Vimy Ridge Tour
To all Canadians, it is the battle that forged the identity of
their young nation. To the British, it was their first major
success of WW1.
For the men of all four Canadian Divisions waiting to go into
battle together for first time, and for thousands of their
British comrades, it was painfully apparent that the eyes of the
world were upon them.
Then
suddenly, as sleet and snow swept the ground on Easter Monday
1917, a finely-tuned artillery and infantry attack caught the
German defenders of Vimy almost completely off-guard. By the end
of the day, the massively fortified ridge was almost entirely in
Canadian and British hands for the first time in over two years.
Only Hill 145, where the magnificent Vimy monument now stands,
and a small feature known as The Pimple held out.
Three days of ferocious fighting later and the entire escarpment
was finally won. For the first time since 1914 the victors stood
poised on the summit and looked down on the Douai plain and the
strategic industrial heartland of Northern France. To the
bedraggled and retreating German Army, it was the beginning of
the end.
Today, proud and dominant and sitting high on the ridge, the
beautiful Vimy Memorial is recognised by Canadians everywhere as
their National War Memorial. The thousands of acres surrounding
it, now dense woodland, is still scarred with trenches and tens
of thousands of shell and mine craters. The whole site is now
owned and maintained by the Canadian Government who treat the
area as a sacred place. Within the grounds there are cemeteries
that remind us all of those other men, from Britain, France,
Australia and New Zealand and other countries who also made the
ultimate sacrifice to give us the peace that now reigns over
Vimy Ridge. Our tour is there to honour them all.
Note - Our tours always visits Anzac and Canadian sites. Regular
visits to Fromelles and Aubers Ridge are available.
Special Canada Day and Anzac Day excursions are regular features
of Salient Tours.
"Superb! Thank you" Duncan Mclean, Brisbane, Australia
All of our tours can incorporate a visit to a particular cemetery and war grave where practical or others by special arrangement. Talk to us and let us know what you want to see and we'll see if we can help.
We are fully registered, licensed and insured in France and Belgium for transporting the paying public.