Brussels • Waterloo • Ypres

Welcome to Belgium and the beginning of an unforgettable journey through the battlefields of the Western Front.

Upon arrival at Brussels International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your Australian Battlefield Treks & Tours guides, Tim Whitford, Graeme “Wol” Walker and Scott Babington. From this moment forward, you are no longer simply travelling through Europe — you are embarking upon a journey of remembrance that will take you to places forever linked with Australia’s military history.

Leaving Brussels, our journey begins at Waterloo.

Although fought more than one hundred years before the First World War, Waterloo marked one of history’s defining military campaigns and provides an ideal introduction to the evolution of warfare in Europe. Standing upon this famous battlefield, your guides will explain how military doctrine, technology and leadership developed over the nineteenth century, setting the stage for the industrialised warfare that would engulf Europe in 1914.

From Waterloo we travel west across the peaceful countryside of Flanders towards the beautiful medieval city of Ypres. Today the city is renowned for its magnificent architecture, bustling market square and welcoming cafés. Yet during the Great War it was reduced almost entirely to rubble, standing at the centre of some of the fiercest fighting in military history.

Following our arrival, we visit the outstanding Flanders Fields Museum.

Through remarkable artefacts, immersive displays and deeply personal stories, the museum introduces the events that transformed this quiet region into one of the world’s most significant battlefields. More importantly, it introduces the people whose lives were forever changed by war.

This first visit establishes an important theme that will remain with us throughout the tour.

“History is never simply about battles.”
“History is about people.”

After checking into our accommodation, we gather for our Welcome Dinner.

Over traditional Flemish cuisine, Tim, Wol and Scott will introduce the journey ahead, outlining how each day has been carefully designed to follow the Australian story across the Western Front. Participants will have the opportunity to meet fellow travellers, share their own reasons for joining the tour and begin what invariably becomes one of the most rewarding aspects of every ABTT journey — the friendships formed through a shared passion for history and remembrance.

As evening settles over Ypres, the significance of where we stand begins to sink in. Tomorrow we walk onto Australia’s first battlefield in France. It is a place where thousands of young Australians made the ultimate sacrifice. Their story will become our story.

Crossing from Flanders into France — Fromelles 1916

From the fields of Flanders in Belgium, our journey now follows the Australian story south into France.

The landscape may appear peaceful today, yet these fields and villages were once at the centre of some of the most intense fighting of the First World War. It was here, on the Western Front, that Australian soldiers experienced the reality of industrialised warfare and forged a reputation for courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice that continues to shape our national identity today.

Our first battlefield in France is Fromelles.

During the evening of 19 July 1916, the Australian Imperial Force entered its first major action on the Western Front. The battle that followed would become Australia’s bloodiest twenty-four hours of the entire war. By the following morning, more than 5,500 Australians had been killed, wounded or captured. No other twenty-four-hour period in Australian military history has resulted in such devastating losses.

Today we walk this ground not simply to understand a battle, but to honour the individuals who fought here and ensure their stories continue to be told. Looking across the relatively short distance between the opposing trench lines, it becomes difficult to comprehend how so many lives could be lost in such a brief period of time.

Your guides will explain not only the planning and execution of the battle, but also the human stories that unfolded here — stories of courage, leadership, confusion, determination and extraordinary sacrifice.

We begin our battlefield study at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, one of the largest Commonwealth cemeteries on the Western Front. Rows upon rows of immaculate white headstones remind us that every casualty figure represents an individual whose family waited anxiously for news from France.

From there we visit Trois Arbres Cemetery before continuing to the Indian and Portuguese Memorials, recognising that the Western Front was truly a multinational battlefield where soldiers from across the world served together.

The battlefield itself provides the centrepiece of today’s experience. Walking the ground allows participants to understand the tactical challenges that confronted Australian soldiers and why the attack proved so costly.

At Pheasant Wood Cemetery we reflect upon one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in modern military history. For almost ninety years, 250 Australian soldiers remained buried in a mass grave. Their rediscovery and subsequent identification restored not only their names, but also their rightful place within Australia’s military history.

