- Lochnagar Crater - Notable sites include the massive mine crater in « La Boisselle » detonated by British tunneling companies on July 1st, 1916.
The Lochnagar Crater was formed by a large mine placed beneath the German front lines on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. It was one of 19 mines placed beneath the German lines from the British section of the Somme front to aid the infantry advance at the start of the battle.
The British named the mine after ‘Lochnagar Street’, a British trench where the Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers dug a shaft about 90 feet deep into the chalk, then excavated some 300 yards towards the German lines to place 60,000 lbs (27 tons) of ammonal explosive in two large adjacent underground chambers 60 feet apart. Its aim was to destroy a formidable strongpoint called « Schwaben Höhe » in the German front line, south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département.
- Ulster Memorial Tower & Thiepval Wood - The Ulster Memorial Tower stands on what was the German front line during the Battle of the Somme, from July to November 1916. It was erected on the site of the Schwaben Redoubt, a strongly fortified position, which the Ulster Division eventually captured from the enemy. It is opposite Thiepval Wood from where the 36th (Ulster) Division made its historic charge on July 1st, 1916, and is close to the village of Thiepval.
- Historial de la Grande Guerre - Musee de Thiepval - At the entrance, a large animated map, enriched with period photographs and film, shows the impact that the battles of the First World War had on the Somme.
The gallery devoted to the Battle of the Somme opens onto a panoramic mural by illustrator Joe Sacco; it depicts the harrowing day of July 1st, 1916, hour by hour. Reproduced onto 60 meters of back-lit glass, it provides a panoramic view of the battlefield, a graphic narrative of military operations.
In the center of the hall, a vast display pit covered by glass presents collection pieces and archaeological remains of the war. Short videos provide complementary information about the mural: commentary on the scenes presented, historical information, archive footage, and educational animations.
At the end of the hall, a Maxim machine gun captured by a British regiment at Thiepval reminds visitors of how heavily the Germans defended this location: Thiepval ridge was an Allied objective on July 1st, 1916; it was not taken until the end of September.
Opposing the multitude of Missing, the exhibition examines the creation of great heroic figures. This large hall presents a life-size replica of the airplane belonging to Georges Guynemer and portraits of First World War aviators.
From 1916, the role of aviation in war had affirmed itself, encouraging the advent of great heroic figures. Individual heroes, like the “Knights of the Sky”, emerged in the face of the continuing death of the masses.
- Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial - Next, the guide will take you to visit the Newfoundland Memorial Park in Beaumont Hamel. There, a large portion of the battleground has been preserved, and while walking through the network of now-serene original trenches, you will see the scars of the battle that still remain on the ground.
The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during World War I. The 74-acre preserved battlefield park encompasses the grounds over which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on July 1st, 1916, during the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
On July 1st, 1916, at 8:45 a.m., the Newfoundland Regiment and 1st Battalion of the Essex Regiment received orders to move forward. Of the 780 men who went forward, only about 110 survived unscathed, of whom only 68 were available for roll call the following day.
- Delville Wood War Memorial - You will pay your respects to the « South African Memorial” in Longueval.
The location of the memorial marks the role played by South African forces in the Battle of Delville Wood (part of the Somme Offensive), the first action seen by the forces of South Africa in Flanders and France. Other battles commemorated here include the participation of South African forces at the Battle of Arras and the Battle of Passchendaele.
The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker, with assistant architect Arthur James Scott Hutton, and sculpture by Alfred Turner. It consists of a flint and stone screen on either side of an archway, with a shelter at each end of the screen. On top of the arch is Turner’s bronze statue of two men and a war horse. The two male figures, symbolizing Castor and Pollux, represent the two white races of South Africa.
- Historial de la Grande Guerre - After lunch, to end that very moving day, you will get free access to explore the «Great War Historial and museum” in Péronne. A 13th-century medieval castle houses the WW1 museum, which displays a large exhibit of uniforms and weapons worn, designed, and used by the soldiers during the conflict.
The Historial of Péronne museum also offers a permanent collection of Trench Artists such as « Otto Dix » who testified to the atrocities of the war by sketching some very graphic etchings.
Museum Layout
The Historial, Museum of the Great War in Péronne, opened in 1992. A highly respected museum devoted to the history of the First World War, the Historial studies the full cultural, social, and military scale of this important chapter of history.
The central part of each gallery pays testimony to life at the front, which concerned every population at war the most.
Soldiers of various nationalities are represented by mannequins dressed in their uniforms with their weapons and personal effects by their sides. These bodies, lying in white marble pits cut out of the museum’s floor, symbolize the entire territory of the Somme riddled by trenches, and the common suffering of the men at war.
Weapons and military equipment are displayed in the center of the galleries; placed on the ground, in pits, they pay testimony to the common suffering of the soldiers. The lives of the civilians, each and everyone ‘mobilized’ by war, are studied in the wall cabinets, divided into three sections and respectively dedicated to Germany, France, and Great Britain.
- Private transportation provided for comfort and convenience
- Climate control with in-vehicle air conditioning
- Knowledgeable Driver Guide to enhance the experience
- Includes admission to the Historial of the Great War Museum in P�ronne
- Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off in selected Paris districts (75008, 75007, 75016)
- Lunch
- Gratuities (optional)
Embark on a journey to the primary locations of the WW1 Somme Battlefields from Paris, featuring sites such as the Lochnagar crater, Thiepval, the Newfoundland Memorial Park, Delville Wood, and the South African National Memorial.
Travel in comfort with a private, air-conditioned Minivan accompanied by your select group (2 travellers).
Marvel at the enormous landmine ‘Lochnagar Crater’ situated in La Boisselle.
Walk amidst the well-preserved remnants of the original WW1 trenches at the Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park.
Unearth the horrors of the ‘Battle of the Somme’ depicted through a panoramic mural by Joe Sacco housed within the Thiepval museum. Experience the depiction of the traumatic day of 1 July 1916, unfolding hour by hour over 60 metres of back-lit glass, offering an extensive view of the battlefield, a graphic account of the military operations.
Honour the fallen soldiers at the South African National Memorial, nestled in the heart of ‘Delville Wood’.
Peruse an extensive collection of war artifacts on display at the Historial of Peronne.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
