Canadian War History Tours

Home
Canada
Victoria, BC
Canadian War History Tours

Customized, intimate tours of WWI and WWII Canadian Battlefield sites and cemeteries in Europe: Belgium, France, Netherlands, Italy. Small groups. Book Now!
(5)

Follow their footsteps with someone who knows the way. Canadian War History Tours is a unique company in that our primary focus is following in the footsteps of people in your family who fought in the world wars, and creating a record at the end for you to keep forever. Due to meticulous research, we will paint an actual picture of your great- grandad, father, great uncle or other relative, so you

will have a better understanding of that person, where they went and what happened. Or maybe you’re following a specific regiment or brigade or just generally learning the history, the same applies. Then, after the tour you will received a “keepsake booklet” with historical photos and information as well as photos and info from the tour itself, a precious record for you and your family. Guide, Susan Raby-Dunne, is an author and military historian with a talent for research and story-telling. Canadian War History Tours will show you all the important places and monuments, but also take you well off the beaten track for a unique and meaningful experience. for the unforgettable trip of a lifetime.

09/01/2024

So many issues on this trip. Now my company email is inaccessible. Grrr. If anyone wishes to make inquiries backup email is: [email protected]

09/01/2024

Can't share anything either, but...this is the recent review from the Jakubowski family.
"We said good-bye to our wonderful guide Susan Raby-Dunne with Canadian War History Tours . Thank you for your knowledge, guidance and most of all patience for our crazy antics. You're one in a million." They were great fun!

09/01/2024

Still unable to post photos from our tour until I get a new phone once home September 12. I shall make an elaborate presentation! It was a great tour!

08/25/2024

I have many more photos from our tour but I had a mishap with my aged Android. Will put up remaining photos when I return to Canada.

08/16/2024

A lovely two tone rose at Ocean Villas B & B.

08/16/2024

Drizzly day at the Vimy Memorial.

08/16/2024

Mom showing baby chooks the ropes at Ocean Villas B & B.

08/16/2024

Groundskeepers of Vimy.

08/15/2024

Le Quesnel Canadian Memorial denoting the launch of the 100 days...the beginning of the end of the Great War.

08/15/2024

We walked into this patisserie on the edge of Caen and all said, "Uh oh!" To my credit I didn't get any sweets, just two extremely buttery croissants and a sandwich. Why aren't French people fat, dammit!

08/15/2024

I liked this unique little wreath someone had placed on the ground beside the Newfoundland Memorial.

08/15/2024

Super guide Jeremy explaining the meaning of various panels and people on the Memorial at the Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel. By coincidence he was my guide with another group at Vimy and BH last year! He's back, which seldom happens. We walked over from Ocean Villas B & B which is just a nice distance from the park.

08/14/2024

At Canada House in Bernieres-sur-Mer, FR wiith Nicole Hofer at left, and clients. Canada House was captured by the Queen's Own Rifles and they were the first Regiment after landing to achieve all of their objectives, ahead of both the British and Americans.

The house is full of memorabilia of the QOR but also the Regiment de la Chaudieres, Can Scots and others.

08/14/2024

At beautiful Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery yesterday, one of the 2 main Canadian cemeteries in Normandy. The other is Bretteville. Paid tribute to Major Frederick Hodge, Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

08/12/2024

Clients thought the Tiger Tank at Vimoutiers was pretty cool.

08/11/2024

Many peaks and sites in the Alberta Rockies are named after WWI figures, prominent officers such as in Mount Morrison, Mount Lipsett and Smith-Dorrien Highway. But in this case a mountain named after the heroic Nursing Sister Edith Cavell who was executed by the Germans. Mount Edith Cavell will recover to its former glory with time. Sad to see the terrain in this state all the same.

Mount Edith Cavell trail, before and after the fires.

📸 Jasper National Park

08/09/2024

Will be in Caen in about 48 hours! Meeting clients and off for a 7 day tour.

08/05/2024

The often cited figure for horses that died in WWI is 8 million. But it's really impossible to know, since records weren't kept. Horses were integral to human life back then, and I believe generally, they were carefully cared for. Horse holders and grooms were given the Blue Cross handbook which detailed how to properly care for them. It was suggested to give them good rub downs to relax them, and scratch the insides of their ears. My own horse loved that and would nearly turn inside out when I did it.

