Great War Western Front Family Tours
October 2019
In October I guided two family tours on the Western Front. These tours , that take families to the places where they relatives lived , fought , were wounded or died , are perhaps the most rewarding of all to research and guide. We followed in the footsteps of a Royal Munster Fusilier who was wounded on the Somme and a member of the Royal Naval Division who was killed at Third Ypres. On the second family tour we followed several distinguished ancestors including a Sherwood Forester who was mortally wounded at Loos and Lt Gilbert Talbot , after whom Talbot House was named.
Retreat from Mons Tour
August 2019
The Retreat from Mons in 1914 is one of the most interesting and under visited British parts of the Western Front. In August I took some of the instructors from the Army Training Regiment at Pirbright to follow part of that retreat including Mons , Audregnies , Le Cateau and Nery.
Normandy Rotary Club Tour
July 2019
Normandy was at its best in July when I guided Malvern Rotarians around the battlefields of June to August 1944. As well as the well trodden path through the beaches and drop zones , we visited the two main sites associated with the 1st Worcesters : Hill 112 and Mont Pincon.
Spanish Civil War Tour
July 2019
Based throughout in the lively and fascinating city of Madrid , I took 1 Signal Brigade around the battlefields of 1936 -37. These included the University City and Guadalajara where we examined communications in an urban and rural environments respectively.
Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride
June 2019
As in every year since the H4H BBBR began in 2009 , the Guild of Battlefield Guides supplied four guides for this , their largest annual fund raising event. This was the first year in which I was the senior guide and planned the route , which ran from Cherbourg to Paris and concentrated on the battles of 1944. 2020 will see us following the Retreat to Dunkirk 1940 and 2021 traversing the length of the British section of the Western Front 1914-18.
Nottingham United Services Club Monte Cassino Tour
May 2019
Monte Cassino in 2019 was the fourth battlefield tour that I have taken the Nottingham United Services Club on. As well as the spectacular sites of battle from January to May 1944 , we spent an enjoyable evening wine tasting near Atina (pictured). The Clubs centenary year of 2020 will see us on our 5th tour to Berlin.