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The 21 March 1918 was a day that men on both side of the line would never forget, The German Artillery fired over a million shells in five hours and launched their largest offensive on the Western Front, by the end of the first day over 21,000 British prisoners had been captured, the line had been pushed back buckled and bent but incredibly held in vital strategic places. The next few weeks saw some of the most desperate defensive fighting that the BEF had witnessed since August 1914 and our tour takes us to some of these very evocative often forgotten spots of tragedy, endurance, heroism and ultimately triumph.
Day 1 - Depart from the UK to our tour base in Cambrai.
Day 2 - Walk One Ecoust St Mein to Croiselles, Starting at the HAC Cemetery we follow the line of March 1918 along a defended railway embankment held by the 59th Division onto the ground around the Hogs back where the 34th Tyneside Division fought to the last man in and around the village of Croiselles. We visit isolated cemeteries and learn of the desperate small units actions now almost forgotten in time.
Walk two continuing our assessment of the Third Army on the first day we take the short journey to Monchy le Preux to study the defence of the key village by the 15th Scottish Division, a visit to the Arras Memorial to the Missing listing the names from March 1918 ends our day.
Day 3 - Walk three Today we head south to the Fifth Armies area and concentrate around the fortified village of Epehy. Starting at Gauche Wood so tenaciously held on to by the South African Brigade we cross Chapel Hill and Vaucelette Farm before ending on the windswept plain in front of Epehy where the Leicester’s made their last stand.
Day 4 - Walk four The Flesquieres Salient, though threatened on both flanks the salient was not frontally attacked and evacuated on the 22 March 1918, our walk looks at the actions involving 47th London Division on its southern sector before a thrilling visit to D51 Deborah and the new museum collection owned by Philippe Gorczynski.
Walk five we take a shorter walk around the site of the infamous Manchester Redoubt held by the 16th Manchester’s under the command of Lt Col Elstob..”here we stand and here we die” we then visit the large German Cemetery in St Quentin.
PM - A visit to the excellent Peronne Museum and lunch in the town is followed by a visit to the Louverval Memorial and any additional cemetery requests for the area.
Day 5 - Return to the UK.
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