Western Front Tourist's Guide

Contributed by Michael E. Hanlon.

Mike is Website Editor for the ø The Great War Society. He has written extensively on the Great War and guided tours of the Western Front. Contact him if you would like advice on your journey.

See also:
• Tubby Clayton and the Story of Toc-H
• Map Room
• ø An Unfortunate Region

THE WESTERN FRONT -  A CHECKLIST

 Extraordinarily memorable sites are indicated by an asterisk [*].

A.  Belgian Sites of August 1914 preliminaries

     1.  Liege Forts
     2.  Nieuport and Yser Canal 
     3.  Namur Citadel
     4.  Mons
           Site of the 1914 Battle
           British Memorial to start and finish of war at La Bascule

     Many  other  Belgian and French Lorraine locales have statues  or
      monuments,  but they are so remote they do not justify a special
      trip  unless  you have a specific interest in the action  fought
      there.  There are, however, some fascinating sites to visit in 
      Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Nieuport along the coast and the Belgian
      trench sector north of Ypres.

B.  From the English Channel to Compiegne

     1.  Ypres Salient
         [Maps spell it "Ieper"; Tommy Atkins called it "Wipers".]

         Visit Cloth Hall first to see the "High Tech" Flanders Fields Museum and to 
         get map.

           a.  Many battlefields sites to visit but do not miss:
                  Hell Fire Corner
                  Hill 62 / Sanctuary  Wood  Museum
                    [Best preserved trenches]
                  Hill 60
                  The Hooge Crater and Museum
                  Tyne Cot Cemetery at Passchendaele
                  German Cemetery at Langemark
                  Polygon Wood

           b.  Menin Gate
*                 Daily 'Last Post' Ceremony at 8:00 PM

           c.  Messines & Environs
                  Town Museum including Hitler water color of church
                  Typical mine crater near Spanbrokemolen
                  Ploegsteert Wood Memorial -
                        Near where Churchill served

     2.  De Lorrette Heights / Arras Vicinity

          a.   Notre Dame DeLorrette Cemetery, Ossuaria & Museum

*         b.   Canadian Vimy Ridge Monument and Memorial Park
                    Try to schedule a tour of the underground tunnel network.

          c.   Dud Corner, Loos

          d.   Indian Memorial at Neuve Chappelle

          e.   St. Quentin Canal captured by Australian & US Forces
                 Digger Statue at Mont St. Quentin

     3.  Near the Somme in Picardy
           Battlefield maps available in all the towns

          a.   Sites Near Albert;
                 Albert Basilica
*                Newfoundland Park / Beaumont Hamel [close]
                 Theipval Ridge Mnt To Missing/Ulster Division Mem.
                 Locknagar Mine Crater
                 Welsh Memorial at Mametz Wood
                 Tank Memorial at Pozieres Ridge
                 Tommy Statue at Flers
                 High Wood
*                Delville Wood, South African Memorial

          b.   French Great War Museum at Peronne

          c.   Sites Near Cambrai
                 Battle of Cambrai Tank Action
                 Canadian Memorial at Bourlon Wood

          d.   1918 Sites
                 Australian National War Memorial at
                  Villers Bretonneaux
                 American Monument at Cantigny

     4.  Armistice Glade - Compiegne

               All together:
                 Alsace/Lorraine Monument
                 Foch Statue
*               Armistice Railroad Car

C.  The Paris Area

     1.  Les Invalides-French Military Museum

     2.  Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

*         Daily Relighting of Eternal Flame:  Ceremony at 5:00 PM

     3.  Hall of Mirrors at Versailles Palace

     4.  Lafayette Escadrille Chapel

(continued...)

THE WESTERN FRONT -  A CHECKLIST (continued)

D.  From the Aisne/Marne Region to the Swiss Border

     1.  Aisne/Marne Region
          Battle maps hard to find locally here.  I recommend xeroxing
          the  Marne Battle maps from a WWI history or atlas and  then
          transferring the appropriate data to your road maps.


          a.  1st Battle of the Marne Sites
                Gallieni Monument [Hard to Find]

          b.   Battle of the Marne Monument; 1 mile n. of Meaux

          c.   Retreat from Mons Memorial at La Ferte S. Jourarre
                    Plan a picnic here along the River Marne

          d.   Chemin Des Dames Area
                 Small Museum on Chemin Des Dames
*                Notre Dame Chapel
                 Caverne du Dragon
                 Soissons
                   British Memorial To Missing
                   Cathedral
                 US 28th Division Monument at Fismes

          e.   Chateau Thierry/ 2nd Battle of the Marne Sites
*                Belleau Wood / Aisne/Marne Cemetery [close together]
                 Hill 204 US Memorial
                 US Memorial Chapel at Chateau Thierry
                 Mezy -  "Rock of the Marne" location   [No monument]
                   Site  where  3rd Division turned back  last  German
                   Offensive of the war - 3rd Div. Monument is in ChT.

     2.  Champagne Region
          a. Reims and Vicinity
               Cathedral
               Fort Pompelle

          b. French Navarin Farm Monument and Ossuaria

          c. Blanc Mont Ridge US Monument - North of Somme-Py

          d. Monuments to Black 369th & 371st US regiments that served
               under  French  Command  [Hard  to  locate;   near  west
               boundary of Argonne Forest.]

     3.  Argonne Forest and Vicinity
          Detailed Maps for Meuse/Argonne, Verdun & St. Mihiel avail.
           in Verdun.

