France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
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France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
7 Days Starting in Compiègne, France and ending in Amiens, France
Visiting: Compiegne, Paris, Limoges, Valençay, Amiens
Tour operator:
Tour code:
fsa
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
0-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on a poignant journey through France's turbulent history during World War II with the "France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance" tour. This immersive experience takes you from the Battle of France in 1940 to the heart-wrenching events of the Holocaust. Visit the Holocaust Memorial at Drancy and explore the legacy of SOE heroine Violette Szabo in Limoges. Witness the haunting remnants of Oradour-sur-Glane, a village decimated by SS troops, and conclude your journey in northern France at a memorial site honoring the French Resistance. Enjoy comfortable accommodations in Compiegne, Limoges, and Amiens, with travel from the UK included. This fully guided tour offers a deep dive into the resilience and sacrifice of those who fought against Nazi occupation, providing a moving tribute to the courage of the French Resistance and Allied forces.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1
Location: Compiegne
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star hotel
Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service then, to Compiegne, north of Paris for two nights.
Day 2 : Battle Of France
Location: Compiegne
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We start by looking at the German Blitzkrieg in 1940 and the Fall of France. We see where the Germans humiliated France by forcing them to surrender where the Armistice of 1918 was signed, seeing the museum here. In the Compiegne Forest we see where Paris’ Jews were deported by train to Concentration Camps. In the afternoon we visit the Compiegne Memorial Museum, looking at the Holocaust in this part of France, and end the day by visiting the graves of French soldiers who fell in defence of Paris. Please note: for 2023/4 the Resistance Museum at Tergnier is closed for a major refit and will not reopen for some time. Instead, we will visit the Memorial at Compiegne in its place.
Day 3 : The Holocaust In Paris
Location: Paris
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star Ibis Limoges Nord
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we focus on the experience of the Jewish community in Paris during WW2 seeing the Holocaust Memorial site at Drancy which served as a Concentration Camp before those held here were sent off to camps in Germany and in the East. We view where the camp was, see the memorials and the Visitors Centre*. In the afternoon we depart for Limoges for two nights.
Day 4 : Soe In Limoges; Oradour-Sur-Glane
Location: Limoges
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star Ibis Limoges Nord
Meals Included: Breakfast
In the morning we follow the trail of SOE Agent Violette Szabo close to Limoges, seeing the village where she was sheltered, the area where she was dropped in and the ground where she was captured. In the afternoon we visit the village of Oradour sur Glane which was wiped out by SS troops in 1944. Now preserved as a memorial site, we enter through the visitors centre to learn of this tragic event from WW2 and spend the afternoon among the deserted streets left just as they were in 1944.
Day 5 : Soe Memorial
Location: Valençay
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star Holiday Inn Express Amiens, or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
We depart Limoges and examine the role of British Special Air Service troops behind enemy lines in occupied France and visit the SOE Memorial at Valencay. We then depart for Amiens where we stay for two nights.
Day 6 : Amiens Prison & French Resistance
Location: Amiens
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: 3-star Holiday Inn Express Amiens, or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we look at the French resistance in northern France travelling to the Resistance Museum at Bondues near Lille. After lunch in Arras, we visit the ‘Mur des Fusillies’: the moat of an old fort where members of the Resistance were executed during WWII, now a poignant memorial site. We then travel to Amiens seeing where the attack on Amiens Prison took place. Here RAF Mosquitos bombed the prison. We also visit the graves of the RAF crews in the nearby cemetery.
Day 7
Location: Amiens
Meals Included: Breakfast
Return home.
What's Included
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Meals
6 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 0 dinners -
Additional Services
Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price; some carry a supplement.
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Accommodation
Accommodation is provided as detailed in the itinerary.
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Airport Transfers at Destination
This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point.
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International Travel
International travel is included.
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Fully Guided
The tour is fully guided.
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Transport
Comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach is provided for transport.
What's Not Included
InsuranceTravel insurance is not included.
Accommodation
You will stay for two nights in Compiegne, near Paris at a 3-star hotel, then two nights at the 3-star ibis Limoges Centre and finally two nights at the 3-star B&B Amiens Centre Cathedrale.
Mode of Transport
Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price; some carry a supplement. This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point with a comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach.
Check out our Q&As
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What historical events does the tour focus on?
The tour focuses on France under Nazi occupation during World War II, including the Battle of France in 1940, the Holocaust in France, and the activities of the French Resistance.
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What significant sites related to the Holocaust will be visited?
The tour includes visits to the Holocaust Memorial at Drancy, which served as a concentration camp, and the Compiegne Memorial Museum, which focuses on the Holocaust in that part of France.
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Will the tour cover any stories of individual war heroes?
Yes, the tour will cover the story of SOE Agent Violette Szabo, including visiting the village where she was sheltered and the area where she was captured.
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What is the significance of Oradour-sur-Glane in the tour?
Oradour-sur-Glane is a village that was wiped out by SS troops in 1944. It is preserved as a memorial site, and the tour includes a visit to learn about this tragic event.
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What will be explored regarding the French Resistance?
The tour will explore the French Resistance in northern France, including a visit to the Resistance Museum at Bondues and the 'Mur des Fusillies', a memorial site where members of the Resistance were executed.
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What role did the British Special Air Service play in the events covered by the tour?
The tour examines the role of British Special Air Service troops behind enemy lines in occupied France, including a visit to the SOE Memorial at Valençay.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
40 years
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Sole use of your own room on all Single Traveller holidays: means you still get your privacy and time out from the group.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Battlefield Tours - Will it be possible to visit a particular cemetery whilst on the tour?
Please contact us and we will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies
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Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Leger Holidays requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of leger holidays charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 21 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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