I have been guiding across the battlefields of the world for some 20 years. I am Badged Member No 29 of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides
I am a Freelance guide working with a number of established battlefield touring companies. In addition I am available for private client tours. My experiences includes not only working at Battle Study level with the British Army but I also work with schools guiding group to the battlefields of the Western Front. I have also taken more experienced travellers/historian as far afield as the Falkland Islands
Operation Merkur (Mercury).. The German Airborne invasion of Crete. A victory gained at a terrible price for the German forces. Hi**er was never again to commit his Airborne forces to such a large scale strategic op. I will be taking a small party to follow the story in Crete 15 - 19 Sep 2024. If interested let me know and I will provide further info such as costs, accommodation flights etc. Will be no more than 9 in my party. First come etc.
Operation Market Garden - 9-13 Nov 23. Battle Study. These youngsters are going into Commissioned Service with His Majesty's Armed Forces. They are going to attend Dartmouth, Sandhurst or Cranwell. I wish them all the best!
UJC Normandy Tour for members. 24 -28 Sep 2023
Operation Husky - Battlefield Tour 18 - 22 Sept 2023
With thanks to Robert Bell who started this:
all Veterans of 50 years and over……... most of us are going through the next phase of our lives now. We're at that age where we see wrinkles, grey hair, and extra pounds. We have ran war machines, households, paid the bills, dealt with sickness, sadness, and everything else life has assigned us. Many of us went to war and operations, lucky enough to return to our loved ones. We remain survivors... we are warriors in the quiet......we are strong, we are also Veterans from a former era and proud of it….....
Even if our bodies may not be what they once were, they carry our souls, our courage, and our strength. We have good red blood in our veins. We shall all enter this chapter of our lives with humility, grace, and pride over everything we have been through and we should never feel bad about getting older. It's a privilege that is denied to so many.
Fellow Veterans I invite you to copy this post and add a picture of yourself and age.
My Age: 73 years
God save the King. 😉🇬🇧
Sussex and Surrey Parachute Regimental Association
Battlefield tour to Normandy but first Bruneval 15 -19 June 2023. Took ferry Newhaven - Dieppe 4 hours. Far better than Dover -Calais
Western Front Tour 21-24 May 23. Union Jack Club
Ypres - Fromelles - Vimy- Somme
Highland Husky Battlefield Tour 19-24 Mar 23
3 Para Reunion Club Normandy Tour 25 - 30 July 2023. Proposed tour to Normandy for members of the Reunion Club who will be attending the AGM and Dinner at Blackpool. I will give a 20 min Power Presentation before the AGM. If interested let me know before through this means or, at the AGM.
Paratroopers!!! Sky Gods!!!!
Falklands Tour 2018. Me and Tommo landed on this beach 1100hrsZ 21 May 1982. Part of my Falklands Battlefield Tour, Green Beach One. Port San Carlos FI
Again another life - Dhofar Oman 1984
Normandy - These Reenactors really look the part!!
The old days and long long time ago!! Post Falklands
Recce for 2023 season.
Battlefield Tour - Battle For Berlin 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2022. Started on the Oder at Kustrin ending in the centre of Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag
School Educational Tour Normandy 22-25 Sep 2022
First Battlefield Tour since Feb 2020 and it was great! Cassino my favourite tour. Good friends, good food beautiful country
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. When 3 Para began their assault under cover of darkness on Mount Longdon in June 1982, nobody knew what to expect. The three platoons of B Company each approached the mountain silently, treading carefully through a series of defensive minefields. But fol.....
A few photos from a recent Cassino Tour. Showing Castle and the Abbey. The Gari river at St Angelo. The French Cemetery at Venafro. Carrying out a Map Appreciation in view of the Abbey ominous in the distance. Going again 16 - 20 May 2022. Small group. Messenger to me if interested.
Have a couple of places available on this tour. Starts in Cassino. Will book accomodation but you pay on the ground
Small group 7 max. Flying to Naples from Luton 0610hrs 16 May 2022. Return to Luton 2130hrs 20 May 2022. Pick me up on Messenger if interested and we can discuss.
Monte Cassino 16 – 20 May 2022
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome.
At the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido-Gari, Liri and Garigliano valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Together, these features formed the Gustav Line. Monte Cassino, a historic hilltop abbey founded in AD 529 by Benedict of Nursia dominated the nearby town of Cassino and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys. There were in total four main battles during the campaign to break the German Winterline which hinged on Cassino
Abbey from the slopes of Monte Cairo
Abbey from Point 593 - Polish War Memorial
Commemorates the sacrifice of those soldiers of the Polish 2nd Corps who died during the Cassino Campaign. Pouintb58-93 was fought on and over many times by US and British soldiers until finally captured by the Poles in May 1944
The French Burial Ground - Venafro
The French Expeditionary Corps fought under General Juin. Made up mainly of French North African Troops they fought against the German 5th Mountain Division, commanded by General Julius Ringel gaining positions on the slopes of their key objective, Monte Cifalco. Forward units of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division had also by-passed Monte Cifalco to capture Monte Belvedere and Colle Abate. General Juin was convinced that Cassino could be bypassed and the German defences unhinged by this northerly route but his request for reserves to maintain the momentum of his advance was refused The two Moroccan-French divisions sustained 2,500 casualties in their struggles around Colle Belvedere.
