COMITE DHONNEUR

Comtesse Andre DE JONGH fondatrice du rseau COMTE Dde ()

Jean-Franois NOTHOMB Franco (), Micheline UGEUX Michou ,
Andre ANTOINE DUMONT Nadine , Janine DE GREEF,
Robert et Yvonne LAPEYRE (), Josphine CASTET Fifine ,
Lucienne SABOULARD / DASSIE Lulu

Association Les amis du

rseau Comte
present the 16th annual
COMMEMORATIVE COMETE WEEKEND in the
PAYS BASQUE
11th 13th September 2015
Commemorative hike from CIBOURE to ERRENTERIA over
the actual tracks used by the Comte guides and Allied
airmen during World War II.
IMPORTANT
This programme concerns everyone, walkers and
followers alike. However, be advised that the walkers
should ensure that they bring their own snacks and
munchies for the two walking days.
REMINDER: On Sunday, 13th September, the Sociedad de
BERAUN is able to cater for a maximum of 85 people for
the late lunch. Seating will be available there for those
who subscribe first. Lunch for those who cannot be
seated at the Sociedad will be taken at a nearby
restaurant where they will be offered a similarly priced
menu.
For further information contact:
President/Chair: Jean DASSIE, 117 rue des 4 cantons,
64600 - Anglet. 05 59 03 51 48
email: jedassie@sfr.fr

Secretary: Jean-Marc BELIN,

email: jemanobelin@orange.fr
Spain:
Juan-Carlos JIMENEZ de ABERASTURI,
email: jcaberasturi@gmail.com
Mikel IRASUEGI,
email: m.irasuegi@gmail.com
ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS to the TREASURER only please:
Hubert KIRSCHHOFFER, 1bis avenue de Montbrun, 64600
Anglet. 05 59 42 08 16
email: hubert.kirsch@wanadoo.fr

Programme BIDASSOA 2015

Thursday, 10th September 2015
Late afternoon:
8pm:

Arrival of long distance travellers

Informal welcome drinks at the
restaurant Le Bar Basque, 21
boulevard Thiers, Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Friday, 11th September 2015

10.45am

Remembrance Ceremony at the War

Memorial, St-Jean-de-Luz (opposite the
SNCF railway station between Avenue
Verdun and Avenue Pierre Larramendy)

11.15am

Vin dhonneur at the Town Hall, St-Jeande-Luz. (35-40 people)

12.30pm

Boarding and departure of coach (27

seater) for Anglet-Sutar at the St-Jean-deLuz bus station (opposite the SNCF
station)

2pm

Anglet-Sutar, the official inauguration of

the plaque at the former Auberge Larre
and BRUNCH kindly offered by Mme
Saldias, in honour of her aunt, Marthe
Mendiara, for all present.

4.30pm

Rendez-vous in front of the southern

entrance of the Saint-Lon cemetery at
Bayonne where we honour the memory
of Edouard and Cyprienne DASSIE at the
family grave.

5.30pm

Rendez-vous at the Villa Voisin at

Anglet, which this year will include a visit
inside. Unfortunately it is scheduled to be
demolished in October to make way for
Rsidence
Comte,
a
prestige
apartment complex. It is intended that
there will be a marker on the external
wall to indicate its wartime role as the
nerve centre of Comte South.

18.30pm

Ceremony at the War Memorial, Anglet.

7pm

Gathering at the Town Hall, Anglet in

front of the commemorative plaque where
Mr Claude OLIVE, the mayor of Anglet, and
Mr Jean Dassi, President of Les amis du
rseau Comte will both speak. This will
be followed by a Vin dhonneur in the
Town Hall function rooms. There will also
be an opportunity to buy a Comte t shirt.

8.15pm

Informal dinner at the restaurant

IZARLILIA, Lahonce. (35-40 people)

10.30pm

Return to St-Jean-de-Luz by coach. This

marks the end of the first days
programme.

Saturday, 12th September 2015

0830am sharp! Coach pick-up (55 seats) at the Bus
station, opposite the SNCF station, StJean-de-Luz.
9am

Gather in front of the cemetery at SocoaCiboure, then remembrance and laying

of memorial plaques at the graves of
Kattalin
Aguirre
and
Florentino
Goikoetxea.

9.30am

Breakfast
kindly
offered
by
the
municipality of Ciboure at the restaurant
Le Belharra, Socoa.

10.30am

Walkers depart for URRUGNE.

12 noon

Ceremony at the War Memorial, Urrugne

and Vin dhonneur kindly offered by the
municipality of URRUGNE to the veterans
and the followers. The walkers continue
on their route as soon as the ceremony
finishes.

12.45pm

Rustic buffet lunch for the Veterans, the

followers and the coach driver. The
walkers will stop at a suitable place in
the mountains for their own snack lunch
that they have brought. After this, the
walkers continue to the Bidassoa.

