Ypres & The Christmas Truce
Tour Introduction
After the German failure on the Marne, the protagonists continued their 'race to the sea' in search of the illusive out-flanking manoeuvre. Once the Belgians had opened the sea locks at Nieuwpoort and flooded the coastal region, the last remaining opportunity lay around the unremarkable countryside around Ypres where, during October and November 1914, the Old Contemptibles of the British Expeditionary Force successfully held off a much larger German force whilst in the process creating the impregnable Ypres salient.
These late autumn and early winter months of fighting, which inflicted 250,000 casualties, lay claim to many acts of heroism and the creation of many myths: the Worcesters at Gheluvelt, the Household Cavalry at Zandvoorde, the aristocrats at Zillebeke, the London Scottish arriving in their London buses, the massacre of the innocents at Langemarck and, of course, the Christmas truce and football match at Ploegsteert Wood.
The timing of this tour allows us to experience the climatic conditions and the short daylight hours that both sides had to endure in and around the Salient during the four winters of the war. Our short weekend tour is based in the centre of Lille, where you will be able to enjoy the wonderful Christmas market, held within close proximity of our hotel.
Highlights
- With soldier, MP and historian Patrick Mercer
- Flanders Fields Museum and Last Post ceremony in Ypres
- A Christmas pilgrimage to the Ypres Salient
- French style and Christmas market in Lille
"On Xmas Day, after singing and shouting, a Boche figure suddenly appeared on the German parapet. It didn't take our Bert long to be up on the skyline. This was the signal for more Boche to be matched by all our Alfs and Bills and in less time than it takes to tell .. the belligerents were all outside their trenches and advancing towards each other in No Man's Land"
2Lt Bairnsfather, 1st Warwicks, Plugstreet Wood
Itinerary
Day 1 - Orientation.
Depart London by coach for Ypres via Eurotunnel to discuss the start of the German October assault and gain an overall appreciation of the salient. Check-in to our central Lille hotel for two nights.
Day 2 - The German Offensive.
The German push along the Menin Road: Gheluvelt, Hooge, Herenthage Chateau, Polderhoek and Polygon Wood. Langemarck German Cemetery. In Flanders Fields Museum. Dinner in Ypres Grote Markt. The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate.
Day 3 - The British Defence.
The defence of the Messines Ridge, the Christmas truce at Ploergsteert Wood, the football match at Wulvergem and the Frelinghien truce memorial. Return to London..