Later we visit Fournes, where another remarkable story emerges. Long before becoming dictator of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler served as a soldier in this region during the First World War. His story reminds us that the consequences of one war often shape the events of the next.

This evening we enjoy one of the most memorable experiences of the tour as guests of our local Fromellois hosts. The friendship between the people of Fromelles and Australia has become one of the enduring legacies of the Great War.

As we return to Ypres, today’s experiences leave us with a deeper appreciation of the terrible human cost of war.

The Ypres Salient

Few places better illustrate the horrors of the First World War than the Ypres Salient.

For four long years this relatively small area of Belgium became the focus of repeated offensives that devastated the landscape and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. More than 30,000 Australians became casualties fighting here. Today we walk in their footsteps.

Our morning begins with a leisurely walk along the historic Ypres Ramparts. These ancient fortifications once sheltered Allied headquarters and provide an excellent vantage point from which to understand the strategic importance of Ypres.

Leaving the city, we travel to Polygon Wood. Among the towering trees and peaceful cemetery lies one of Australia’s most sacred places of remembrance. Here Tim, Wol and Scott bring to life the stories of the Australian divisions that fought through mud, shattered forests and relentless artillery fire during the Third Battle of Ypres.

We continue to Passchendaele. For many, the name itself has become synonymous with suffering. Standing upon the ridge today, surrounded by green fields and quiet villages, it is almost impossible to imagine the sea of mud that once swallowed men, horses and artillery.

Our journey continues to Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world. Walking among almost 12,000 graves and the memorial to nearly 35,000 missing soldiers reminds us that the true measure of war is not territory gained, but lives forever altered.

Later we visit Lijssenthoek Cemetery before travelling to the sombre German Military Cemetery at Langemark. By visiting cemeteries of both sides, we gain a broader understanding of the shared tragedy experienced by families across Europe and the Commonwealth.

Late afternoon provides free time to explore the medieval streets of Ypres.

As evening approaches, we gather beneath the Menin Gate. Every night since 1928, except during the German occupation of the Second World War, buglers from the Ypres Fire Brigade have sounded the Last Post beneath this magnificent memorial. For many participants, this becomes the emotional heart of the journey.

Standing together beneath the Menin Gate, we are reminded that remembrance is not confined to history books. It lives through those who continue to remember.

The Second World War in Northern France

As our journey continues, we leave the battlefields of the First World War for a day to explore how the same landscape was once again engulfed by conflict barely two decades later.

The fields, villages and roads that witnessed the sacrifice of 1914–1918 became the scene of another desperate struggle during the German invasion of France in 1940. Understanding these events provides an important perspective on Europe’s turbulent twentieth century and reminds us that the lessons of one war are not always enough to prevent another.

Our first destination is La Coupole, one of Nazi Germany’s most ambitious military engineering projects. Built beneath an enormous concrete dome, this vast underground complex was intended to serve as a launch facility for the V-2 rocket — the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile.

As we walk through its tunnels, your guides will explain not only the remarkable engineering involved but also the strategic significance of Hitler’s so-called “wonder weapons” and the immense human cost associated with their construction. Should operational requirements alter our route, we instead visit Le Blockhaus at Éperlecques, another remarkable V-2 installation.

From here we travel to the quiet village of Wormhout, where one of the darkest episodes of the 1940 campaign unfolded. In May 1940, soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force and French Army were captured by advancing German SS troops. Many were subsequently murdered after surrendering in what became known as the Wormhout Massacre.

Our journey then continues north towards the windswept coastline at Bray-Dunes, on the edge of the Dunkirk evacuation beaches. Here we examine one of history’s greatest military evacuations. Against overwhelming odds, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers escaped across the English Channel during Operation Dynamo.

Time permitting, we pause for lunch in the delightful Flemish town of Bergues, whose cobbled streets and traditional architecture provide a welcome opportunity to experience the culture and hospitality of northern France.

Returning to Ypres during the afternoon, there is time to enjoy a relaxed evening exploring the city or dining in one of its many restaurants.

Messines and the Battles of 1918

After breakfast we farewell Ypres, a city that has become synonymous with remembrance, and begin our journey south towards Cambrai.

