14 Issue No. 43 Following the successful 2025 tour of the First World War battlefields, the Riders Branch decided to hold another tour this year focussing on the locations of the fighting that occurred during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes during the Winter of 1944/45. A gite was booked in the town of La Rocheen-Ardnenne and arrangements were made to engage the services of Frank Gubbles, a highly respected and knowledgeable guide, to show us some of the significant battle sites. As part of his credentials, Frank had amassed a wealth of information gleaned from interviews with veterans who had served with the 101st Airborne Division. He was also closely involved with the cast and production team of the Band of Brothers during the making of that miniseries and the author of the book upon which it was based. A total of 14 Riders Branch members, family and friends, on 10 bikes and a trike, met up in Ashford on the 7th of June having travelled from across the country. The adventure started with a journey on the Shuttle through the Channel Tunnel and then onward through France and Belgium. It was a pleasure to leave the autoroutes and descend into the steep wooded valleys of the Ardennes and to enjoy riding the sweeping bends. La Roche-en-Ardenne is a picturesque small town popular with tourists, whose needs are well catered for by plentiful cafes, restaurants and bars. The gite in which stayed was situated by the river with panoramic views of the local area. It was previously a hotel that provided good facilities, apart from the bedrooms, most being on the small side with little storage. Our battlefield tour started on the 9th of June across the border at Hollerather Knie in Germany, where we met our guide. This location was the start of the offensive, which was intended to punch through the Allied lines and capture the port of Antwerp. Choosing a gap in the Siegfried Line, the Germans pushed on into Belgium with a force of 250,000 men and panzers catching Allied forces by complete surprise. Strategically, the German’s preferred line of advance was through the North of the Ardennes, as the most direct route to Battle of the Bulge Tour 2026 their objective. However, because of the strength of the opposition, they were forced to take what was designated as the Central route in the direction of Bastogne. We followed the German armoured thrust into the Ardennes, stopping at notable conflict points with the US Army. A particular poignant stop was in Baugnez, which was the location of the highly controversial and infamous Malmedy massacre where 84 US prisoners of war were murdered by the SS. Later we visited La Gleize, where a King Tiger Tank reminds visitors of the might of that fighting machine, and then onward for short distance to Stoumont, where the 1st SS Panzer Division, commanded by General Peiper, was stopped by elements of the US 119th Regiment and 823rd and 743rd Tank Destroyer Battalions. After a day of rest, we continued the tour with a 30 minute ride to the RV in Bastogne at the Patton Memorial. We followed the course of the battle at several locations around the outskirts of the city. We first went to the Bastogne War Museum with the impressive star shaped memorial bearing the names of the US states. It was in an elevated position which enabled us with Frank’s narrative to visualise the progress of the advancing Germans. This was followed by visits to significant battle locations including the villages of Foy and Noville, which were the scenes of very heavy fighting and, according to our guide, are fairly accurately depicted in the Band of Brothers, with some minor Hollywood tweaks. We looked at positions occupied by 101st units in wooded areas often separated from the Germans by just a few yards. Digging in was difficult because of tree roots and shells exploding in the tree canopy caused a major splinter hazard. Back in Bastogne we paid a visit to the Seminary School, which was used by the US Army as a medical facility. Two Belgian civilian nurses worked in the hospital, but tragically one of them was killed by enemy action. It was also the scene of a major explosion, when a truck carrying anti-tank mines was hit by a German shell, killing 13 soldiers. Bikes outside La Vue The memorial to the fallen of E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division Group arrived at La Vue, La Roche-en-Ardenne Steve Mason at the house in Bastogne visited by Hitler in 1940
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