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Arnhem
Take your car and discover more
WARTIME
HISTORY

Driving times and distances from Dunkirk
Destination Distance in km / m Time in hours
Nord-Pas de Calais
Lille 72 / 45 0.49
St. Omer 52 / 32 0.33
Arras 122 / 76 1.21
Cambrai 143 / 89 1.33
Etaples 104 / 87 1.07
The Somme
Thiepval 153 / 95 1.43
Albert 157 / 97 1.45
Normandy
Caen 388 / 241 3.32
Bayeux 416 / 258 3.54
Destination Distance in km / m Time in hours
Holland
Arnhem 332 / 206 3.00
Champagne-Ardenne
Reims 268 / 166 2.33
Chalons-en-Champagne 326 / 202 3.09
Flanders
Brussels 159 / 99 1.34
Ypres 54 / 33.5 0.43
Southern Belgium
Mons 145 / 90 1.31
La Roche en Ardenne 295 / 183 3.05
Source: www.theaa.com
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Memories of the World Wars
History can bring stories of past events to life. Museums,
cemeteries, battlefields, forts and gun emplacements recapture
the events of two World Wars fought on the fields and in the
towns of North-West Europe. Many families can trace relatives
who bravely lost their lives fighting for their country and it can
be a rewarding, if emotional, experience to visit the burial sites
or the Menin Gate at Ypres where the names of those whose
bodies were never recovered are remembered in perpetuity.
These battlefields are easily visited from Britain and this guide
covers most of the main places of interest in Northern France,
Belgium and Holland. Those wanting to go further back in time
will discover the relics of the day in 1815 when the Duke of
Wellington defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo.
CONTENTS
Conflict in Europe 2
Royal British Legion, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
and Military Vehicles 3
Nord-Pas de Calais 4
Flanders 8
Normandy 12
Holland 18
Champagne-Ardenne 20
The Somme 22
Southern Belgium 26
Motoring information 29
Images: Rex Features
‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.’
John McCrae
Canadian Army Medical Corps
8 December 1915
Died in Base Hospital 1918
TEL: 08715 747218 1

Explore Conflict in Europe
Conflict in Europe
Over the centuries Europe has seen more than its fair share
of wars. In more recent times, the wars that engulfed
countries beyond the Continent, WW1 and WW2, have been
recorded and remembered in ways that were not possible
before. Developments in technology mean that photographs
taken in action now give us a much more real understanding
of war.
The legacy of those two wars and much detail from the
Battle of Waterloo, a hundred years earlier, remain in France
Belgium and Holland where a substantial amount of the
fighting took place and where the loss of life was so
horrendous. Although Britain suffered severe bombing, it was
never occupied and it is often not until one visits the scenes
of battles, the museums and cemeteries does the sheer
magnitude of the war and the deprivation of living in an
occupied land begin to become real.
Gradually WW1 is becoming less and less possible to
describe as ‘in living memory’. Fortunately the work of
thousands of volunteers who are determined that future
generations should never forget the sacrifices made, ensure
that many of these sites across the war zone remain intact
and open to the public. They are supported hugely by The
War Graves Commission, The Royal British Legion, national
governments and local tourist boards so that visitors can
learn more about the people, the armaments, the uniforms
and machines that were involved.
Information in this booklet
Every effort has been made to ensure that all information including
opening hours, prices, contact details and websites are correct at the time
of going to press but, as these may change, the publishers cannot be
responsible for any inaccuracies. Telephone numbers are shown including
the international dialling code (the first four numbers). When dialling
from the UK omit the (0). When dialling from the locality omit the
international dialling code but include the (0).
Whilst this guide is a comprehensive introduction to the
main sites of interest for the Battle of Waterloo, WW1
and WW2 in Northern France, Belgium and Holland,
it is by no means exhaustive. Much of the history of the
Allied landings in Normandy in 1944 is covered by local
museums and cemeteries in that region. This edition has
been expanded to include the Normandy Landings and
Operation Market Garden. The Musée de Mémorial in Caen is
dedicated to peace and, in addition to the usual collection of
memorabilia, also covers the events leading up to
the outbreak of WW2.
War beyond the battlefields
Memorial to the fallen of Lille
Situated in the Square Daubenton, near to the Citadelle of Lille
in the Bois de Boulogne, this monument was erected after WW1
to commemorate those members of the Résistance who were shot
by the occupying force.
It was destroyed by the invading forces in WW2 but fortunately the
sculptor’s original ‘maquette’, which can be seen in the Musée des
Beaux Arts, was saved and it has been restored to the original design.
Unless otherwise stated, the images used in this magazine were sourced
from the internet (www.wikipedia.org) and are believed to be in the public
domain. However, they require the following credits:
Image:
John Northover
2
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The British Torch of Remembrance
In 1926 it was suggested that ex-servicemen would like to have
their own personal way of remembering their fallen comrades.
It was decided that torches as symbols of the ‘Torch of Freedom’
should be lit and a pilgrimage made to memorial sites. The
ceremony is held on 11 November each year when nine torches
are lit representing the nine provinces of Belgium, and marched
to the National Memorial to the Unknown Soldier in Brussels to
pay homage.
At Westminster Abbey the British and Belgian National Torches
are lit by the Dean of Westminster. The following morning a service
is held at Dover attended by the Mayor. The Torches are taken to
Belgium where they are met by civil dignitaries and a ceremony
is held at the war memorial in Ostend.
There is a varying programme of visits to war cemeteries en-route
to Brussels. The pilgrims then participate in the ceremony conducted
at the Menin Gate, Ypres.
South Eastern & Chatham Railway War Memorial
The South Eastern & Chatham Railway War Memorial was unveiled
at Dover Marine Station on 28 October 1922.
It was erected to the memory of the 556 South Eastern & Chatham
railwaymen who gave their lives in the Great War whose names are
borne on a Portland stone wall behind the monument. To the
inscription on the monument was added the later dedication to the
626 men of the Southern Railway who gave their lives in the 1939-
1945 war.
The monument consists of a grey royal granite base, surmounted by
a bronze group designed by the sculptor, W.C.H. King and cast by the
founder, M. Manenti. Of the two steps above the level of the platform,
only the top step is currently visible above resurfacings.
Dover Cruise Terminal 1, Western Docks, Dover www.doverport.co.uk
The Invicta Military
Vehicle Preservation
Society
This organisation of
owners of military
vehicles brings together
those with an interest in
preserving and restoring
many of the vehicles
that took part in
manoeuvres during the
two World Wars and later campaigns. Many of these would otherwise
be in a state of decay or lost for ever.
The membership looks after these vehicles and as many as 4,000 of
them congregate at the annual War and Peace Show in Kent. Several
years ago, a group of French enthusiasts in the town of Béthune
decided to mark the liberation of their area in 1944 by the British
7th Armoured Division with a parade. This has now grown into a
major three-day event which is actively supported by the members
of the IMVPS with as many as 150 vehicles creating a 5km long
convoy. The Society also organises a London to Brighton run, many
smaller events and 1940s themed dances.
IMPS Membership, Hagar's Hall, Seaview Gardens, Warden Bay,
Sheerness, Kent. ME12 4NG
Email: membership@imps.org.uk www.imps.org.uk
The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion is a charity that supports the serving
and ex-service community and their families, as well as being
one of the country's largest membership organisations. It is
probably best-known for its role as the nation's custodian of
Remembrance and for the Poppy Appeal which it organises
annually. In addition, the Royal British Legion assists with
the Remembrance Sunday march past the Cenotaph in
Whitehall and also organises the Festival of Remembrance
at the Royal Albert Hall. The Legion, as it is fondly known,
now marks the two minutes’ silence on the 11th day of
November, the date of the Armistice of the Great War,
with individuals placing poppies on the waters of the
famous fountains in Trafalgar Square.
The Royal British Legion, 199 Borough High Street,
London SE1 1AA Tel: 020 3207 2100 www.britishlegion.org.uk
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established
by Royal Charter in 1917 and is responsible for marking and
maintaining the graves of those members of the Commonwealth
forces who died during the two World Wars, for building
memorials to those whose graves are unknown and for
providing records and registers of these 1.7 million burials and
commemorations.
In Northern France and Belgium, where the bulk of the
Commission’s commemorative task is focused, there are nearly
780,000 Commonwealth war dead of the two World Wars
buried or commemorated at some 3,500 locations. From great
memorials commemorating many thousands, like Thiepval
in France or the Menin Gate in Belgium, to small intimate
cemeteries containing no more than 40 graves, each site is
lovingly maintained by the Commission’s dedicated staff.
By preserving the memory of the dead with simple dignity
and true equality, the Commission hopes to encourage future
generations to remember the sacrifice made by so many.
Further information about the work of the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission and enquiries about the location of
individual burials and commemorations may be directed to
the offices below or to the Debt of Honour Register –
a search by surname database at the Commission’s website
at www.cwgc.org
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
United Kingdom:
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7DX, UK
Tel: 01628 634221 Fax: 01628 771208
Email: casualty.enq@cwgc.org
France Area:
5-7, Rue Angele Richard, BP109, 62217 Beaurains, France
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 21 77 00 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 21 21 77 10
Email: france.area@cwgc.org
Northern Europe Area:
Elverdingsestraat 82, B-8900 Ieper, Belgium
Tel: 00 32 (0)57 22 36 36 Fax: 00 32 (0)57 21 80 14
Email: neaoffice@cwgc.org
TEL: 08715 747218 3

