Aussie historian to lead special guided WW1 tour

By James Harrison

Historian, author and founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, Mat McLachlan, has confirmed he will be leading a 9-day WW1 tour of the Western Front in October 2023.

McLachlan confirmed this will be the only tour he is personally escorting and has been designed by himself to explore the sites that defined the hardship of the Anzacs. The tour will visit Aussie WW1 battlefields such as Ypres Salient, Flanders and the Somme, as well as including a host of behind-the-scenes experiences and special inclusions.

Discussing his 2023 Western Front Signature Tour, McLachlan said: “From 1916 to 1918 over 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front, of whom 46,000 never came home.

“On this special tour, together we will uncover the stories of the Anzacs on the battlefields they served, as well as behind the lines. We will dive into the stories and experiences of the British and Commonwealth forces, as well as spend time in the footsteps of the soldiers on the other side, to explore both sides of this important chapter in global history.”

Mat McLachlan

Some of the tour highlights include:

Behind-the-scenes look at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Experience to see the work required to commemorate 1.7 million Commonwealth casualties from the First and Second World Wars.
Walking tour of Ypres including access to hidden rooms of the Ypres ramparts, the former headquarters of Allied generals including John Monash.
Participate in the Last Post service at Menin Gate, with two passengers from the group laying a wreath on behalf of the group.
Explore the Ypres Salient with Mat McLachlan, including visiting the graves of Private Hunter and Sergeant Calder, the two Australian soldiers featured in Mat McLachlan’s documentary ‘Lost in Flanders’.
View a unique private collection of war material at Pond Farm and observe a replica Mark IV tank in action.
Guided tour of Talbot House, an ‘everyman’s club’ that provided respite to both officers and enlisted men during WWI.
Visit a local historic prison in Ypres with cells where convicted soldiers were held before being shot at dawn.
Private tour of the former Australian HQ at Chateau of Bertangles where General John Monash commanded Australian operations in the first half of 1918.
The underground tunnels of Naours, where many Australian soldiers left their mark in graffiti.
Visit Vignacourt 14-18 a photographic museum in the old Thuillier family farmhouse which houses photographs taken of soldiers on the front behind the lines.
Local cuisine, including lunch at the Old Cheese Factory in Passchendaele; the Sint Bernardus Brewery in Watou village tasting the famous ‘Trappist’ beer, brewed by local monks for centuries; a traditional French dinner in Amiens overlooking the Somme River; a farewell dinner in Paris while cruising the Seine, and more.

“The Anzac legend and the values of mateship, sacrifice and courage are perhaps even more important today than ever,” McLachlan said.

“Visiting the Western Front, it is incredible to see how this chapter of history is still so alive over one hundred years since the end of the First World War, and how the local people continue to remember and thank the Anzacs for their service and sacrifice to fight for their freedom.”

The tours depart from Paris 2 October 2023 and are going from $5899pp twin share.

Featured Image: Trench system at Sanctuary Wood, east of Ypres in Belgium – iStock/JOHNGOMEZPIX

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Historical Tours mat mclachlan Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours world war one WW1