Our starting point will be the Casteau Road, site of the first engagement between the British and the German Army.   Once the cavalry screen had withdrawn, the infantry line along the canal formed the main defence.

We shall visit the bridge at Nimy  where the first  two VCs of the war were won.  Here, the 4^th Royal Fusiliers were holding the railway bridge.

The location of the Maxim gun operated by Dease & Godley

Despite being in danger of being outflanked by Germans who had crossed the canal by an un-blown bridge at the lock several hundred metres to the east Lt Dease and Private Godley kept their Maxim gun in action until both were wounded and the gun too damaged to fire.

From Nimy we shall move to the East, the section of front held by the 4^th Middlesex.  Here at Obourg, the Middlesex held the railway station until forced to retire.

The memorial at the railway station at Obourg

Our next stop will be the cemetery containing some casualties from the battle, but also many PoWs of many nations.

St Symphorien cemetery will be the next stop.  This cemetery is unique in many respects, containing German graves in regimental plots and several notable British burials including Maurice Dease VC.  Ample time will be allowed to explore this interesting site.

St Symphorien Cemetery

We shall next move to the 5^th Division’s sector along the Mons Conde canal.  Here we will present the action of the 1^st Royal West Kents and as a final visit of the day, go to the bridgehead over the canal held by 1^st DCLI, the extreme left flank of the battle.

Our next day on the battlefield will be spent at Le Cateau.  

Via a photostop at the memorial to the battle of Malplaquet (1709) we shall head for Bavay.  There are stories of the BEF marching past the Malplaquet memorial in 1914 and camping by it in 1918!  

Memorial to the Battle of Malplaquet (1709) - on the road from Mons to Bavay

From Bavay II Corps  continued its retirement to Solesmes where  the paths of the 3^rd and 5^th Divisions crossed and General Fergusson of the 5^th Division ended up doing traffic control.

Continuing to the south we will arrive at Le Cateau, where Smith Dorien gambled on halting the Germans for long enough to disengage his Corps.  

We will visit first the right flank.  Here the 1^st DCLI entered billets during the night of 25^th / 26^th August only to find themselves being outflanked in the early hours of the morning.  1^st DCLI and the 1^st East Surreys held a defensive flank before eventually escaping to safety.  

Closer into the town the 5^th Divisional Signal Company by the railway bridge were similarly surprised and at the western end of the town the 15^th Brigade came close to being surrounded.  Their memorial now marks the spot.  We will visit each of these locations.

The main part of the Le Cateau battlefield is a slightly forward facing slope.  Here the infantry of the 5^th Division and the 18 pounders of 122^nd battery RFA faced the oncoming Germans.

Memorial to the 15th Brigade at Le Cateau

Running from Le Cateau to Troisville is a sunken road that became the main evacuation route for the wounded and the main supply route for ammunition.  Part way along this track is the famous round tree.  The REs were in the process of chopping it down when it was realised that the wind had changed and that when it fell it would block the sunken road – change of plan!

Two options will be available:

• Time at leisure in Le Cateau, or

• A 3 km walk along the sunken road walking through the lines of the 2nd Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and 122nd Battery RFA and past the modern replacement to the round tree.  Our walk will take us to the left flank of the battle at Caudry, held by the newly arrived 4^th Division.  Here the German attack petered out.

We shall leave the vicinity of Mons to follow the retreat to the South West.

Our route will take us via Guise.  Here the French hit the German Army with another stopping blow similar to the BEF II Corps at Le Cateau.

We then drive to the Aisne where our first visit will be to Bourg en Comines where following the advance from the Marne the British Guards forced a crossing of the canal and pushed the Germans back towards the Chemin Des Dames.  

During the remainder of the day we will see the sites of several fierce single battalion actions.  Our route will include:

• Vailly,

• Chavonne,

• Soupir,  

• Coeur De Soupir Farm and the Quarry.  

• Vendresse,

• Troyon and Paissy (where we shall tell the story of Colonel Montressor of the 2^nd Royal Sussex ),

• Cerney Crossroads.  

At the end of the day we will travel a few kilometers to the north to our hotel on the Ayette.

Will will check out of the hotel and move to the Western end of the Chemin Des Dames to cover the final aspect of the 1914 BEF battles.

Here the 5^th Division crossed the Aisne at Missy.  We shall present the actions here and visit 1st DCLI's positions on the north bank of the river.  On the heights above the Aisne is Fort Conde.  A visit may be possible, but will be dependent upon coach access.

The remainder of the morning and the early afternoon will be spent sight-seeing on the Chemin Des Dames.  Primarily we will be discussing the battles of April 1917 (Nivelle offensive) and May 1918 (German Spring Offensive of 1918).

Sites of interest include:

• Caverne du Dragon (if open)

• Hurtebise Farm (1917 and Napoleonic Wars)

• Craonne and California plateau.

• Bois Des Buttes

Mid afternoon we will depart from the Aisne to drive to Verdun to commence the second part of the Tour.

A day at leisure in Verdun.

To comply with EU regulations for coach drivers working hours we will not be utilising the coach on this day.

Individual travellers will be at liberty to take time at leisure in Verdun or to visit the nearby battlefield "under their own steam"!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!

Details available shortly!