          Carefully plan your tour routes here:
            Site of Lost Battalion at Charlevaux Mill
            Sgt. York Monument - Chatel Chehery
*           Butte de Vacquois
            Cheppy - Missouri Monument
              [Site of Harry Truman's service]
            Varennes-en-Argonne
              Museum in Town Hall
              Pennsylvania Memorial
              In Vicinity: Crown Prince's Dugout
            Montfaucon US Monument
*           Romagne-en-Argonne US Cemetery

     4.  Verdun
          Get a detailed battlefield map at visitor's center in Verdun
           but don't miss:

          a. In Verdun:
*              Citadel -  Where France's Unknown Soldier was selected
               Verdun Victory Monument
               Children of Verdun Monument
               Rodin "Call to Arms" near RR Station

          b. On Left Bank of Meuse and Environs:
               Voie Sacree Monument
               Cote 304
               Morte Homme

          c. On the Right Bank:
               Faubourg Pave National Cemetery
               Andre Maginot Monument
               Wounded Lion Monument marking German high water mark
*              Memorial Museum
               Fleury Village
               Froidettere Casement
*              Ossuaria
               Bayonet Trench
               Fort Douaumont
               Fort Vaux
               Fort Souville
               Col. Driant's Command Post and Tomb

     5.  St. Mihiel Salient

               Point X and Les Esparges Spur
               1st Division Monument at Vignuelles
               Mont Sec US Memorial
               US Cemetery at Thiacourt

     6.  Vosges Mountains - Near Belfort
          Requires special trip; not recommended unless you have a
           particular interest in the opening stages of the War.

               Jonchery - Monument to War's 1st casualty, Cpl. Peugeot
               "Old Armand" [Hartsmannwillerstopf]
                    Cemetery and Memorial
               Battle of the Windmill Memorial at Montreux-Jeune

TIPS FOR THE WESTERN FRONT TRAVELLER


A.   If you travel to the Western Front and wish to guide yourself you
will need:

     1.  Michelin road maps;

     2.   Specific maps for the battlefields (usually available at key
towns like Verdun, Ypres and Albert or Amiens; tourist boards can also
help);

     3. A quality accommodations / restaurant guide book that includes
smaller towns.

B.   Optional but helpful:

     The detailed tour itineraries and maps available in:

     1. BEFORE ENDEAVORS FADE by Rose Coombs:  order from Imperial War
            Museum, London

     2.  AMERICAN  ARMIES AND BATTLEFIELDS  IN EUROPE:  order from US  
            Government Printing Office.

C.   If you wish to locate an individual's grave write the following:


     1.  AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION,  Casimir Pulaski Bldg.,
            20 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20314

     2.  COMMONWEALTH   WAR   GRAVES   COMMISSION,    2  Marlow  Road,
            Maidenhead, Berkshires SL67DX, U.K.

     3.  VETERAN AFFAIRS CANADA,  66 Slater St.,  Ottawa,  Ontario K1A
            OP4, Canada

D.   Safety and Comfort Issues

     1.   Shoes are very important.  They need to be comfortable, have
            waterproofing,  and sturdy soles to protect the bottoms of
            feet. Watch out for barbed wire, especially.

     2.   Stay out of No Access "Red Zones"

     3.   Try to have a travelling companion; if not, don't  go
            wandering off the beaten track

     4.   Don't poke the soil looking for souvenirs and remember that
             wild boars are carnivores

     5.   Ordinance is still being found on the battlefields and
            is often seen on the sides of roads for pickup by disposal
            units.  DO NOT TOUCH THIS STUFF.

     6.   If you lunch at a French country restaurant [a highly
            recommended practice] watch your alcohol consumption.

     7.   Don't change hotels every nite; you will exhaust yourself.
             Good "base" cities include Ypres, Albert, Chateau-Thierry and
             Verdun

     8.   Occasionally,  Monuments and  former military facilities are
            on  private  property.   The owners permission  should  be
            sought before entering.

     9.   Be ready for rain any time regardless of the daily
                 weather forecast.

     10.  At  counter-type restaurants,    you  will  see  a beautiful
            sausage that's whitish with pepper spots.  Do not order it
            unless you REALLY love tripe.

(continued...)

TIPS FOR THE WESTERN FRONT TRAVELLER
 (continued)

D.   Maximizing the Experience

     1.   Guides can be hired at almost all the key towns. They can
            be outstanding, but vary  tremendously. Consequently,  you
            will have to pay your money and take your chances,  if you
            wish to go this route, keep your checklist handy, so your
            guide doesn't overlook something important.

     2.   Around every  major battlefield,  there are little treasures
            that never make guidebooks or official sources --  private
            museums,  a  bunker  now being used to grow  mushrooms,  a
            family's  private memorial to a fallen son,  and so forth.
            The  way you discover such "treasures"  is to talk to  the
            English-speaking  locals.   The people who work at the  US
            and Commonwealth Cemeteries are walking gold mines of such
            information.   Stop  at the guest house at every  American
            cemetery  and say hello to anyone you meet at the  British
            maintained  sites.   Also be on the look out in hotels and
            restaurants  for  displays of artifacts  and  memorabilia.
            Such  collectors  usually know their local areas cold  and
            are willing to share their discoveries.

     3.  Join forces with fellow battlefield tourists.  You will
            meet some during your jaunts.  In the evening, ask at
            your  hotel where such travellers like to relax.   On  the
            Western   Front,   Ypres   around  the  Grande  Place   is
            unsurpassed for pubs and evening socializing thanks to its
            proximity to the British Isles.