2137 RCACC Battlefield Tour 2017 Q&A

When & Where? 23 March to 3 April 2017 Great Britain, France, and Belgium

Tentative Itinerary DateActivity Thursday 23 MarchTravel from Calgary to London Friday 24 MarchArrive London Heathrow Saturday 25 MarchTime in London Sunday 25 MarchTime in London Monday 27 MarchTravel to Ypres via Eurotunnel (Folkestone – Calais) Introduction to First World War around Ypres and the Canadian involvement within the fighting in this area. Visits to Passchendaele and the Menin Gate.

Itinerary con’t DateActivity Tuesday 28 MarchFull day in and around Ypres. Visit location of Kitchener’s Wood and Vancouver Corner. Wednesday 29 MarchDrive to Dieppe. Stop at the grave of Lt Col John McCrae (author of ‘In Flanders Fields’) at Wimereux. On arrival in Dieppe, a visit to the beach where 2nd Canadian Division landed on 19th August Also a visit to the town Memorial Museum, which contains many significant documents and artefacts from the raid. Thursday 30 MarchDrive to Normandy. Stops to include Pegasus Bridge, where British glider borne troops landed in the early hours of D Day to secure a vital canal and river crossing and the Merville Battery, which was taken by 9th Parachute Battalion as part of the initial D Day operations

Itinerary con’t DateActivity Friday 31 March Visit Juno Beach and the Juno Beach Centre. Juno was the code name for the beach where 3rd Canadian Division landed on D Day. Also a visit to the Canadian Military Cemetery at Beny sur Mer and the Abbeye d’Ardennes, where 19 Canadian soldiers were murdered by the SS on 7th June Saturday 1 AprDuring the morning we will follow some of the actions of the Battle of Normandy from a Canadian perspective, including a visit to the memorial to the Calgary Highlanders at Clair Tison. Then a drive to the Somme region, and a stop at Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont- Hamel, one of the most well preserved and accessible parts of the old Western Front.

Itinerary con’t DateActivity Sunday 2 Apr Our final day will be centred on the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, with a formal ceremony at the Memorial and a visit to the trenches and tunnels in the Memorial Park. We will then return to London via the Eurotunnel. Monday 3 AprTravel from London back to Calgary

Cost - inclusions ~$5500 – Minimum $2000CDN personal commitment per cadet towards the cost – Fundraising activities planned to cover remainder Includes the following: – Flight – Driver Guide throughout Battlefield Trip – Eurotunnel return cost (Folkestone - Calais) – Four nights UK (London) Accommodation – Six Nights European Accommodation – Museum entrances at Dieppe, Juno Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery and Hooge Crater, Ypres – All meals for the entire trip – Corps jacket and toque

Cost - exclusions Personal spending money Cost of getting passport Additional insurance

Criteria Completed 2 full years as of 1 April 2016 – Date of enrolment was on or before 1 April 2014 Minimum 85% attendance on mandatory training – Calculated from 1 Apr to 30 Nov 16 – Mandatory training includes the following activities: Fall FTX Prep

Criteria Biv FTX Remembrance Day One Sports Fitness Test Range FTX ALL fundraising events Minimum 85% attendance on optional training (if you participate) Brief paragraph on extra-curricular activities outside of cadets Essay on the following topic: What makes the Maple Leaf one of the most respected national symbols across Western Europe?

Criteria con’t A biographical sketch on a Calgary Highlander soldier during WWI or WWII High level of drill, dress, deportment – Evaluated from 1 Apr to 30 Nov 16 – Correct dress for all training activities – Uniform inspections – Participation in extra-curricular (non-cadet activities – Drill Assessment

Criteria con’t Weighting for each criteria: – Years at the Corps 20% – Attendance 35% – Essay 25% – Drill, dress, deportment 20%

Key Dates Deadline for applications: 31 May 2016 Selection of cadets: 8 Dec 2016 Completion of passport/documents: 1 January 2017 Payment of trip: 31 January 2017 Briefing meetings: as required Final briefing: mid-March 2017

Questions? Can be ed to Capt Sun, Officer-in-Charge of the tour: – Insert BATTLEFIELD 2017 in subject line – Battlefield Tour Blog