Historian, author and founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, Mat McLachlan, has confirmed he will be leading a special 9-day tour of the Western Front in October 2023 – and that this will be the only tour he is personally escorting next year.
Mat McLachlan has hand-designed the Western Front Signature tour itinerary to explore the places on the Front that defined the Anzac spirit of mateship and sacrifice, visiting all the key Australian battlefields of the Ypres Salient, Flanders and the Somme, as well as including a host of behind-the-scenes experiences and special inclusions.
Discussing his 2023 Western Front Signature Tour, Mat McLachlan said: “From 1916 to 1918 over 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front, of whom 46,000 never came home. On this special tour, together we will uncover the stories of the Anzacs on the battlefields they served, as well as behind the lines. We will dive into the stories and experiences of the British and Commonwealth forces, as well as spend time in the footsteps of the soldiers on the other side, to explore both sides of this important chapter in global history.”
Tour Highlights:
· Go behind-the-scenes at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Experience to see the work required to commemorate 1.7 million Commonwealth casualties from the First and Second World Wars.
· Walking tour of Ypres including special access to hidden rooms of the Ypres ramparts, the former headquarters of Allied generals including John Monash – these dusty vaults were effectively impervious to shellfire and have changed little since 1918.
· Participate in the Last Post service at Menin Gate, with two passengers from the group laying a wreath on behalf of the group.
· Explore the Ypres Salient with Mat McLachlan, including visiting the graves of Private Hunter and Sergeant Calder, the two Australian soldiers featured in Mat McLachlan’s documentary ‘Lost in Flanders’.
· View a unique private collection of war material at Pond Farm and observe a replica Mark IV tank in action.
· Guided tour of Talbot House, an ‘everyman’s club’ that provided respite to both officers and enlisted men during WWI.
· Visit a local historic prison in Ypres with cells where convicted soldiers were held before being shot at dawn.
· Private tour of the former Australian HQ at Chateau of Bertangles where General John Monash commanded Australian operations in the first half of 1918, seeing the rooms where Monash conceived the great Australian victories of 1918 and standing in the spot where Monash was knighted by King George V on the chateau steps.
· Traverse the underground tunnels of Naours, where many Australian soldiers left their mark in graffiti.
· Visit Vignacourt 14-18 a photographic museum in the old Thuillier family farmhouse which houses photographs taken of soldiers on the front behind the lines.
· Enjoy the culinary delights of the region, including lunch at the Old Cheese Factory in Passchendaele; the Sint Bernardus Brewery in Watou village tasting the famous ‘Trappist’ beer, brewed by local monks for centuries; a traditional French dinner in Amiens overlooking the Somme River; a farewell dinner in Paris while cruising the Seine, and more.
Mat McLachlan said: “The Anzac legend and the values of mateship, sacrifice and courage are perhaps even more important today than ever. Visiting the Western Front, it is incredible to see how this chapter of history is still so alive over one hundred years since the end of the First World War, and how the local people continue to remember and thank the Anzacs for their service and sacrifice to fight for their freedom.”
To join Mat McLachlan on his 2023 Western Front Signature Tour, visit www.battlefields.com.au email info@battlefields.com.au or phone 1300 880 340.
2023 Western Front Signature Tour with Mat McLachlan
Date: 2 October 2023
Duration: 9-days
Departs: Paris
Price: $5899 per person, twin share
Single supplement: $800
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