Poppy Travel - The Royal British Legion

8
belgium
& france
yPres
Your itinerary could include:
Battlefields including Hill 60,
Gheluvelt, Messines Ridge,
Zonnebeke and Passchendaele
Preserved trenches at Hooge
Crater, Yorkshire Trench and
Bayernwald as well as German
and Allied bunkers
International cemeteries
Mine craters from underground
battles such as Spanbroekmolen
and Caterpillar
Museums including Flanders’
Fields, Ypres and Zonnebeke
Passchendaele Museum
Locations associated with
particular regions in Britain, such as
Liverpool and Railway Wood
Talbot House and the Firing Post
in Poperinge.
somme
0845 602 2482 www.poppytravelschools.org.uk
Your itinerary could include:
Battlefields, many still bearing the
scars, such as Serre, Lochnagar
Crater, Thiepval Wood, Delville
Wood, Beaumont Hamel and
Pozieres
Preserved trenches such as
Newfoundland Park and
Maricourt
Connections to locations or
ethnicity, such as London and High
Wood, or the Walter Tull story, and
the men of the Pals Battalions
Memorials such as Thiepval and
the New Zealand, Australian,
South African and Pozieres tank
Memorials
Museums at Albert, Peronne and
the Thiepval Visitors Centre
Battlefield cemeteries including
Commonwealth, French and
German Cemeteries
Locations linked to poets or
writers such as Wilfred Owen and
Siegfried Sassoon.
All itineraries can be customised.
Somme
Ypres
Ypres
The town of Ypres in Flanders is forever associated
with Remembrance of World War I. It was the scene
of heavy fighting throughout the conflict, including
the first major use of chemical weapons, and
almost saw the British Army destroyed.
The British offensive of 1917 introduced a word
that has become synonymous with the brutality of
mechanised warfare – Passchendaele. The Ypres
Salient had an evil reputation with British soldiers,
but inspired poets such as Sassoon and Rosenberg
and artists such as Grosz.
The modern town of Ypres is a centre of
Remembrance and reflection, and every night hosts
the famous Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate,
itself a symbol of Remembrance.
Somme
The Battle of the Somme was the largest battle on
the Western Front, and is particularly significant to
Britain: those five months in 1916 claimed 400,000
British casualties, the highest in any single battle,
with a record 58,000 of those on the first day alone.
This battle still incites controversy: was it an
appalling and unjustifiable loss of life, or a necessary
campaign to wear down the German Army?
Villages and fields in this part of France are forever
linked to cities and regions of Britain. The sites,
memorials, cemeteries and museums tell the story
of the men who were there, and are poignant
reminders of the sacrifices and impact of the battle.
belgiUm & france
City of London Academy
Southwark
“School trips are a vital part of
a child’s learning which add a
depth that cannot be developed in
classrooms. The Academy annual
Remembrance tours have two
purposes; academic and pastoral.
Through their unique position as
a part of The Royal British Legion,
tours directed by Poppy Travel bring
my students an understanding not
only of the history of the First World
War, but also a deeper connection
with the people for whom the
horrors of war were reality. Their
guides thoughtfully make use of the
sites of the Great War to bring the
history to life, encouraging reflection
on events and their meaning today.
This experience has a profound
impact on student performance,
but perhaps, most importantly, in
developing them as people.”
“Poppy Travel’s objectives
align with mine; to promote
learning and Remembrance.
This means that I am able to
customise tours to the needs of
students. A bursary to support
disadvantaged students means
I don’t have to leave anyone
behind. Thank you, without you
Academy students would not
have had such rich experiences.”
Carl Fazackerley, Head of Humanities