The “Find a 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.
When searching for a guide, we recommend that you filter by battle/campaign, country or capability and then click on the name of an Accredited Guide to read their biography. In stating their expertise and services, Accredited Members should be able to guide the particular battle or campaign on the battlefield. Sometimes physically guiding on that battlefield may be impossible or impractical, or it is presentation services that are required, in which case the Accredited Member should be able to guide the battle or campaign “remotely”.
As you will see, most Accredited Members have contact details by which you can contact them directly, and some have their own website, a Tripadvisor and/or a Google Review Page. If you are having difficulty in contacting them, please contact them via the Guild Secretary via our Contacts Page.
Please note, the Guild does not recommend or endorse any of the commercial products or companies of the members listed below. We are not responsible for checking that those listed below have complied with the relevant legislation or regulations in the jurisdictions they are based or guide in. Many are members of ETOA or other local guiding associations and some have a local authorisation to work with children or vulnerable adults. But it is your responsibility to ensure they meet all the criteria you need for them to work with your group.
Finally, this list shows only our Accredited Members. 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 (for example satisfying a request for which you cannot seem to find a guide), please contact 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 based on information which you may have, and this is generally part of their service. If you want to advice on following a particular ancestor and / or help and advice on researching military aspects of family history, there are several Accredited Members who 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.
Graham Roberts
Accredited Guide Number: 118
From a very early age, I have had a strong interest in history, and in particular military history – much to the bewilderment of my parents! I continued this to University level, gaining a degree in History & Ancient History.
My interest was certainly not lessened by 37 years as an Army Reservist, serving in a wide variety of roles and under multiple cap badges – Infantry, Royal Signals, Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. With my last unit, I planned and delivered a Battlefield Study to the Great War battlefields of Mons, Ypres & the Somme.
My first experience of digging in to military archives was after my mother passed me the Aircrew Log Book belonging to her late brother, whose aircraft disappeared during an anti-submarine patrol over the Atlantic in February 1944. 70 years after his last flight I visited the Runnymede Memorial and found his name.
A little later, I decided to try and find out something about the men and women named on the War Memorial in Harrogate, the town where I grew up and still live. I have been able to identify (and in many cases, put faces to) all but about 40 of the 1163 names, in addition to finding over 100 others who should have been included. I was heavily involved in the exhibition and events to commemorate the Centenary of the unveiling of the Memorial on 1st September 1923, including an interview on the ITV Evening News.
I joined the Guild in late 2022, and became an Accredited Member in January 2025.
I believe strongly in telling both the story of what happened on a battlefield, and also the stories of those who fought there.
In addition to being a member of the Guild, I am a local volunteer for the CWGC, conducting tours and talks locally.
Ancient / Roman19th CenturyNapoleonic Wars...
Adult Coach GroupsBattlefield StudiesBattlefield Walks...
Tony Smith
Accredited Guide Number: 57
I come from a family that saw service in both the World Wars. My mother’s father was in France during the First World War and her two brothers fought in the Second War – one in the Royal Air Force, successfully evading capture at Dunkirk in 1940, and another with the Royal Navy in the Atlantic. On my father’s side of the family, my grandfather saw service in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the First War and later became an Air Raid Warden in Burton on Trent in World War II, whilst his brother was with the Royal Air Force in the Far East.
Talking to them sparked my own interest in military history which then developed to reading about battles and military campaigns – it was the part of the history lessons at school I liked most! When I had some pocket money I would buy books about battles and would always be scouring ‘junk shops’ for military cap badges, medals and the like.
Medal collecting led to me undertaking research into the lives of the individuals that had won them and in turn to research the battles in which they had fought. The next logical step was visiting some of those battlefields. Initially alone but later with friends and family, the visits developed into small guided tours with an emphasis on the human side of war and its effect on the people involved, not just the combatants but those back home or in the countries where the campaigns and battles were fought.
As well as general tours of the Western Front battlefields I also have a particular interest and knowledge in the involvement of the Canadian and Australian forces in both World Wars and have led a number of tours to the European battlefields where they fought as well as in the UK where they trained.
I also particularly enjoy taking small groups on family pilgrimages and undertaking the research that is involved in developing these tours. In particular, I have led a number of American groups and families to the Normandy battlefields of World War II. This led to the development of tours around particular American units including the 29th Division in the drive from the Normandy beachhead to St Lo and the Division’s battle to capture Brest in Brittany. In the UK I have also researched and developed tours around the US forces in the West Country in the run up to D Day including the Slapton Sands disaster and the development of the Woolacombe Infantry Training Centre in Devon.
I have significant experience of working with school groups and was recently part of the guide team that delivered the Government initiative to take two students and a teacher from every English state school to the battlefields of France and Belgium between 2014 and 2019. I am currently a volunteer speaker for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and also help to clean and maintain CWGC headstones in local churchyards.
“Once again you’ve made our battlefields trip and amazing experience. Thank you for all the extra special investigations you do. We can’t imagine these trips without you!”
Teacher – School group
“Our trip has been the trip of a lifetime experience – your part made it absolutely awesome!”
Guest – Canadian Adult group
British Civil WarsEnglish Civil War 1642-1651Cornwall in the Civil War...
Adult Coach GroupsBattlefield WalksClubs and Societies...