Nord battlefieldsArmentières, Fromelles,

The battle of Cambrai,

Wilfred Owen, Ors

NordIn the land of Melle from Armentières

Tour of 54 kms

(about 34 miles)2 days / 1 night

Known as “the Nursery”, Armentières is certainly one of the main witnesses to the events of the Great War. Made famous by the British song ‘Mademoiselle from Armentieres’, the front here is a microcosm of the First World War. On your first day, visit the Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery, where you hear personal stories and anecdotes that are as moving as they are surprising. On the 2nd day, you’ll meet the Boniface family in their 19th century fort where an extraordinary and unique collection of artillery pieces and horse-drawn wagons is on display including the famous thirteen pounder, the emblematic cannon of the British artillery. They’ll tell you the story of the fort from its occupation by Bavarian troops to its liberation in

October 1918 by the 6th Battalion, the King’s Liverpool Regiment and its use as a British Army field hospital until 1920. A few miles away in Fromelles, you’ll relive the story of the Aussie and British soldiers there on the 19th of July, 1916. The Battle of the Somme had begun on the 1st of July that year and British military command took the decision to launch a major diversionary offensive at Fromelles. By the end of that battle, 5,533 Australian soldiers, 1,500 British and 1,600 Germans had perished in what is described as the worst 24 hours in the military history of Australia. With a local guide, you’ll follow an 8.5 km sign-posted trail in the footsteps of those who fought a battle in which Australian soldiers distinguished themselves with a spirit of camaraderie.

Day 1: 20 km Morning: Visit to Armentières with a guide in WWI uniform. Visit to Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery and its New Zealand memorial where more than 2600 soldiers lie at rest forever. After your meal, you will climb the belfry, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Free time from late afternoon. Accommodation in Lille city centre or Greater Lille, in a three star hotel.

Day 2: 34 kms

After breakfast, you’ll start your day with the amazing story of the passionate Boniface family. After a nice lunch close to Fromelles, you’ll follow the battle of Fromelles remembrance trail.

Price per person: 165 € for a group of 25 based on a shared double room.

The price includes: guided tours, lunches including drinks and dinner including drinks, breakfast, one night accommodation in a shared double room in a 3 star hotel in Lille centre. Does not include: the transport.

Information and bookings:ADRT Nord Mme Valérie Martin M Cédric Schellaert 6 rue Gauthier de Châtillon – BP 1232 – 59013 Lille cédex Phone + 33 (0)320 57 53 11 (or 5279) val-martin@cdt-nord.frwww.tourisme-nord.com

From the first battle of Le Cateau to the death of Wilfred Owen2 days/ 1 night

On a guided tour, you’ll relive the story of the Battle of Le Cateau. After the Battle of Mons in Belgium, the men of the British Expeditionary Force were obliged to withdraw towards France. On 26 August 1914 they slowed the progress of the enemy and protected the retreating Allies, which they managed to do but at a cost of 7,800 men. It was the first time British troops fought in France. Then with the enthusiastic Philippe Gorczynski, you’ll listen to his incredible story: For 21 years he looked for one of the British tanks used during the battle of Cambrai, Deborah D51, a relic that is now an Historic Monument.

One year later, the war poet Wilfred Owen wrote his last letter home from a forest retreat. Ors, 4th November 1918, 05.45 hours: Second Lieutenant Wilfred Owen of the Manchester Regiment and his platoon launched an attack on a German position on the opposite bank of the Sambre-Oise canal. Under a hail of machine-gun fire, Wilfred Owen and 104 other men perished just one week before the signing of the armistice. On a guided and walking tour, you’ll follow his footsteps.

Price per person: 162 € for a group of 25

The price includes: guided tours, lunches including drinks dinner including drinks. Breakfast, one night’s accommodation in a shared double room in a 3 star hotel. Does not include: the transport.

Information and booking:ADRT Nord Mme Valérie Martin M Cédric Schellaert 6 rue Gauthier de Châtillon – BP 1232 – 59013 Lille cédex Phone + 33 (0)320 57 53 11 (or 5279) val-martin@cdt-nord.frwww.tourisme-nord.com

Day 1:You’ll start the day with a guide who will tell you the story of the enthusiastic Philippe Gorczynski, a hotelkeeper in Cambrai. Accommodation and dinner in M. Gorczynski’s hotel.

Day 2:After breakfast, you’ll leave Cambrai for Le Cateau on a guided tour around the battlefield. You’ll pay a visit to the Matisse museum in Le Cateau, the artist’s birthplace. After lunch, you’ll go on to the village of Ors, a few miles away on the Wilfred Owen memorial trail.