Pre-register: Fromelles & Pozieres Anniversary Tour 2027

Group Tour

circa 15th July 2027 from Paris

$ 6594

11 Days

PRICE: per person, twin share
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $1427
DEPOSIT: $1000 per person

Join one of our expert Historians together with special guest Lambis Englezos – who discovered the mass grave of 250 Australian WWI soldiers at Fromelles (unearthed in 2008) – on a dedicated tour of the Western Front to commemorate the anniversaries of two of Australia’s most significant battles, the Battle of Fromelles and the Battle of Pozieres.

Pricing and duration to be finalised in the coming weeks. Please email info@battlefields.com.au to pre-register your interest.

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110th Fromelles & Pozieres Anniversary Tour with special guest Lambis Englezos – 2026

This special tour of the Western Front is led by one of our expert Historians, with Lambis Englezos joining as a special guest to share how he discovered the mass grave of 250 Australian WWI soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Fromelles. The tour begins and ends in Paris, visits all the significant Australian battlefield sites in the Ypres Salient, the Somme and French Flanders, and includes special commemorative activities to mark the 110^th anniversaries of two of Australians most significant battles – the Battle of Fromelles and the Battle of Pozieres, which were key actions in the five-month Battle of the Somme (1 July to 18 November 1916).

The Battle of Fromelles (19 July 1916) was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front, planned to stop the Germans from reinforcing their unit on the Somme. The attack was a disaster and one of the worst 24 hours in Australian military history, with over 5500 Australian soldiers falling as casualties in one night.

The Battle of Pozieres (23 July to 3 September 1916) was a brutal and costly fight which lasted 42 days. While the Australians were ultimately successful in their objective, capturing the village of Pozieres, the battle and relentless German artillery bombardments and counterattacks, resulted in extremely high casualties – approximately 23,000 Australians fell as casualties, including 6800 who lost their lives.

Day 1 > Thursday, 15 July 2027 I Paris

Welcome to our very special tour in the footsteps of the Anzacs! After checking into our Paris hotel, please join us this evening for a welcome drink and dinner, a chance to get to know our tour hosts and travelling companions. (D)

OVERNIGHT: Le Méridien Paris Arc De Triomphe

Day 2 > Friday, 16 July 2027 I Paris to Ypres

This morning we depart Paris for the battlefields of the Western Front. We will cross the Belgian border to the region known with dread as the Ypres Salient during the war. On arrival in Ypres, we will check in to our hotel and enjoy a walking tour of the town, which includes poignant sites such as the Menin Gate, the Cloth Hall and St George’s Chapel. We have arranged for special access to the rooms in the town’s ramparts, which were used as headquarters for Allied generals including Herbert Plumer and John Monash. This evening is free to explore the delightful bars and restaurants around the main square. (B)

OVERNIGHT: Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields or similar

Day 3 > Saturday, 17 July 2027 I The Ypres Salient

Join us today on an exploration of the Ypres Salient, one of the key Australian battlefields of the war. More than 30,000 Australians were killed or wounded in this small corner of Belgium in 1917. Today we will explore their legacy at key sites starting with Tyne Cot, the world’s largest Commonwealth war cemetery. We will also visit the 5th Australian Division Memorial at Polygon Wood and the Buttes New British Cemetery where we will see the graves of Private Hunter and Sergeant Calder, the two Australian soldiers who were identified using DNA testing, a first for WWI burials. We will enjoy lunch at Café De Dreve near Polygon Wood. After lunch, we will get a taste of the devastation caused by four years of continuous artillery fire at the cratered landscape of Hill 60, before visiting the German Cemetery at Langemark, where we will learn about the men on the other side of the line. As we drive back to Ypres, we will see the magnificent Canadian memorial at Saint Julien, marking the spot where poison gas was first used in the war. This evening we will walk to the Menin Gate for the Last Post service, the most moving commemorative service on the Western Front. The Ypres fire brigade has performed this bugle ceremony every day and in all-weather since 1928. The only interruption was during the four years of German occupation during WW2 – the ceremony recommenced on the day the town was liberated. We have arranged to participate in the service, with two of our passengers laying a wreath on behalf of the group. (B, L)

OVERNIGHT: Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields or similar

Day 4 > Sunday, 18 July 2027 I Fromelles Battlefield

We will dedicate a full day today to exploring the battlefield of Fromelles, and telling the story of the thousands of Australians who died here in the most costly 24 hours in Australian military history, and the discovery of hundreds of their bodies nearly a century after they were killed. While here, Lambis will explain his pivotal role in the discovery and excavation of the mass grave at Pheasant Wood, and the subsequent efforts to DNA test and reinter the more than 250 soldiers who were discovered there. On the battlefield we will see key sites from this disastrous attack, including the ‘Cobbers’ statue at the Australian Memorial Park, VC Corner Cemetery and the site of the Sugarloaf salient. Closer to town we will visit the Fromelles Museum and the new Pheasant Wood Cemetery, where the men recovered from the mass grave now lie. We will enjoy a picnic lunch on the battlefields. At the end of this memorable day we will return to Ypres, where our evening is free. (B, L)

OVERNIGHT: Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields or similar

Day 5 > Monday, 19 July 2027 I Fromelles Anniversary

This morning we will visit Talbot House, an ‘everyman’s club’ in the nearby town of Poperinghe, that was founded by an Australian chaplain. The house has been preserved as it was during the war, and provides a fascinating insight into life behind the lines. In the afternoon we will drive to Fromelles for a special service commemorating the anniversary of the battle. After the service we will return to the Fromelles battlefield for a special evening walk in the footsteps of the 15th Brigade. We will then return to Ypres. (B, L)

