Find a Guide

Explore the world’s most trusted directory of battlefield guides

The guide directory details all those Accredited Members who have chosen to advertise their expertise and services as guides on the Guild website.  Each of these has passed our Accreditation Programme in which they have demonstrated the skills needed for us to say that they are high-quality guides who 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!

Please note, the Guild does not recommend or endorse any of the commercial products of the members listed below, nor does it imply that they have been checked as complying with the relevant legislation or regulation in the jurisdictions they are based or guide in.

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.

Some of our Accredited Guides have experience of researching military aspects of family history, and may be able to assist with your genealogical enquiries.  A list of those members is here; if you would like to seek their assistance, contact details can be found by selecting their profile from those shown on this page.

Battle

Frank Baldwin

Accredited Guide Number: 8

I am a freelance guide, historian and heritage professional. After retiring following ten years in the army as a Royal Artillery Officer, I became increasingly involved in interpreting and presenting battlefield heritage for the Battlefields Trust and The Royal British Legion. My interest in battlefield touring was triggered by noticing that the part of Germany in which we were training in the 1980s had been a battlefield in 1757. I had always been interested in military history and both my father and grandfather had fought in the world wars.

As a guide, my clients include  small and large groups, businesses as well as educational and military groups. I was an early supporter of the Guild of Battlefield Guides and been part of its validation team, responsible for assessing guides’ competence, since 2008. I instruct on courses teaching battlefield guides and have been Guide Co-ordinator for the Liberation Route Europe.

In 2012 I was elected to the British Commission for Military History. My published work includes two books on D Day and Normandy, chapters in British Army Guide to the Western Front, and articles in military history journals. I write a military history blog https://theobservationpost.com

My interest and knowledge of military history stretches from Caesar to the Cold War and my guiding experience covers much of Europe. Besides the world wars and the Napoleonic era, I am also interested in the mid C19th wars between Prussia, Austria and France and the Severn Years War.

Two of my books are on artillery in Normandy and I am currently writing a battlefield guide to artillery on the First Day of the Somme in publication. The artillery story of both world wars is a little neglected and I offer battlefield tours to tell the artillery story under the brand www.gunnertours.com

One speciality is providing military background for people researching their ancestry. I have been a researcher for a company that makes a popular ancestry-based TV programme and have appeared on television myself.

I have been privileged to support some of the British Army centenary staff rides as a subject matter expert alongside academic historians. My clients include many military units and headquarters. I run a website offering advice to military units planning staff rides, battlefield studies or realities of war tours. www.staffrideservices.com

The links between military and business strategy fascinate me. I offer a service to help organisations to learn from other people’s mistakes using examples from statecraft and military history. www.businessbattlefields.com

I chaired the Battlefields Trust from 2008-2015 and was involved in many projects to preserve, interpret and present many of the Battlefields of Britain, including the re-discovery of the battlefields of Bosworth.

30 Corps7 YearsANZACS on the Western Front...AachenAdvance to VictoryAgincourtAlmarazAnglo/Zulu WarAntiquityAnzioArdennesArnhemArrasArrasAspern – Essling & WagramAubers RidgeAusterlitzAusterlitz CampaignBadajozBand of BrothersBapaumeBastogneBattle of AmiensBattle of AnzioBattle of BritainBattle of CalaisBattle of HalbeBattle of LewesBattle of Lys & Op BlucherBattle of MindenBattle of OverloonBattle of SicilyBattle of Teutoberger ForestBattle of The AisneBattle of the BulgeBattle of the SommeBelleau WoodBlenheimBoer WarBosworthBritish Civil WarsBruneval RaidBullecourtCambraiCanadians on the Western FrontCassinoCiudad RodrigoCombined Bomber OffensiveCrecyCullodenD-DayDelville WoodDieppeDunkirkEdward I’s conquest of North WalesEindhoven & NijmegenEnglish Civil WarEshoweFall of BerlinFall of FranceFestubertFromellesFuentes de OnoroFulfordGerman Airborne Invasion of CreteGingindlovuGothic LineGustav LineHastingsHastings CampaignHindenburg LineHlobaneHürtgen ForestIsandlwanaLansdownLe HamelLiberation of the NetherlandsLignyLondon BlitzLoosLorraine CampaignLudendorff OffensivesMarlborough's campaignsMarston MoorMessinesMeuse-ArgonneMiddle AgesMindenMonmouth RebellionMonsMonte CassinoNapoleonNeuve ChappelleNorman Conquest of EnglandNormandy CampaignNormandy LandingsNormandy Preparations in UKOperation AintreeOperation AmherstOperation BerlinOperation BlockbusterOperation FranktonOperation HuskyOperation InfatuateOperation JubileeOperation Market GardenOperation MichelOperation OverlordOperation PlunderOperation ShingleOperation VeritableOrtonaPassage of the Alps and MarengoPasschendaelePolygon WoodQuatre BrasReichswald ForestRetreat to the MarneRhine CrossingRoman Invasion of BritainRorke's DriftRoundwaySalamancaSalernoSambre CrossingScheldt Estuary - Breskens Pocket & WalcherenSedanSedgemoorSt. MihielStanford BridgeTalaveraThe 100 Years WarThe Jacobite RebellionsThe Last 100 DaysThe Somme 1918TowtonUK Home FrontUS Soldiers on the Western Front 1917 - 1918UlundiVerdunViking battles in YorkshireVillers-BretonneuxVimyVimy RidgeVitoriaWWIWWIIWars of the RosesWaterlooWaterloo CampaignWavreWellington's campaignsWellington’s Peninsular battlesWellington’s Pyrenees battlesYpres

