Battlefield Pilgrimage
April 24th to 28th 2014
‘The Alan Fradgley Pilgrimage’
To gain an overview of the Great War and visit the last resting places of
some of the Old Blundellian’s who gave their lives 1914-1918 on the Western
Front.
Tim Courtenay (OH 54-59)
Tour General Information:
Alan Fradgley Pilgrimage:
The late Major Alan Fradgley MBE, RE, (NC 34-39), laid the foundations for this special Pilgrimage through his detailed work and production of ‘The Roll of Honour’ in 2007. In this task he was
ably supported by Janet A’ Lee, a member of Staff who sadly also died shortly afterwards. Alan
passed away on 12th September 2012, in honour of his dedication we have decided to name this
tour ‘The Alan Fradgley Pilgrimage.’
Major Alan Fradgley MBE, RE, (NC 34-39) presenting the Blundell’s Plaque to the
British Columbia Regiment Vancouver Corner, Ypres
General Information:
The programme for this tour is to balance not only a historical overview of the Great War, the
epic battles and events, but ensure we visit as many OB’s who paid the ultimate price, their graves
and memorials. Also allowing time to wander the towns and villages and cater for those of shopping, gastronomic and cultural interests!!
Finances:
Please bring some loose change (Euros) to meet incidental personal expenses (i.e. lunch breaks and
entry fees to various sites). Tim will be negotiating ‘Group’ entry prices and may pay when necessary in
full, reimbursement is required on these occasions.
Drinks & Meals at the hotel can be put on room bills, those in twin rooms need to agree an equable share!! or pay cash over the bar. Hotel bills can be paid with plastic.
Hotel Rooms: Double /Twin Room 70 €= £64 per room (inc breakfast) or Single Room 63 € = £57 per room
(inc breakfast)
Clothing:
During the day, ‘beagling’ kit with good walking shoes and waterproofs is recommended. During
the evening comfortable casual wear with or without ties and jackets is suggested. At the Menin
Gate Ceremony in Ypres, an OB tie would be appropriate (OB ties are available from the School Shop).
Personal Insurance:
Please ensure you have some personal insurance cover. Our hotel is alongside the largest and
most modern hospital in Northern France, so we are but a wheelbarrow’s ride away!!
Passports:
Please ensure your passport information is up to date. Please bring a photocopy as a precaution.
Medication:
Please remember to bring whatever is needed.
Wreath and Remembrance Crosses:
Blundell’s School have donated two wreaths; one to be laid at The Menin Gate and the other at The
Thiepval Memorial. Remembrance Crosses will be available to plant wherever and whenever you wish.
We will of course try to include visits to family graves and memorials as we traverse the battlefields, but
this is a tight programme which must be to the benefit of the majority.
Hotel & Communications:
The Hotel has all modern amenities including computers & phones to make contact at home. All Staff
speak English and our Hotel is ranked #1 on Trip Advisor!
The owner, Philippe Gorczynski and his wife Sandrine are well supported by David, Maryse and Sandrine on the front desk. Philippe is an expert on the great Tank Battle of Cambrai. He has written the
definitive book “Following the Tanks” (Out of print in both French and English). He also found and recovered the last known tank from this battle. “Deborah” having been excavated, now rests on a plinth in
Flesquiers the village where she was knocked out. For his dedication and devotion to this he was made
an honorary MBE.
The Reception phone number is 0033(0)327 814570 (please give this number to your emergency contact) or visit
for more information www.beatus-cambrai.com.
Coach & Pick Up Locations:
The Coach will be picking up passengers in the parking lot behind Big School, Blundell’s at 8.00am on
Thursday 24th. Travellers are welcome to leave their cars in the parking lot (parking is at your own risk).
The coach is equipped with air con and a loo. For those that are travel sick please make yourself known
to Tim who will ensure a front seat is made available. Tim will give daily briefings with background history on the coach each day supported by DVDs. Passengers will be picked up/dropped off along with
A303 & M3 on the East Bound side. Amber Oliver will be calling passengers 1 hour before their expected pick up.
