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Galina International
School Tours





The Western Front - Locations Visited
 
 
Essex Farm - while working here as a Canadian Army surgeon, John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields". Originally the site of an Advanced Dressing Station, the surgeons' dug-outs can still be visited.
 
Pilckem Ridge - the scene of the first German gas attack in April 1915 during the opening phase of the Second Battle of Ypres.
 
Langemark German Cemetery - the "Kameradengrab" or mass grave contains many of the casualties of the Student Battalions who encountered the professionals of the British Expeditionary Force during First Ypres.
 
Vancouver Corner - site of the Memorial to the Canadians who died holding the line after the Gas Attack and near the "Totenmuhle" Observation Post.
 
Tyne Cot Cemetery - the largest British War Cemetery in the world containing nearly 12,000 casualties and recording the names of 35,000 missing.
 
The Menin Road - the scene of bitter fighting at Gheluvelt, Hooge and the Bellewaerde Ridge.
 
Hellfire Corner - originally a crossroads just outside Ypres, Hellfire Corner earned its name because it was one of the most heavily-shelled junctions in the Salient.
 
Sanctuary Wood & Hill 62 - this museum contains many fascinating artefacts with preserved trenches to the rear. The entrance fee is 80 Belgian Francs payable on arrival. Advance booking not required.
 
The Menin Gate - memorial to the 55,000 Missing of the Ypres Salient. The Last Post is sounded every evening at 20.00 hours in a short ceremony commemorating the fallen.
 
Accrington Pals' trench at Serre - At the northern end of the Somme battlefield the 31st Division, consisting of Pals' battalions drawn from Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield, Durham and Accrington, were allotted the task of capturing the village of Serre. Within minutes of zero hour, the Division had lost over 5,000 men. Nowhere was the impact of such losses more keenly felt than in Accrington which had been the smallest town in Britain to raise its own battalion. The remains of the front line, from which they and other northern Pals' Battalions, attacked can still be discerned. The cemeteries in the old No Man's Land are testament to their loss. The ground at Serre offers excellent orientation views towards the Quadrilateral and Newfoundland Park.
 
Newfoundland Park - this preserved battlefield is the site of the ill-fated assault by the (Royal) Newfoundland Regiment which was virtually destroyed as it attacked the German lines at "Y" Ravine. The opposing trenches remain and the ground between still bears the scars of shell-fire.
 
Ulster Tower - built as a Memorial to the 36th Ulster Division, the Tower stands on what was the site of the Schwaben Redoubt on the German front line.
 
Thiepval Memorial to the Missing - the largest Memorial of its kind; The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing commemorates the 74,000 men who died in the First Battle of the Somme and who have no known grave.
 
"Mash" Valley - in this valley on the north side of the Albert-Bapaume road, the 2nd Middlesex Battalion suffered over 500 casualties as they were assailed by machine-guns from La Boisselle and Ovillers.
 
Lochnagar Crater - 90,000 lbs of explosives set off under the German lines created a crater 90 feet deep. From this position, the ground over which the Tyneside Irish Brigade advanced at a cost of nearly 3,000 casualties can be seen.
 
Dartmoor Cemetery - Dartmoor contains the oldest British casualty of the war, a father and son, a VC and a soldier "shot at dawn". As such it reflects a range of First World War experiences.
 
Danzig Alley & Montauban - the Liverpool and Manchester Pals' Memorial at Montauban commemorates their breakthrough on the 1st July which, however, went unexploited by British reserves.
 
Trenches & Grange Tunnel - a section of front line trenches have been preserved complete with concrete sandbags, duckboards, firing steps, sniper shields and observation saps. Canadian guides describe the principal features of the nearby Grange Tunnel (open from April to November) including the water point and communications room.
 
Memorial & Interpretive Centre - the Vimy Memorial was built on what was Hill 145; the strongest point of the German third line defences. The majority of Canadian casualties fell in its vicinity. The Interpretive Centre is the latest addition at Vimy Ridge and includes a short audio-visual display explaining the battle. Entrance to Vimy is free but pre-booking is advised and can be arranged by Galina.
 
 

A typical 4-day itinerary
 
Day 1:   Pick-up from school, cross-channel ferry from Dover to Calais followed by travel to to 2-star hotel near Ypres/Lille/Arras.
 
Day 2:   Breakfast in hotel and tour of the Ypres Salient. Return to hotel for evening meal. Last Post at the Menin Gate at 20.00hrs.
 
Day 3:    Breakfast in hotel & travel to the Somme. Tour of the Somme and return to hotel for evening meal.
 
Day 4:    Breakfast in hotel, visit to Vimy Ridge and return to UK by cross-Channel route.
 
Itineraries can be tailored to your requirements. Contact us now by clicking here.
 
 
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