Western Front Association
Suffolk Branch
The Suffolk WFA hold monthly meetings, on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm.
The meetings are open to members and non-members of the association and include a talk on a Great War related subject, given by branch members or well established historians and authors. Talks are usually an hour in duration, with an interval of half an hour, followed by a Q&A session. We suggest a donation of £4.00 per person towards the Branch's expenses.
A buffet is provided during the interval and drinks can be purchased at the club's bar.
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm, at The Royal British Legion, 8 Tavern Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1PH
Battlefield Tours
The branch organises battlefield tours each year for members, which include an outing in Spring time, and another in the Summer.
The Spring Walk is a walking tour across the battlefield and every year a different location is chosen. The group size is around 15 people, and usually based on the Somme battlefield, typically for 3 days following a specific theme, eg VC's, Casualty Clearing operations, etc.
The Summer Tour is a longer trip and, as with the Spring Walk, has a theme or follows a specific action or Division. This tends to be larger in size, with up to 32 people over 4 or 5 days. We have travelled and stayed in most of the destinations where major events took place. Sometimes we find a guide from amongst ourselves but also we do employ top class guides from the wider First World War historian fraternity.
As these tours are run on a cost recovery basis with no profit element they are often much cheaper than commercial offerings. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere make them an ideal way for 'first timers' to see the battlefields and new members (and friends and family) are always welcome.