Hundreds of Aussies have headed back to significant historic battlefields around the world this year, and many more are planning pilgrimages in 2023 and beyond, with leading battlefield tour operator Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours reporting an ongoing surge in bookings.
“While the Western Front and Gallipoli continue to attract the greatest numbers of travellers seeking to honour the Anzacs, we are receiving significant enquiries and bookings for tours to Hellfire Pass in Thailand, Kokoda – for both trekking and non-trekking, Vietnam and Darwin,” Mat McLachlan said.
Significance of Remembrance Day
First observed in 1919 and originally called “Armistice Day”, Remembrance Day commemorates the signing of the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. This year, Australians commemorate Remembrance Day back on the battlefields for the first time since 2019 – with Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours’ historians currently leading a group on a dedicated Remembrance Day on the Western Front tour, plus another group on an 80th anniversary of the Kokoda Track tour.
Today, Remembrance Day has grown to become a time to reflect on all wars, commemorate all those who served and remember all who lost their lives.
Walking the Battlefields
Historian and founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, Mat McLachlan, said: “While WWI ended over one hundred years ago, WW2 almost eighty years ago and the Vietnam War fifty years ago, the marks from these conflicts can still be seen on landscapes, and relics can still be found on the battlefields. On the Western Front, the iron harvest continues today, with farmers regularly ploughing up new shrapnel and ordinance finds in their fields. At Gallipoli, just a few years ago, undiscovered trenches were revealed and can now be visited. And for those undertaking the Kokoda Track, the mountainous, untouched wilderness remains much the same as in 1942.
“Visiting the cemeteries and memorials dotted across the battlefields allows you to see the sacrifice of soldiers and loss of life – and it’s incredible how carefully tended and well looked after these are. Australia’s significant battlefields are also dotted with sites where you can see graffiti from soldiers – such as the Underground City of Naours, former headquarters where battle strategy was planned, excellent museums where you can see photographs, diary entries and letters, and more – which all help provide personal connections to the soldiers.”
Battlefield travel for 2023 and beyond
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has group tours available to the Western Front, Gallipoli, Hellfire Pass – Thailand, Kokoda, Vietnam, Darwin and more for 2023. Anzac Day tours are still available to book, and a series of tours are planned to coincide with the Rugby World Cup in France. All tours are led by expert historians who can assist you to follow in the footsteps of your Anzac relatives and who bring the history to life.
To learn more, or book your battlefield tour, visit www.battlefields.com.au
