Operation Michael visit in June - any ideas for walks welcome

[WilliamRev]

Seven of us are spending four days this June based in Peronne, exploring British-related Spring 1918 Operation Michael battlefields. So far we are looking at exploring sites where British 21st, 35th 47th and 6th Divisions did their stuff but planning is at an early stage and we are open to suggestions of other Michael-related ideas, especially if there are particularly good walks with remains or views (or whatever) to see.

If anyone else has any good ideas then I'd be really interested to hear of them. I must confess that although I know the Somme 1916 battlefield fairly well, I am far less familiar with things several miles to the east. 

Thanks, William

[Michelle Young]

We did the Kaisers Battle in March 2018. Unfortunately, the weather was poor, cold and snowy so we were rather curtailed. We did try to visit the sites of most of the redoubts, the view from Bodacea was particularly impressive. 

[Chris_Baker]

This area is great (also down to Ste Emilie and Ronssoy) see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battlefields/gazetteer-of-the-western-front/gazetteer-of-the-western-front-malassise-farm/

[WilliamRev]

Thanks Michelle and Chris for these ideas. Malassise Farm does look interesting. 

William

[Mark Hone]

I paid rewarding visits to the site of Manchester Hill near Francilly-Salency, scene of Lt Col Wilfrith Elstob's posthumous VC action, on two of my school Battlefield Tours , in 1998 and 2008. It's quite an atmospheric location , with views overlooking St Quentin. Sadly I didn't manage to fit it into the 2018 tour. Access was easier (and certainly less muddy) in 2008 than on the first visit but I don't know what the current situation is. There are various threads about it on the Forum including a video of the site taken in recent years. 

Edited 4 March by Mark Hone

[WilliamRev]

Thanks Mark - this looks very interesting, and I will bear Manchester Hill in mind.

William