Ferry Crossing:
24th April - 1355pm Dover to Calais Crossing.
*Dover Crossing Passengers: Please meet at the Dover Passenger Terminal at 1230pm
28th April – 1605pm (French Time) Calais to Dover Crossing, arriving at Dover at 1630/1700pm (UK
Time).
Contact Information:
Tim Courtenay is the Tour Organizer and his mobile is 07983 971651. Amber Oliver will also be assisting and her mobile is 07825 734440. The Development Office is running the administration for the tour
and can be contacted at [email protected] or 01884 243262. The Driver for the tour is Steve
Cash.
Dinner
On the first evening we will all be dining at the Hotel,. Each day please let Tim know your plans for dinner particularly if you plan to dine at the Hotel as the restaurant is not usually open unless there are sufficient numbers. Both Tim and the Hotel Reception have some suggestions in the local area.
Tour Programme
Thursday
24th
April
0800 Depart Blundell’s by Redwoods 56 seat Coach.
0800-1300 Drive to Dover Ferry Port via A303 & M3. Pickup points en route as required.
1355 Ferry Dover to Calais eta 1545 (local time) Drive to Hotel Beatus in Cambrai. Possible visit en
route to a German V1/V2 Rocket launch site (WW2) at La Coupole or Le Blockhaus d’ Epercules
(Entry Fee payable).
1800 Arrive Hotel Beatus.
1930/2000 Joint Dinner at hotel. Menu below, please pre-order your Starter & Pudding. Dinner is
€32pp which includes 1 bottle of wine (Red or White) per 3 people and water; costs can be added to
your room bill.
MENU
Aperitif
Hors d’ouvre
Assiette de Charcuterie avec Salad
Ou
Potage ,Veloute de Potiron a la crème fraiche et Chataignes
***
Blanc de Poulet aux pommes deglacees au cidre sauce crème et legumes
***
Tarte au Pomme
Ou
Crostillant chocolat ,Biscuit chocolate Mousse au caramel
***
Café
Friday 25th April
0730-0830 Breakfast.
0900 Depart for the day, please bring all clothes, medication and money.
AM. Notre Dame de Lorette the scene of the initial French battles of 1914 around Arras, Souchez
and the Vimy Ridge. Briefing and orientation, the defence of Arras by General Barbot his Chasseurs
and Alpini Troops and retaking of the Notre Dame Spur. Visit the Chapel, Lanterne de la Mort,
French Cemetery and Front line trenches as well as an excellent private museum (entry fee). There is
also a Restaurant and Loos!!! See Photo A & C.
PM Drive to the Loos Battlefield and Dud Corner Commonwealth War Graves site. The history and
background to the CWGC. The story of the first British gas Attack of 1915 across the Loos Battlefield, the mystery surrounding Lt Jack Kipling IG, his death and subsequent search by his parents for
the truth. Visit St Mary’s Advanced Dressing Station Commonwealth War Graves Commission
(abbreviated CWGC.) See Photo B.
We have 5 OBs buried or commemorated at Dud Corner. Old Blundellians - C Mackinnon (OH 1214), M Windle (W 07-11), G Tracey (NC 14-17), R Rawlinson (OH 08-11), C Eyre(P 1892-1895).
Friday 25th April Cont.
A/R return to Hotel. Dinner as required either in Hotel or walk into Cambrai (10 mins) where
there are a wide selection of hostelries.
(Please inform Tim each morning as to where you wish to dine that evening so that the hotel chef can be advised. The hotel does not normally run dinner on Saturday or Sunday unless there are sufficient takers).
Saturday 26th April
0730-0830 Breakfast.
0830 Depart for days visit to Ypres. This is an hour and a half journey, visiting one or two
sites en route. Polygon Wood the site of the final defence by the Worcester Regiment against
the right wing of the German ‘Von Schliffen Plan’ drive to the channel ports. The War goes
static and underground. Visit Sanctuary Wood original WW1 Museum and trenches. Café, and
loos (entry fee €5). Also visit Sanctuary Wood CWGC and the memorial to G.M. Paddison
(DB 06-12), one of two brothers kia, this is only 100yds from the café.