Many soldiers were just as devastated when their horses or mules died, as they were by their human comrades. Only officers with some rank and considerable "pull" could bring their horses home after the war. Two were Lieutenant General Arthur Currie and his horse Brock, and Major General Morrison and his horse, King.

I've always loved this monument to the horses of the Great War that stands in the roundabout at Vlamertinge, between Ypres and Poperinge. The horses rearing out of the rubble is illustrative of both the destruction, and the indomitable equine spirit.

07/08/2024

Care of the horses came first. They were diligent about that.

Canadian Cavalry watering their horses behind lines. October, 1917

https://amzn.to/4eQhJ7H

07/01/2024

The sweet, and perfectly named Newfoundland flower of Remembrance, Forget-Me-Not. Forget them not. 🌺

07/01/2024

July 1, 1916 Battle of the Somme begins. Newfoundland Regiment almost wiped out by noon. Almost 20,000 British killed in the same time period on Day One. The battle grinds on for almost 5 months before the Canadians finish it off in the worst imaginable weather and conditions of the war after taking Regina Trench near the village of Courcelette, FR on November 18th. Remember Them.
🌺🍁🌺

06/28/2024

In 2010 I took a course about the neolithic sites on Salisbury Plain called The Avebury Experience. I assumed we'd be staying in Avebury. I called the registrar and she said, "Oh, no. We'll be staying the Bear Hotel in Devizes." I got a chill over the top of my head. At that time I was deep into research on John McCrae (writer of In Flanders Fields). That was his Officers Mess during the Great War! I should write a book sometime about "The McCrae Effect" as another biographer of his, Dianne Graves, called it. That was only one of a litany of strange, coincidental and otherworldly experiences I had while researching and writing two books about McCrae. Here's me on that trip in Glastonbury.

Address

Victoria, BC
V8V4K2

Website

http://www.canadianwarhistorytours.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Canadian War History Tours posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Canadian War History Tours:

Videos

Mom showing baby chooks the ropes at Ocean Villas B & B.

Wonderful Welsh men's choir under the Menin Gate tonight in Ieper, Belgium. I had the honour of saying the Exhortation again.

Sharing an apple with Tomeke. It took him ages to come out of his little hut. He's got to be quite old now and maybe a little deaf because I called and called before he came out. So gentle how he takes the apple bites. At Buttes Military Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

The creme de la creme of British military bands, the Grenadier Guards, play Leonard's "Hallelujah" in the back garden of Talbot House.

Beautiful rendition of The Water is Wide by French military band at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres..

John McCrae and Bonfire were here in the Vallee du Denacre, Wimille, France. McCrae would sometimes tie Bonfire to the railing here, and take a meal in this Estaminet. After long days at No.3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill), they would also ride down the valley from here on a secluded path lined with blackberry bushes. I think during McCrae's time, there was a mill wheel here.

Tomeke, the Polygon Wood donkey is annoyed because I didn't bring him an apple.

A glorious morning back in Flanders and right on the Passchendaele battlefield at Varlet Farm B & B in Wallemolen, BE. Now to walk up to Crest Farm and the Canadian Passchendaele monument. Will do it again with clients tomorrow on Day One. Sorry for shaky video. Window was trying to shut on me and I was just trying to catch all the birds singing.

Nothing like a whole brass band crammed into the pub in Hotel de la Paix in Poperinge last night during the beer festival.

Vallée Denacre, France

Shortcuts

A Unique Battlefield Tour Company

Canadian War History Tours is a unique company in that our primary focus is following in the footsteps of people in your family who fought in the world wars, and creating a record at the end for you to keep forever. Due to meticulous research, we will paint an actual picture of your great- grandad, father, great uncle or other relative, so you will have a better understanding of that person, where they went and what happened. Or maybe you’re following a specific regiment or brigade or just generally learning the history, the same applies. Then, after the tour you will received a “keepsake booklet” with historical photos and information as well as photos and info from the tour itself, a precious record for you and your family. Guide, Susan Raby-Dunne, is an author and military historian with a talent for research and story-telling. Canadian War History Tours will show you all the important places and monuments, but also take you well off the beaten track for a unique and meaningful experience. Book Now! for the unforgettable trip of a lifetime.

Photo is of clients at the beautiful and moving Ring of Remembrance at Notre Dame de Lorette, France.