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Explore the world’s most trusted directory of battlefield guides

The guide directory details all Guild Accredited Members. Each of these has passed our Accreditation Programme – so you can be sure they are all high quality guides and will give you a great tour!

You can filter by battle/campaign or country and then click on the name of an Accredited Guide to read their biography. Most Accredited Guides have contact details by which you can contact them directly. If not, or if you want to pass a message to them, please contact them via the Guild Secretary  via our Contacts Page.

Many Guides can develop bespoke personalised tours and can research where particular ancestors might have fought or died. If you want to advice on following a particular ancestor and you have not identified a particular Accredited Guide, please contact the Guild Secretary. We guarantee we’ll have somebody that can help you!

Finally, this list shows only our Accredited Guides. Our Ordinary Members are not listed here and if you would like to check whether a particular individual is a member of the Guild, or for any other further help, please contact the Guild Secretary via our Contacts Page.

Battle

Dudley Giles

Accredited Guide Number: 26

Dudley Giles has been an active battlefield guide for over 25 years and was an early member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides.

A former British Army officer, Dudley managed, in a career spanning nearly 34 years, to serve a third of his time in North West Europe (Germany and Belgium), a third in the UK (including three residential tours in Northern Ireland) and a third in ‘exotic’ locations such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Canada, Croatia, Kosovo and the flanks of NATO (Norway and Turkey). In 1990 he attended the Army Command and Staff Course, and, in 2001, was serving as NATO’s senior military police officer during the climactic events post 9/11. In 2006/7 he deployed to Afghanistan as General Richards’ senior police advisor and his last appointment in the Army before finally retiring in 2012 he was Deputy Provost Marshal (Army).

In 2006/7 Dudley found himself on the modern battlefields of Afghanistan and was able to help soldiers, diplomats and journalists understand the historical similarities between the present and past experience of British soldiers in that country. On his return he acted as the chief battlefield guide for the very first Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride and continued to support the charity in that capacity until 2013. This experience eventually led him to set up a specialist touring company -‘Battlefields by Bike.

Dudley took his first degree in Law (LL.B (Hons) at the University of Leeds in 1979 and later a Masters Degree in British First World Studies (2010) – graduating with Distinction.

When not running his own tours or carrying out research, Dudley works as an independent contractor for schools, military groups, families and other battlefield touring companies.

30 CorpsANZACS on the Western FrontAdvance to Victory...AnzioArdennesArnhemArrasArrasAubers RidgeBand of BrothersBapaumeBastogneBattle of AmiensBattle of AnzioBattle of CalaisBattle of HalbeBattle of Lys & Op BlucherBattle of MindenBattle of SicilyBattle of The AisneBattle of the BulgeBattle of the SommeBritish Civil WarsBruneval RaidBullecourtCambraiCanadians on the Western FrontCassinoCold WarCombined Bomber OffensiveD-DayDelville WoodDieppeDunkirkEastern Front - EstoniaEindhoven & NijmegenEnglish Civil WarFall of BerlinFall of FranceFestubertFromellesGallipoliGothic LineGustav LineHindenburg LineKurskLe HamelLiberation of the NetherlandsLondon BlitzLoosLorraine CampaignLudendorff OffensivesMessinesMeuse-ArgonneMiddle AgesMonsMonte CassinoNeuve ChappelleNormandy CampaignNormandy LandingsNormandy Preparations in UKNorway 1940 CampaignOperation AvalancheOperation BerlinOperation BlockbusterOperation ChariotOperation DragoonOperation HuskyOperation InfatuateOperation JubileeOperation Market GardenOperation MichelOperation OverlordOperation PlunderOperation Sea LionOperation ShingleOperation VeritableOrtonaPasschendaelePolygon WoodReichswald ForestRetreat to the MarneRhine CrossingSalernoSambre CrossingScheldt Estuary - Breskens Pocket & WalcherenSt Nazaire & DieppeThe Great Patriotic WarThe Last 100 DaysThe Somme 1918Villers-BretonneuxVimyVimy RidgeWWIWWIIWaterlooYpresYugoslav Wars (1990s)