(We will not return until 2200 so please bring all kit needed for the day)
Lunch break as required
PM Essex Farm CWGC and advanced dressing station run by Capt John McCrea RCAMC,
writer of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. Drive to the German Cemetery at Langemark via
Artillery Wood CWGC and the grave of H J Paddison (DB 10-15) MC See Photos E, F, G
& H. Onward to Vancouver Corner and the great Canadian Memorial, close by the site of the
action by Lt Edward Bellew (OB) where he won his Victoria Cross in April 1915 during the
first German gas attack. Finally a visit to Tyne Cot CWGC, the largest CWGC in the world
with some 12,000 graves and the names of 46,000 missing on the surrounding walls.
See Photos I, J, K & M.
1700 approx Return to Ypres. Visit The Menin Gate for briefing. “Downtime” to include
chocolate shop at Leonidas where Hans and Stephanie will welcome you and offer goodies at
discounted prices as a member of ‘Tim’s Tour!!’ Time to walk the old town and possible sites
include St George’s Church, The Cloth Hall, Flanders Fields Museum and The Cathedral.
(Please don’t forget evening meal at whatever “Estaminet” takes your fancy, recommend curry Moules at Den
Anker!!)
1945 RV at the Menin Gate for the Last Post Ceremony. We will lay a wreath on behalf of
Blundell’s, three volunteers needed. O/C approx.
2030 Return to coach for return to Beatus eta 2200hrs.
Sunday 27th April
0730/0830 Breakfast.
0900 Depart for the day to the Somme Region.
Bring all personal bits needed.
0930 Visit the HAC CWGC where the OB poet AG West is buried. See Photo L. He was
one of the Great War “Coterie” of poets. Following his death on 3rd April 1917, his friend and
pacifist C EM Joad (OB) edited and produced the book, “The Diary of a Dead Officer.”
Sunday 27th April Cont.
1100 Visit Serre and Sheffield Park front line trenches of the “Pals” Battalions on the 1st July
1916. Day one of the Battle of the Somme. The tragedy and destruction of Kitchener’s Volunteers, “six months in the making, six minutes in the destruction”. Drive across Redan Ridge,
“en passant” the site of Wilfred Owen’s “Old Boch Dugout”, onto the Sunken Lane, site of
the Lancashire Fusiliers attack and the first approved filming by Mallins of the realities of War
and firing of the Hawthorne Crater. We have two OB’s in this area, R Leacroft MC and C
Beddow. See Photo N & O.
Comfort Break Auconvilliers and The Ocean Villas Café for refuelling and comfort break!!
Including lunch (own expense).
PM To Beaumont Hamel, and the Canadian National Park where on 1st July the Newfoundland Regiment suffered 80% casualties, thence traverse the Ancre River where later in 1916 the
Royal Naval Division fought with great bravery and Lt Col Freyberg won his VC. Onwards to
the Ulster Tower where the Ulster Division won the greatest territorial gain of the 1st of July.
Then to the great Thiepval Memorial to the missing of the Somme, here are engraved the
names of 76,000 men who have no known grave. (15 OB’s are commemorated here and we will lay a
wreath in their memory).
Thence to Poiziers and the Memorial to the missing.
2 OBs-G Tagg (OH 11-15) and B Beckingsale (NC 03-05) and onwards to Lochnagar Crater
(Read Birdsong). Then on to Delville Wood and the South African Memorial via Fricourt,
(The Chilcotts Family grave of H L Twite). See Photo P. At Delville there is a wonderful SA
memorial to all SAs killed in Europe over both World Wars and the grave of A L Levick (P 0312) kia 15th Sept 1916. If time allows, we will visit the Devonshire Trench, “The Devon’s held
this trench, the Devon’s hold it still”. At Blundell’s we wore the Devons cap badge in the CCF
until circa 1965. See Photo Q.