Although we leave Flanders behind, the Australian story continues.

Today’s battlefield study explores how the Allied armies gradually overcame years of stalemate through innovation, careful planning and increasingly effective cooperation between infantry, artillery, engineers, tanks and aircraft.

Our first stop is Hill 60, one of the most fiercely contested pieces of ground on the Western Front. Though modest in appearance today, this slight rise dominated the surrounding countryside and became the focus of repeated battles throughout the war.

Nearby lies the Caterpillar Crater, created during the Battle of Messines when enormous mines were detonated beneath German positions. These carefully planned underground explosions demonstrated the extraordinary ingenuity of military engineers.

As we continue to Ploegsteert, affectionately known to Australian soldiers as “Plugstreet”, the character of the battlefield changes. Unlike the devastation seen around Passchendaele, Plugstreet was regarded as a comparatively quiet sector where newly arrived units gained valuable experience before entering more active battlefields.

Among the stories brought to life is that of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914, when soldiers from opposing sides briefly laid down their weapons and shared a fragile moment of humanity amidst the horrors of war.

Nearby stands the memorial to Bruce Bairnsfather, whose much-loved “Old Bill” cartoons captured the humour, resilience and mateship that sustained soldiers throughout the conflict.

As the afternoon unfolds, we begin following the dramatic Allied advances of 1918. Drawing upon their own military experience, Tim, Wol and Scott explain how battlefield tactics had evolved dramatically since the disasters of 1916.

Arriving in the historic city of Cambrai, we settle into our accommodation for the remainder of the tour.

Victory on the Western Front was not achieved through courage alone. It was achieved through courage supported by leadership, innovation, meticulous planning and the determination of ordinary men working together in extraordinary circumstances.

The Australian Corps and the Hundred Days Offensive

Today’s journey tells one of the greatest stories in Australia’s military history.

Only two years earlier, the Australian Imperial Force had suffered devastating losses at Fromelles, Pozières and Passchendaele. Through courage, experience and determined leadership, those same formations evolved into one of the most capable fighting forces on the Western Front.

During the final months of the First World War, the Australian Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash, played a decisive role in breaking the German Army’s resistance and helping bring the conflict to its conclusion.

Our day begins at Villers-Bretonneux, a town forever linked with Australia. In April 1918, following the German Spring Offensive, Villers-Bretonneux fell into enemy hands. Its capture threatened the strategically important city of Amiens and had the potential to alter the course of the war.

On the night of 24–25 April — ANZAC Day — Australian brigades launched a bold counterattack under the cover of darkness. Fighting without the benefit of a preliminary artillery bombardment, Australian soldiers advanced across open ground, surrounded the town and successfully recaptured Villers-Bretonneux.

Standing in the town today, it is impossible not to notice the enduring friendship between Australia and France. The words “N’oublions jamais l’Australie” — “Never Forget Australia” — remain proudly displayed at the local school.

We then visit the magnificent Australian National Memorial, overlooking the very battlefield upon which so many Australians fought and died. Here, more than 10,700 Australians with no known grave are commemorated.

Nearby we visit the Sir John Monash Centre, one of the world’s finest military interpretive centres. Using immersive multimedia presentations, original artefacts and contemporary accounts, the Centre tells the story of the Australian experience on the Western Front with remarkable clarity and emotion.

Our journey then continues to Le Hamel.

Here, on 4 July 1918, General Monash demonstrated a level of planning and coordination that revolutionised modern warfare. Infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft were brought together in a meticulously rehearsed operation. The battle achieved all of its objectives in just ninety-three minutes.

During the afternoon we continue to Dernancourt, where Australian troops helped halt the German advance towards Amiens during desperate fighting in early 1918.

Our final battlefield is Mont St Quentin, widely regarded by many historians as Australia’s greatest battlefield achievement during the First World War. Overlooking the Somme River and the strategically important town of Péronne, Mont St Quentin presented a formidable defensive position.

As the day draws to a close, we reflect upon the remarkable transformation of the Australian Corps. From the costly lessons of Fromelles and Pozières emerged an army recognised throughout the Allied forces for its professionalism, adaptability and fighting spirit.

