The King Visits His Armies in the Great Advance

King George V's visit to the British forces on the Western Front, 8-15 August 1916

Overview

The King arrives at Calais and meets various military and civilian dignitaries. He is taken to General Haig's château at Beauquesne where with Haig and the Prince of Wales he meets President Poincaré and Generals Joffre and Foch (Lloyd George is seen arriving also - see notes below). The King visits troops of II ANZAC Corps, a Casualty Clearing Station in Second Army area, a church at Cassel and the Canadian Corps area. At La Panne he meets with the Prince of Wales and the Belgian royal family to present decorations to Belgian soldiers. He tours parts of Second Army area and the Somme battlefield, escorted by General Sir Henry Rawlinson, while the battle is in progress. The King then returns to Calais and crosses the English Channel in safety.