Return to Beatus via the Louverval Memorial and the graves of GS Hall (NC 00-03) and S L
March Phillips (OH 06-11), OC “Incomperable” at the Cambrai battle. See Photo R.
PM Evening meal as required.
(As it is our last night together it is suggested the group dine together?)
Monday 28th April
0730/0830 Breakfast.
0900 Depart having settled bills.
The Battle of Cambrai, follow the stages and Flesquiers Memorial. Visit Deborah, the MkIV
Female tank unearthed by Philippe Gorczynski MBE our host at the Beatus.See Photo S & T.
1100 Leave for Arras and the CWGC at Fabourge where we have 5 OB’s.
1230 Into Town for lunch and shops.
1400 Depart for Calais.
1605pm (French Time) Calais to Dover Crossing, arriving at Dover at 1630/1700pm (UK Time).
Deposit travellers to various destinations the rest return to Blundell’s.
2200 approx. Arrive at Blundell’s School.
Photo A: French ‘Pilou’
Photo A: French ‘Pilou’
Photo B: Vimy Ridge & Loos
Battlefield
Photo B:
Photo D: British
Solider Memorial at
Flers on the Somme
Photo C: French 75mm Field Gun on the Battlefield
Notre Dame de Lorette
Photo E: ‘In Flanders Field’ Poem
Photo E: "In Flanders Fields"
is a war poem in the form of a
rondeau, written during the First
World War by Canadian physician
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.
He was inspired to write it on
May 3, 1915, after presiding over
the funeral of friend and fellow
soldier Alexis Helmer, who died
in the Second Battle of Ypres.
According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after
McCrae, initially unsatisfied with
his work, discarded it. "In Flanders Fields" was first published
on December 8 of that year in
the London-based magazine
Punch.
Photo F: German Cemetery at Souchez
Photo G: Blundell's School Bisley Team 1910
BACK ROW: W.N. Spicer (SH); G.M. Paddison (DB); Capt. E.G. Peirce; Col. Sergt. Inst. Ayres; D.H.
McCririck (P); H.C.C. Lloyd (W)
MIDDLE ROW: G.L. Appleton (OH); F.S. Thompson (SH); R.H. Paddison (DB); M.W.M. Windle (P); W. Bastard (NC)
FRONT ROW: R.H.F. Duckworth (P); J. Carew (SH); C.P. Gordon (NC)
Of the above G. Paddison, H.C.C. Lloyd, M.W.M. Windle, W. Bastard, J. Carew and C.P. Gordon were all killed during
the War, and W.N. Spicer, and R.H.F. Duckworth were wounded.
Photo H: Blundell’s School Bisley Team 1914
HJ Paddison; WE Martin; JW Jenner Clarke; Sergt.-Maj. Ayres; Capt. EG Peirce;
AP Donnell; FN Insoll.
RG Townsend; WV Stewart; RD Muir; EC Brown; P Walsh.
C Lloyd; BV Smith.
Those that were killed in the war are in bold.
Photo I: Canadian Memorial
Photo J: Vancouver Corner Ypres. Canadian Memorial
near where Captain Edward Bellow won his Victoria Cross
in 1915
Photo K: ‘Pro Patria Populoque Grave’
‘Pro Patria Populoque Grave’ of Thomas Fuller
Stocker (OH 08-11). Second Lieutenant, 171st
Company Royal Engineers. He was recommended
for his lieutenancy ‘under exceptional circumstances.’ Later killed in action in the trenches nr Ypres,
19th May 1915 (aged 20)
Photo L: A.G. West (SH 05-10) Captain, 6th Battalion Oxford & Bucks
Light Infantry. Died 3rd April 1917
(aged 25). One of the celebrated Great
War Poet.
Photo M: Edward Donald Bellew, VC Captain of the 7th British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most
prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
British and Commonwealth forces.
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Keerselacre on April 24, 1915, during the
German attack on the Ypres salient. Capt. (then Lieut.) Bellew, as Battalion Machine Gun Officer,
had two guns in action on the high ground overlooking Keerselacre. The enemy’s attack broke in
full force on the morning of the 24th against the front and right flank of the Battalion – the latter
being exposed owing to a gap in the line. The right Company was soon put out of action, but the
advance was temporarily stayed by Capt. Bellew, who had sited his guns on the left of the right
Company.