Explore Nord-Pas de Calais
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Nord-Pas de Calais
The Nord-Pas de Calais region has historically been one
of the most fought-over regions in Europe; in fact, Charles
de Gaulle once referred to it as a “fatal avenue” through
which invading armies repeatedly passed.
Indeed, during the Great War, much of the region was
occupied. A number of its towns and hundreds of square
miles of land were destroyed in four years of trench warfare,
with the area suffering more damage than any other part
of France.
But whereas before the twentieth century the French and
English monarchs had been enemies, WW1 saw the two
nations unite as allies, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder. The cost
was huge – the loss of lives can be seen all over Nord-Pas
de Calais in the hundreds of cemeteries and memorials that
are a stark reminder of the horror that took place during
this period.
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Map key
WW1
1 Etaples Military Cemetery
2 Fromelles Museum
and Cemetery
3 Loos Memorial and Dud Corner
Cemetery
4 The Museum Alexandre Villedieu
5 St Mary’s Advanced
Dressing Station Cemetery
6 Cemetery of Notre-Dame
de Lorette
7 Vimy: Canadian Monument
8 La Targette Cemetery
9 Underground Tunnels of Arras
10 The Cambrai Memorial
11 Le Cateau-Cambrésis
12 New Zealand Memorial
13 St-Roch Military Cemetery
WW2
14 Calais War Museum
15 Base V3 Mimoyecques
16 The Atlantic Wall Museum
17 Ambleteuse Historical Museum
18 Eperlecques Blockhouse
19 La Coupole
20 de Gaulle’s Birth House
21 Museum of the Resistance
22 Museum of 5 June 1944
23 Dunkirk & ‘Operation Dynamo’
24 Museum of Remembrance,
Dunkirk
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N43
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Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Etaples Military
Cemetery
WW1
This is the largest Commonwealth
cemetery in France, with
10,773 burials from WW1, and
119 from a period of WW2 in
1940, when hospitals were
stationed at Etaples once again.
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens,
the cemetery also contains
some German burials, and a
total of 73 sadly unidentified
burials.
OPEN: All year round
Free of charge
Fromelles Museum
and Cemetery
WW1
In the open fields just northwest
of the village of Fromelles,
the horrific Battle of Fromelles
was fought on 19th and 20th
July 1916 – one of the great
tragedies of the Australian
Imperial Force (AIF). The
German attack cost the
5th Australian Division over
5,500 casualties. 410 of these
were unidentified, and rest
‘Known unto God’ in the
Victoria Cross Corner of
Fromelles Cemetery. The War
Museum at Fromelles contains
a poignant and fascinating
collection of original Australian
artefacts from the Battle, and
other items recovered from
German and British troops
who fought hereabouts over
the duration of the war.
Fromelles Museum
Rue de Verdun
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 20 50 20 43
MUSEUM OPEN:
2nd Sunday of each month &
11th Nov 09.00-12.00 & 14.00-19.00
Closed: Jul & Aug except by
appointment
Adults €4.00
Nord-Pas de Calais Tourist Board
6, place Mendès
BP 99
59028 LILLE Cedex
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 20 14 57 57
Fax: 00 33 (0)3 20 14 57 58
contact@crt-nordpasdecalais.fr
www.northernfrance-tourism.com
4
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The Museum Alexandre
Villedieu, Loos-en-
Gohelle
WW1
The museum relating to the
Battle of Loos displays
everyday objects recovered
from the battlefield, including
a Waterman fountain pen
that still worked after 80 years
under the ground. A tour around
the ‘double crassier’ footpath
will give you a view of the
whole battlefield including
Lorette and Vimy.
Advanced booking is required
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 78 31 29
Email: a.villedieu@wanadoo.fr
€3.00 each for guided tour of
museum only
St Mary’s Advanced
Dressing Station Cemetery,
Nr. Haisnes-la Bassée
WW1
This post-war battlefield
clearance cemetery contains
the graves of 1,810 soldiers
who died during the Battle
of Loos; the majority of whom
are unidentified. However, one
stone is engraved with the name
of Rudyard Kipling’s son John
(Plot VII, row D, grave 2).
OPEN: All year round
Free of charge
National Military
Cemetery of Notre-Dame
de Lorette
WW1
One of the major French
National Memorials and
Cemeteries, the chapel and
lighthouse tower at Notre Dame
de Lorette dominate the ridge
for which the French fought a
long and bloody battle. The
cemetery has 20,000 white
crosses, which commemorate
over 120,000 men from both
sides who died in this ferocious
conflict in 1915.
OPEN: All year round
Free of charge
The Museum of
Notre-Dame de Lorette,
Souchez
WW1
See a collection of over 2,000
evocative exhibits that tell the
story of the soldiers’ lives in
the trenches, with reconstructed
scenes and over 150 slides.
OPEN: Every day 09.00-20.00 CLOSED:
15th Dec - 1st Feb
€3.00 entry
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 45 15 80
La Targette,
Neuville Saint Vaast
WW1 & WW2
The British Cemetery, although
dwarfed somewhat by the
French National Cemetery in
the background, is the resting
place of 612 soldiers, buried
mostly when medical units were
based here between 1917 and
1918. There are also three
WW2 burials, two of which
are unidentified. The ‘Peace
Torch’ sculpture here is a
striking tribute to the fallen
soldiers. La Targette Military
Museum houses an extensive
collection of artefacts from
WW1 battles.
OPEN: All year round 09.00-20.00
Adults: €4.00 Children: €2.00
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 45 15 80
Images: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Loos Memorial and Dud Corner Cemetery
WW1
The Loos Memorial forms the side and back of Dud Corner
Cemetery, and commemorates 20,000 officers and men
who have no known grave, and who were killed in the area
between the first day of the Battle of Loos (25th September
1915) and the end of the war. Although the battle was won,
inexperienced soldiers paid the price. The ‘Dud Corner’
part of the site is thought to be named as such due to the
number of unexploded enemy shells found there after the
Armistice. Again, the remains of hundreds of unidentified
men lie in this cemetery.
OPEN: All year round. Free of charge
Vimy: Commemorative Monument of Canada
WW1
Commemorating the Canadian victory at the Battle of Vimy
Ridge atop Hill 145 is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial,
a great structure of white stone, and the largest of Canada’s war
monuments. The land on which it stands is a Canadian National
Park, given in perpetuity by the French nation to the people of
Canada for their efforts in war. Inscribed on the Memorial’s
ramparts are names of over 11,000 ‘missing’ Canadian soldiers.
OPEN: All year round. Free of charge. Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 50 68 68
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
TEL: 08715 747218 5

Explore Nord-Pas de Calais
Image: Cituation & Ensemble
Underground Tunnels
of Arras
WW1
Underground
Tunnels of Arras
Underneath the ‘Place des
Héros’ in Arras runs a labyrinth
of tunnels carved out of the
chalk rock. Used by some
10,000 British and Commonwealth
soldiers for up to four
years, this subterranean world
linked up to the front line at
Vimy and had its own generator,
dressing station and
headquarters. You can visit this
network of tunnels by guided
tour only. For more information
call Arras Tourist Information.
Arras Tourist Office
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 51 26 95 or email
arras.tourisme@wanadoo.fr
The Cambrai Memorial
WW1
This beautiful memorial stands
at one end of the Louverval
Military Cemetery and
commemorates more than
7,000 servicemen of the UK
and South Africa, who died
in the Battle of Cambrai of
November and December
1917, and whose graves are
not known. The Memorial
was designed by H. Chalton
Bradshaw, with sculpture by
C.S. Jagger.
Cambrai Tourist Office
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 27 78 36 15 or email
office-tourisme-cambrai@nordnet.fr
Le Cateau-Cambrésis
WW1
Here the monument to
commemorate the ‘Heroic
defeat’ of the British Second
Armed Corps on 26th August
1914 marks the decision of
the Commander of the British
forces to defend the town.
The four divisions of infantry
and one division of cavalry
were no match for the six
divisions of the Germans led
by von Kluck. Many British
batallions never received the
order to retreat and almost
8,000 were killed or wounded.
New Zealand Memorial,
Le Quesnoy
WW1
Just days before the Armistice,
on 4th November 1918, Le
Quesnoy, a small town in the
north of France, was liberated
from four years of occupation
by New Zealand forces. The
town was occupied by 1,500
Germans, who refused to give
themselves up. 400 soldiers
from the New Zealand division
were wounded, 93 of whom
died and were buried in
Le Quesnoy’s cemetery. The
liberation is still remembered
by the town’s inhabitants, and
by New Zealanders, who visit
the memorial and pay tribute
to their countrymen.
Tourist Office
1, rue du Maréchal Joffre
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 27 25 54 70
The Military Cemetery of
St-Roch, Valenciennes
WW1
North-east of Valenciennes
lies the Communal Cemetery
of St Roch Valenciennes.
Although the town was in
occupied hands until November
1918 the Canadians liberated
the town and it became a
Casualty Clearing Station until
October 1919. 1.5 km from
Valenciennes on the north
side of the road to Brunay-sur-
L’Escaut.
OPEN: Nov-Feb 08.00-17.00
Mar-Sept 08.00-18.00
Oct 08.00-17.30
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 27 46 22 90
Calais War Museum
WW2
The Calais area suffered badly
during WW2. Its museum is
situated in a bunker, formerly
used by the war time German
navy as a command post.
A total of 20 rooms display a
large number of interesting
objects relating to the conflict
in the area, including uniforms
and equipment, posters, photos
and a reconstruction of the
radio room.
Calais War Museum
Parc Saint-Pierre
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 34 21 57
OPEN: 1st Feb - 30th Apr
11.00-17.00 (every day except Tues)
1st May - 30th Sept 10.00-18.00
(every day)
1st Oct - 30th Nov 11.00-17.30 (every
day except Tues)
Adults: €6.00 Children: €5.00
Eperlecques Blockhouse
WW2
This looming concrete structure
was intended to shelter a
factory for assembling, fuelling
and launching V2 rockets and
for making liquid oxygen,
although neither of these
plans succeeded.
The Museum of the
Atlantic Wall, Audinghen
WW2
The ugly concrete gun turret
that stands on the picturesque
Cap Gris-Nez was part of
Hitler’s formidable line of
defences around the north
French coast – the Atlantic
Wall. The 21 German soldiers
it housed had the job of
bombarding the coast of Kent
with 35 metre-long canons.
The building and the guns
remain, along with German
army memorabilia.
OPEN: 1st Jun - 30th Sept 09.00-18.00
1st Oct - 31st May 09.00-18.00
CLOSED: Dec & Jan
Adults: €5.50
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 32 97 33
Base V3 Mimoyecques,
Landrethun-le-Nord
WW2
An ambitious German
construction designed to
rain destruction upon the
enemy was the V3 base at
Mimoyecques, equipped with
25 giant canons, which were
capable of firing shells into
London every six seconds.
This did not succeed, however,
due to Allied air attacks.
OPEN: 1st Apr - 11th Nov 11.00-18.00
(every day) 1st Jul - 30th Aug 10.00-
19.00 (every day)
Adults: €5.00 Children: €3.50
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 87 10 34
OPEN: (CLOSED Dec - Feb)
1st Mar - 30th Mar 11.00-17.00
1st Apr - 30th Apr 10.00-18.00
1st May - 30th Sept 10.00-19.00
1st Oct - 31st Oct 10.00-18.00
1st Nov - 30th Nov 14.15-17.00
Adults: €9.00 Children: €5.00
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 88 44 22
La Coupole, Saint-Omer
WW2
Following bomb damage to
the Eperlecques Blockhouse,
Hitler called for more resources
to be poured into another
underground rocket launch
base a few miles away. Known
as ‘La Coupole’, this is now a
museum dedicated to WW2.
Learn about the development
of the V1 and V2 secret
weapons and their military
use during the war, see rare
archive films and much more.
OPEN: All year round 09.00-18.00;
Jul & Aug 10.00-19.00
CLOSED: 25th Dec & 1st Jan
Adults: €9.00 Children: €6.00
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 12 27 27
Image: Richard Sowersby / Rex Features
6
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Historical Museum of
the Second World War,
Ambleteuse
WW2
This museum pays tribute
to all the veterans of WW2.
800 square metres of displays
follow history from the invasion
of Poland in 1939 to the
bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.
Musée Historique de la Seconde
Guerre Mondiale
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 87 33 01
OPEN: 1st Apr - 15th Oct 09.30-18.00,
16th Oct - 31st Mar weekends only
10.00-18.00
CLOSED Dec, Jan & Feb
Adults: €6.90 Children: €5.00
Charles de Gaulle’s
Birth House, Lille
WW2
Charles de Gaulle, renowned
for the encouragement he
gave to the French Resistance
during the Second World War,
was born in 1890 at his
grandmother’s house in Lille.
In 1990, the house was listed
as an historic monument and
it is now a museum celebrating
the great man’s life.
OPEN: Weds - Sun 10.00-13.00
& 14.00-18.00
Adults: €6.00
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 28 38 12 05
Image: Harlingue / Rex Features
Museum of the
Resistance, Bondues
WW2
This area of northern France
was ravaged by WW2 and the
Nazi occupation of the region.
The resistance movement was
a group of local men and
women who worked under
cover to help the Allied forces
regain control of occupied
Europe. This museum is
dedicated to the people that
were involved and traces,
through documents and
artefacts, the lengths they
went to helping the cause,
at great risk to themselves.
OPEN: Weekdays except Tuesdays
Jul & Aug 14.00-18.00
Sept - Jun 14.00-16.30
Adults: €5.00
Children under 12: Free of charge
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 20 28 88 32
Charles de Gaulle
Image: Musée du 5 Juin 1944, Message Verlaine
Museum of 5 June 1944:
Message Verlaine
WW2
On the day before the
Normandy Landings, the BBC
sent a coded message to the
French Resistance in the form
of two lines from a poem by
Verlaine. This was correctly
deciphered in the German
HQ bunker at Tourcoing, near
Lille, but the message was
disregarded by the German
high command.
Les sanglots longs des violons
de l’automne
Blessent mon cœur d’une
langueur monotone
The long sighs of autumn’s violins
Injure my heart with a dull languor
The HQ Bunker (SK1) of the Armee
Ober Kommando 15 is open on the
1st & 3rd Sundays of each month
09.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00.
Adults: €4.50 10-15yrs: €2.50
Children under 10: Free of charge
Guided tours last 1hr 30min
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 20 24 25 00
Dunkirk and ‘Operation
Dynamo’
WW2
Dunkirk was the scene of
the historic evacuation of the
British Expeditionary Force
from France in May 1940.
‘Operation Dynamo’ saw
350,000 men evacuated by
boat in 9 days under artillery
fire and German air attack in
perhaps the greatest naval
operation of all time.
The Dunkirk Memorial,
commemorating over 4,500
casualties from this time, can
be seen at the entrance to the
British war graves section of
Dunkirk Town Cemetery.
Museum of Remembrance,
Dunkirk
WW2
This museum tells the story
of the Battle of Dunkirk
and Operation Dynamo.
Several objects and archive
documents can be viewed here.
OPEN: Every day from
1st Apr - 30th Sept 10.00-12.00
& 14.00-17.00
Adults: €3.50
Children under 12: Free of charge
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 28 66 79 21
Dunkirk Memorial, Dunkirk
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
TEL: 08715 747218 7

