Offensives of 1917 – Arras & Cambrai

The year 1917 in France saw two major offensives involving British and Commonwealth troops: Arras in April-May 1917 and the first mass use of tanks at Cambrai in 1917. This new tour looks at these two major battlefields of the First World during this important centenary year.

Tour Includes

4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guide
Convenient local joining points
Travel by Silver Service coach

Steps to booking your Holiday

Tour Details Find a day-by-day breakdown
of the tour
Select your Departure Browse the available
departure dates
Checkout Follow our secure checkout
process to book your place

Got a question about
this holiday?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch – our friendly team are ready and waiting to help with any further information you need!

Call us on 01709 914 560

Sorry, this tour is currently not available. If you are interested in similar tours please call 01709 787 463

Local departure by coach, then to Amiens for a four-night stay.

We start our tour north of Arras at Mont St Eloi where the Royal Flying Corps operated an aerodrome below the ruined abbey, which is still there. We then travel to Vimy Ridge and look at the Canadian attack in April 1917, seeing the new visitors centre (due to open in early 2017). After lunch in Arras we go back out onto the battlefield and see the Scottish Memorial at Pont du Jour, look at the fighting in the Sunken Lane at Fampoux, visit the site of the Chemical Works in Roeux, seeing a large German bunker and then at Monchy le Preux look at the use of cavalry here in April 1917 and the defence of the village by the Newfoundland Regiment. We end the day at Agny, to visit the grave of war poet Edward Thomas who died on the first day of the battle.

Includes Breakfast

We start the day at the Arras Memorial to the missing which commemorates more than 35,000 soldiers who have no known grave, and also visit the Faubourg D’Amiens cemetery with its many Arras graves. We then go underground and see the Wellington Quarry, a huge area of caves used as a shelter by the British Army in 1917. After lunch we visit the southern flank of the Arras Battlefield seeing Croisilles and Bullecourt, visiting the Bullecourt Museum and the Australian Digger Memorial Park.

Includes Breakfast

In November 1917 the newly formed Tank Corps led the first major armoured assault of the First World War on the German Hindenburg Line at Cambrai. We start at the Cambrai Memorial to the missing, which commemorates those fell in the battle who have no known grave. At Hermies we look at the story of the ‘Boy General’, Roland Boys Bradford VC, and travel through the battlefield between Havrincourt and Gouzeaucourt. After lunch in central Canbrai we see Bourlon Wood, the scene of heavy fighting in 1917, and look at the tank attack on Flesquières Ridge, seeing the tank memorial. We end in the Marcoing-Masnières area seeing where the Newfoundland Regiment fought in November 1917.

Includes Breakfast

Return home.

Includes Breakfast

Got a question about
this holiday?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch – our friendly team are ready and waiting to help with any further information you need!

Call us on 01709 914 560

Accommodation

You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Ibis Amiens Centre Cathedrale. The hotel is situated only five minutes walk from the heart of the city with its bars and restaurants. All bedrooms have T.V. and telephone. The hotel has a bar, lift and restaurant.