Advance! World War II Battlefield Tours

We specialise in designing totally flexible bespoke Battlefield Tours which are entirely tailor-made to your individual requirements, giving you total freedom in deciding:

•Where you want to go, whether it be mainland Europe
or further afield
•What time of year you want to travel
•How long the tour will last
•What type of accommodation you would like to stay in
•Your pick-up and drop off locations
•and anything else you may require to make your
trip a memorable one


Advance! Bespoke battlefield tours to Second World War sites
of significant importance include the following:

Dunkirk

The evacuations of Dunkirk saw over 300,000 British and Allied forces returned to Britain after being surrounded by the advancing Nazis. Once established, the Nazis started to fortify the north European coast in an attempt to turn it into Fortress Europe.

The Raid of Dieppe

This was a test for the full-scale invasion of western Europe. The plan was to make a frontal assault on the town of Dieppe, across the English Channel on the coast of France. The raid on Dieppe would give the Allies a chance to test techniques and equipment for landing troops from the sea. The Battle of Dieppe was a disaster for the Canadians. Nearly 1000 Canadians died and nearly 2000 were taken prisoner.

D-Day Landings

The Allied invasion of Nazi Occupied Europe was one of the events of the Second World War that truly held the outcome of the war in the balance. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the Normandy landings took place on 6th June 1944. Places to visit include Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery, Pointe du Hoc, Grandcamp Maisy, Brécourt Manor, Arromanches, Port-en-Bessin, St Mere Eglise, British Military Cemetery at Bayeux, American Cemetery at Coleville.

The Normandy Breakout

Following on from the successes of the D-Day landings subsequent operations to evict the Germans from Normandy took place culminating in the virtual destruction of the German 7th Army in the Falaise Pocket. Operations Goodwood and Epsom and the closing of the Falaise Gap are all examined on this tour.

Invasion of Southern France

Codenamed Operation Dragoon, troops landed on 15 Aug 1944 at Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Saint-Tropez, and Saint-Raphaël beaches surprising the German and Vichy French defenders on the French Riviera. Within the first two days 13,000 men and 18,000 vehicles were transported ashore, and the port cities of Toulon and Marseilles were under Allied control by the end of the month, captured by the re-emergent French army.

Operation Market Garden

This was the Allied attempt to take control of series of bridges over the main rivers of the German occupied Holland. We visit Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem ('A Battle Too Far’).

Battle of the Bulge

In December 1944, Hitler launched counter attacks against the advancing Allies in the Ardennes. It was his last gamble in the West. Places to visit include the route taken by Kamfgruppe Peiper of the 1st Panzer Division through Bullingen, Thirimont, Baugnez (scene of the Malmedy massacre) Ligneuville, Stavelot, Trois Ponts and Stourmont; the American War Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle; Battle of the Bulge Museum at La Gleize. Bure, Bande and Bastogne.

The Gustav Line - Montecassino and Anzio

The Gustav Line was one of the three German defensive lines on the Italian peninsula south of Romey running from the mouth of the Garigliano River through Cassino and across the Apennines to a point south of Ortona. The Allies landed at Anzio on 22 January 1944 and the line did not fall until the capture of Cassino May 1944. Places to visit include the Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio War Cemetery, American War Cemetery at Anzio/Nettuno, the famous abbey at Montecassino, Polish War Cemetery

The Gothic Line

After the fall of Rome the Germans withdrew to The Gothic Line (also known as Linea Gotica), a string of fortified positions along the summits of the Apennines ranging from north of Pisa on the Tyrranian coast to Pesaro on the Adriatic, constantly delaying the Allied advance. It was Kesselring's last line of defence in the final stages of World War II and was one of the most gruesome battles of the war.

Places to visit include Futa Pass (including German Cemetery, Il Giorgo Pass, Gemmano, Croce, Coriano Ridge (including the cemetery), monuments, museums and cemeteries at Montechio, Tavullia and Gradara, Pascara, Ancona, Pesaro, Casinina (old bunkers and commemorative musem), Montegridolfo (commemorative museum), the Ghurka cemetery), American Cemetery south of Florence, Castiglione (South African Cemetery).

These locations are only a guide but once we have an idea of your interests we will tailor the tour to your individual requirements.