Welcome to the International Guild of Battlefield Guides

This is an online Assignment 1 Validation Event. The Guild Member candidate’s presentation will be Counter-Stroke at Arras, 21 May 1940. 

All Guild members are welcome to join the audience, particularly those who have been accepted on the Accreditation Programme but have not yet seen a live validation, and those who have yet to begin the process.

Members – to register your interest in joining the audience, click here

Note that you must register for both assignment and feedback sessions separately in order to see the process through and hear the outcome of the assignment. Please also read the Demio Audience Brief for Assignment 1s which you will find on the registration page.

There is limited audience capacity, so first come, first served!

If you are not a Guild Member but are thinking about joining and would like to see an Assignment 1, please apply to the Validation Secretary for access.

There is limited audience capacity, so first come, first served!

A ‘traditional’ Guild weekend with a quiz, a wide range of subject matter (not just nautical, although Portsmouth is billed as "the home of the Royal Navy"!) and sites, and plenty of opportunity to socialise. Travel during the event will be self-drive. Some walking is involved, none of it strenuous! A number of themes and topics will be outlined for possible inclusion into UK tours or preliminary to trips to France by Tim Stoneman and others.

Due to current and expected conditions under the COVID 19 pandemic, this event has unfortunately been postponed to a date to be decided (hopefully 2021).

A five-day recce to the Somme. An opportunity to recce the Somme Battlefield learning from members and stand leads John Cotterill & Paul Oldfield.

(Updated 9th July) As things stand with travel and other requirements under the Covid 19 pandemic requirements, this event is expected to take place unless there is a resumption of higher level restrictions.

A summary of the itinerary is attached.

This is an online Assignment 1 Validation Event. The Guild Member candidate’s presentation will be The Battle for Seelow Heights, April 1945.

All Guild members are welcome to join the audience, particularly those who have been accepted on the Accreditation Programme but have not yet seen a live validation, and those who have yet to begin the process.

Members – to register your interest in joining the audience, click here

Note that you must register for both assignment and feedback sessions separately in order to see the process through and hear the outcome of the assignment. Please also read the Demio Audience Brief for Assignment 1s which you will find on the registration page.

There is limited audience capacity, so first come, first served!

If you are not a Guild Member but are thinking about joining and would like to see an Assignment 1, please apply to the Validation Secretary for access.

There is limited audience capacity, so first come, first served!

Come and join us at our annual Christmas lunch. Meet old friends and make new ones. Swap tales of the year's guiding adventures and make plans for the coming campaign season at this extremely popular social gathering open to all members. For further information please contact Andy Thompson via email at andy.ewt@gmail.com.

This recce is being planned to take place in Spring / Early Summer 2021. Dates still be advised  (1 Jan date showing merely to reflect year as the web software requires precise dates!).

Contact Simon Worrall to register your interest

The Annual General Meeting of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides will be held online, using Zoom.  More details, including formal notice of the Meeting, will be circulated in due course.

Given that the Covid 19 restrictions might still be affecting the hospitality industry in January next year, it has been agreed to delay the Annual Conference (date to be decided - date shown is just to mark a place) More details will be added when known. The Annual General Meeting of the Guild will still take place on the planned date (30 January 2021).

(Image is our 2018 Annual Conference dinner in Mons, Belgium)

This Recce had been scheduled to take place in April 2020 but was postponed as Europe went into Covid 19 lock-down which prevented all but non-essential travel. The recce has now been rescheduled to 15th to 20th March 2021.

Please contact the organiser if you are interested in going if you were not down to go on the original recce dates as there may be spaces available.

This 6 day Guild Recce visits the battlefield of Bussaco where Wellington’s strategic genius saw the demise of Massena. We walk Wellington’s early battle sites of Rolica and Vimeiro and contemplate his vision and strategy at the Lines of Torres Vedras. We examine Wellington’s decision making at Oporto where Nosey’s army routed Soult’s French into full retreat.

The intent of the reconnaissance is to visit and consider main battlefield stands, suitable hotels, restaurants, museums and relevant places of interest in order to conduct future successful tours. We will have fun and certainly fair better than our ancestors who soldiered and suffered here during the Napoleonic Wars.

Full details can be found in the attached document.

https://www.gbg-international.com/gbg-recce-2-7-apr-20-ff-2/

The Guild recce to Malta will take place from the 9^th to the 11^th of April 2021. The theme of the recce is the defence of Malta during WW2, with the emphasise being on the Explosive Ordnance Disposal capability of the Islands. It will also cover air and sea campaigns, the experience of the Maltese population and the Axis plans to invade the islands to provide background and context. There will also be a presentation on the siege of Malta in 1565.

Despite being the most bombed place on earth in WW2, Malta is a beautiful island with experiences and sights to suit everybody from narrow meandering streets with baroque church’s, medieval towers to some of the oldest known human structures in the world.

The Islands have rightly been described as an open-air museum with superb weather, fantastic beaches and 7,000 years of intriguing history.

To register an interest contact Bob Shaw

The Guild Special Forces recce will take place on the 11th and 12th September 2021 in the Poole area.

The theme of the recce is the development of Special Forces capabilities during WW2 and will study the Special Operations Executive, The Auxiliary Units, the Special Raiding Force, Special Forces Communications, Air support to SF operations, MI9, the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, the COPPs and Operation Frankton.

This promises to be a packed weekend with lots of historical info and a fun but challenging quiz night. You will be home on Sunday in time for tea and medals!

Contact Bob Shaw to reserve a place.