Explore Flanders
Flanders
In Flanders Fields Museum
Ypres, in Belgium, became a pivotal battlefield in the years
of The Great War and the Ypres Salient is the name given
to the ridge of higher ground around the city.
The British were determined never to let the city fall to
the invaders even though the onslaught was sustained
throughout most of the time. The area around Ypres saw
four major battles between the Allies and the Germans, one
of which was the memorable conflict at Passchendaele in
1917 when hundreds of thousands of men on both sides
perished.
Here the British suffered enormous losses and there are
over 250,000 fallen, lying in some 600 cemeteries in this
region. Soldiers often referred to ‘being in France’, although
they were in fact in Belgium, at a place that was dubbed
‘Wipers’ by the servicemen. The old medieval city, despite
almost complete devastation during the four war years,
was rebuilt and serves as a perfect centre from which to
explore the sites and cemeteries of Flanders.
Images: © Stad Ieper / Tijl Capoen
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In Flanders Fields
Museum, Ypres
N365
WW1
N375
Renowned as one of the most
devastated towns of the Great
War, Ypres now has one of the
best museums dedicated to
this period of history.
Map key
WW1
1 The In Flanders Fields Museum
2 Site of Yorkshire Trench
3 Menin Gate
4 St George’s Memorial Church
5 Tyne Cot Memorial & Cemetery
6 Memorial Museum at
Passchendaele 1917
7 Talbot House & Poperinge
Town Hall
8 Essex Farm Cemetery
9 Hill 60: Battle for Messines
10 Hill 62: Battle of Mount Sorrel
11 Sanctuary Wood Museum
12 Hooge Crater Museum &
Cemetery
13 Poelcapelle British Cemetery
Opened in 1998, it is called
the In Flanders Fields Museum
and is situated in the Old
Cloth Hall, an elegant building
dating back to the Middle
Ages when this region was
an important wool area.
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Located on the first floor of
the Hall, which over-looks the
Market Square, the museum
is dedicated to peace. Here
you will find accounts by
soldiers serving in the field,
their uniforms, weaponry and
maps together with audiovisual
displays all re-creating
the horrific years and the
suffering of the local people,
their captors and their
liberators. There is a section
showing the run-up to the war
which then takes you on a
chronological path through
the events of 1914-1918
including cameo exhibits
relating to the lot of prisoners
of war, the medical facilities
and conditions, and how the
nations involved made their
contributions.
The archives include over
5,000 books, trench maps,
photographs, periodicals
and original documents.
In Flanders Fields Museum
Lakenhallen, Grote Markt 34
Tel: 00 32 (0)57 23 92 20
flandersfields@ieper.be
OPEN: 1st April - 15th Nov
Monday to Sunday 10.00-18.00
16th Nov - 31st Mar
Tuesday to Sunday 10.00-17.00
Adults: €7.50 Children 7-15: €3.50
Under 7: Free Families: €18.00
Mixed groups: €5.00 per person
Schools: €3.50 per person
Bugle Call at The Menin Gate
Old Cloth Hall
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
St George’s Memorial
Church, Ypres
WW1
St George’s Memorial Church
was built as a memorial to the
500,000 men who died in the
three battles of the Ypres
Salient. The English-style parish
church was opened in 1929,
and subsequently a British
school was built next to it –
Eton Memorial School – which
was to educate the children
of the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission’s many
British employees.
OPEN: Daily from 09.30 till dusk
(16.00 in winter) Free of charge
Menin Gate, Ypres
WW1
This vast monument to the
east of the town of Ypres is
an impressive and moving
tribute to the 54,896 soldiers
whose names are inscribed
on its walls. The sheer
numbers of officers and
their men is both salutary
and awesome. Every night,
just before 8pm, the police
stop the traffic through the
gate and, at 20.00hrs, the
Last Post is sounded, its
notes resonating around
this massive arch ensuring
that the loss of life in this
campaign for freedom
will never be forgotten.
The Menin Gate Memorial
was built from Portland
Images: Tourism Flanders & Brussels / www.visitflanders.co.uk
The Menin Gate Memorial
stone to commemorate
the Missing – those members
of the British and Empire
armies who had died in the
fighting around Ypres, but
who had no known graves.
Since 1929 the last post
has been sounded every
night and in all weathers,
except during the German
Occupation in WWII when
the ceremony was continued
in England at the Brookwood
Military Cemetery near
Guildford.
The bugle call is sounded
by members of the local
voluntary Fire Brigade on
six silver bugles presented
by the Brussels and Antwerp
Branches of the Royal British
Legion.
Yorkshire Trench
and Dugout, Ypres
WW1
Nearly ninety years after the
Yorkshire Trench had been dug
near the village of Boezinge,
4km north of Ypres, it was
rediscovered and restored as
a very telling example of the
cramped conditions, often
flooded with water, that beset
the soldiers here from 1915-
1917. Reconstructed timber
A-frames and duckboards,
designed to keep men above
the mud and water are on
show here, allowing a unique
insight into trench warfare.
If you want to see the originals,
rescued from the site when
it was re-discovered, you will
find them at the In Flanders
Fields Museum at the Cloth Hall
in Ypres.
OPEN: All year round
Free of charge
St George’s Memorial Church
Image: © Stad Ieper / Tijl Capoen
Image: © Stad Ieper / Tijl Capoen
TEL: 08715 747218 9

Explore Flanders
Sanctuary Wood Museum
Hooge Crater: Museum and Cemetery
Image: © Stad Ieper / Tijl Capoen
WW1
A carefully renovated chapel, the museum here is home to
unique and valuable collections including WW1 uniforms and
life sized reconstructions of tableaux from the theatre of war.
Nearby is the Crater Cemetery, where thousands of soldiers
have been buried since the Third Battle of Ypres. The theme
park of Bellewaerde now stands on the site where the Hooge
Crater château was, before its destruction began on the
31st October 1914.
Hill 62: The Battle
of Mount Sorrel and
Sanctuary Wood
WW1
East of Ypres lies Sanctuary
Wood, so named because it
provided cover for troops just
behind the front line. There
were three war cemeteries
already in existence in the
wood prior to the battle of
Mount Sorrel, in June 1916.
The battle, fought between
the Germans and the Canadians,
severely damaged these
cemeteries, the remains of one
of which is now recognised as
the Sanctuary Wood Cemetery.
Here lie the remains of almost
2,000 servicemen, most of whom
remain unidentified. Hill 62,
from which you can look back
over Ypres, is commemorated
by a memorial to the Canadians.
Sanctuary Wood
Museum, Ypres
WW1
This museum is owned by the
grandson of the farmer who
reclaimed his land after WW1.
Original British trenches in
Sanctuary Wood, as it is known
to the British Army, have been
preserved exactly as they were
at the time, with bomb craters,
‘dug-outs’ and underground
passages, as well as the tunnel
that was discovered in the
1980s. The museum collection
features equipment removed
from the battlefield, and many
photographs including a rare
collection of stereoscopic
photos in viewing boxes.
Sanctuary Wood Museum
Canadalaan 26
Tel: 00 32 (0)57 46 63 73
OPEN: Daily 10.00-19.00
Adults: €6.00
Children: Free of charge
School groups: €3.00 per person
Image: Redvers
Memorial Museum at Passchendaele 1917
WW1
OPEN:
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00-18.00
Adults: €4.50 Children: €2.00
This award winning museum keeps the battle of Passchendaele
alive through images and movies, together with dioramas and
a large collection of historical artefacts. Particularly moving
is the reconstructed dug-out complete with HQ, dormitories, work
area, dressing and radio posts. This shows how, in the absence of
above ground cover, British soldiers had to live like moles. The
museum is in the historical castle of Zonnebeke and makes an
ideal introduction to the history of WW1.
Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Leperstraat 5, Zonnebeke, Belgium
Tel: 00 32 51 77 04 41 www.passchendaele.be
OPEN: Daily 10.00-17.00
Tyne Cot Memorial and
Cemetery, Passchendaele
Images: Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917
Memorial Museum at
Passchendaele 1917
WW1
Nearly 12,000 British and
Common- wealth troops rest at
Tyne Cot Cemetery. The names
of 35,000 missing soldiers are
recorded on the memorial which
covers the period August 1917-
1918. Beside the cemetery’s iconic
Cross of Sacrifice stand the original,
unevenly spaced graves from that
time. It is a shocking yet moving
sight to see so many thousands
of lives lost – many not even
retaining their name and whose
head-stones read ‘A soldier of
the Great War. Known unto God’
Tyne Cot Memorial and Cemetery
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The Rampart Route
Talbot House and Poperinge Town Hall,
Poperinge
WW1
Named in memory of Gilbert Talbot, who was killed at
Hooge in 1915, Talbot house was set up by Reverend
Philip ‘Tubby’ Clayton and Gilbert’s brother, Padre
Neville Talbot, as a clubhouse for soldiers, regardless
of rank. It soon became known by the thousands of
soldiers that used it for rest and recreation, as ‘Toc H’;
‘Toc’ being the army signal for ‘T’. The chapel on the
third floor is untouched since 1918.
In the inner court of the nearby Poperinge Town Hall,
the sight of the execution pole is a sombre reminder
of those ‘deserters’ shot at dawn on this very spot,
some of them only boys.
Originally constructed in 1100
with earth walls and wooden
gates, the present ramparts were
designed in the 17th century on
the orders of Louis XIV. You can
obtain a free information guide
in English from the Ypres Tourist
Information Centre.
There are 12 monuments dating
back to the 13th century on the
4km walk.
Talbot House, Gasthuisstraat 43, 8970 Poperinge, Belgium
Tel: 00 32 (0)57 33 32 28 www.talbothouse.be
OPEN: 16th Feb - 14th Nov 09.30-17.30
15th Nov - 15th Feb 13.00-15.00
Closed: Mondays and 23rd Dec - 10th Jan
Adults: €8.00 Over 65s: €7.00 7-18 yrs: €5.00
Children under 7 free
Talbot House is also open for accomodation for individuals
and groups of up to 18 people.
Image: Talbot House, Poperinge www.talbothouse.be
Talbot House
Hill 60: The Battle for Messines
WW1
In Flanders Fields
Car Route
WW1
If you want to visit the most
important cemeteries and
monuments in the area, you can
follow the ‘In Flanders Fields’
route which is 82km long and
starts and ends in Ypres. It also
gives you the chance to explore
the local countryside. The map
and guide are available from
the Ypres Tourist Information
Centre.
Price: €2.50
Essex Farm Cemetery, Boezinge
WW1
This military cemetery was named after the homeland
of the British soldiers from Essex who sheltered there.
It was also here that in May 1915 John McCrae of the
Canadian Army Medical Corps, wrote the poignant war
poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ before he died of pneumonia
in 1918. Today there is a house in place of the farm,
behind which are concrete structures that were once
Advanced Dressing Stations (ADS) for wounded soldiers,
and the remains of bunkers.
An excavation has also uncovered a narrow gauge railway,
thought to be used for transporting supplies.
OPEN: All year round Free of charge
Essex Farm Cemetery
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
After British troops dug 22 tunnels
under the hill along the Germanoccupied
Messines Ridge, 19 of
them were exploded under the
German lines. Once the ground
was recaptured, the mine battle
that ensued on the ridge left
enormous craters in the ground
from all the bomb and shell
explosions. Part of this landscape
has been preserved, the largest
crater now existing as the
ironically tranquil ‘Pool of Peace’
in Wijtschate.
John Condon, Poelcapelle
British Cemetery
WW1
One grave at this cemetery is
said to be that of Private John
Condon, ‘thought to be the
youngest battle casualty of the
First World War commemorated
by the Commission’ at the age of
14. However, there is speculation
that neither the age nor the
identification on the headstone
at plot LVI, Row F, grave 8, are
indeed correct. Close to 7,500
soldiers of the Commonwealth
are also commemorated or buried
at Poelcapelle.
OPEN: All year round Free of charge
Tourism Flanders-Brussels
Flanders House
1a Cavendish Square
London W1G 0LD
Tel: 020 7307 7738
info@visitflanders.co.uk
www.visitflanders.co.uk
Talbot House
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Image: Talbot House, Poperinge www.talbothouse.be
TEL: 08715 747218 11

