One advantage of travelling with Skylark Tours is the interest and passion for history is very high, so always expect the unexpected, groups have been known to visit archaeological digs and even the military funeral of a soldier who went missing on the 1st July 1916.

 

We have recently witnessed the uncovering of the remains of a French soldier on the Somme and the discovery of these duckboards at the bottom of an excavated British trench in Belgium. The highlight recently was a group from Hitchin Boys School who witnessed the final uncovering of a German dugout near Messines in Belgium.

Building an itinerary

 

Included in the tour is a pre-trip meeting with staff, students and parents to arrange a suitable itinerary. You may wish to visit one particular area over just a few days or a combined tour in Belgium and France over perhaps 4 or 5 days.

 

 

Please take into account your geographical location and the time it may take to get to the channel ports, a typical 4 day tour from the South East or Midlands gives an introductory afternoon on the first day, two full days and until mid-afternoon for final visits on the last day.

Above: Mary Elizabeth Cookson visiting her husband’s grave at Terlincthun British military Cemetery in France during the opening ceremony in March of 1919.

 

Left: A year 9 pupil visiting her Great Grandfather’s grave. Personal visits to family related war graves or memorials are very much encouraged.

The research is done for you in a matter of minutes and, where possible, the visit is added to the itinerary.

A recovered Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle on the Somme with 5 rounds remaining in the magazine and one ‘up the spout’.

An amazing time was spent standing on the edge of the excavation watching artefacts, in an amazing state of preservation, being revealed before our eyes. An added bonus was the distribution of a empty German rifle cartridge to each member of the party as a souvenir.