AustriaBelgiumCrete...Czech RepublicFranceGermanyHungaryItalyNetherlandsUnited Kingdom

Bespoke GroupCollege GroupsFamilies...IndividualsLeadership & Management TrainingManagement DevelopmentPilgrimage GroupsSmall Groups

Simon Browne

Accredited Guide Number: 116

Simon was an infantry officer for over 30 years.  A member of the Royal Anglian Regiment, he served on operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.  He has a Bachelor’s Degree in History, Master’s Degree in Military Studies and is a Graduate of the Advanced Command and Staff Course.

His fascination with touring battlefields began in 1977, when living in Germany he went to see the film a Bridge Too Far.  Then persuaded his father, a Royal Air Force officer, to take him to Arnhem to try and bring to life what he had just seen.  This interest further developed as student, studying for a History Degree at Portsmouth Polytechnic, where he organised his first Battlefield Tour, a trip with student friends to Normandy.  He was very lucky in that his military career really allowed him to indulge this passion, taking him on numerous Battlefield Tours and Staff Rides, In Europe, America, and as far afield as Vietnam and the Falkland Islands.

Currently Simon focuses on three main campaigns;  the Blitzkrieg of 1940, D-Day and the Normandy Campaign and the Ardennes Offensive, the ‘Battle of the Bulge’.

Andrew Duff

Accredited Guide Number: 22

Like most of my generation my family served in both World Wars and my father was a regular officer serving from WW2 to the mid-70s. It was as a child in Cyprus during the EOKA Campaign that my interest in History and Military History was sparked. My interest was further fuelled, at Sandhurst, by listening to John Keegan, David Chaundler and Peter Young. After Sandhurst I became a regular officer in the Army serving in the Infantry for 27 years followed by 10 years’ service in the Reserves with Airborne Forces.

On leaving the military I was able to indulge my love of military history and then utilise it as a guide. My interest has always been in the role played by the fighting soldier, that much derided player in military history. If you take the stories of the soldiers and officers of both sides involved and then analyse any battle using Alfred Burne’s theory of “Inherent Military Probability” you should understand what happened.

I have also, jointly with 2 fellow Accredited Guild Members, been involved in producing and presenting 50 films with Battlefield History TV. In this enterprise we have been assisted by many fellow accredited guides and have I believe added to the objective study of many battles.

I get immense pleasure in researching, planning and delivering battlefield tours to all types of client, from student groups, bespoke adult tours, military units and military headquarters, each has it challenges and rewards.

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 RidgeVitoriaWWIWWIIWars 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

Joris Nieuwint

Accredited Guide Number: 112

My name is Joris Nieuwint and I will be your tour guide! For the past 14 years I have been a
resident of Veghel, located almost on top of Hell’s Highway. Before that I’ve lived in Arnhem for
almost two decades. Living so close to the battlefields meant that Operation Market Garden always
had my interest and I’ve been studying the battles for all those years. In 2012 I’ve taken up guiding
and have taken many individuals, small and large groups, relatives, school and military groups on
tours.
On my tours I share the history of the battles and the soldiers with the aim that the torch of
remembrance is passed on to the next generation.
We will visit the battlefields of Operation Market Garden (and others) and on site we will talk about
the history of what happened there, tell the stories of who fought there, and explain why this still
matters today. My words are supported by maps, photos, aerial photographs, audio and video to
give you the best possible experience.
We will discuss the big picture, why the operation was launched, what the goals were and how
they were to be achieved. Then we focus on what happened to the troops on the ground, what
were their experiences, what decisions were made that caused the outcomes and we reflect on the
human cost.
By the end of the tour I hope to have inspired you to pass on what you have learned, that you too
will help carry the torch and help keep the memories of their sacrifices alive.

ArdennesArnhemBand of Brothers...Battle of the BulgeEindhoven & NijmegenLiberation of the NetherlandsOperation Market GardenWWII

Europe

Adult Coach GroupsCollege GroupsEvening Presentations...FamiliesIndividualsMilitary & VeteranSchool GroupsStaff Rides

Tim Saunders

Accredited Guide Number: 06

I was an infantry officer for thirty years and began writing military history and battlefield guiding while still in the service. Since leaving I have become a full time military historian. I have had eighteen books published, mainly on WW2, and as Director of Production for Battlefield History TV, I have made fifty full length military history documentaries on conflicts ranging from the Dark Ages through to modern times.