Explore Normandy
Field Marshal Montgomery
D-Day:
The Normandy
Landings
After the end of WW2, Field Marshal Montgomery wrote
a book about his involvement in the campaign to liberate
Europe entitled, Normandy to the Baltic. This section of
the guide gives a brief insight into that campaign and
identifies significant places of interest to visit. There are
many more museums, cemeteries and landmarks, still
maintained by the liberated countries, than we have space
to include. Once on the quest, you may find that there are
particular avenues you wish to pursue, perhaps to do with
a family relative or a military connection.
50th Anniversary celebrations. Two veterans take a ride in a WW2 Jeep.
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Map key
Operation Overlord
1 Mémorial Pegasus
2 Musée de la Batterie
3 Musée du mur de l’Atlantic
4 Musée du No.4 Commando
5 Musée American Gold Beach
6 Musée du Débarquement
7 Arromanches 360º
8 Musée des Epaves sousmarines
du Débarquement
9 Musée Mémorial Omaha Beach
10 Musée D-Day Omaha
11 Mémorial de la Liberté
Retrouvée
12 Musée des Troupes Aéroportées
13 Musée Mémorial de la Bataille
de Normandie
14 Musée Mémorial du Géneral
de Gaulle
15 Bayeux War Cemetery
16 Musée de la Percée du Bocage
17 Mémorial de la Paix
18 Musée de la Bataille de la
Poche de Falaise
PLAN FOR THE ASSAULT – D-DAY
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Operation Overlord
In the years after Dunkirk,
the ‘Atlantic Wall’, which ran
from the northern-most tip of
Norway to the Spanish/French
Atlantic border, was Hitler’s
defence against an invasion
from Britain. As time went
on, so the fortifications along
the French coastline were
strengthened and the ports
made more impregnable.
Meanwhile, the Allied forces
were building up to a level
of manpower, munitions and
equipment strong enough
to overcome the enemies
defences.
In May 1943, at a conference
in Washington, the full scale
invasion of ‘Fortress Europe’,
was planned for spring 1944
under the codename ‘Overlord’.
Since 1942, British Intelligence
had been researching data
on tides and currents, soil
samples and photographs
from the French, Belgian and
Dutch coastlines. Any landing
beaches would have to be
within range of fighter cover
from southern England and
firm enough for a landing. This
left two choices – the Pas de
Calais and Normandy, the first
being the natural choice as
supply routes were shorter.
It was also the crossing most
anticipated by the Germans,
who strengthened the Atlantic
Wall around Calais.
Normandy was chosen by
the Allies as having a greater
element of surprise. Meanwhile
double agents were feeding
mis-information from London
to Berlin that Calais was to be
the selected zone of attack.
A totally phantom British Fourth
Army was ‘created’ in the north
of England with the intention of
invading Norway, thus keeping
27 German divisions tied down
in Scandinavia!
Southern England became
a store-house of tanks, guns
and supplies while an army of
37,000 workers constructed the
Mulberry harbours needed to
transfer everything from the
follow-up supply ships.
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Les Braves,
Omaha Memorial
Image: Clive Frankham
Field Marshal Montgomery
returned from his successes in
North Africa to head up land
operations in Normandy under
General Eisenhower. Having
selected the Normandy beaches
for a secret landing, tides had to
be reckoned with and 5th June
was chosen. However weather
conditions at the last moment
meant a postponement of
24 hours. The first airborne
landings took place at Ranville
where gliders of the 6th
Airborne Division dropped
silently onto the strip of
land between the River Orne
and the Caen Canal to take
the bridges.
The full seaborne invasion
was along the coastline of
Calvados, from Ouistreham
to half way up the Cherbourg
Peninsular. The beaches were
given names and the US Army
landed at ‘Utah’and ‘Omaha’
while the British took ‘Gold’
and ‘Sword’ with the Canadians
landing at ‘Juno’. By the end
Troops of the U.S. Army's
1st Infantry Division on the
morning of 6th June 1944
(D-Day) at Omaha Beach.
of the day the Allies had landed
some 155,000 men (including
26,000 by air) with more than
1,000 guns and vehicles.
Casualties amounted to 10,000
men, largely at Omaha.
The objective to liberate
Caen within days of landing
was not achieved, due to fierce
resistance, until early July,
causing wide destruction to the
city. Meanwhile, the American
troops were to spread out to cut
off the ports of Cherbourg and
Brest before swinging round
to the south. American forces
liberated the town of St Lô after
a long standoff and, following
considerable casualties, the
Canadians took Le Carpiquet,
the airport south of Caen. This
little town has a fine memorial
to the Canadians and it is typical
of the lasting tributes to be
found in this part of France.
Streets are named after Allied
commanders, even a roundabout
in St Lô and a lorry driving
school called ‘6 Juin’. Visitors to
Omaha Memorial
Normandy will be impressed by
the depth of gratitude evident in
a multitude of tributes.
The logistics to support such
an invasion were massive
and by 9th June a Mulberry
Harbour had been created
at Arromanches. Mulberries
were made from vast, air filled
concrete ‘rafts’ called caissons
which were floated across the
Channel and sunk to create
docks with links to the shore.
It became known as Port
Winston, after Churchill, using
600,000 tons of concrete to
make up 33 jetties and 10 miles
of floating roadways. Remains
of these vast and impressive
structures can still be seen
offshore. Fuel supplies were
augmented on 12th August with
the PipeLine Under The Ocean
(PLUTO) which carried fuel from
the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg.
Image: Anoneditor
Operation Bluecoat
Cherbourg surrendered
on 26th June, the Germans
having completed a
devastating demolition of
the port that took a month
to re-open. The capture of
Caen, supported by heavy
Allied bombing, was
secured by 10th July and
St Lô fell to the Americans
on the 20th. The Americans
pushed out through Brittany
and southwards, sweeping
back up to Falaise while
the British, in Operation
Bluecoat, worked their way
field by field, village by
village through the ‘bocage’
of Normandy.
One of the bloodiest of all
battles in Normandy was
the surrounding of the
Germans, by the Allies, at
Falaise. Hitler contradicted
his commanders in the field,
ordering them to fight to the
last. It is probable that many
of his countrymen did not
know they were all but
encircled and the resultant
slaughter was so severe that
upwards of 10,000 Germans
lost their lives.
Considerably weakened,
the German army was now
in retreat and it was not
long before the Allies
crossed the Seine. With
the French Resistance rising
up in Paris, even though it
was still under the control
of the pragmatic German,
von Choltitz, it was agreed
that the French 2nd
Armoured Division should
roll into the city. Von Choltitz
surrendered Paris on
25th August 1944.
Canadian soldiers on Juno Beach
Image: Clive Frankham
Your route around the
Normandy Landings
This part of France is well
provided with places to
visit with reference to the
Normandy Landings. This list
starts with the first point of
contact by Allied troops
followed by major places
along the coastline and then
those across the Normandy
countryside.
Image: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie
/ Archives Nationales du Canada
Remains of Mulberry Harbour, Arromanches
TEL: 08715 747218 13

