The Battlefield Explorer

28/02/2025

The Reichswald Forest CWGC cemetery is the final resting place of 7594 soldiers and airmen, mostly British but there are also men buried from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, South Africa, Norway, The Netherlands and Poland. There is even an American buried here in a common grave with the Canadian crew with which he flew when his airplane was shot down.

23/02/2025

Welcome to the sky over the Groesbeek Heights. On the day of publication, February 8th 2025, it’s exactly 80 years since Operation Veritable began. This seems like a fitting moment to take a look at this former battlefield and then specifically the Reichswald forest. With the aid of original Defense Overprint maps we are going to look at the terrain and see if there is any thing left of the German defense lines.

Welcome to the sky over the Groesbeek Heights. On the day of publication, February 8th 2025, it’s exactly 80 years since Operation Veritable began. This seem...

21/02/2025

Just uploaded the Reichswald war cemetery from above. A new video on my YouTube channel:

In this video we are going to look at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, the largest British War Cemetery in Germany. We are using a new perspective, we are...

20/02/2025

Then and now on the Utrechtseweg in Arnhem. A destroyed 6-pounder gun marks the location where Lt Glover was killed by a mortar. We visited this location today on an Arnhem tour with clients from Australia. Now back into hibernation for two weeks before the tour season really begins.

19/02/2025

Schoonderlogt Estate with yours truly holding the picture of Dick Winters. With four guests from Australia we braved the cold and wind today to follow the footsteps of the Easy Company soldiers in the Netherlands. Tomorrow we will visit the Arnhem battlefields together.

18/02/2025

A glorious morning on the Battlefields of Arnhem and Oosterbeek. We visited many locations that were important during the siege phase, including the evacuation point. There is a small memorial at the Rhine which we only rarely visit but today we had time to do so.

17/02/2025

A great but rather cold day today om the battlefields of Arnhem. We followed in the footsteps of a sapper from the 9th Field Company, Royal Engineers. We were able to trace his route from the LZ to Hartenstein, very exciting. Then we visited some other stuff, like the bridge area.

16/02/2025

A new book on the battle for Arnhem was presented today in a big event. Einsatz Arnheim, as the title might suggest it is about the German side. The book has tons of maps and never before published pictures. It looks absolutely stunning!

15/02/2025

Today's battlefield tour was special, a family with two young kids! That required some last minute adjustments to the itinerary, especially because it was quite cold today. Amongst the locations we visited the replica of the Waco Glider near Groesbeek.

13/02/2025

The last day on tour with a group from the British Army. This afternoon we visited the Arnhem area AND, of course, the John Frost bridge, a rather cold day but we still had a great time. We ended the tour at the CWGC cemetery, paying our respects to the fallen.

12/02/2025

Good morning from Grave and the long bridge across the Maas River. This was the objective of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne division. It was captured intact on the first day of Operation Market Garden. Day two of three with a British army group.

11/02/2025

Good morning from a rather wet and cold Son Bridge! Just waiting for my group from the British Army to arrive, then we'll spend three mornings looking at Operation Market Garden.

08/02/2025

Exploring the Reichswald 80 years after operation Veritable began:

The Reichswald 80 Years Later

Welcome to the sky over the Groesbeek Heights. On the day of publication, February 8th 2025, it’s exactly 80 years since Operation Veritable began. This seem...

01/02/2025

The original railway bridge across the Aa River in Veghel. One of the objectives of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment during Operation Market Garden. Had the plans gone right the 1st Battalion would have landed near the bridge, unfortunately they landed at Heeswijk Castle.

28/01/2025

Yesterday a new memorial was unveiled in Veghel. It remembers the 17 Jews who were murdered by the Nazi's during the holocaust. It's a beautiful design which is located next to the 101st Airborne memorial.

25/01/2025

In this video we are exploring the Humbolthain FLAK tower in Berlin, the only one of the three that partly survived the post-war demolitions. Even though we cannot go in there is plenty to see at this massive megastructure.

24/01/2025

My latest video is now online: exploring the last (partly) surviving FLAK bunker in Berlin! The Only Surviving Berlin Flak Tower!

In this video we are exploring the Humbolthain FLAK tower in Berlin, the only one that partly survived the post-war demolitions. Even though we cannot go in ...