Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has launched a new Western Front Walking Tour, which will walk the footsteps of the Anzacs in 10 significant battles. Departing Paris on 25 September 2024, this 9-day tour will provide a thorough understanding of the tactics and experiences of the soldiers who fought during the First World War – crossing the ground as they did.
Mat McLachlan said: “Walking across the battlefields, retracing the footsteps the Anzacs took as they moved through battle, is one of the most incredible ways to uncover this important history.”
The ten walks on this tour are:
1. Taking Mont St Quentin – retracing the footsteps of the 21st Battalion (Victoria) in their outstanding attack on Mont St Quentin of September 1, 1918.
2. The Frozen Battlefield of Flers – following the 1st Battalion (New South Wales) as it slogged through the mud to unsuccessfully attack Hilt Trench in the winter battle of Flers/Gueudecourt, November 1916.
3. Evacuating the Wounded – to highlight the plight of wounded soldiers, we follow a casualty evacuation route from the battlefield of Flers via aid posts and casualty clearing stations to Quarry Cemetery, Montauban.
4. The Blood-Tub of Bullecourt – a sobering walk in the footsteps of the 16th Battalion (Western and South Australia) in their costly, unsuccessful attack on the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt on April 11, 1917.
5. Hard Won Defence at Dernancourt – The Battle of Dernancourt on April 5, 1918 was the largest enemy assault faced by Australians during WWI. We walk in the footsteps of the 4th Pioneer Battalion (Queensland).
6. Clearing the Ridges – Polygon Wood – following the 31st Battalion (Queensland and Victoria) as they swept through the shattered Polygon Wood on September 26, 1917.
7. Clearing the Ridges – Broodseinde – beginning in the village of Zonnebeke, we view the battlefield from the church tower, then walk the Broodseinde Ridge battlefield in the footsteps of the 40th Battalion (Tasmania) in their successful but costly attack of October 4, 1917.
8. Standing Fast at Merris – We walk the ground around Merris, which was steadfastly held by the 10th Battalion (South Australia) during the German Spring Offensive in April and May 1918.
9. Behind the Lines – walking the area around the town of Cassel, visiting sites associated with Command and Control, soldiers’ billets, estaminets and brothels.
10. Monash and New Tactics – our final walk of the tour explores General John Monash’s Third Division as it participated in the first all-arms battle at Messines on June 7, 1917. In particular, we follow in the footsteps of the 33rd Battalion (Victoria) as it stormed Messines Ridge after the detonation of nineteen huge mines.
Visit www.battlefields.com.au
.jpg){kind=tracking}
