France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
7 days from £999pp
About the tour: France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
- Campaign: World War 2 (WW2)
- Campaign Dates Covered: May 1940 - Jun 1944 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Battle of France begins - 10 May 1940Taking only 6 weeks, the Battle of France saw the Germans successfully invade and conquer France, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium.
- Armistice at Compiegne - 22 June 1940In June 1940, Hitler arranged for an Armistice to be signed between Nazi officials and the French Third Republic. Hitler chose Compiegne Forest to be the location that the Armistace was signed, due to its role in the 1918 Armitice signing at the end of WW1. The Armistice gave Germnay occupation of Nothern and Western France, including all ports on the English Channel & Atlantic ocean.
- Operation Jericho: Amiens Prison - 18 February 1944The operation saw Allied forces drop bombs on Amiens Prison in an attempt to free political and French Resistance prisinors. The bombings were successful in terms of destroying the prision walls and the guards barracks, 107 prisioners were killed during the bombs and two thirds of the 260 escapees were recaptured.
- Oradour sur Glane Massacre - 10 June 1944on the 10th of June 1944, the village of Oradour sur Glane was completely wiped out by the Nazi Waffen-SS. 642 inhabitents were brutally massacred and the village left in ruins.
Tour Introduction
On this tour, we take a look at how the people of France were affected by the Nazi occupation during World War 2. We focus on the terrible experience of the Jewish community in Paris during the Holocaust, and see where they were deported by train to concentration camps. We take an in depth look at the Battle of France which took place in 1940 and see where France was humiliated at Compiegne. We look at the SAS and SOE, and the story of Violette Szabo in Limoges and see the ruined town of Oradour sur Glane and the aftermath of the Nazi bombings. The tour comes to an end in northern France, where we see where the memorial site of the French Resistance.
Tour Includes
- 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
(Deposits from £150pp)
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 or Door-to-Door service then, to Beauvais or Compiegne, north of Paris for two nights.
Day 2 - Battle of France
We start by looking at the German Blitzkrieg in 1940 and the Fall of France. We see where the Germans humiliated France by forcing them to surrender where the Armistice of 1918 was signed, seeing the museum here. In the Compiegne Forest we see where Paris’ Jews were deported by train to Concentration Camps. In the afternoon we visit the Compiegne Memorial Museum, looking at the Holocaust in this part of France, and end the day by visiting the graves of French soldiers who fell in defence of Paris. Please note: for 2023/4 the Resistance Museum at Tergnier is closed for a major refit and will not reopen for some time. Instead, we will visit the Memorial at Compiegne in its place. Included meals: Breakfast
Included meals: Breakfast
French WW2 Cemetery, Cambronne (3)
Key Visits
- French WW2 Cemetery, Cambronne
- Armistice Museum, Compiegne
Day 3 - The Holocaust in Paris
Today we focus on the experience of the Jewish community in Paris during WW2 seeing the Holocaust Memorial site at Drancy which served as a Concentration Camp before those held here were sent off to camps in Germany and in the East. We view where the camp was, see the memorials and the Visitors Centre*. In the afternoon we depart for Limoges for two nights.
Included meals: Breakfast
Drancy Memorial Site (3)
Key Visits
- Drancy Memorial Site
- Drancy Holocaust Memorial
Day 4 - SOE in Limoges; Oradour-sur-Glane
In the morning we follow the trail of SOE Agent Violette Szabo close to Limoges, seeing the village where she was sheltered, the area where she was dropped in and the ground where she was captured. In the afternoon we visit the village of Oradour sur Glane which was wiped out by SS troops in 1944. Now preserved as a memorial site, we enter through the visitors centre to learn of this tragic event from WW2 and spend the afternoon among the deserted streets left just as they were in 1944.
Included meals: Breakfast
Oradour-sur-Glane (4)
Key Visits
- Oradour-sur-Glane
- Violette Szabo Memorial
- Violette Szabo House, Sussac
Day 5 - SOE Memorial
We depart Limoges and examine the role of British Special Air Service troops behind enemy lines in occupied France and visit the SOE Memorial at Valençay. We then depart for Amiens where we stay for two nights.
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - Amiens Prison & French Resistance
Today we look at the French resistance in northern France travelling to the Resistance Museum at Bondues near Lille. After lunch in Arras, we visit the ‘Mur des Fusillies’: the moat of an old fort where members of the Resistance were executed during WWII, now a poignant memorial site. We then travel to Amiens seeing where the attack on Amiens Prison took place. Here RAF Mosquitos bombed the prison. We also visit the graves of the RAF crews in the nearby cemetery.
Included meals: Breakfast
Amiens Prison (3)
Key Visits
- Amiens Prison
- Arras: Mur des Fusillés
- Resistance Museum
Day 7
Return home.
Included meals: Breakfast
*Please note that on certain departures we will not visit the Holocaust Museum at the Drancy Concentration Camp. Although we will not be able to see the visitor’s centre building itself during your tour, we will still be visiting the site of the Camp, seeing the memorials and your guide will be explaining the fascinating and somber history behind this location.
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 two nights in Compiegne, near Paris at a 3-star hotel, then two nights at the 3-star ibis Limoges Centre and finally two nights at the 3-star B&B Amiens Centre Cathedrale.
Ibis Limoges Centre
+ View moreHotel Features
- Bar
- English Speaking Staff
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Room Features
- Bath and/or Shower
- Hairdryer
- Telephone
- TV
Ibis Styles Compiegne
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About the hotel
The Ibis Styles Compiegne hotel is located 5 minutes away from the centre of Compiegne, a golf course and the national forest.
Hotel Features
- English Speaking Staff
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Room Features
- Bath and/or Shower
- Hairdryer
- Telephone
- TV
B&B Amiens Centre Cathédrale
+ View moreAbout the hotel
Just an 8-minute stroll from Saint-Roch station is the B&B Amiens Centre Cathédrale, a modern, 3-star hotel. It's perfectly positioned a mere 14-minute walk from the 11th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens and only 2 km away from the Parc Zoologique d'Amiens. Guests can enjoy the convenience of free Wi-Fi and a TV in every room.
Hotel Features
- Bar
- English Speaking Staff
- Lift
- Restaurant
- WiFi Available
Room Features
- Bath and/or Shower
- Hairdryer
- Telephone
- TV
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.
Silver Service Coach
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Silver Service Features
- Sit back and relax in specially-designed, deluxe reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and more legroom than standard coaches.
- Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
- Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
- Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
- Porterage* at most hotels, so you really don’t have to lift a finger.
- Time flies with our onboard entertainment system.
- With free personal headphones you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs.
- Onboard toilet
Silver Service Seating Plan
Silver Service Virtual Tour
Luxuria Coach
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Luxuria Features
- Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests with cup holders and retractable calf rests give you a more comfortable journey.
- Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch screen T.V. offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
- There’s also a selection of double and single seats, including four seats face-to-face with tables. And with a total of 7 single seats available, these are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
- Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
- Onboard toilet.
Luxuria Seating Plan
Luxuria Virtual Tour
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay, a Door-to-Door pick up 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.
Door-to-Door service
+ Find out moreOn Battlefield tours of 7 days’ duration or more, you don’t even have to think about getting to your local joining point. Our Door-to-Door Service collects you from your home and takes you to meet your transfer vehicile, then brings you back at the end of the holiday. Door-to-Door Service is available within a 20-mile radius of one of our free joining points and is from £90 per car, return (up to 4 passengers per vehicle).
If you live a little further afield, you can also take advantage of this convenient option for an additional charge – please enquire at the time of booking.
