A cemetery in Flanders, Belgium, commemorates those who fell in World War I. Photo / Thinkstock
A cemetery in Flanders, Belgium, commemorates those who fell in World War I. Photo / Thinkstock
Gallipoli is not the only battle marking an important anniversary this year - Agincourt, Waterloo and Ypres are also subjects of special escorted tours.
Nothing brings history alive more vividly than visiting the places, the buildings and, perhaps more than anything, the battlefields where it happened, especially with a guide who knows the subject thoroughly.
Not only will you understand much better the challenges faced by the soldiers and the generals, but you will feel an emotional connection, too. These are the fields where men triumphed and where they fell. The graves of those who never returned are still there.
In all, it is an extraordinary line-up: the grim conflict with the Turks in the Dardanelles, the two great victories over the French, and the heroic resistance on the Western Front are four of the most critical conflicts in British history, and all are being well covered by professional guides and battlefield tour specialists.
Historically, Waterloo is arguably the most significant. The story of the close-fought battle with Napoleon's forces is a dramatic one, and if you are into costume re-enactments, you might want to plan your visit around July 19 and 20 when they are happening on a large scale.
Agincourt, meanwhile, proved a victory in vain. Despite Henry V's heroics, he died before he could inherit the French throne and unite the kingdoms. But it was a glorious moment and thanks to Shakespeare it has become part of England's national psyche. Another re-enactment - of the famous arrow storm - happens on July 25, though the actual anniversary, is October 25.
The anniversary of the amphibious landings by the Australians and New Zealanders at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli falls on April 25, but most escorted tours depart later in the year.
This year also sees the 75th anniversary of Dunkirk, the 70th anniversary of the detonation of the first atom bomb over Hiroshima, and the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. All are being marked by battlefield or history tours. Here are a selection of tours out of the UK marking the four main anniversaries.
Coinciding with the exact June dates of the battle, the Waterloo 200th Anniversary Tour 2015 is a five-day tour offered by Leger which takes in the spectacle of the re-enactments as well as a tour of the key sites.
• June 15-19, from $684.
Bartletts Battlefield Journeys can arrange a five-day Waterloo itinerary with a battlefield tour guide tailored to the personal interests of participants, with group sizes of up to seven guests. Prices include all meals, travel and accommodation.
• June 18-22, from $2525.
The five-day Agincourt, Crecy and Waterloo tour from Martin Randall combines the anniversaries of Agincourt and Waterloo and examines the conflict at Crecy in 1346 when Edward III and the Black Prince defeated the French. It is led by the military historian and author Major Gordon Corrigan.
• July 6-10 and September 2-6, from $3432.
The battlefield of Waterloo. Photo / Thinkstock
Ypres
Martin Randall has a full-on four-day tour called Flanders Fields: Walking the Battlefields of World War I which includes an examination of the Second Battle of Ypres, which began on April 22, 1915. That was the ominous date that marked the first use of poisonous gas by the Germans on the Western Front. Based in a mid-range hotel located near the Menin Gate, the tour is accompanied by the military expert Andrew Spooner, a visiting lecturer at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, and includes some exploration of the landscape on foot.
• June 4-7, from $2417.
Trafalgar has a 12-day journey starting in London and allowing for a half-day visiting the Imperial War Museum to discover some of the stories and strategies behind the trip to come. The World War I and II Battlefields tour travels through France, Belgium and Amsterdam and there are two nights in Lille with an exploration of the Ypres battlefields including Tyne Cot, Langemarck, Vancouver Corner and Passchendaele. You will also see Essex Farm Cemetery where Lt Col John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields.
Bruges, The Ardennes and The Last Post By Rail is a new seven-day tour exploring Bruges, Poperinge and Ypres from a hotel base in Lille. A visit to Ypres Salient and Tyne Cot Cemetery is followed by a trip to the In Flanders Fields museum and Menin Gate. The itinerary, offered by Travelsphere continues in the Belgian Ardennes and the town of Bouillon where there's a three-night stay to take in World War II battlefields, with a final excursion to Dinant to enjoy its Gothic church, citadel and riverside cafes.
• Departures until September, from $1363.
Specialist military guide Simon Jones accompanies a four-day trip focusing on 1915 Centenary Battles, with an emphasis on the human stories behind the conflict. The trip, operated by Holts Tours, is based at a hotel in Arras, with an initial assessment of the high ground at Lorette and Vimy. Continuing to the Fromelles area, it examines the battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and Aubers Ridge in May 1915 before looking at the battle of Loos in September and October 1915.
• September 25-28, from $1491.
Gallipoli
Gallipoli Battlefields: 100 years on is an eight-day tour focusing on the Dardanelles with initial visits to Gaba Tepe and Helles Memorial where most of those who fell are buried. The tour, run by Leger continues to the landing sites of River Clyde, Anzac Beach and Lancashire Landing. Day four ends on the New Zealand battlefield at Chunuk, before travelling on to Suvla Bay and Shell Green. The trip culminates with a stop at Canakkale, the archaeological site of Troy, and an afternoon in Istanbul.
A significant part of the nine-day Istanbul and Gallipoli tour run by Kirker Holidays is dedicated to exploring the battlefields of the ill-fated campaign at Gallipoli. Expert lecturer Neil Faulkner will shed light on what went wrong for the Allies. As well as the hastily dug trenches and tunnels, the itinerary will take in Anzac Cove and Commemoration Site, the Beach Cemetery and Brighton Beach. The tour will also include Istanbul, Canakkale, Troy and a fascinating insight into the Crimean War with a visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum.
