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

11.15am

Vin dhonneur at the Town Hall, St-Jean-de-Luz. (35-40

people)

12.30pm

Boarding and departure of coach (27 seater) for AngletSutar at the St-Jean-de-Luz 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

8.30am

Coach pick-up (55 seats) at the Bus station, opposite

the SNCF station, St-Jean-de-Luz.

9am

Gather in front of the cemetery at Socoa-Ciboure, 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 StJean-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-de-Luz.
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
Comte T shirt promotion: 2 for 20

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 URRUGNESOCOA.
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 should 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.