WW I Tour

[Aeronut]

Planning a trip to the battlefields in France for next spring I want to visit a few aviation related places -

I am hoping to visit Baron von Richtofens crash site and trace the final flight.

Has anyone else done this?

Can anyone recommend any other avaition related sites in the area?

Accommodation, museums? guided tours? tips etc all gratefully received.

[flyvulcan]

Hi Aeronut,
I did a (self navigated) tour of the WW1 battlefields of Belgium, mainly around the Ypres area after having driven up from Paris. I would thoroughly recommend spending a few days in Ypres as a base for exploring the region. My main interest is aviation but the story of the ground war was also fascinating. The Novotel at Ypres was a modern and comfortable place to stay. At Ypres, the evening remembrance ceremony at the Menin Gate is quite moving and I would recommend attending that one evening. About 200 metres from the Menin Gate back towards the main square along the main road is a bookshop. I think it is called "In Flanders Field" bookshop. Start here because they stock a terrific range of informative books/guides, including ones which show the aviation history of the area. I dont have my books with me, but there is a series which is written by a BA pilot who visited all the RFC/German airfields in the area with diagrams/photos etc and these books would help you plan a tour. The books also give details of some of the pilots including their fates ie where and how they crashed and where they are buried. The Richthofen and Voss crash sites are fairly well known.
The "Cloth Hall" museum in Ypres is a good one to visit to get an idea of what went on there.
Another little gem we found was in the town of Albert where we stopped for lunch. We saw a sign indicating a museum. Of course, I had to have a look. It is housed in a series of tunnels under the town and while not huge, is worth a look if you get that way.
I am going to go back there as 4 days wasnt enough to take it all in.
You will enjoy it and if you are taking along your better half (who will probably be bored with all the warry stuff), there are some great chocolate shops in Ypres!
Cheers

[Dave Martin]

FlyVulcan,

I did the same as you about 7 years ago but in guided format - not one to do guided tours, but this was quite stunning and still one of my most moving memories of conflict (up there with Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos)

I think the tour of Flanders fields is done by Quasimodo Tours, leaving in Brugge. The guy that takes you is an absolute history nut, and certainly isn't lacking in enthusiasm. Quite simply a brilliant day trip, becoming increasingly sobering as the voyage reaches its end.

[Aeronut]

Thanks so much flyvulcan, just what I needed to set me off planning this trip.

Ypres and Albert seem good for my purposes and to take in the ground war aspects too.

Whats more, your reference to chocolate has swung it for the better half. She knew she would come along and get bored whilst I wallow in the history, but she has something to look forward to now!




:ok:

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

Not aviation, but do go to Passchendaele. Sobering.

[LowNSlow]

Also don't miss the museums at Hill 60 and Hooge Chateau.

[Aeronut]

Thanks Lownslow - are these ground war museums specifically?

[LowNSlow]

Yes they are but still well worth a visit. The (unrestored) trenches are still at Hill 60. The museum has a collection of French stereograph machines which document some of the horrendous results of various battles as well as a bizarre collection of stuff made from old shell cases etc.

[petitfromage]

Ypres is a great base. The Ypres museum itself worth a visit....as it walking the river near the Menin Gate.
I picked up a private tour from local chap advertising a daily rendevous at the gate itself.

Menin Gate: http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/menin.htm

Passchendaele and Hill 60 were definite highlights.

Whist Gallipoli was fighteningly small (in land area) the scale of the Western Front is just unimaginable!

[Snakecharmer]

Visited Arras recently while returning by road from southwestern France. Beautiful town centre squares, with many restaurants situated in former cellars below street level. It was only on reading up after my return that I found out that, during WWI, the cellars were linked, forming an underground city for the soldiers.

Visited the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge, 'Lichfield Crater' and the nearby German cemetary - sobering.

Must visit properly - I'm torn between doing it all by road or flying into one of the local grass airfields by, say, Tiger Moth and hiring a car on arrival.

[Aeronut]

Thanks for the replies and ideas.

I now have a cunning plan!

I am taking the car to calais via the tunnel and basing in Arras. Santa bought me the excellent book - "In the footsteps of the Red Baron" Mike O'Connor published 2004 it gives a tour of the Red Barons haunts - Lots of then and now photos to enable you to follow his progress (and ultimate flight) I will be balancing this with visits to RFC locations (2 more O'Connor books to help with this) and the ground war.

I want to visit the Lochnagar crater, preserved trenches and some of the memorials. I plan to visit Albert and take take a guided tour one afternoon.

Sadly I must wait till April so have time to plan it to death!