Reinforcements were sent forward, but they in turn were surrounded and destroyed. With the enemy in strength less than 100 yards from him, with no further assistance in sight, and with his rear
threatened, Capt. Bellew and Sergt. Peerless, each operating a gun, decided to stay where they were
and fight it out. Sergt. Peerless was killed and Capt. Bellew was wounded and fell. Nevertheless, he
got up and maintained his fire till ammunition failed and the enemy rushed the position. Capt.
Bellew then seized a rifle, smashed his machine-gun, and fighting to the last, was taken prisoner.
Photo N: RJR Leacroft ( W 03-11) at Redan Ridge-CWGC
Photo O: Redan Ridge Cemetery
`
Photo P: Delville Wood South African National Memorial
Photo Q; Devonshire Trench Memorial
Photo R: Second Lieutenant, March-Phillips (OH 06-11), at ‘A’ Battalion Tank Corps, commander of ‘Incomperable.’ Killed during the advance on Cambrai while attempting to cut wire
from his tank on 20th November 1917. Cambrai Memorial, Louverval Military Cemetery, Nord,
France
Photo S: The iron harvest is the annual "harvest" of
unexploded ordnance, barbed wire, shrapnel, bullets
and congruent trench supports collected by Belgian and
French farmers after ploughing their fields. The harvest
generally applies to the material from World War I,
which is still found in large quantities across the former
Western Front
Photo S: Iron Harvest
Photo T: D51 MK 4 Female Tank ‘Deborah’ discovered in 1998 by Philippe Gorczynski on the
Cambrai Battlefield of 1917.
Photo U: Major Michael
(SH 47-52) & Mrs Heath at
the grave of his uncle, PL
Heath (01-03) at Arras.
Private, 1st Battalion
Grenadier Guards. Killed
in Action on 30th March
1918 (aged 31).
Map showing the final
dispositions of the
Armies before the Armistice of 1918.
Field Marshal Douglas Haig had these
produced and signed
by him for presentation purposes
The German Invasion of France 1914
The Map Depicting the war of movement on
the Western Front in August and September
1914. The Black lines depict the march of
320,000 men of General von Kluck’s I Army –
the powerful right hook of the Schlieffen Plan
that was designed to knock France out of the
war in the six-week Blitzkrieg. The red lines
show the Allied positions at the beginning and
the end of the 13-day retreat that culminated
the the ‘Miracle of the Marne.’ The position of
Mons is clearly shown.
The three Great War Medals,
affectionately known as “Pip,
Squeak and Wilfred” after
comic characters of the period.
There were two types of the
Star, that for 5th Aug to 22
Sept 1914,often known as the
Mons Star with the dated bar.
A second version with date
1915 only. The centre medal is
the British War medal in silver.
The far right is the Victory
Medal. All had the name and
regimental number of the recipient engraved on the back
or rim.
Memorial Scrolls were sent to the Families
of all those killed in The Great War.
This is the Memorial Plaque that
was sent along with the Scroll to
the next of kin of all those killed
or died in action. The name of
the serviceman being engraved on
each plaque. These were often
known as ‘The Death Plaque.’
‘Mentioned in
Dispatches’ Scroll for
‘Gallant and
Distinguished Service’
signed by Winston
Churchill
By the end of 1914, both sides realised that
the war of movement had come to an end.
Each side needed continuous lines of defence to prevent the other side from outflanking them. The stalemate of trench warfare had begun and an unbroken front
stretched from the Belgian coast to the Swiss
Frontier—over 400 miles. The stalemate was
eventually broken in 1918 with new weapons
& improved techniques.
Trenches were usually around 7 feet deep
with a fire step 2 or 3 fee high so that troops
could fire over the parapet. Draining the
trenches was a major problem and constraint
maintenance was needed to prevent the walls
of the trenches from collapsing.