AfghanistanBelgiumEngland...EstoniaFranceGermanyHollandItalyNetherlandsNorwayNorwayScotlandSicilyTurkeyUnited KingdomWalesincl. Sicily

Adult Coach GroupsBattlefield StudiesBattlefield Walks...Bespoke GroupClubs and SocietiesCorporate ToursCultural ToursCycling battlefield toursEvening PresentationsFamiliesIndividualsLeadership & Management TrainingLong ToursManagement DevelopmentMilitary & VeteranPilgrimage GroupsSchool GroupsSelf-drive ToursShort ToursSmall GroupsStaff Rides

Ian Gumm

Accredited Guide Number: 62

Ian Gumm is the founder and CEO of In The Footsteps, a leading independent battlefield tour operator, as well as a full-time battlefield historian and guide. He is a former Chair of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and has led tours since 1998. During that time, Ian has visited the battlefields of Anglo-Saxon England, the Norman Conquest, the Hundred Years War, the War of the Roses, the English Civil Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the Anglo-Zulu War, the First World War, the Second World War … and much more.

“Touring the battlefield is my passion, it is what I love to do, and I feel extremely privileged to be able to escort people around the battlefields of the world visiting some of the most important historical sites that have shaped the world in which we live.”

Ian served in the British Army as a Reservist for thirty-six years during which time he commanded B (Rorke’s Drift) Company of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Wales; commanded the Regimental Contingent at the affiliation parade with 121 South African Infantry Battalion (a Zulu Battalion) in South Africa; was the officer responsible for the training of all junior and potential officers in Wales; trained junior managers in the Defence Industry as the Officer Commanding the Sandhurst Leadership Challenge in Wales, and was the staff officer responsible for the First World War Centenary Commemorations for Wales.

His experience, gained both on the battlefield and with the British Army, allows him to add a soldier’s perspective and paint the picture of a battle on the canvas of the countryside. This enhances your tour experience, as Ian is not only able to impart an understanding of the history, but also a feel for the men who took part in the battle and the ground over which it was fought.

“So, whether you are ‘following in the footsteps’ of an ancestor or relative on a genealogy tour; ‘following in the footsteps of heroes’ on a more general tour or retracing the steps of a military unit or formation on a battlefield study or staff ride you can be sure that Ian will deliver an experience that will leave you with memories that last a lifetime.”

As an Accredited Member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides, Ian endeavours to maintain the high standards, both in terms of service and good practice, that are commensurate with the Guild’s ethos. In addition to being an Accredited Member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides, Ian is a member of the Western Front Association, the Battlefields Trust, the Last Post Association, and the Society for Army Historical Research (SAHR).

As well as leading battlefield tours, Ian delivers interesting and informative military history talks and presentations to professional organisations, businesses, clubs, societies and other groups, small or large.

AgincourtAlmarazAnglo/Zulu War...AnzioArdennesArnhemArrasArrasAubers RidgeAuschwitzBadajozBapaumeBastogneBattle of AmiensBattle of AnzioBattle of LewesBattle of Lys & Op BlucherBattle of SicilyBattle of The AisneBattle of the BulgeBattle of the SommeBosworthBritish Civil WarsBritish Colonial ConflictsBullecourtCambraiCassinoCharleroiCiudad RodrigoCrecyD-DayDelville WoodDieppeDunkirkEdward I’s conquest of North WalesEindhoven & NijmegenEshoweFall of BerlinFall of FranceFestubertFromellesFuentes de OnoroFulfordGallipoliGingindlovuHastingsHastings CampaignHindenburg LineHlobaneHolocaustIsandlwanaKrakowLe HamelLiberation of the NetherlandsLignyLoosLudendorff OffensivesMessinesMeuse-ArgonneMiddle AgesMonsNapoleonNeuve ChappelleNorman Conquest of EnglandNormandy LandingsOperation AvalancheOperation BerlinOperation HuskyOperation InfatuateOperation JubileeOperation Market GardenOperation MichelOperation OverlordOperation PlunderOperation ShingleOperation VeritablePasschendaelePoitiersPoitiersPolygon WoodQuatre BrasReichswald ForestRetreat to the MarneRhine CrossingRorke's DriftSalamancaSalernoSambre CrossingScheldt Estuary - Breskens Pocket & WalcherenSluysStanford BridgeTalaveraThe 100 Years WarThe War of the Seventh CoalitionTowtonUS Operations on the Western Front 1917 - 1918UlundiVerdunVillers-BretonneuxVimyVimy RidgeVittoriaWWIWWIIWars of the RosesWaterlooWaterloo CampaignWavreWellington’s Peninsular battlesYpres

