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Battlefield tours

fourteeneighteen does not provide pre-packaged battlefield tours.

Personalised small group or individual tours

This is a growing element of our activity and is often triggered by completion of research of a soldier for a private client. We agree an itinerary for a tour; we work out a budget and book hotels, travel etc as necessary. We do not operate as a package tour company, so our client pays hotel bills etc directly in addition to our fee as a tour guide. Chris Baker leads the client to the battlefields of choice. Here are some of our most recent tours:

• Mr and Mrs John Shears. We spent three days in an intensive tour of the area of the Battle of the Lys in April 1918. I had helped the family research John’s grandfather Nelson, who served in the battle and was wounded. Given that I had just completed my book on this battle, I was able to describe it in great depth and we walked in Nelson’s footsteps in as much detail as we could. We stayed at Varlet Farm near Ypres for this trip, and I drove after picking my guests up from their home in Berkshire.
• Keith Iles. Keith travelled all the way from Australia for a trip of a lifetime, following in his grandfather’s footsteps – and when I tell you he served in the 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps all the way through the war, you might guess we had an amazing week-long tour, taking in the battles of Mons, Aisne, Ypres, Loos and the Somme. We even squeezed in the opening of the new Fromelles cemetery and a visit to the Belgian Army battlefields of the Yser before our return trip to England. We stayed in several different hotels in Mons, Arras and Ypres and I drove the car, having picked Keith up at the home of relatives in Kent.
• Bill Fry. Bill had been to the Somme on many occasions, but this time wanted something to deepen his understanding. He lives not far from me and we agreed that he would drive. I researched his grandfather and gathered all of the materials regarding the involvement of his unit in the battle, before we set off. We had a tremendous four days exploring the 1916 battlefields. On this occasion we stayed in Albert.
• Rachel Horne and family. I had already researched Rachel’s grandfather when she contacted me to discuss a tour. This was something with a difference as the party was going to be three adults and three children. We followed the soldier in detail, including visiting the sunken lane in which he was taken prisoner: all had great fun collecting souvenir poppies and bits of shrapnel from that lane! With the children in mind we also took in plenty of interesting and educational spots including Newfoundland Memorial Park with its preserved trenches. A great and different trip: two cars, staying two nights in Arras.

If this is something of interest, do contact us. We can agree an itinerary for a tour; we will work out a budget and book hotels, travel etc as necessary. We do not operate as a package tour company, so you pay hotel bills etc directly in addition to our fee as a tour guide.

Minibus tours

We organised quite a few of these in the past, for parties of 12-15 people. Again, Chris Baker acts as tour guide, and in some also as bus driver! Examples:

• For the Western Front Association, tours to the Somme; Ypres; Loos; Arras; Cambrai; following the retreat from Mons; following the Allied “Hundred Days” offensive.
• For the Great War Forum, a tour to Verdun.

I am very happy to discuss your requirements for such a tour.

Advice

Knowing the battlefield areas intimately, we can always advise on places to go, good itineraries, off the beaten track sites, places to stay and the rest. Just drop us a line.