Explore Normandy
Mémorial Pegasus, Ranville
(Benouville)
This museum replaces an
earlier one and was opened
in 2000 by the Prince of Wales.
Near to Pegasus Bridge, where
the first British airmen were
dropped to secure this vital
crossing of the Caen Canal,
this modern museum has a
wide collection of exhibits and
photographs. In addition there
is a re-built Bailey Bridge, like
the two temporary bridges,
York and London, constructed
by the British across the Caen
Canal, and a replica Horsa
glider. Six Horsas were towed
by Halifax aircraft and landed
here with men from the
7th Parachute Batallion under
cover of darkness on the night
of 5th-6th June 1944.
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Mémorial Pegasus,
Avenue de Major Howard, Ranville
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 78 19 44
www.normandie1944.fr
OPEN:
Feb & Mar 10.00-17.00
Apr – Sept 09.30-18.30
Oct - 15th Dec 10.00-17.00
Mémorial Pegasus
1 New Pegasus Bridge
2 Museum Mémorial Pegasus
3 Original Pegasus Bridge
4 Replica Horsa Glider
5 Reconstructed Bailey Bridge
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Image: Mémorial Pegasus
Musée de la Batterie,
Merville
Musée du Mur de
l’Atlantic, Ouistreham
Image: Pajx
Supply convoy, Normandy
Image: Alexandre Campolina
Located on the coast where
the River Orne and the Caen
Canal enter the English
Channel, it covers the events
of the British parachute drops
as well as displaying a good
collection of armaments,
uniforms and documents.
Over a 20 acre site, you can
follow the paths between
the blockhouses that Rommel
had built against an Allied
invasion.
Musée de la Batterie de Merville
Place du 9ème Batallion
Merville-Franceville
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 91 47 53
www.batterie-merville.com
OPEN:
15th Mar - 31st May
09.30 to 18.00;
June, July, Aug 09.30-19.00;
1st Sept - 15th Nov 09.30-18.00
Winter opening on request.
The museum of the Atlantic
Wall at Ouistreham is set in
a 17 metre high bunker,
one time gun emplacement,
with five floors of exhibition
space showing artefacts
and uniforms re-creating
the wartime atmosphere.
Musée du Mur de l’Atlantic
Avenue du 6 juin
Ouistreham Riva Bella
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 97 28 69
www.musee-mur-atlantique.com
OPEN: 1st Feb - 31st Mar 10.00-18.00
1st Apr - 30th Sept 09.00-19.00
1st Oct - 15th Nov 10.00-18.00
Winter opening only for groups
on request.
Musée du No.4
Commando, Ouistreham
A small, privately owned
museum showing memorabilia
from the 1st Special Service
Brigade and a German remote
controlled tank.
Museé du Commando No. 4,
Place Alfred Thomas, Ouistreham
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 96 63 10
OPEN: 15th Mar - 31st Oct
10.30-18.00
Paratrooper dummy ‘Rupert’ used during D-
day, Musée de la Batterie
Musée du mur de l’Atlantic
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Image: Olivier Tetard
Image: Thouvenin/Sunset/Rex Features
Musée du Débarquement
Vauban Tower, Port-en-Bessin
Musée American Gold
Beach, Ver-sur-Mer
On 6th June 1944, part of the
British 50th Infantry Division
and supporting armour landed
here as part of Operation
Overlord, on the beach known
ever since as Gold Beach.
A selection of documents,
photographs and objects are
on display. The ‘American’ in
the Museum’s title refers to
the crash landing in the sea
of the first trans-Atlantic post
aircraft in 1927.
Musée American Gold Beach,
Centre St Exupéry 2
Place Amiral Byrd, Ver-sur-Mer
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 22 58 58
www.goldbeachmusee.fr or
www.normandiememoire.org
OPEN: 1st Apr - 30th Jun
10.30-17.30 (closed: Tuesday)
1st Jul - 31st Aug 10.30-17.30
1st Sept - 31st Oct 10.30-17.30 (closed:
Tuesday) Adults: €4.00 Children:
€2.40 Veterans free.
Musée du Débarquement, Arromanches
This is the best museum to learn all about the Mulberry
Harbour, nicknamed Port Winston after Churchill, which
enabled the offloading of men and supplies after D-Day.
This tour de force of civil engineering became the key to
victory in Normandy. The amazing photographs are beautiful
yet moving. In addition, there are interesting models, videos
and a diorama of the scene.
Musée du Débarquement, Place du 6 juin, Arromanches-les-Bains
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 22 34 31 www.museee-arromanches.fr
Opening times may be checked out on the website as they vary month to month,
day to day. CLOSED: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, All Jan
Arromanches 360º, Arromanches
The film ‘The Price of Freedom’ is projected on to 9 screens
in the only circular cinema in France, which was opened to
mark the 50th anniversary of the landings. Projecting images
of both Normandy today and actual footage from 1944,
this film is an unforgettable and moving experience.
Arromanches 360º, Chemin du Calvaire, Arromanches les Bains
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 22 30 30 www.arromanches360.com
Shows at 10min past and 40min past each hour every day
OPEN: June-Jul-Aug 09.40-18.40; Apr – May & Sept – Oct 10.10-17.40
Nov – Dec & Feb – Mar 10.10-17.10 CLOSED: Jan
Groups can book additional showings.
Musée des Epaves
Sous-marines du
Débarquement,
Port-en-Bessin
This museum shows
equipment and personal
objects collected from the
seabed of the Seine Bay over
twenty five years, providing
vivid images of the human
element of the landings in
1944, from an assault tank
to a tube of toothpaste.
Musée des Epaves Sous-marines
du Débarquement
route de Bayeux
Commes
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 21 17 06
OPEN: Weekend and holidays in
May 10.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00;
June - Sept 10.00-12.00
& 14.00-18.00
CLOSED: Oct – April
Gold Beach
Musée Mémorial d’Omaha Beach, St Laurent-sur-Mer
A striking collection of set pieces showing American military
vehicles and personnel together with a film of testimonies by
veterans makes this a comprehensive record of the Omaha
landings. “In memory of those who died in 1944 that future
generations may never forget at what cost our freedom came.”
Image: Clive Frankham
Musée Mémorial d’Omaha Beach, Avenue de la Libération, St Laurent-sur-Mer
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 21 97 44 www.musee-memorial-omaha.com
OPEN: Mid-Feb to Mid-Mar 10.00-12.30 & 14.30-18.00
Mid-Mar to Mid-May 09.30-18.30
Mid-May to Mid-Sept: 09.39-19.00 (Jul & Aug 09.30-19.30)
Mid-Sep to Mid-Nov 09.30-18.30
CLOSED: In winter
TEL: 08715 747218 15

Explore Normandy
Musée D-Day Omaha,
Vierville-sur-Mer
Situated between Viervillesur-Mer
and Pointe du Hoc,
lies an old hangar containing
a variety of items including
an observation post from
Cherbourg, an 88mm Pak43
gun and uniforms of Allied
and German soldiers.
Musée D-Day Omaha
route de Grancamp
Vierville-sur-Mer
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 312171 80
OPEN:
Mar, Apr, May, Oct & Nov
10.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
Jun – Sept 09.30-19.30
Musée Mémorial de la
Bataille de Normandie,
Bayeux
This museum provides a
chronological presentation of
the period with a wide-ranging
exhibition of images, weapons,
equipment and uniforms.
Musée Mémorial de la Bataille
de Normandie
Boulevard Fabian Ware, Bayeux
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 51 46 90
www.normandiememoire.com
OPEN: Feb – Apr & Oct - Dec
10.00-12.30 &14.00-18.00
May - Sept 09.30-18.30
CLOSED: Christmas Day, New Year’s
Day & 15th Jan - 31 Jan
Musée D-Day Omaha
Image: Kamel15
Mémorial de la Liberté Retrouvée, Quinéville
This museum recaptures the period from 1940-1944 with an entire
street of a Normandy village complete with people, vehicles and
everyday objects. Quinéville marks the most westerly extent of the
Normandy beaches.
Mémorial de la Liberté Retrouvée, 18 avenue de la Plage, Quinéville
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 33 95 95 95 www.memorial-quineville.com
OPEN: 1st Apr - 11th Nov daily 10.00-19.00
Image: JrPol
Musée des Troupes Aéroportées, Ste-Mère-Eglise
This is a fascinating village with panels explaining the operations
of the US paratroopers. At the time, a parachutist’s canopy got
caught on the steeple of the church and John Steele hung there
feigning death until he was released. His escapade is marked
by a reconstruction of him and his parachute dangling on the church.
The museum has a roof fashioned in the shape of a parachute and
displays weapons, mementoes and documents relating to the night
drop by 82nd Airborne Division and D-Day. You will also see a C-47
aircraft, a Sherman tank and a 90mm anti-aircraft gun.
Musée des Troupes Aéroportées, 14 rue Eisenhower, Sainte-Mère-Eglise
Inland from Utah Beach and 12 km north of Carentan
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 33 41 41 35 www.musee-airborne.com
OPEN: Apr – Sept 09.00-18.45; Oct, Nov, Feb, Mar 09.30-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
CLOSED: Dec & Jan
Ste-Mère-Eglise
Image: Clive Frankham
Bayeux War Cemetery
Mémorial de la Liberté Retrouvée
Musée Mémorial du
Géneral de Gaulle,
Bayeux
Dedicated to the visits
made by the General and
his historic speeches of
14th June (when he
returned to his native land)
and 16th June 1944, this
Museum is situated in the
XVth and XVIIth century
Governor’s residence, the
first headquarters of the
republican authority of
liberated France.
Musée Mémorial du Géneral
de Gaulle
10, rue Bourbesneur
Bayeux
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 92 45 55
16
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Bayeux War Cemetery,
Bayeux
With its 4,648 graves of British,
Allied, Commonwealth and
German troops, Bayeux is the
largest British WWII cemetery
in France and a frequent
location for commemorative
events. It stands on the site
of a temporary cemetery,
which was set up near a
military hospital shortly after
the town was liberated on
7th June 1944. On the other
side of the ring road, a memorial
bears the names of 1,808
Commonwealth soldiers with
no known grave.
Bayeux War Cemetery
Boulevard du 6 Juin
Bayeux
Bayeux – the city
With its good selection of
hotels and restaurants, visitors
to this region will find Bayeux
a natural centre from which
to visit the various Normandy
sites. It is also home to the
Tapestry, which depicts
another invasion! On that
occasion, the Normans landed
at Pevensey in Sussex and
won. It is rumoured that the
Tapestry, which will amaze
with its detail and length,
was actually woven by nuns
near Canterbury. The soaring
spires of Bayeux Cathedral,
the fascinating shops and the
fine lace in the Musée Baron
Gérard are all a welcome
relief from the images of war.
BELOW RIGHT:
M.Prunier, Mayor of St Martin des
Besaces awards 50th Anniversary
medals to G. Panter and S. Coldwell,
two British veterans, July 1994.
Canadian soldiers at Falaise
town entrance
Image: Clive Frankham
Bayeux War Cemetery
Mémorial de la Paix, Caen
Mémorial de la Paix, Caen
This is probably the most important of all the buildings
dedicated to the events leading up to WW2 and the subsequent
liberation of France by the Allies. It is very significant that this
museum was sponsored, not only by all the Allies and France,
but also by Germany as a lasting tribute to the loss of life and
futility of war. This is the one museum in the region that should
not be missed. With considerable archives, audio-visual
demonstrations, vehicles and artefacts excavated from the ruins
of the city of Caen and an in-depth coverage of war in the 20th
century, this ‘Museum to Peace’ is truly unique.
Memorial de la Paix, Esplanade Général Eisenhower, Caen
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 06 06 45 www.memorial-caen.fr
OPEN: 25th Jan – 11th Feb 09.30-18.00 (closed Monday)
12th Feb - 6th Nov 09.00-19.00
7th Nov - 24th Dec 09.30-18.00 (closed Monday)
26th Dec - 31st Dec 09.30-18.00
Image: Remi Jouan
Musée de la Percée du
Bocage, St Martin des
Besaces
Located halfway between
Villedieu-les-Poeles and Caen,
this small museum marks the
advance of the British 11th
Armoured Division through the
Bocage – the hilly, wooded
countryside of this part of
Normandy. With equipment
and items of interest including
a diorama of the area with
model tanks and vehicles,
the exhibition includes a
commentary and 200
photographs.
Musée de la Percée du Bocage
5 rue du 19 Mars 1962
St Martin des Besaces
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 67 52 78
www.laperceedubocage.com
OPEN: 1st Jun - 15th Sept
10.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
CLOSED: Tuesdays
May: open weekends & holidays
times as above.
Musée de la Bataille
de la Poche de Falaise,
Falaise
This museum contains an
outstanding collection of
military vehicles, artillery
pieces and equipment.
The displays show the Allied
pincer movement on the
German Army trapped in the
Falaise Pocket in August 1944.
Musée de la Bataille de la Poche de
Falaise, route de Bretagne,
Chemin des Roches, Falaise
Tel: 00 33 (0)2 31 90 37 19
www.falaise-tourisme.com
OPEN: 1st Apr - 11th Nov
10.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
CLOSED: Monday & Tuesday
TEL: 08715 747218 17

