Lane, Redan Ridge and the battlefields around Serre, land that saw intense and devastating fighting as we head via the Schwaben Redoubt towards the final stop, close to Albert around 1pm.

TOUR COSTS

Tour cost includes your vehicle, driver and one passenger HOTEL BASED £799 Camping based £699 Extra adults are £199 each for the tour Children aged 12-16 are £99 Children aged 11 and under are free Additional hotel rooms/camping pitches are charged at cost. What’s included in the tour? • Hotel room for Hotel based tours - based on two sharing. Extra rooms are charged at cost, currently around £250 for the two nights • Hotel rooms are twin bedded (can be changed to double room on request, subject to availability) and include breakfast • An information pack that includes a colour bound booklet containing a series of photographs pertinent to the Tour as well as additional reading pages • All campsite and electric fees for camping based tours • Museum visits as part of the tour • A memorable Tour using your own vehicle • Running commentary • Loan of a handheld CB radio • ‘Special Anniversary Tours’ include a three/four course meal at a local restaurant and other exclusive offerings What's not included: • Food and refreshments • Ferry or Eurotunnel Crossing • Any extras at campsite • Any extras, bar, restaurants etc at hotel. • Hotel or camping pitches if you choose ‘own accommodation’ • Fuel • Tolls • Visits to museums and visitor centres outside of the tour

If you are ready to book, click the ‘Book

Now’ button next to your chosen date at

the top of the page.

Remember, we only require a £100 deposit if

your chosen tour is more than eight

weeks away.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Some of the places we visit on our Somme tour

Somme 1916

underground

tunnel museum

Underground museum exploring a soldier's life during WWI with tours, battlefield artifacts & a shop.

lochnagar crater

The awesome and inspirational Lochnagar Crater signalled the opening attack of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The massive explosion was, up until that time, the loudest man-made sound in history and remains to this day the largest crater ever made by man in anger.