AfricaAustriaBelgium...Eastern EuropeEnglandEuropeFranceGermanyGreeceItalyLuxembourgNetherlandsPolandPortugalScotlandSouth AfricaSpainTurkeyUnited KingdomWalesWestern Europe

Adult Coach GroupsBattlefield StudiesBattlefield Walks...Bespoke GroupClubs and SocietiesCollege GroupsCorporate ToursCultural ToursEvening PresentationsFamiliesGroup TypesIndividualsLeadership & Management TrainingLong ToursMilitary & VeteranPilgrimage GroupsSchool GroupsSelf-drive ToursShort ToursSmall GroupsStaff Rides

Paul Oldfield

Accredited Guide Number: 51

In a military career spanning 36 years, Paul served in most of the usual hotspots, including three years in Ulster, plus the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. Other appointments included running the MOD’s Africa team for three years, commanding a mountain and arctic warfare unit and a tour with the Gurkhas. With his military experience he is able to bring a soldier’s insight to battles of the past.

Paul was educated in Sheffield and at Victoria College, Jersey, where he became interested in the German occupation and fortifications. He ran his first tour in 1983 on the Somme and has been involved in WW1 and WW2 tours since. Paul is a member of the Western Front Association and Gallipoli Association. He joined the Guild in April 2008 and was presented with Badge 51 on 20th November 2010. He was heavily involved in the Guild’s support for Help for Heroes’ annual Big Battlefield Bike Ride from 2012, including leading the guiding team 2014-18.

In 1988 he co-authored Sheffield City Battalion in the Pals series. Cockleshell Raid was published in Pen & Sword’s Battleground Europe series in 2012 and Bruneval followed in 2013. He is currently writing a series of sixteen books, Victoria Crosses on the Western Front. The first was published in July 2014 and the final volume is expected in late 2025.

Mike Sheil

Accredited Guide Number: 38

Mike St Maur Sheil has been guiding since 2007 and specializes in the American and French battlefields of WW1. Since 2011 he has guided the annual tours for the US National WW1 Museum and Memorial as well as numerous tours and pilgrimages for American families and universities as well as the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.

He spent his career working as a photo-journalist in over sixty countries around the world and this experience led him to create a a series of outdoor photographic exhibitions, entitled ‘Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace’. During the centennial period of 2014-18 these exhibitions were viewed by an audience of over 12 million people in numerous cities including Atlanta, Berlin, Chicago, Dublin, Edinburgh, Istanbul, London, New York, Paris and Washington.

In creating these exhibitions, Mike visited battlefields and photographed places generally only mentioned in books and has thus acquired an extraordinary knowledge of the ‘battlescapes’ of the conflict. In 2014 his photography was published by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in their centenary commemoration book entitled ‘For the Fallen’. In 2016, the collection of his work, entitled ‘Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace’, won the accolade of the European Federation of Professional Photographers as the best book of landscape photography published in that year.

In 2016 he was commissioned by the US National WW1 Museum and Memorial to create an especial ‘Doughboys 1917-1918’ exhibition describing the American experience of the conflict which has given him an especial insight into the US involvement in WW1 and the battlefields of Belleau Wood, the Marne, Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel.

In 2018 Mike was awarded a Masters Degree in WW1 studies by Wolverhampton University for a dissertation on the role of aerial photography in the development of Air Power in WW1. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the British Commission for Military History.