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TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL EUROPEAN BATTLEFIELDS CENTENARY TOUR 2018

(B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner)

(The Gallipoli component of the tour has yet to be confirmed) Fri 30 March 2018 (Good Friday) Depart Toowoomba Grammar School by coach for Brisbane International Airport Flight Brisbane to Istanbul In Flight Sat 31 March 2018 On arrival at Ataturk International Airport proceed directly by coach to Gallipoli Peninsula Meal en route Gallipoli battlefields – depending on arrival time Sunset walk up to Plugge’s Plateau Overnight Gallipoli L, D Sun 1 April 2018 (Easter Sunday) Gallipoli Battlefields. Walking in Anzac sector Wreath Laying Ceremony at Lone Pine honouring TGS Old Boys Visit Kabatepe Turkish Museum Walk down from Chunuk Bair along Rhododendron Ridge to the Anzac northern outpostsOvernight Gallipoli B, L, D Mon 2 April 2018 Cruise along the Aegean coast of the Peninsula taking in the view of the landing beaches and the heights of the Gallipoli battlefield from the sea. Visit Eceabat on the shore of the Dardanelles Cape Helles sector, including small museum at Alçıtepe (Krithia) More Anzac sector if time permits Overnight Gallipoli B, L, D Tue 3 April 2018 Check out of Hotel Kum Departure by coach from Gallipoli to Ataturk International Airport Flight Istanbul to Paris CDG Airport On our journey north, visit the museum in the clearing in Compiegne Wood where the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage in 1918 Packed lunch included, coffee included Proceed to the city of Amiens on the River Somme, our base for the next three nights Guided tour of Cathedral Notre-Dame d’Amiens Overnight Amiens L, D

NOTE: If Gallipoli component not included, 2 April will be departure date from Brisbane, for Paris.

NOTE: If Gallipoli component not included, arrive Paris from Brisbane on 3 April and proceed with tour of France, Belgium and England as outlined.

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Wed 4 April 2018 The Somme Battles of 1916 Visit the region of the great ‘Battle of the Somme’ which commenced on 1 July 1916 and which would become known as one of the most bitterly contested and costly battles of the First World War. Almost a million casualties were sustained between both sides of the conflict. At Beaumont Hamel we will visit some of the best preserved trenches on the Western Front. We also visit Thiepval (including the new Thiepval '14-18 Battles of the Somme' Museum), Lochnagar Crater, Pozieres (including the Windmill site and the 1st Division Memorial), and Mouquet Farm. It is hoped that conditions will allow for the group to walk the battlefields of this region. (During the day students purchase lunch at Le Tommy Café in Pozieres) Overnight Amiens B, D Thur 5 April 2018 The Somme Battles of 1918 Visit the scene of desperate battles fought in response to the resurgent enemy assaults in this area during the German Spring Offensive of 1918. Our visit occurs on the Centenary date of the Second Battle of Dernancourt which successfully halted the German advance in that location. (We need to be available for any commemorative events that may occur at Dernancourt on this day.) We visit Villers Bretonneux including the Australian National Memorial with a wreath laying ceremony honouring TGS Old Boys who fell in France, as well as visiting the Franco Australian Museum at the Victoria School Visits will also be made to site of the Battle of Le Hamel, the 3rd Division Memorial at Sailly le Sec, and to the location where the infamous Red Baron was shot down. (Students purchase own lunch this day, eg “Flunch”) Dinner at an authentic French venue to be advised Overnight Amiens B Fri 6 April 2018 Check out of Amiens hotel and proceed north through the Artois region and on to Flanders The Australian participation in the Battles of Bullecourt in April and May 1917 Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge Packed lunch included, coffee included Fromelles - Battlefield Walk ‘Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery’ and ‘Museum of the Battle of Fromelles’ En route to Belgium we visit the 1914 Christmas Truce Site near Ploegsteert Wood, and also Messines Ridge Overnight in the magnificent mediaeval city Ypres B, L, D Sat 7 April 2018 Visit the battlefields of the ‘Third Battle of Ypres’ fought in the latter part of 1917 and resulting in 38,000 Australian casualties out of a total of 310,000 British losses. Visit Hill 60, the Caterpillar crater, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and the world’s largest Commonwealth cemetery at Tyne Cot.

Visit the “Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917” including its dugout and trench experience. Lunch at a café on 3rd Ypres battlefields Visit Essex Farm Cemetery and John McCrae Memorial - Poetry reflection ‘In Flanders Fields’. Menin Gate Last Post ceremony – place a wreath honouring TGS Old Boys who fell in Flanders. Overnight Ypres B, L

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Sun 8 April 2018 Check out of Ypres hotel Journey to Calais / English Channel Channel tunnel crossing for London Visit Imperial War Museum (IWM), London Experience spectacular views from the ‘London Eye’ at night whilst rotating 135 metres above the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben Overnight London B, D Mon 9 April 2018 Touring City of London A London Underground experience on (City/Waterloo line) “the drain” Walk from Bank to Tower of London with stories of the significance of particular London buildings in the Second World War Lunch at student expense in a suitable café Tower of London Dinner at Hoop and Grapes (only surviving pub from London Fire) at Aldgate. “Jack the Ripper” tour commencing at Aldgate Overnight London B Tue 10 April 2018 Tour of the West End of London Walk to Churchill War Rooms via Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament Walk to the Changing the Guard ceremony at Horse Guards Parade Lunch at own expense at café in St James Park (Inn the Park) Walk through St James Park or down The Mall to Buckingham Palace Walk to the ‘Australian War Memorial, London’ at Hyde Park and conduct a wreath laying ceremony Transport to West End theatre precinct Dinner at own expense. A West End Show Overnight London B Wed 11 April 2018 Travel to Cambridge Visit the IWM Duxford for a full day tour of this historic airfield and museum of aviation history Lunch at own expense in café Farewell dinner at restaurant venue to be advised in Cambridge Overnight Cambridge B, D Thur 12 April 2018 Check out of Cambridge hotel Travel to Milton Keynes to visit the scene of a fascinating story of the World War Two Codebreakers at the Military Intelligence centre at Bletchley Park Lunch at own expense in café Travel to Runnymede to visit the ‘Air Forces Memorial’ commemorating by name over 20,000 airmen of the British Empire who were lost during operations in the Second World War and who have no known grave. Conduct our final wreath laying ceremony honouring TGS Old Boys Travel to Heathrow London Airport Flight London to Brisbane (22.05h) In flight

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B Fri 13 April 2018 In flight Sat 14 April 2018 Flight arrives Brisbane 07.05h Coach journey to Toowoomba Grammar School END OF TOUR

- o0o - NOTES: TOUR DURATION Gallipoli 3 Nights France 3 Nights Belgium 2 Nights England 4 Nights TOTAL DAYS OUT FROM AND BACK TO AUSTRALIA (including flights)

- If including Gallipoli, Western Front & England 16 Days - If including only Western Front and England only 13 Days