Welcome to the International Guild of Battlefield Guides

This, another in our series of Guild webinars, will be delivered by Marc Yates, the Guild's Governance Director.

When faced with having to guide battlefields and describe events several hundred years ago, sources can be scarce, in another language and difficult to find.  So often published popular history usually repeats the most well-known previous account such that it becomes the “true story” even if is wrong or thoroughly misleading.  It is repeated on site information boards, in museums and on the Internet – so what chance does a visitor have of really understanding what happened unless the guide does his or her homework thoroughly?

The Hundred Years War (or strictly at least three long periods of warfare with intermittent periods of peace) starting nearly 700 years ago is often overlooked with no real justification in favour of more recent history.  Campaigning was typically by “chevauchée” (a good word to look up!) and long sieges and tales of derring-do abound.  The battles were fought from Scotland in the north, and on the European continent from what is modern day Belgium and the Netherlands to southern France and Spain – they had lasting effects on both England and France for the centuries which followed and these ought to be better known and understood.

In the webinar, we will look how the wars came to the Channel Islands, just a small area within the larger arena of those wars.  The Channel Islands (the last remnant of the Normandy of William the Conqueror held by English monarchs) had already been on the front line between warring England and France for over a hundred years since King John (a.k.a. Jean, Duc de Normandie) had lost continental Normandy in 1204 and been thrown out by Philippe, Roi de France, and that hostile front line would continue until entente was finally made with France in the nineteenth century .

We will also examine examples of the difficulties encountered by a guide when facts are thin on the ground, although physical remains like fortifications are plentiful, and you have to reach conclusions as to exactly what happened with the benefit of limited primary written sources!  Sometimes you have to resort to some unlikely other methods and become a medieval detective.  And that’s where the fun starts as you become the expert and “writing” the history because no one else has done it before!

Next year’s Conference and AGM will place from 24-26 January 2025 near Newbury.  As well as the enjoyable customary features such as quiz, validation presentations and annual formal dinner with awards, we are investigating some innovative new ideas, more detail of which will follow once we have finalised them.  We plan to have a ‘pre-conference’ battlefield walk with Dr Chris Scott.

The conference is a chance to catch up with pals, hear interesting talks and presentations as well as those done for validation, potentially learn about a new battlefield at Newbury, gain some insights into the latest developments and share your expertise and understanding with those wanting to build their skill and knowledge base.

Importantly, a chance to get away for a weekend of friendship and camaraderie with colleagues from the battlefields and the wider community.  Don’t miss out on this excellent annual occasion.

The application form for Members can be found on recent Newsletters.

Provisional date 13 August 2025 - more details to follow

Operation Frankton was the famous WW2 raid on German blockade running shipping in Bordeaux, France.  The raid was carried out by the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD), which was part of Combined Operations.  Inserted by the submarine HMS Tuna, five folding kayaks, (Cockleshells) paddled up the Gironde and attacked the cargo ships with limpet mines.  The recce is a detailed study of the intelligence, planning, execution and outcomes of a strategic mission that ended with only two of the ten men surviving the mission, including “Blondie” Haslar and Bill Sparks, (who used an MI9 escape line), with six being executed by the Germans and two dying from hypothermia.

The St Nazaire raid (Operation Chariot) was an attack by Combined Operations to destroy the dry dock in the port of St Nazaire to prevent it being used by the German battleship Tirpitz and force her to return to Northern Germany for maintenance.

Intention:

The focus of this recce is the 1942 raiding actions undertaken at both Dieppe and Bruneval.  There will be a visit to St Valery-en-Caux, where the French Army fought alongside the 51st Highland Division in June 1940.

We will travel out on the DFDS overnight ferry Friday from Newhaven to Dieppe and return Sunday night - a weekend recce.  This would be Friday 24th night sailing, arriving Saturday morning, We will kick-off with a pre-breakfast special raid on Yellow Beach, and try to recreate some of the atmosphere that No 3 Commando and Peter Young must have experienced in August 1942!  We will look at aspects of the No 4 Commando landing and actions on the Orange Beaches.

The Sunday will concentrate on John Frost's  Bruneval Raid.

Returning on the Sunday night ferry arriving in the wee hours of Monday 27th October.  Of course that happens to be the weekend where the clocks go back!