Page 58 - History of War - Issue 05-14

WESTERN FRONT BATTLEFIELD TOUR

No tour to the Western Front would be
complete without a visit to the Sanctuary Wood All Quiet On The
Museum, Hill 62. Located east of Ypres, close
to Hill 62 – where troops of the Canadian Western Front
Corps defended the southern stretches of the
Ypres Salient from German attack – it features Leger’s tour takes its name from a novel by Erich Maria
a unique collection of items from the Great Remarque, a German veteran of the First World War.
War, including a rare set of 3D photographs, The book provides a fascinating insight into the physical
weapons, uniforms and bombs. But the most and mental stress endured by troops as they engaged in
fascinating aspect of this part of the tour is battle with the Allies. And, like a lot of the literature that
undoubtedly the preserved trenches, considered emerged from this side, it focuses on the misery that
emanated from being away from home for months at a time.
by many to be the finest example in the area. The novel first appeared in serialised form in the
The name Sanctuary Wood is believed to date German newspaper Vossische Zeitung in November
back to the end of 1914, when the area was and December 1928, and with ten years having passed
used to accommodate stragglers as they waited since the end of the conflict, many were shocked by the
to rejoin their units. But it soon became a descriptions in the book. Indeed, All Quiet On The Western
misnomer – the area did not escape the claws Front (which was published in book form in 1929 and
of battle, and a particularly fierce engagement went on to sell 2.5 million copies in its first 18 months)
here in 1916 cost the lives of many men. was banned and burned when the Nazis came into power,
Observing the trenches as they are today, it’s as it was considered damaging to the German psyche.
In 1930, the book was adapted into a film directed by
hard not to put yourself in their shoes and relive Lewis Milestone, which went on to scoop two Academy
their horror in your mind’s eye. Soldiers would Awards, for Outstanding Production and Best Director.
spend days on end in trenches such as these,
and the Hilton they were not. And in the unlikely
event that the trenches themselves fail to These are just some of the highlights of excursion – since its inception 20 years ago,
capture your imagination, Leger’s guides will once All Quiet On The Western Front, and whether and he fully understands the desire of folk like
again be on hand to liven up the experience you embark on the four-day tour (as I did) me to engage with the past. “People see these
with their knowledge and storytelling ability. or the five-day version, the guides cram in an battlefields as places where they can connect
But, of course, there are times on the tour impressive number of sights and experiences. with that First World War generation,” he says.
when words are not needed – or, indeed, Cram is probably the wrong word, though – “They are places of peace and tranquility now,
appropriate. One such occasion is during you never once feel like you’re being rushed, where nature reigns supreme – and that,
which is appreciated when you want to spend in some respects, is the ultimate victory.” w
SOLDIERS WOULD SPEND a few extra minutes remembering the events
of that awful war. It also gives you time to ask
DAYS ON END IN TRENCHES questions of the guides – and in my case, there All Quiet On The Western Front tour
were many! It soon became clear that Leger’s
Leger’s four-day excursion to the Western Front
SUCH AS THESE, AND THE guides aren’t simply former holiday reps who’ve costs £279 per person, and includes executive
been thrust into the job to earn some extra cash
coach travel and hotel accommodation. Coaches
HILTON THEY WERE NOT – indeed, speaking to one of them, I discovered depart from over 500 regional joining points.
that he had been obsessed with the First
A five-day version of the tour is also available.
World War for as long as he could remember,
and had even written books on the subject. (The above price is based on a departure date
of 25 July 2014, but many alternative dates are
the excursion to the Tyne Cot Cemetery and Colleagues of his knew war veterans personally available.) Call 0844 324 9256 or visit
Memorial, close to Leper in the Flanders region and had been able to mine their memories www.visitbattlefields.co.uk.
of Belgium. While the cemetery is essentially for interesting anecdotes, while others had To enter our competition
– as you’d expect – a mass of headstones, worked on TV programmes about the war. to win a tour for two, turn
it brings out more emotions than any Hollywood One of those guides, Paul Reed, has been to page 72, where you will
war film could ever hope to. Perhaps the point regaling war buffs on the All Quiet On The also find a full itinerary.
is that it’s a MASS of headstones, driving Western Front tour – Leger’s bestselling
home the sheer scale of the casualties of this
seemingly pointless war – just in case you
weren’t already aware. Paying my respects, British soldiers enjoy some downtime
I could feel a whole spectrum of emotions being at White City, prior to the Battle
squeezed out of me: anger, sorrow, pride and of the Somme, 1916
even a sense of relief that I wasn’t born during
that generation. It’s a draining experience, for
sure, but at least those men were able to be
honoured individually; the Memorial is for the
missing – those poor souls who fell in battle
and whose remains were never recovered.

Hill 62, where Canadian soldiers so
heroically fought off German forces

58 HISTORY WAR
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