Delve into Australia’s involvement in D-Day and the European Theatre of WW2 with Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours
Announcement posted by McLachlan Tours 04 Jun 2019
With 6 June 2019 marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the beaches in Normandy (France), which led to the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has expanded its range of European tours, offering over 20 Special Value Tours with durations of four to twelve days across multiple departure dates (from July 2019 until October 2020). Australian war historian and founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours reveals some of the highlights of the company’s special European Theatre World War II tours.
“Alongside Great Britain, Australia was one of the first nations to declare war on Nazi Germany,” said Mat McLachlan.
From a nation of around 7 million people, almost 1 million Australians - men and women - served in the Second World War, with the Australian Army, Navy and RAAF fighting as part of the Allied forces in both the Pacific against the Empire of Japan, and in Europe against Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers. Over 39,000 Australian soldiers lost their lives during World War II, over 23,000 were wounded and around 30,000 were taken Prisoner of War.
“Our Special Value Tours provide insights into some of the major battles and stories of the Second World War in Europe. Travellers can choose to embark on a tour to the Normandy coast to reflect on the Allied landings during Operation Overload - which we know as D-Day; delve into the Italian campaign which saw over 60,000 Allied soldiers lose their lives; or bring to life the moving stories of Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler and other Holocaust victims, walking in their footsteps in Holland and the concentration camps of Germany and Poland,” said Mat McLachlan.
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours leads tours to all theatres of World War II, including Normandy, the South Pacific, and Darwin, Australia.
Highlight Europe WW2 tours:
D-Day Landings in Normandy: 3 or 4 night tour from $734* per person twin share. 58 tours available with regular departures from September 2019 to October 2020
Visit all the D-Day landing beaches along the Normandy coastline as well as some of the most iconic D-Day locations, such as the site of the Pegasus Bridge glider landing, the bunkers at Juno Beach, and where the ‘Band of Brothers’ fought near St. Mère Eglise.
The Italian Campaign featuring Salerno, Anzio & Monte Cassino 10 day tour from $2712* per person twin share. Two tours available, departing Wednesday 16 October 2019 and Wednesday 13 May 2020
Visit the Operation Avalanche landing site at Salerno (September 1943) as well as the sites of iconic battles such as Monte Cassino and Anzio. Follow in the footsteps of troops from many nations, including visiting the Polish Cemetery at Cassino and learning about the huge sacrifice made by the Indian Army.
The Holocaust Remembered – the Moving Story of Anne Frank & Oscar Schindler 12 day tour from $2758* per person twin share. 9 tours available with departure dates from June 2019 to October 2020
The Holocaust in WW2 claimed more than 6 million victims across Europe. On this moving tour we follow the story of Anne Frank from her hiding in Holland to her death ay Bergen-Belsen. We visit concentration camp sites, including the most infamous at Auschwitz , and lesser known sites like Terezin. The tour ends with a look at the Nuremburg Trials where the full horror of the Holocaust was exposed.
Highlight South Pacific WW2 tour:
Trek Kokoda 10 night tour from $3850* per person twin share. 26 tours available with regular departure dates from June 2019 to October 2020
A pilgrimage that will immerse you in Australia’s South Pacific wartime history against the backdrop of the beautiful, rugged and at times harsh terrain of the Papua New Guinea jungle.
Darwin WW2 tour:
The Bombing of Darwin Anniversary Tour 5 day tour from $2099* per person twin share. One special anniversary tour: 16 to 20 February 2020
On 19 February 1942, World War II was brought to the shores of Australia when the Japanese dropped bombs over Darwin killing 235 people. Over the next 21 months, Darwin, Adelaide River, Katherine and Milingimbi in Arnhem Land were bombed 77 times. Take in key WW2 sites in Darwin while enjoying this tropical Australian city magnificently situated on the Arafura Sea.
* Refer to battlefields.com.au for full details of tour inclusions and exclusions
ABOUT MAT MCLACHLAN BATTLEFIELD TOURS
Australia’s leading specialist provider of battlefield tours, sending thousands of Australian travellers to battlefields all over the world each year. The company runs battlefield tours to France, Belgium, the UK, Gallipoli, Germany, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and more. All the company’s tours are personally designed by Mat McLachlan, and the company employs a team of more than 30 historians to escort them.
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours is part of the touring division of McLachlan Travel Group, a family company that has been prominent in the Australian travel industry for more than 40 years.
ABOUT MAT MCLACHLAN
Mat McLachlan is a leading battlefield historian, author and guide who has spent more than two decades following in the footsteps of Australian troops around the world. He is considered a leading authority on the battlefields of the Western Front, Gallipoli, the Pacific battlefields of World War Two, the Vietnam War and the Normandy landing beaches.
His 2007 book, Walking with the Anzacs, is the definitive guide to Australian battlefields on the Western Front and has been reprinted seven times. Mat’s second book, Gallipoli: The Battlefield Guide, is the most comprehensive guide to the Australian battlefields of Gallipoli yet published.
Mat regularly appears in historical documentaries (Tony Robinson’s World War 1, Australia: Life on the Edge, Lost in Flanders), as well as on television and radio programs to discuss Australia’s wartime history, commemorative days (ANZAC DAY, Remembrance Day) and key battle anniversaries.