Whether you’re looking for a professional guide to take you on a battlefield tour, or you’re already a Battlefield Guide, just interested in finding out what battlefield guiding is all about, considering a future in battlefield guiding or improving your battlefield guiding skills, or simply have a general interest in battlefields – the International Guild of Battlefield Guides is for you. Our Honorary Members include Tonie and Valmai Holt – the pioneers of battlefield guiding – and President Professor Gary Sheffield – the acclaimed First World War historian – the Guild is the foremost organisation in the world dedicated to Battlefield Guiding.
Coming Up
Accredited Guides Annual Dinner
With the Guild's intent to promote the validation journey to ‘The Badge’ a formal Annual Dinner for ‘Badged Guides’ of the Guild is held on a chosen Friday in August. Accredited Guides of the Guild who attend rendezvous in a Pub or Inn not knowing where they are going to dine nor who will host their evening.
Until 2017 the event has been held in London. In the past ‘Badged Guides have Dined at the follow establishments all of which have a which have intriguing connection to military history.
- Cavalry & Guards Club 2011
- The ‘In & Out Club’ 2012
- The East India Club 2013
- The Oriental Club 2014
- The Reform Club 2015
- The RAF Club 2016
- HQ-Ship Wellington 2017
Accommodation is reserved for those who wish it at ‘Guild rates’ in the Union Jack Club. Details are published on the weekly update well in advance.
For further information contact the Event organiser Graeme Cooper cooper@waterlootours.co.uk
Do visit the Facebook ‘Badged Ones’ page for more information and pictorial history of past events.
Golf Day
The Guild's Annual Golf Championship
Every year on a Friday in August The Guild of Battlefield Guides hold their Annual Golf Championships at a Golf Course on or near to a battlefield. Guild members are encouraged to invite golfing guests. In the morning all members from the Golf Club concerned are invited to a presentation on a battlefield subject. After a light lunch the Championship is played in the Stapleford format. The Guild Champion and Runner up receive their trophy’s at the Championship Dinner in the evening.
Since 2007 Southampton, North Weald, Arlesford and John O’Gaunt Golf Clubs have hosted the Championships. Presentations on The Battle of Cheriton (Chris Scott), ‘D’ Day Landing Craft’ (Mike Mizen), The Bridge at Arnhem (Jo Hook), ‘Glider Pilots in Sicily’(Mike Peters), The Battle of Waterloo, The Special Air Service (Graeme Cooper) and The Battle of Verdun (Chippy Wood) are examples of the Guild’s efforts to raised funds in support of a charity nominated by the respective Club Captain.
This year’s Championships will be held at John O’Gaunts Golf Club Sutton Park, Sandy, Bedfordshire
For further information contact the Event organiser Graeme Cooper cooper@waterlootours.co.uk
Amesbury 7-9 September 2018
A ‘traditional’ Guild weekend with a quiz, a wide variety of topics/sites and plenty of opportunity to socialise. Travel during the event will be self-drive. Some walking on rough tracks is involved, with one lung-busting hill well known to anyone who served at Bulford. A number of themes/subjects will be outlined for possible development into UK tours or preliminary to continental tours by Gareth Davies, Andy Johnson and Paul Oldfield.
Friday 7 September
Settle into accommodation (details to follow), assemble for drinks, dinner in a local pub/restaurant, followed by quiz (Ian Mitchell).
Saturday 8 September
360 degree view from Beacon Hill of sites of military importance including:
- Start of Ordnance Survey.
- Expansion of the military on Salisbury Plain.
- Military railways.
- Bulford Kiwi.
- WW1 trench system on Bulford Ridge. Porton Down - chemical and biological warfare.
- Airfields - Thruxton, Boscombe Down, Larkhill, Netheravon and others.
- Armoured warfare development in 1930s.
- Battle of the Beams in WW2.
- Development of airborne forces.
- Bruneval Raid training.
- Glider pilot training for Operation Deadstick.
Snack lunch in Amesbury followed by:
- Expansion of camps and military railways in WW1.
- Formation of RFC, airfields, military aircraft trials, lots of ‘firsts’, deployment of RFC to France August 1914, famous names.
Dinner in a local restaurant/hotel.
Sunday 9 September
Morning tour of sites involved in the invasion of Normandy, including:
- Ashley Walk bombing range and Stoney Cross airfield in the New Forest.
- Lepe Country Park – PLUTO, MULBERRY, loading hard and jetty.
- Portsdown – C2, HQs, COPPs, landing rehearsals, key meetings and decisions, convoy routing etc.
If you wish to attend please contact Paul Oldfield – oldfield118@btinternet.com.
Validation Event
Want to progress towards Accredited Membership?
Need to do a face-to-face assignment?
Can't get to a Guild Weekend?
Available on 22 September 2018?
Then here's your opportunity!
Middle Wallop's a few miles from Andover, and a one-day Validation event at the Museum of Army Flying there on 22 September could be the chance for you to get Assignment 1, 5 or 6 under your belt. Six (out of eight) assignments attempted at the last one-day event (Thundersley, in September 2017) resulted in a Pass (and of the other two, one candidate re-attempted the assignment in October and, with the experience of the first try behind him, passed with flying colours). Put the date in your diary now!
Verdun Recce
After consultation it has been decided in order to make the Recce/tour of Verdun more affordable and more practical to reduce it to 4 days on the ground.
17th- travel to Verdun meeting at the hotel in the evening
18th- Argonne Vauquois, American offensive; Sergeant York, the lost battalion, US cemetery.
19th-20th- Verdun.Left and Right banks; including but not only: Mort Homme, cote 304, Douaumont, Vaux, Souville, trench of bayonets, ossuary, Memorial Museum, fort de la Falouse, Citadelle,Voie Sacree.
21st- In the Morning, Maginot line, visit to Hackenberg Fort. After lunch departure for a late afternoon ferry, back to UK.
The B&B hotel has a view on the battlefield, it was recently modernised with a bar and an affordable breakfast. Rooms should be at 40/50 euros a night. Single or Double. Several restaurants can be found nearby or in the heart of the city itself.
Bookings will be made individually by all participating members. The cancellation dead line is 7pm on day of arrival if you have guaranteed your reservation with a card otherwise it is a no show, no penalties.
The tour will be self- driving unless we manage to have a coach at a reasonable price.
We would be grateful if interested, you mention any stand you would like to take, and email us at the following address
Email: falwicart@btinternet.com
Organiser: Francois Wicart
Organiser: Simon Worrall
Christmas Lunch
Come and join us at our annual Christmas lunch. Meet old friends and make new ones, exchange
battlefield stories and Guild gossip at this extremely popular social gathering.
More details from Andy Thompson - info@eyewitnesstours.com