My real love, however, remains getting out onto the battlefields of the world and studying and talking about campaign strategy and tactics, soldiers; their weapons and equipment, plus of course the engagements and battles themselves.

In a typical year the groups I take to various battlefields range from general to private, through school groups to veterans and families with young children. All have their specific needs and research requirements.

I served a term on the Board of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides as Director of Validation.

Brian Shaw

Accredited Guide Number: 18

Brian Shaw is an Ex Warrant Officer in the Parachute Regiment who has been leading
battlefield tours for the past twenty years. Born in Nottingham in 1958 he joined the Army in
1974 as a Junior Soldier, progressing through a busy career specializing in Battlefield
Communications. Brian become a Warrant Officer Class 1 in 1995 and retired from the
Army in January 2013 after 38 years’ service.

Brian has had an extensive career serving across the globe, in Northern Ireland on operations
and from South Africa to the Arctic Circle and from California to Hong Kong, the long way
round, on training. This long Infantry experience and knowledge of tactics, give him a
soldier’s eye for ground and the implications of terrain on the weapon systems of any
chosen period.

Brian has a long-held interest in military history, particularly the Second World War. He
combines his own experiences and his knowledge of history to put his audience on a tour
within the experience of what the soldiers of the day saw, felt and experienced.
Whilst Brian’s passion is for the Second World War and specifically NW Europe 1944/45
(D–Day to the war’s end) but with a wide military history knowledge he is happy working with
groups on the battlefields of the Great War or others.

Brian has assisted in and personally planned and led tours on the Battle of Waterloo, The
Western Front, Gallipoli, France and Belgium 1940, Malta, the fighting in Normandy,
Operation Market–Garden, Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, the Rhine Crossing (Plunder and
Varsity) and the Ardennes Offensive. Italy – Anzio and Cassino.

Andrew Thomson

Accredited Guide Number: 14

I am a historian, tour operator and private guide based in Canterbury. I run my own company Dr Thomson’s Tours full-time, specialising in tailor-made tours with a historical and cultural theme in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

Battlefield guiding accounts for around two-thirds of my business. Battlefield tours are particularly special to me as they combine history (asking what happened, why it happened then, there, and in that way), people (both empathy with those who fought, and on–the–spot interactions with one’s clients), landscape, and travel – all great interests of mine. Where History and Place overlap is at the heart of the buzz I get from history and explaining it to others.

After graduating with a degree in American Studies in 1979 I was briefly a civil servant, then a university administrator for fifteen years. I was Administrator of University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory (the UK’s first and largest university space research group), then moved to Canterbury in 1992 to be Administrator of the new Canterbury Business School. Meanwhile I was taking my love of history forward by completing a PhD in American History in my own time; the subject was the experiences of ordinary American troops in France in 1944 and 1945 and their interactions with the French people. On completion of this I set about my aim of doing something ‘useful’ (i.e. productive!) with a History PhD and set up Dr Thomson’s Tours in 1997. This allows me to teach ‘in the field’, to take my study of history forward, and to meet a fascinating and varied mix of people.

References (see Trip Advisor, for instance) pay tribute to my relaxed but authoritative style, the high level of organisation of tours, and my ability to personalise a tour and make the complexities of war understandable to audiences with very varying degrees of pre–existing knowledge.

I was very proud to obtain the Guild of Battlefield Guides’ badge in November 2004.

Allan Wood

Accredited Guide Number: 66

Allan served for 22 years in the Regular Army in the 17th/21st Lancers and Queens Royal Lancers, a career which ended at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Gunnery School, Lulworth.  Allan was later commissioned into the TA serving for a further 9 years firstly with the Dorset and later the Royal Wessex Yeomanry in Bovington where he began guiding battlefield tours.

Allan’s first battlefield tour as a guide was for the Yeomanry to Normandy in 1999.  He has since guided nearly 200 battlefield tours for both Regular and Territorial Army units, schools and numerous adult groups to the Western Front, North West Europe plus other campaigns outside of the two World Wars including Waterloo and Agincourt.  Allan has guided many ANZAC focused tours of the Western Front, 1916-1918.  Allan retired from teaching to give himself the time to be an active Battlefield Guide and works freelance for several companies and organisations.  Allan also regularly gives talks on Military History to a wide variety of audiences from those including very senior serving officers to local groups in the Dorset area and wider afield.

Allan is an Accredited Member of (Badge Number 66) of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and a current Validator for candidates on the Path to their own Badge.  He is a member of the Western Front Association, Royal Lancers Regimental Association and a Trustee for the Dorset Yeomanry Association.

Allan is an Alumni of the Duke of York’s Royal Military School, Dover.  Whilst in the Army he studied and graduated through the Open University, later training as teacher at the University of Bath after which he taught History in a secondary school in Poole.  Allan was later appointed as the Headteacher of the Compass, the school responsible for providing Alternative Provision for young people in Weymouth, Dorset. Allan still in Weymouth with his wife Angela, who tolerates both his guiding and golf in exchange for holidays in the sun!  They have two grown up children.