Bullecourt, Vimy Ridge and Arras

As our journey continues across northern France, today’s battlefield study explores the courage, determination and sacrifice of the Allied armies whose combined efforts ultimately secured victory on the Western Front.

While the Australian story remains central to our journey, today reminds us that no nation fought alone. Success was achieved through cooperation, shared hardship and a common determination to restore peace to Europe.

Our first destination is Bullecourt, one of the most significant Australian battlefields of the First World War. Following the heavy losses endured at Fromelles and Pozières, Australian divisions were once again called upon to attack heavily defended German positions during the Battles of Bullecourt in April and May 1917.

Standing beside the famous Digger Memorial, your guides explain the events that unfolded across these fields and the extraordinary courage displayed by Australian soldiers under almost impossible circumstances.

Nearby we travel along the historic Quéant Road, where the landscape itself reveals the formidable nature of the German defensive system. Looking across the open countryside, participants gain an appreciation of the challenges faced by attacking troops.

Leaving the Australian sector, we continue to Notre-Dame de Lorette, the largest French military cemetery in the world. More than 40,000 French soldiers rest here.

Nearby stands the remarkable Ring of Remembrance, where the names of almost 576,606 soldiers from more than forty nations are recorded alphabetically without regard to nationality, rank or religion. It is a powerful reminder that grief recognises no borders.

After lunch we continue to one of Canada’s most sacred places of remembrance — Vimy Ridge. Captured by the Canadian Corps during Easter 1917, the Battle of Vimy Ridge remains one of Canada’s defining military achievements.

As we walk preserved trenches and shell craters beneath the magnificent Canadian National Memorial, your guides explain how careful planning, detailed rehearsals and innovative tactics enabled Canadian forces to succeed where previous attacks had failed.

Our journey continues through the quiet village of Longatte before arriving in the historic city of Arras.

Beneath the streets lies one of the Western Front’s most remarkable engineering achievements — the Wellington Tunnels. Created by tunnelling companies largely composed of New Zealand miners, these vast underground galleries were expanded to shelter more than 24,000 Allied soldiers prior to the Battle of Arras in April 1917.

As we emerge once more into daylight, today’s experiences leave us with a broader understanding of the Allied war effort. The victories of 1918 were not achieved by one nation alone.

The Somme

Few names resonate more deeply in Australia’s military history than Pozières.

For generations of Australians, the Somme has come to symbolise both extraordinary courage and unimaginable sacrifice. During the fighting of 1916, Australian divisions were committed to a relentless series of attacks across shattered ridgelines, ruined villages and shell-torn fields where every metre of ground was bitterly contested.

Our morning begins in the village of Pozières. Today it is peaceful and prosperous, surrounded by fertile farmland stretching towards the horizon. In 1916, almost every building had been destroyed.

Standing beside the 1st Australian Division Memorial, your guides explain why Pozières became one of the most fiercely contested objectives on the Somme. Repeated Australian attacks eventually secured the village, but the cost was staggering. Over just six weeks of fighting, more than 23,000 Australian soldiers became casualties.

Next we visit the Pozières Windmill Memorial. For Australians, the windmill is one of the defining symbols of the Somme campaign, much as Lone Pine is to Gallipoli.

Leaving the village, we continue to Mouquet Farm. Although little remains of the original strongpoint, the surrounding landscape reveals why it proved so difficult to capture. Protected by deep defensive positions and commanding observation across the battlefield, Mouquet Farm became the focus of repeated Australian assaults during August and September 1916.

As we travel north, the landscape changes once again. Our next destination is Newfoundland Memorial Park, one of the finest preserved battlefields anywhere on the Western Front. Preserved trench systems, shell craters, barbed wire and No Man’s Land provide a rare opportunity to experience the battlefield much as soldiers encountered it more than a century ago.

Nearby we visit Malins Sunken Road, forever associated with the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. Here we examine the immense logistical challenges involved in moving thousands of soldiers into position before an attack.

Our final battlefield visit takes us to the magnificent Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Towering above the surrounding countryside, this extraordinary memorial commemorates more than 72,000 British and South African soldiers who have no known grave.