OVERNIGHT: Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields or similar

Day 6 > Tuesday, 20 July 2027 I Ypres – The Somme

We farewell Ypres this morning and cross the border back into France. Our first stop will be the magnificent Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge, which is dedicated to the Canadians who served in the First World War and the more than 66,000 who were killed. In addition to the memorial, the site also contains a large expanse of preserved battlefields and trenches, which give an impression of the brutal fighting here in 1917. We will then travel to one of the most important Australian battlefields of 1917, Bullecourt, where two great battles raged in April and May. We will explore key sites from the fighting, including the Australian Memorial Park, the Slouch Hat Memorial and the original battlefield cross on the site of the old German front line. In the afternoon we will visit the Jean and Denise Letaille War Museum, which was started by the town’s former mayor. In the afternoon we will farewell Bullecourt and drive to Amiens in the heart of the Somme region, where our evening is free. Enjoy dinner in a restaurant by the Somme canal, and see the magnificent gothic Amiens Cathedral, which is larger than Notre Dame in Paris. (B, L, D)

OVERNIGHT: Mercure Amiens Cathedrale or similar

Day 7 > Wednesday, 21 July 2027 I Anzacs on the Somme

A very special day as we explore sites that tell the story of Australians in the Somme in 1916 and 1918. Our first stop will be the chateau at Bertangles, which was the AIF headquarters during the great victories of July and August 1918. It was here that General John Monash planned some of his most famous operations, and also where he was knighted by King George V on the chateau steps. We have arranged exclusive access to the chateau and grounds, enabling our group to explore this historic building and stand in the footsteps of General Monash. Our next stop is village of Vignacourt, where an enterprising family set up a makeshift photographic studio during the war. Thousands of Australian and Allied soldiers had their photo taken while billeted in and around the town, and today a museum tells their stories. We will then travel to the nearby village of Naours, where we will enjoy a traditional lunch. We will then tour the ‘underground city’ that was a tourist attraction for soldiers during the war. Thousands of them scrawled their names in pencil on the chalk walls, and we will see the graffiti and hear the stories of the men who created it. We will then return to Amiens where our evening is free. (B, L)

OVERNIGHT: Mercure Amiens Cathedrale or similar

Day 8 > Thursday, 22 July 2027 I Somme 1918

Leaving Amiens, we will explore the ground where Australian forces achieved so much in 1918. Our first stop is the village of Villers-Bretonneux, captured by Australian troops in one of the finest feats of the war. This is arguably Australia’s most important battlefield on the Western Front and there is much to see here. We will visit the Australian National Memorial, which contains the names of more than 10,000 Australians missing from fighting in France. While here we will also visit the Sir John Monash Centre, which tells the complete story of Australia’s war on the Western Front. Next, we will visit the Victoria School Museum and see the famous sign that entreats the school children to ‘Never Forget Australia’. We will also visit Adelaide Cemetery, where Australia’s Unknown Soldier lay before being reinterred in Canberra. Leaving Villers-Bretonneux, we will visit the Australian Memorial Park at Hamel, the scene of General John Monash’s famous victory in July 1918. We will also see the site where the Red Baron was shot down by Australian troops in April 1918. (B, L)

*PLEASE NOTE: A mobile device with the Sir John Monash Centre App installed is required to fully experience the Centre. Use of the app is required for the majority of the exhibits inside the centre and allows visitors to tailor the experience to their own interests. We recommend all visitors bring their own fully charged mobile device and headphones to get the most out of their visit.

OVERNIGHT: Mercure Amiens Cathedrale or similar

Day 9 > Friday, 23 July 2027 | Pozieres Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Pozieres, the most costly battle in Australian history. We will explore the killing fields of the Somme from 1916 and pay tribute to the men who perished in this bloody battle. Our first stop is Hawthorn Ridge Mine Crater, which was blown by the British on the first morning of the Somme battle. Next we will visit the Newfoundland Memorial Park, which contains a full sector of preserved battlefield, including British and German trench lines, with no man’s land in between. We will then travel on to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, which records the names of more than 72,000 men missing from the Somme fighting. We will enjoy lunch at the Ulster Tower and then spend the remainder of the day at Pozieres, walking the ground at key sites including the 1^st Division Memorial, the ruins of the Gibraltar blockhouse and the Windmill Memorial. We will then return to Amiens where our evening is free. (B, L)

OVERNIGHT: Mercure Amiens Cathedrale or similar

Day 10 > Saturday, 24 July 2027 | The Somme – Paris

Farewelling Amiens, we will begin our journey back to Paris. Before saying goodbye to the battlefields we will visit the Australian 2^nd Division Memorial at Mont St Quentin, and hear the story of one of the greatest Australian victories of the war. We then return to Paris. After checking into our hotel we will enjoy dinner on a Seine river cruise, a fitting farewell to the City of Light. (B, D)

OVERNIGHT: Le Méridien Paris Arc De Triomphe

Day 11 > Sunday, 25 July 2027 | Farewell

Sadly our tour ends after breakfast this morning. (B)

The journey may be over, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Services of an expert WWI Historian throughout the tour
Travel with special guest Lambis Englezos, who discovered the Australian mass grave at Fromelles
Itinerary personally designed by Mat McLachlan in consultation with Lambis Englezos, visiting all key Australian battlefields in the Somme, Flanders and Ypres Salient
Commemorative activities for the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July and the Battle of Pozieres on 23 July.
Special access to exclusive sites
10 nights’ accommodation in 3 to 5-star hotels
Deluxe coach transportation
Breakfast daily, 7 lunches and 3 dinners
All entrance fees as per the itinerary

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Please note: Itineraries are subject to change due to operational reasons. In addition, your Historian may alter the sites visited on each day to suit local conditions. Any changes will be advised closer to the time of departure.