Fritz & Tommy – a View from Both Sides
About the tour: Fritz & Tommy – a View from Both Sides
- Campaign: The Great War (WW1)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Jul 1916 - Nov 1917 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Battle of the Somme - 1 July 1916One of the bloodiest battles of WW1, the Battle of the Somme saw the Britsh and French armies fight the Germans for five long months, with the aim to weaken the Germans and relieve the French Army who were fighting in Verdun.
- Battle of Arras - 9 April 1917The WW1 battle saw the British achieve the longest advance since trench warfare began, as they attacked the German defences near Arras. The first day saw huge gains for the British, however as the battle went on, there was no breakthrough.
- End of the Battle of ArrasBy the time the battle had ended, the British troops had managed to advance significantly but did not manage to achieve a breakthrough.
- Battle of Messines - 7 June 1917Arguably one of the most successful operations of WW1 on the Western Front, the Battle of Messines saw nineteen mines being detonated underneath the German mines, in a bid to secure Messines Ridge.
- Third Battle of Ypres - 31 July 1917Known as The Battle of Passchendaele, the Third Battle of Ypres began in July 1917 and was fought for four long months. The attack was Haig’s attempt to break through Flanders and take ground from the Germans.
- Battle of Cambrai - 20 November 1917The Battle of Cambrai was faught in November/December 1917 and was the first major battle in which tanks were used on a large scale. A surprise attack was sprung and initially overwhelmed the German defences, however the Germans launched a major counterattack, evertually forcing the Britians to retreat.
Tour Introduction
Our World War 1, Fritz & Tommy tour not only gives us a view from both sides but, also to views from two guides, as one of our regular battlefield guides is joined by German military historian, Rob Schaefer. We take an in depth look at the experience of both the English and German soldiers during some of the key battles of the Great War. In Flanders we put a special focus on Messines and Passchendaele, and also spend time discussing the 1917 mining operations at Messines Ridge. At the Somme, we examine the bloody battle at both sides and visit Thiepval’s 1916 Museum and the German Memorial at Le Sars. We end the tour with visit to Arras & Cambrai, where we make a special reference to events that took place a century ago in 1917.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
- Travel by Silver Service coach
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Local departure by coach, then to Belgium for a four-night stay.
Day 2 - Flanders
We look at the experience of both sides in Flanders, with special focus on Messines and Passchendaele. At Crest Farm we look at the terrible conditions here in 1917 and at Boesinghe see the new visitors' centre and preserved trench at Yorkshire Trench. After lunch at Hooge we travel down the Messines Ridge and look at the mining operations in 1917, ending the day at Menin German Cemetery.
Included meals: Breakfast
Messines Ridge, Ypres (4)
Key Visits
- Messines Ridge, Ypres
- Yorkshire Trench
- Crest Farm
- Boesinghe Visitors Centre
- Menen German Cemetery
Day 3 - Somme
We travel down to the Somme battlefields examining this bloody battle from both sides. At Thiepval we visit the new 1916 Museum and examine the defence of the Schwaben Redoubt. After lunch we look at the fighting for Mametz Wood and High Wood, visiting a German Memorial at Le Sars.
Included meals: Breakfast
High Wood (4)
Key Visits
- Mametz Wood
- High Wood
- Thiepval Museum
- Schwaben Redoubt
- German Memorial at Le Sars
Day 4 - Arras & Cambrai
We start at Arras, looking at the fighting here in 1917. At Monchy le Preux we examine the new tactics used against Newfoundlanders, and look at the defences on the Hindenburg Line. After lunch we visit the Cambrai battlefields seeing Bourlon Wood, Canal du Nord and Flesquières Ridge looking at tank warfare
Included meals: Breakfast
British tank at Cambrai 1917 (3)
Key Visits
- Cambrai
- Monchy Le Preux
- Bourlon Wood
- Canal du Nord
- Flesquieres Ridge
Day 5
Return home.
Included meals: Breakfast
Please note entrance fees to museums and places of interest are at extra cost. Museum package available whilst on tour approx. cost €35.
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
You will stay for four nights at the 4-star Hotel Alize in Mouscron. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but snacks are available at the bar. There are also a number of restaurants and bars nearby. The hotel has a lift.
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