Explore Holland
N224
N225
4
1
E25
E15
2
E59
Map key
Map from Montgomery’s Normandy to the Baltic
From Falaise onwards...
E25
3
Operation Market Garden
1 Airborne Museum Hartenstein
2 National Liberation Museum
1944-45
3 Wings of Liberation Museum
4 Arnhem War Museum 40-45
From late August 1944, the Allied Forces had the German
Army in retreat crossing the Seine with comparitive ease and
liberating Brussels in Belgium on 3rd September. The advance
was hampered by supplies making even longer journeys to get
through. The port at Antwerp, which was in British hands, was
still closed as the Germans controlled the Scheldt Estuary.
Meanwhile, it was becoming a priority to eliminate the V-2
rocket sites around the Hague in Holland as they were delivering
regular, catastrophic raids on London.
Operation Market Garden
On 17th September, several thousand paratroopers descended from
the sky by parachute or glider penetrating up to 150km behind
enemy lines. Their goal was to secure the bridges across the rivers
in Holland so that the Allied army could advance rapidly northwards
and then turn right into the lowlands of Germany skirting round the
German defence line (the Siegfried Line). If everything had gone
according to plan, it would have ended the war by Christmas 1944.
Unfortunately, this daring idea named Operation Market Garden and
conceived by Montgomery, didn’t have the hoped for outcome. The
bridge at Arnhem proved to be ‘a bridge too far’ and after 10 days of
bitter fighting, the operation ended with the evacuation of the
remainder of the 1st British Airborne Division from the Arnhem area.
As the winter closed in, the British, Canadian and American forces regrouped
with the front line running from Aachen to Wasserbillig in
Luxembourg. The middle of this line was thinly protected and Hitler
exploited this with a counter offensive on 16 December which
became known as the Battle of the Ardennes – or the Battle of the
Bulge. (See page 28)
Through Christmas and January there was bitter fighting and equally
bitter weather; American and British reinforcements were brought in
and, by the end of January 1945, Hitler’s army had been driven back
beyond the Belgian/German frontier.
Airborne Museum Hartenstein
Artillery gun memorial by
John Frost Bridge, Arnhem
Airborne Museum Hartenstein
Utrechtseweg 232, Oosterbeek
www.airbornemuseum.org
Airborne Museum Hartenstein, Oosterbeek (Arnhem)
A large model of the area with a commentary and pictures
illustrates the battle at Arnhem. There are weapons and
equipment, both Allied and German, and dioramas made with
great detail and historical accuracy. Outside are anti-tank guns
and a Sherman tank. The museum is dedicated to British and
Polish Airborne Troops. Check the museum website for opening
times which may vary – www.airbornemuseum.org
Image: W.Wolny
Image: Michiel1972
18
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National Liberation Museum 1944-45, Groesbeek
This museum takes you through the period preceding the war,
the German occupation, through liberation, to the re-building of the
Netherlands after the Armistice. Under a parachute shaped-dome,
the names of 1,800 Americans who lost their lives are recorded in
a Roll of Honour. Veterans of the American 82nd Airborne Division
were the inspiration for this museum which also houses a collection
of books recording the names of those of the British Commonwealth
and United States killed in action between 6th June 1944 and
8th May 1945 (Victory in Europe Day) in Northwest Europe.
National Liberation Museum 1944-45, Wylerbaan 4, Groesbeek
Tel: 00 31 (0)2 43 97 44 04 www.bevrijdingsmuseum.nl
OPEN: Monday – Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sundays & Holidays 12.00-17.00
CLOSED: 25th Dec - 1st Jan inclusive.
National Liberation Museum 1944-45
Wings of Liberation
Museum, Best (Eindhoven)
The liberation of the South of
the Netherlands is the central
issue in the Wings of Liberation
Museum Park. Documents,
photographs, audio-visuals
and memorabilia explain
the causes of the outbreak
of the war. The occupation,
suppression and finally the
liberation of the Netherlands
are covered extensively.
The Museum Park is situated
in the area where, on the
17th September 1944, units
of the 101st US Airborne
Division landed as part of
Operation Market Garden.
A reconstruction in which
original vehicles and
equipment are arranged,
recalls the days of the WW2.
Two audio-visual presentations
illustrate Operation Market
Garden and the Liberation of
the Netherlands.
Wings of Liberation Museum
Sonseweg 39, Best
Tel: 00 31 (0)4 99 32 97 22
www.wingsofliberation.nl
OPEN: Daily 10.00-17.00
Apr - mid Nov
Wings of Liberation Museum
Arnhem War Museum
40-45, Ashaarsbergen
(Arnhem)
The Arnhem War Museum
40-45 portrays the history
of the war years 1940-1945,
as they were experienced
in Arnhem and immediate
surroundings, up to and
including the liberation.
A vast array of uniforms
and equipment is on display,
together with vehicles,
documents and objects
giving a snapshot of daily
life during the occupation.
This private museum is housed
in the old village school of
Schaarsbergen, just north
of Arnhem.
Arnhem War Museum 40-45
Tel: 00 31 (0)2 64 42 09 58
www.arnhemwarmuseum.tripod.com
OPEN: Tuesdays – Sundays
10.00-17.00
CLOSED: Mondays, Christmas Day
and New Year’s Day
Paratrooper memorial,
St. Eusebius church, Arnhem
Image: Ciell
Arnhem War Museum 1940-45
Operation Market Garden Trail, Lommel (Belgium) to Arnhem (Holland)
This cross-country trail through some of the most attractive Dutch countryside takes you through
many of the important sites on this part of the campaign. The trail starts at Lommel, just south of
the Belgian Dutch border at a bridge over the Maas-Scheldt Canal. Here a wooden pontoon bridge,
constructed by the Germans, was taken by British forces and repaired by Joe’s Troop of the Royal
Engineers and, legend has it, was henceforth known as Joe’s Bridge. It is the start of a 200km long
footpath leading to Arnhem which was created by the Dutch Hiking Association. It was opened in
September 2004 to mark the 60th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden.
Image: VirtualSteve
TEL: 08715 747218 19

Explore Champagne-Ardenne
Champagne-
Ardenne
WW1 battles, notably in 1914 and 1918, account for a
great deal of fighting across open land and the destruction
of much of the region’s capital, Reims. Significantly the
encounter of 1918 is regarded as something of a turning
point in the war and one in which troops from many lands,
including Italy, France, Russia, America and the British
Commonwealth, fought side by side.
In WW2 the last fortress of the Maginot Line, at La Ferté,
came under heavy attack and the Ardennes, to the north east
of Reims suffered heavily from sustained action. Significantly
the signing of the surrender at the end of WW2 took place in
Reims on 7 May 1945 and in 1962 Charles de Gaulle and
Chancellor Ardenauer signed an accord of reconciliation
between France and Germany in this city. The famous French
general was finally laid to rest in his village of Colombey
les Deux Eglises, near Chaumont. His home since 1933,
La Boisserie, has now been opened as a museum, while a
giant Cross of Lorraine, dedicated to his memory, towers
over the forested landscape.
A4
3
1
N51
2
A26
A4
Image: “© MAISON DE LA FRANCE – CRT Champagne-Ardenne-Sivade”
A5
4
Fort de la Pompelle
Map key
WW1
1 Fort de la Pompelle
2 Fort de Villy-la-Ferté / Maginot Line
3 The Surrender Room
4 Charles de Gaulle’s House
A5
Fort de la Pompelle, Reims, Marne
Champagne-Ardenne Regional Tourist Board
15, avenue du Maréchal Leclerc
BP 319
51013 CHALONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE Cedex
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 26 21 85 80 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 26 21 85 90
contact@tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com
www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com
WW1
One of a series of forts constructed in the 1880s to protect Reims
was armed until only a year before the outbreak of WW1 when the
French General Staff decided to disarm it. On 4th September 1914 the
Germans captured it without a fight. Twenty days later, after the first
battle of the Marne, the fort was recaptured and held for the remainder
of the war. Only 2km from the fort lies the cemetery at Sillery with the
graves of 12,000 French soldiers who died in the brutal fighting of
WW1 in that area.
The badly damaged fort has become a museum with a collection
of trench mortars. There are also maps of the trenches and some
aerial photographs, German helmets, a considerable amount of war
memorabilia and weaponry. The Fort de Montbre, to the south west
of Reims, remained behind French lines and is still intact.
Fort de la Pompelle Tel: 00 33 (0)3 26 85 23 36
OPEN:
1st Nov - 31st Mar 10.00-17.00
1st Apr - 31st Oct 11.00-18.00 weekdays, 11.00-19.00 weekends
CLOSED:
Annually from 24th Dec - 6th Jan, & Tuesdays
20
www.dfds.co.uk

Image: Les Meloures
Fort de la Pompelle
Fort de Villy-la-Ferté
& The Maginot Line
WW1 and WW2
The Maginot Line was named
after the French politician who
served, and was wounded in,
WW1. In 1929 he persuaded
a reluctant government to
construct a line of defences
along the Franco-German
border to protect his country
from another attack. He died
in 1932 before they were
completed. By the time of
the 1939 invasion Germany
had developed tanks that
could cross the hills and
marshes between the defences
that only ten years earlier had
been regarded as impenetrable
to invasion.
On 18/19th May 1940 the
German Army struck the Fort
de Villy-la-Ferté and breached
the French line. The fort was
originally built to withstand
an onslaught and was equipped
with facilities to cope with the
wounded, but the German attack
was overwhelming.
The fort can be visited and
the scars of the bombing
remain as vivid reminders of
the horrors of this momentous
event. Other forts along
the Maginot Line remain,
usually distinguished by their
mushroom shaped turrets,
many bearing the shell marks
of the war, most lying forgotten
and unmarked in the countryside.
Maginot Line
Image: John C. Watkins
Visit by guided tour only
OPEN:
Palm Sunday to All Saints Sunday on
weekends and public holidays only
14.00-16.30
1 July to 31 Aug every day
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 24 22 61 49
Image: L’Office de Tourisme de Reims
Signature Room of the Surrender,
Reims
Signature Room of the
Surrender, Reims, Marne
WW2
Eisenhower’s base in Reims
was in a technical college.
With large scale maps
covering the walls from floor
to ceiling and the same
furniture in place, including
the actual table used for the
signature, the Signature
Room as it is known remains
to this day as it was on
7th May 1945. This is a
place for acknowledging
the tribute due to those
who sacrificed so much.
Museum of the Signature Room
12, rue Franklin Roosevelt
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 26 85 23 36
Call to check times.
Charles de Gaulle’s House,
Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises
Charles de Gaulle’s House and Tomb,
Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, Haute-Marne
WW2
There is no doubt that General Charles de Gaulle, leader
of the Free French and stalwart opponent of the Vichy
government deserved a place in the history of WW2.
No better place to record his achievements than the town
of Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises where, in 1934, he bought
a house, once a brewery, called La Boisserie. Part of the
house and grounds are open to the public and the tomb
of the General in the modest churchyard of Nôtre Dame
de l’Assomption is carefully tended.
De Gaulle died in 1970 and to commemorate his life his
nation decided to erect a giant Cross of Lorraine, symbol
of the Free French, on the highest point in the commune,
surrounded by trees. Here on 18 June 1973 the memorial,
which is 43.5m high and is built from 1,500 tonnes of Brittany
rose granite, was inaugurated.
72, rue du Général de Gaulle Tel: 00 33 (0)3 25 01 52 52
Colombeylesdeuxeglises-tourism@wanadoo.fr
OPEN: 1st May - 30th Sept 10.00-18.15; 1st Oct - 30th Apr 10.00-17.30
CLOSED: Tuesdays, Christmas & January.
Image: Paul Cooper / Rex Features
TEL: 08715 747218 21