As our day draws to a close and we return to Cambrai, we reflect upon everything we have experienced since arriving in Belgium. From the tragedy of Fromelles to the victories of the Hundred Days Offensive, each battlefield has revealed another chapter in Australia’s wartime story.

Cambrai or Bruges

As our journey draws towards its conclusion, today offers something different.

After eight days of walking the battlefields where history was written, today provides an opportunity either to continue exploring one of the First World War’s most significant campaigns or to spend time reflecting in one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval cities.

Whichever option is chosen, today is about perspective. It is an opportunity to consider not only what we have seen, but what those experiences mean.

Option One — The Battle of Cambrai

For those wishing to continue their battlefield study, today explores the remarkable Battle of Cambrai, fought in November 1917. Cambrai occupies a unique place in military history.

Although tanks had appeared on the battlefield before, it was here that they were employed for the first time on a truly large scale. Combined with surprise, carefully coordinated artillery fire and improved infantry tactics, the attack demonstrated how technology and innovation were beginning to transform modern warfare.

Our first stop is the village of Flesquières, where fierce fighting unfolded during the opening stages of the battle.

Here we visit the impressive Memorial of the Nations, a striking monument dedicated to all those who fought during the Battle of Cambrai.

Nearby we encounter one of the most remarkable survivors of the Great War — Deborah D51. Recovered from the battlefield after lying buried for almost eighty years, Deborah is the only surviving British Mark IV tank to have fought at Cambrai and remain in the place where she saw action.

Option Two — Bruges: A City Reborn

Alternatively, participants may choose to spend the day exploring the magnificent city of Bruges, one of Europe’s finest preserved medieval cities.

After days spent walking battlefields and cemeteries, Bruges offers a welcome opportunity to slow the pace and experience another side of Belgium’s rich history and culture. Its winding canals, cobbled streets and beautifully preserved buildings create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Europe.

Many participants use this time to revisit their notes, share conversations with fellow travellers or purchase small mementoes of a journey that has become far more than a holiday.

A Journey Shared

Whether standing beside Deborah at Cambrai or strolling beside the canals of Bruges, today offers an opportunity to reflect upon the experiences we have shared together.

This evening we gather for our Farewell Dinner, a fitting conclusion to our time together. Over dinner we celebrate the friendships formed, the stories shared and the knowledge gained during our journey across Belgium and France.

For many, this has been more than a tour. It has been a pilgrimage. A chance to honour family connections, to better understand Australia’s military heritage, and to stand quietly where history happened.

Farewell to the Western Front

Every journey has an ending. Yet some journeys continue long after the final farewell.

Today, after breakfast, we conclude our Western Front experience and begin our journey home.

Over the past ten days we have travelled across Belgium and France, following the footsteps of Australians who served more than a century ago. We have walked the battlefields where they fought, stood among the cemeteries where they rest, and listened to the stories of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice that continue to define their legacy.

Our journey has taken us from the devastation of Fromelles and the mud of Passchendaele to the triumphs of Villers-Bretonneux, Le Hamel and the Hundred Days Offensive.

We have explored the challenges faced by soldiers on the front line, the decisions made by commanders, and the extraordinary efforts of the communities who continue to preserve these places of remembrance.

But above all, we have discovered the human stories behind the history. The young Australians who left home not knowing what awaited them. The families who waited anxiously for news from distant battlefields. The mates who stood together in moments of unimaginable hardship.

Following breakfast, we farewell Cambrai and travel to Brussels International Airport for onward flights.

During our final journey together, there is time to reflect upon the experiences we have shared and the memories created along the way.

At Australian Battlefield Treks & Tours, we believe remembrance is not simply about looking back. It is about carrying forward the values demonstrated by those who came before us:

Courage – Endurance – Mateship – Sacrifice.

These qualities remain as relevant today as they were on the battlefields of the Western Front. As we say goodbye, the physical journey may be complete, but the responsibility of remembrance continues.

The photographs we take. The stories we share. The lessons we pass to our children and grandchildren. These are the ways we ensure that those who served remain part of our national story.

Lest We Forget.