The Village of Terrille from the foot of Monte Cairo and in the distance Monte Belvedere fought over by the French Corps and the German 5th Mountain Division. The high point is 892m (2800ft)
Winterline Museum Venafro 2018. Put together by the Town Mayor (front row kneeling left). All the items in the Museum been collected by him since he started walking the hills of theWinterline in 1994.
Ruins of San Pietro Infine 2018
The Battle of San Pietro Infine (commonly referred to as the "Battle of San Pietro") was a major engagement from 8–17 December 1943, in the Italian Campaign of World War II involving Allied forces attacking from the south against heavily fortified positions of the German "Winter Line" in and around the town of San Pietro Infine just south of Monte Cassino about halfway between Naples and Rome.
The eventual Allied victory in the battle was crucial in the ultimate drive to the north to liberate Rome. The battle is also remembered as the first in which the troops of the Royal Italian Army fought as co-belligerents of the Allies following the armistice with Italy. The original town of San Pietro Infine was destroyed in the battle
Gari River at San Angelo in Theodice
The Battle of Rapido River was fought from 20 to 22 January 1944 during one of the Allies' many attempts to breach the Winter Line in the Italian Campaign during World War II. Despite its name, the battle occurred on the Gari River.
Lieutenant General Mark Clark, commanding general of the United States Fifth Army, in an attempt to break through the German defences of the Winter Line (also known as the Gustav Line), tried to cross the Gari River, south of Monte Cassino, with two regiments (the 141st and 143rd Infantry) of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Fred Walker. After crossing the river in boats, the Americans were cut off from reinforcements and support and subjected to heavy fire and counterattacks The Americans suffered very high losses, and after two days of fighting the survivors retreated across the river.
The Polish war cemetery at Monte Cassino holds the graves of 1,072 Poles who died storming the bombed-out Benedictine abbey atop the mountain in May 1944, during the Battle of Monte Cassino. The cemetery is maintained by the Council for the Protection of Memorial Sites of Struggle and Martyrdom.
The cemetery also holds the grave of General Władysław Anders, who had commanded the Polish forces that captured Monte Cassino. Anders died in London in 1970 and his ashes were interred in the cemetery.
The cemetery itself can be clearly viewed from the Abbey, which lies just a few hundred meters away.
The cemetery is the closest of all allied cemeteries, symbolizing the importance of the Polish fighters during the battle. It was the Poles that are credited with liberating the abbey from Axis forces. As such their war dead were honoured with being buried in such proximity to the structure for which they died liberating.
On the morning of 18 May 1944, Polish forces finally entered the ruins of the abbey and hoisted the Polish flag.
Falklands Tour 2022. 40th Anniversary
Falklands 20 Nov – 2 Dec 22
The tour will cover all the major actions of the campaign from the landings at and around San Carlos Bay to battles in the mountains around Stanley. Although 4x4s will be used as the major form of transportation much of the battle sites will be covered on foot. I high degree of fitness will be needed. Prices on application.
Battle for Berlin 30 Sep – 2 Oct 2022 (3 Days)
This tour will look at the Battle for Berlin starting on the 16th April 1945 from the Oder River up on to the Seelow Heights and on to Berlin.
The first Soviet artillery fell in the streets of Berlin on the 20th of April 1945 Hi**ers’ Birthday.
Stalin suspicious of the Western Allies intentions regarding the liberation of Berlin where it had been agreed that Berlin would be captured by the Soviets, he urged his Generals to costly assaults against the ‘Lair of the Fascist Beast’
The assault on the Reichstag and the crossing of the Moltke Bridge were the climactic actions in the capture of Berlin. Prices depend on numbers attending no more than nine. Enquires welcomed
Sicily 14 - 18 June 2022
Fly into Catania. Look at the main effort by the British 8th Army around Etna joining up with Patton’s 7th US Army and the race for Messina. The landing beaches of the Pachino Peninsula and fighting through the high range of the Sicilian Island and the breaking of the Huber line. Sicily was the largest amphibious invasion in history in terms of ‘boots across the beach in one day’. Bigger than Normandy. The focus will be on the British part in Operation Husky. However, an extension can be made to cover the American involvement.
Operation Husky in terms of ‘Boots across the Beach’ was bigger than Normandy. Prices on application
Sicily 17 - 20 May 2022
Will cover the four battles for Cassino from Jan to May 44, Walking up on to Cassino Massif. Will visit all the major battle sites. Look at the attempts to cross the Garigliano river by the US 36th Division with the disaster it became. Follow the Poles up into the Benedictine Monastery and the eventual entry into the Liri valley and the road to Rome.
Germans, Italians, British, French, Poles, New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans, Indians, South Africans all fought here. Prices on application
Arnhem 8 - 10 April 2022
In the 3 days we have on site you can cover much of the battle at Arnhem and Nijmegan Bridges. From the Drop Zones follow the routes of the Battalions of 1st Airborne Division to their objectives.
Look at the landing zones and objectives of the US 82nd Airborne Division in the Nijmegan / Groesbeek areas. The fighting by the Guards Armoured Division and 82nd Airborne in and around the Nijmegan Bridge over the Waal and the Valkof. Prices on application.
A sombre place and a warning from history 2017
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