Explore The Somme
Image: ‘Somme 1916’ Museum
The Somme
The Somme was an unfortunate victim of WW1, most notably
for being the location of one of the bloodiest battles in human
history in 1916. On 1st July, after a week-long artillery
barrage, the Allied forces attempted to break through the
German lines along a 25 mile front. The German troops,
having anticipated the attack, had consolidated their position
and escaped to underground shelters. Believing that they had
obliterated the enemy, British troops slowly approached the
German lines, and thus was the beginning of the massacre
that was the Battle of the Somme. 60,000 British and Commonwealth
troops died and 20,000 were wounded or missing
on the first day of the battle, mainly within the first hour.
Later on in the war, in March and April 1918, the British
line on the Somme Front was again attacked by the German
Army, until the Allied forces gradually pushed it out of its
defensive positions during the Second Battle of the Somme
in August 1918.
Today, this horrific period in history can be explored and
envisaged along the Circuit of Remembrance, which takes
you to impressive memorials, remains of battlefields,
beautifully maintained cemeteries and all the significant
war sites of the Somme.
‘Somme 1916’ Museum
Map Key
WW1
9
N25
6
D938
D929
D1
N42
8
12
5
7 4
3
D938
10
D929
D64
D1
2
N17
1
1 Historial of the Great War,
Péronne
2 The Chapel of the ‘Souvenir
Français’, Rancourt
3 The South African National
Memorial & Museum, Longueval
4 The British Tanks Memorial /
Australian Monument, Pozières
5 The Franco-British Memorial,
Thiepval
6 Newfoundland Memorial,
Beaumont-Hamel
7 The Lochnagar Crater,
La Boisselle
8 ‘Somme 1916’ Museum, Albert
9 Hall of the ‘Sole Command’,
Doullens
10 ‘P’tit Train de la Haute-Somme’,
Amiens
11 National Australian Memorial,
Villers-Bretonneux
12 The Thiepval Visitor Centre
11
N42
D329
Somme Tourist Board
21, rue Ernst Cauvin
80000 AMIENS
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 71 22 71
Fax: 00 33 (0)3 22 71 22 69
accueil@somme-tourisme.com
www.somme-tourisme.com
22
www.dfds.co.uk

Image: Harm Frielink
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Historial of the Great War,
Péronne
WW1
Located at the historic heart
of the Battlefields of the
Somme, this museum offers
full and comprehensive
illustrations of the causes,
events and consequences
of the Great War, for all who
were involved. Learn about
the daily lives of the British,
German and French civilians
who were drawn into the war,
due to the overpowering
social and political climate
of the time. The fascinating
collections ranging from posters
to objects to film footage
express only a fraction of the
horror and the universal
suffering of war.
Château de Péronne
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 83 14 18
doc@historial.org
www.historial.org
OPEN: Every day from 10.00-18.00
(except Mondays from 1 Nov - 31 Mar)
CLOSED: from mid-Dec to mid-Jan
Adult: €7.50
Children (6-18): €3.80
Children under 6: Free of charge
The South African National Memorial and Museum
The South African National Memorial and Museum,
Longueval
WW1
The capture of Delville Wood was assigned to the South
Africans, 4,000 of whom went into the attack on 15th July
1916. Five days later, just 143 came back unharmed. The
memorial and museum commemorate those that perished
and the South African contribution to WW1 and the other
wars that followed.
OPEN:
Museum and visitor centre: Every day except Monday
and public holidays, from 1st Feb -10th Nov 10.00-15.45
(10.00-17.45 from 1st Apr - 14th Oct)
Free of charge
Memorial & wood: Open all year round
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 85 02 17
Entrance to Pozières
The Chapel of the
‘Souvenir Français’,
Rancourt
WW1
This memorial chapel was
originally built at the wish of
a family from this region who
wanted to commemorate
their son and his comrades,
who were killed in battle on
25th September 1916. Now
maintained by the Souvenir
Français association, the chapel
holds an official ceremony every
second Sunday in September.
The village is also a place of
poignance due to its three
cemeteries for each of the
combatant nations – France,
Britain and Germany.
OPEN: Every day 08.00-18.00
Free of charge
‘Gibraltar’, 1916
Pozières
WW1
The village of Pozières was
captured by Australian troops
on 23rd July 1916. It was
crossed by a double network of
trenches that made up the 2nd
German line, and flanked by two
blockhouses, named ‘Gibraltar’
and ‘The Windmill’.
The Monument to the
1st Australian Division here
commemorates the dead, while
‘Gibraltar’ has been adapted to
give a first hand view of the
battlefield, with an observation
table and look-out tower.
The British Tanks Memorial in
Pozières marks the arrival of the
first tanks on the battlefield on
15th September 1916, with four
small-scale model tanks.
OPEN: All year round
Free of charge
TEL: 08715 747218 23

Explore The Somme
The Franco-British Memorial
‘Somme 1916’ Museum
‘Somme 1916’
Museum, Albert
WW1
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Franco-British
Memorial, Thiepval
WW1
The pillars of this majestic
memorial designed by Edwin
Lutyens bear the names of
73,367 men, dubbed the
‘Missing of the Somme’ as they
died in battles here between
1915 and 1918 but have no
known grave. The arch bears
a meaningful inscription:
‘Aux armées françaises
et britannique, l’Empire
britannique reconnaissant’
(To the French and British
armies, from the grateful
British Empire.)
OPEN: Every day
1st May - 31st Oct 10.00-18.00
Low season 09.00-17.00
CLOSED:
Mid-Dec to mid-Jan
Free of charge
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 74 60 47
Image: ‘Somme 1916’ Museum
This museum portrays
life in the trenches at
the launching of the
Battle of the Somme
on 1st July 1916. A 230
metre underground
passage is punctuated
with alcoves and showcases,
made hauntingly
real with sound effects,
pictures and lighting.
OPEN: Every day 1st Feb - 15th
Dec 09.00-12.00 and 14.00-
18.00 (09.00-18.00
1st Jun-30th Sept)
Adults: €4.00 Children: €2.50
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 75 16 17
Newfoundland Memorial
Newfoundland Memorial, Beaumont-Hamel
WW1
Being a British colony at the time of the First World War,
Newfoundland raised a volunteer army. On 1st July 1916 the men
of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment came under heavy German
fire. Within just half an hour, only 68 men remained unharmed.
A bronze statue of the regiment’s emblem, the Caribou, graces this
memorial, from where you can view the whole battlefield with its
preserved British and German front line trenches.
Image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
OPEN:
1st Feb- 29th Feb 09.00-17.00 (Monday 10.00-17.00)
1st Mar - Mid Oct 10.00-18.00 (Monday 11.00-18.00)
Mid Oct - 30th Nov 09.00-17.00 (Monday 10.00-17.00)
Guided tour reservations Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 76 70 86
Email: newfoundland-memorial@vac-acc.gc.ca
Image: Alertomalibu
24
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The Lochnagar Crater,
La Boisselle
The ‘P’tit Train de la Haute-Somme’,
Amiens
The ‘P’tit Train de la Haute-Somme
WW1
This mine crater, 100 metres in
diameter and 30 metres deep, is
the only one open to the public,
and marks the launching of the
Battle of the Somme by British
troops on 1st July 1916.
WW1
This narrow-gauge railway was used by the
infantry men of 1914-1918 to carry supplies
up to the French front line. At its departure
point, Froissy, is the Museum of Narrow Gauge
Railways where you can view some of the
vehicles used to provision the trenches in the
Battle of the Somme.
Hall of the ‘Sole
Command’, Doullens
WW1
This room in Doullens Town
Hall presents an evocation of a
key moment in the war, when
Generals Petain and Foch, Lord
Milner and General Haig met in
that very room and decided to
create a unified command.
On 18th July, General Foch,
appointed by the British and
French to coordinate the
operations of the two armies,
launched his final counteroffensive
which led to the
Armistice of 11th November.
OPEN: Every day except Sunday
Free of charge
Hall of the Sole Command
Hotel de Ville
2, avenue du Maréchal Foch
Doullennais Tourist Office
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 32 54 52
Image: The Thiepval Visitor Centre
OPEN: From 30th Apr - 1st Oct 14.00-19.00
on Sundays and French bank holidays.
From 14th Jul - 26th Aug 14.00-18.00 Tues-Sat
& 14.00-19.00 Sundays and French bank holidays.
Adults: €8.50 Children: €5.50
Children under 5: Free of charge
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 44 55 40
Thiepval Visitor Centre
The Thiepval Visitor Centre
WW1
This Visitor Centre provides a place for the
visitors of the Thiepval Memorial to the
Missing to put the memorial into the context
of the battlefield. Display panels present the
course of WW1 from 1914 to 1918 and an
area focuses on the events of the Battle of the
Somme that took place in and around Thiepval
in 1916. The moving Panel of the Missing
features photographs of 600 of the staggering
72,000 commemorated on the Memorial.
OPEN: Every day, 10.00-18.00 Free of charge
www.thiepval.org.uk
Image: © Appeva
The National Australian Memorial,
Villers-Bretonneux
Image: ‘Didier Cry
Australian Museum
WW1
It was in Villers-Bretonneux on 25th April 1918
that Australian troops finally halted the German
offensive of March 1918, exactly three years
after Anzac Day. The white stone memorial
bears the names of all the missing soldiers
who do not have a known grave. It is also the
location of the annual Anzac Day celebration.
On the first floor of the village school building
is the Franco-Australian Museum, illustrating
the contribution of Australian troops during
the First World War with photographs, uniforms
and weapons, and highlighting the mutual
recognition between the two nations.
9 rue du Victoria, Villers-Bretonneaux
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 96 80 79
Memorial open: All year round Free of charge
MUSEUM OPEN:
Mar - Oct 09.30-17.30; Nov - Feb 09.30-16.30
Closed Sunday and holidays (open 11th Nov)
Adults: €4.00 Children: €2.50 Children under 6: Free
TEL: 08715 747218 25

