Tunnellers on the Western Front - The Underground War
About the tour: Tunnellers on the Western Front - The Underground War
- Campaign: The Great War (WW1)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Apr 1915 - Jun 1917 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Second Battle of Ypres - 22 April 1915The second battle of Ypres involved four battles which were faught in the northern part of the Ypres Salient. The first battle saw the Germans launch an attack on the French on the Allied Front with poisonous gas, this battle was the first time that this weapon was used.
- Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge - 16 June 1915Often a forgotten battle of WW1, The Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge saw over 4000 men killed or wounded in a 12 hour period. The attack was launched by the Allies who wanted to take the Germans spot at Bellewaarde Ridge, as it gave a great view over Ypres.
- 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 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.
Tour Introduction
The Underground War took place beneath the Western Front in Belgium and France during World War 1. It saw tunnellers fighting deep beneath the surface and on this tour we follow their story. We begin in Flanders, where we see where the British Army began tunnelling in 1915, we see evidence of craters, such as the mighty Caterpillar Crater. We also visit Messines Ridge, where we see the scene of the ‘big bang’, where 19 mines were blown at once. Travelling to the Somme, we enjoy a specially arranged visit to the medieval cave, used in WW1 and rarely opened to the public. To end the tour, we also see the largest British mine crater on the Western Front at La Boisselle.
Tour Includes
- 3 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
- Travel by executive coach or upgrade to Silver Service
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
We make our way to the port of departure and coach interchange where you will join your tour coach for the crossing to the continent. Upon arrival in France we head to Belgium and our hotel for a three-night stay.
Day 2 - Flanders
We begin our tour in Flanders where tunnelling began for the British Army in 1915. At Hill 60, one of the most mined sites near Ypres, we see evidence of the craters and learn the story of the Tunnellers, also visiting the mighty Caterpillar Crater. We then travel via the site of Vampire Farm- a massive British dugout built by the Tunnellers. Continuing on to Zonnebeke visiting the Passchendaele War Museum and their dugout experience. After lunch at Hooge, we look at the story of 177 Tunnelling Company and see the unique RE Grave. We then travel down the Messines Ridge, the scene of the ‘big bang’ in June 1917, when 19 mines were blown simultaneously, and see the Spanbroekmolen and Peckham craters. Later at Kemmel we look at the fate of trapped miners and then on the Ploegsteert Memorials to see the only Tunneller VC: Sapper William Hackett. We end the day in Ypres for the moving Last Post Ceremony.
Included meals: Breakfast
Ypres, Last Post menin gate (7)
Key Visits
- Ypres, Last Post menin gate
- Kemmel-Hill
- Trenches, Zonnebeke
- Messines Ridge, Ypres
- Hill 60
- Last Post Ceremony
- Caterpillar Crater
- V1 at Peenemunde
- Spanbroekmolen Crater
Day 3 - Somme
We travel to the Somme for our specially arranged visit to the medieval caves located under the village church at Bouzincourt, which are rarely opened to the public. Approximately 40 feet underground the caves were extended during WWI by British tunnellers and used for troop accommodation. You will see names, poems, regimental cap badges, other drawings and carvings made into the chalk walls by the soldiers. Access to the cave system is made through a 3 feet high hole in one of the interior walls of the church, the floor in the cave system is chalk and, if damp, can be slippery. You are able to stand upright, but there are places where the cave roof gets lower and you will have to crouch (the tunnels have no lighting so it is essential that you bring a torch). Following our cave visit we see the largest British mine crater on the Western Front at La Boisselle. We enjoy lunch at Thiepval and visit the Memorial to the Missing and the visitor centre. In the afternoon we visit tunnellers' graves at Becourt, look at the story of the Livens Flame Projector, and visit the scene of the Hawthorn Mine at Beaumont-Hamel; filmed and photographed, the explosion here has become an iconic image of the Great War.
Included meals: Breakfast
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL (3)
Key Visits
- Beaumont Hamel
- Thiepval
- Caves at Bouzencourt
- Becourt
- Hawthorn Mine
Day 4
We leave the hotel after breakfast and travel to the channel port. You will leave your tour coach behind as you join your transfer vehicle for your return journey to your original departure point
Included meals: Breakfast
1 x museum package available whilst on tour approx. cost €35. Package includes entrance to the Passchendaele Museum and Hooge Crater Museum with a sandwich lunch (including drink) at Hooge Crater Café on day 2, entrance to Thiepval Visitor Centre and a baguette lunch (plus drink) to be eaten at a location on the battlefield on day 4. It also includes a 15 page tour booklet. Please note this is offered as a complete package only and must be paid in Euros (cash).
Please note a degree of mobility is required to enter the caves.
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 three nights at the 4-star Hotel Alize in Mouscron. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but snacks are available from the bar and there is a good selection of restaurants and bars nearby in the town’s main square.
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.