2.15pm

After the lunch, the Veterans and the

followers:
- meet Mayalen Sorhuet, ne Larretche,
and her brother Jean Baptiste from the

Jatxu Bata farm, where a total of 120

Allied airmen were sheltered.
- make a stop of remembrance at
nearby Bidegain Berri farm, Urrugne. It
was here that Dde De Jongh, Frantxa
Usandizaga, Juan Larburu and 3 RAF
airmen (FS Stanley Hope and Sgts Bill
Greaves and George Ross) were
arrested in January 1943 and which had
served as the jumping off point for the
evaders before they attempted the
night mountain crossing.
3pm

Then the veterans and followers travel

by coach to San Miguel on the Bidassoa.

3.30-4pm

The walkers cross the Bidassoa at San

Miguel. This is followed by the
Sardinade which marks the end of the
days programme for all.

6-6.30pm

Walkers, Veterans and followers return by

bus to St-Jean-de-Luz.

Sunday, 13th September 2015

7.30am

Coach (55 seats) departs with the walkers

from the Bus station, St-Jean-de-Luz for
San Miguel.

8am

The walkers leave the Bidassoa for the

mountains in the direction of Errenteria.

10.30am

The veterans and the followers depart the

Bus station, St-Jean-de-Luz, by 27 seat
mini-bus towards the mountains in Spain,
sharing a break with the walkers before
continuing to Sarobe farm at Oartzun.

1pm

Stop at Sarobe farm.

1.15pm

After a short break, the walkers continue

to a junction where the small OSPITAL
bus will be waiting (a map will be
provided at the start of the day) to take
walkers to the lunch location.

2.45pm

We will all meet up at the SOCIEDAD de

BERAUN at Errenteria, where the first
85 subscribers will take lunch, while the
remainder will be booked into a nearby
restaurant for an equivalent lunch
before all joining up with the main
group for singing and toasts.

3pm

Lunch for all participants.

6.30pm

Veterans, followers and walkers all return

via the BENGOETXEA coach or the 27
seater OSPITAL mini-bus to St-Jean-deLuz.
ORGANISATION

To ensure the weekend passes off smoothly and safely, a

coach and mini-bus will be provided to transport all
participants to/from the various start points of the walk
on Saturday and Sunday morning, and the return from
RENTERIA on Sunday evening.
In the interests of planning and booking, we would like
early confirmation of the numbers of participants intend
to attend the informal dinner at IZARLILIA on the
Friday evening and also the late lunch at the SOCIEDAD
de BERAUN (a dining society) on the Sunday afternoon.
(Remember, this last can accommodate a maximum of 85
so first come, first served.)

IMPORTANT: To that end, we ask all those intending to

participate to reserve their place before: 25th August
2015. Due to the need to confirm local arrangements,
we regret that it will not be possible to accept
subscriptions after this date. We ask for your
understanding in this matter.

TARIFFS
Formula n1: 95 for the 3 days including all coach
travel, the informal dinner on Friday
evening, the Sardinade and the late lunch
on Sunday afternoon
Formula n2: 50 for 2 days (Sat/Sun) including all
coach travel, the Sardinade
on Saturday and the late lunch on Sunday
afternoon
Formula n3: 15 for Saturday including the sardinade
and the return coach travel
Formula n4: 35 for Sunday including the lunch and
coach travel.
Formula n5: 25 just for the informal dinner on Friday
evening and no transport
Membership of the Association: 15
shirt promotion: 2 for 20

Comte

ACCOMMODATION
For those who wish it, reasonably priced accommodation
is available at:
URRUGNE for the Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday
night: Camping JUANTCHO, Route de la Corniche
(D912), 64122 URRUGNE-SOCOA.
Tel/Fax: 05 59 47 11 97, or: juantcho64@gmail.com

Mobile home 4/5 adults. Price for 1 Mobile home/2 nights

minimum+1 car: 130
(For further information and bookings, contact the
campsite directly)
Please note that the organisers are not responsible for
making hotel reservations participants should make
their own arrangements.
Finally, a word to the wise - St Jean de Luz is situated in
a tourist region and the season is far from being over in
September.. ie, book early..

Mainly for the Walkers:

While the walk is not be particularly demanding, its not
a Sunday stroll either. Walkers should follow the advice
of the organisers and the guides. Walkers should be in
regular hill walking practice and be in possession of
suitable equipment hiking shoes/boots, a stick and wet
weather clothing. Walkers should comply with advice
given by the organisers and the guides.
As we will be fording the river Bidassoa, walkers are
strongly advised to have a change of clothing and
footwear suitable for a river crossing.
Each walker should ensure that he/she has sufficient
drinking water (minimum 1 litre), dried fruit and energy
bars for munching en route.
Finally, walkers should note that they are ultimately
responsible for their own safety and accordingly they
would be well-advised to arrange their own individual
insurance cover. Liability rests with the individual, not
the organisers.