Explore Southern Belgium
Southern Belgium
Image: © Culturespaces
Draw a line between the main industrial cities of Germany
and the French capital, Paris, and the region of Southern
Belgium is in the path of any invading force. Not surprisingly,
therefore, this part of Belgium suffered the onslaught of both
World Wars. A hundred years earlier and the conflict was
between Napoleon on one side and the British and Prussian
armies on the other culminating at Waterloo, just south of
Brussels, in 1815.
Visitors to Southern Belgium, otherwise known as Wallonia,
will find themselves in a region that has suffered conflict and
devastation. The scars, memorials, museums and cemeteries
bear testament to many years of loss of life on a massive
scale. That the countryside and its inhabitants have risen
above those times of tragedy to make it as beautiful as it
is today is a tribute to human endeavour and perseverance.
Lion’s Mount and Panorama
Much to the displeasure of the Duke of Wellington a man-made hill,
called Lion’s Mount, was created to mark the battle and at its foot
a round building with a domed roof houses a panorama of the
battle painted on its walls. An absolute must on a visit to Waterloo.
Map key
1
2
4
E.19
BRUSSELS
5
Waterloo
3
Nivelles
Wavre
A3 E.40
A15 E.42
Liege
10
Spa
A3 E.40
1 Battle of Waterloo
2 Lion’s Mount Visitors’ Centre
3 Last Headquarters of
Napoleon
4 Panorama of the Battle
5 Wellington Museum
WW1
6 Battle of Mons
7 Museum of Military History
6
7
A.7
Mons
A.54 A15 E.42
Charleroi
Namur
A4 E.411
Durbuy
WW2
8 Museum of Battle of Ardennes
9 Bastogne Historical Centre
10 December 44 Museum
A26 E.45
Dinant
Verdenne
La Roche
Image: © Culturespaces
Chimay
Rochefort
8
Houffalize
9
Bastogne
Bouillon
26
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When thinking of the war-torn
regions of Belgium and Northern
France it’s easy to forget a
conflict a century earlier that
brought many of the
protaganists in the two World
Wars together in a different
political alignment, namely the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Nelson had defeated the French
at sea in the Battle
of Trafalgar in 1805 and
Napoleon had been forced
to abdicate in 1814. He was
banished by the Allies to the
Island of Elba. The French,
disaffected with Louis XVIII,
rallied behind Napoleon, who
escaped in February 1815, and
re-grouped as he wanted to split
the coalition of nations against
him that included Prussia,
Holland and Britain together
with Nassau, Hanover and
Brunswick.
Waterloo Tourist Office
Chausée de Bruxelles 218
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 352 0910
Fax: 00 32 (0)2 354 2223
The Battle of Waterloo
1815
Waterloo was the culmination of
three previous battles and on 18
June 1815 the combined forces
of Prussia and the United
Kingdom finally over-threw
Napoleon Bonaparte. It was a
triumph for the Duke of
Wellington, who described it as,
‘the nearest run thing you ever
saw in your life’, and a landmark
in British history. The British
forces suffered some 5,000
casualties (killed and wounded),
the Prussians 7,000 and the
French 25,000 and 7,000
prisoners of war. The Wellington
Museum, south west of Waterloo,
will make a visit to the actual
battlefield and the Lion’s Mount
so much more evocative. The
visitors’ centre there screens a
short film and Napoleon’s last
headquarters and the Panorama
of the Battle widen your understanding
of this battle further.
Images: © OPT
Combination Ticket
A combination ticket is great
value and admits visitors to:
Lion’s Mount & Panorama
Visitor’s Centre, Braine-L’Alleud
Route du Lion 254,
Braine-l’Alleud
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 385 1912
www.waterloo1815.be
Apr - Oct 09.30-18.30
Nov - Mar 10.00-17.00
The Last Headquarters of
Napoleon, Vieux-Genappe
Chausée de Bruxelles 66,
Vieux-Genappe
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 384 2424
The Wellington Museum,
Waterloo
Chaussée de Bruxelles 147
B1410 Waterloo
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 357 28 60
www.museewellington.com
Open every day except
1 Jan & 25 Dec
1 Apr - 30 Sep 09.30-18.30
1 Oct - 31 Mar 10.00-17.00
COMBINATION TICKET:
Adult: €12
Child: €7.50
Image: © O. T. Mons
Mons Tourist Office
Grand’Place 22
7000 Mons
Tel: 00 32 (0)65 335 580
Fax: 00 32 (0)65 356 336
Image: Michel Lefrancq
The Battle of Mons
WW1
By the 23 August, only 20
days after Germany declared
war on France, British troops
were in position at Mons to
support the French. However,
the allied forces were
outnumbered 20:1 along a
45km front and were forced
to evacuate the town of
Mons and withdraw. Legend
has it that some soldiers saw a vision of an angel in the sky giving
courage to the retreating British Army. A painting in Mons Town
Hall depicts ‘The Angel of Mons’, now believed to be the creation
of a journalist.
Mons
WW2
The town came under attack on 10 May 1940 and was occupied
9 days later. The next attack on Mons came from the Allies and it
was liberated on 2 September 1944 by American forces, who
subsequently took 27,000 prisoners.
There is a Museum of Military History in Mons covering both
conflicts and, outside the town, 230 British servicemen’s graves
from WW1 are to be found at the St Symphorien Military Cemetery,
set in quiet countryside.
TEL: 08715 747218 27

Explore Southern Belgium
The Battle of the (Bulge)
Ardennes
WW2
By September 1944 the
advances that had begun
with the D-Day invasions in
Normandy had progressed
to Southern Belgium where
in the wooded countryside of
The Ardennes the British Army
helped to free the region for
a respite period of three
months. The Germans then
launched a counter attack
which became known as the
Battle of the Bulge which saw
some of the fiercest fighting
of the war, lasting six weeks
and accounting for many lives
lost. In La Roche the Museum
of the Battle of the Ardennes
has many interesting exhibits
including one of the encrypting
machines, ‘Enigma’. The town
of La Roche suffered heavy
damage with 90% of its
buildings destroyed and
over 100 inhabitants killed.
At Hotton you will find the
Commonwealth Military
Cemetery where 325 British
soldiers are buried.
Image: © OPT
Bastogne Memorial
Bastogne Historical
Centre, Bastogne
WW2
The star-shaped building is
divided into two exhibition
areas showing the German
and American memorabilia
separately. There are interesting
authentic uniforms and weapons
including a leather jacket
presented by a German officer
who actually wore it during the
Battle of the Bulge.
Bastogne Historical Centre
Colline du Mardasson
00 32 (0) 61 21 14 13
www.bastognehistoricalcenter.be
CLOSED:
2011/2012 for renovation.
Check website for up-to-date
information.
December 44 Museum,
La Gleize (Stoumont)
WW2
This museum not only has many
objects including vehicles, arms,
documents, models and
dioramas, but covers the period
when the nearby village of
Verdenne was in the hands of
different armies four times in
five days.
December 44 Museum
Rue d’Eglise 7,
La Gleize (Stoumont)
00 32 (0) 43 76 66 55
www.december44.com
OPEN:
1st Mar - 21st Nov 10.00-18.00
22nd Nov - 29th Feb weekends
& holidays only
Adults: €5.00 Children: €3.00
Image: © OPT
Bastogne Historical Centre
Belgian Tourist Office –
Brussels & Wallonia
217 Marsh Wall
London E14 9FJ
Tel: 020 7531 0390
Fax: 020 7531 0393
info@belgiumtheplaceto.be
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
28
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Motoring Information
The pleasures of the
open road
Driving in France, Belgium or Holland is a joy to
anyone used to the clogged up roads of Britain.
As the kilometers speed by, you pass through a
rural landscape that hasn’t changed in decades.
With little effort you can turn on to small side
roads to find a shady picnic spot or a town with
an inviting restaurant.
BEFORE YOU GO
Make sure you have all compulsory documents and equipment.
DOCUMENTS
You may be asked to produce your documents at any time.
Be sure that the following are in order and readily available
for inspection.
• A valid full driving licence (not provisional), with paper
counterpart if you have a photocard licence
• The original vehicle registration document
• Your motor insurance certificate with cover for European travel
• Your passport
EQUIPMENT
You must make sure that your vehicle is correctly equipped
as follows:
• GB sticker (UK registered vehicles displaying Euro-plates
(circle of 12 stars above the national identifier on blue
background) do not need a GB sticker)
• Warning triangle
• Reflective jacket/waistcoat for the driver and all passengers
• Headlamp adjustment for driving on the right
• Spare bulb kit
• First aid kit and fire extinguisher (not compulsory but recommended)
SEAT BELTS
Front and rear seat passengers are required to use seat belts, where
fitted. Children up to 9 months old may travel in the front seat if in a
rear-facing child’s seat, except where an airbag is installed. Children
under 10 must travel in the rear seats.
DRIVING ON THE RIGHT
It is advisable to have an external rear view mirror fitted if you
do not already have one. Driving on the right needs care and
attention particularly at junctions and when negotiating
roundabouts. The French rule of ‘priority to the right’ (‘priorité
à droite’) is still relevant in towns where, in the absence of
any road markings or a yellow lozenge on a signpost, drivers
entering the road you are on from your right take precedence.
Useful information on travelling in France and Belgium can be
obtained from the Automobile Association website: www.theaa.com
DRINKING AND DRIVING
France, Belgium and Holland have stricter limits than the UK.
If the level of alcohol in the bloodstream is 0.5mg/ml or more
(0.2mg/ml for bus/coach drivers), severe penalties include fine,
imprisonment and/or confiscation of driving licence. The only
safe rule is if you drink, don’t drive.
SPEEDING
Both countries have strict limits and radar traps and you can be
fined on the spot. In France speeding at 25km/h above the limit
can lead to your licence being confiscated. On-the-spot fines or
‘deposits’ can be severe.
SPEED LIMITS: FRANCE
Motorways 130 km/h (81 mph)
110 km/h wet* (68 mph)
Some motorways have tolls (Péage) and you should keep
a handful of euros available, or you can pay by credit card.
Two lane highway 110 km/h (68 mph)
100 km/h wet* (62 mph)
Open road 90 km/h (56 mph)
80 km/h wet* (50 mph)
Towns 50 km/h (31 mph)
Town limits may only be defined by the name of the town on a
white background with a red border at the start and the same sign
with a black diagonal line through it on your exit.
* Drivers with less than 2 years full licence are subject to wet weather
limits.
SPEED LIMITS: BELGIUM
Motorways & dual carriageway 120 km/h (74 mph)
Open road 90 km/h (56 mph)
Towns 50 km/h (31 mph)
Nr hospitals schools etc 30 km/h (19 mph)
SPEED LIMITS: HOLLAND
Motorways 120 km/h (74 mph)
Main roads 100 km/h (62 mph)
Built-up areas 50 km/h (31 mph)
All other roads 80 km/h (50 mph)
TEL: 08715 747218 29

DFDS Seaways
Eastern Docks
Dover
Kent CT16 1JA
Tel: 08715 747218
www.dfds.co.uk
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