Assignment 1 Validation
This is an online Assignment 1 Validation Event. The Guild Member candidate’s presentation will be Battle for Kustrin, February 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 […]
EOD, Malta
Malta , MaltaThe Guild recce to Malta will take place in April 2022. The theme of the recce is the defence of Malta during WW2, with the emphasis being on the Explosive Ordnance Disposal capability of the islands. To provide background and context, it will also cover air and sea campaigns, the experience of the Maltese population […]
“From Stringbags to Spitfires!”
Castle Bromwich Birmingham, United KingdomA car tour around four sites associated with Castle Bromwich airfield, North Birmingham looking at its history telling the story of the development of military and civil aviation from 1910 to 1950. Today mostly associated with the building and development of Spitfires in WW2 there is a whole, almost unknown, Great War and interwar years […]
The Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture
The Battlefields Trust, British Commission for Military History and International Guild of Battlefield Guides are pleased to announce that the Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture will take place on Thursday, 5 May 2022 at 19:00 hrs. This will be a virtual lecture by Professor Anne Curry, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, University of Southampton, entitled: "The […]
Tewkesbury Core Event
TewkesburyBased in the historic town of Tewkesbury the outline plan for the weekend is: Friday & Saturday night - hotel in Tewkesbury: With a significant number of locals the numbers currently staying for the weekend are insufficient to get any hotel "deal", especially approaching High Season. Therefore, we are leaving finding accommodation up to individuals, […]
Commando and Ranger Event
This event will study the creation and reformation of the WW2 Commando and Ranger units and their notable missions from WW2 to their role today. Based in scenic Scotland at Achnacarry, it will also study the SOE paramilitary training at Arisaig House (and surrounding estates) and will feature the usual dinner and quiz night, pertinent […]
Visit to the Tower of London
Tower of LondonThe evening starts at 1925 when everyone meets at the main gate (West Gate) of the Tower where I will meet you. I will then take you on a tour of the Tower which will last an hour before retiring to the Yeoman Warders Bar, The Keys, for refreshment. I normally conduct a raffle but this is […]
Accredited Guides’ Annual Dinner
The Queen Elizabeth II – Badged Guides Dinner will be held in London on 18 November. Further details from Graeme Cooper in due course.
Webinar: DEMYSTIFYING ASSIGNMENT 1 – Observations and Advice for Candidates.
The Accreditation Director (Chris Finn) will be running a webinar on Demio at 1900 on Tuesday 22 November, which is primarily designed for those members, in particular new ones, who are planning, or considering, undertaking Assignment 1 at the Annual Conference in January 2023, or on-line. The Demio registration link is https://my.demio.com/ref/s67M1Z3aWq83l29s.
Guild Christmas Lunch 2022
A great opportunity to catch up at the end of the year; the Guild’s annual Christmas lunch will be held at the Union Jack Club, Sandell St, London SE1 8UJ (which is adjacent to Waterloo Station) on Friday 2 December. The bar opens at 11.00 a.m. and members are asked to assemble for 12.30 for […]
Annual Conference & AGM 2023
Milton Keynes Leonardo Hotel, Midsummer Blvd, Milton KeynesOur Annual Conference and AGM weekend will be held in the Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jurys Inn), Milton Keynes. We will include the usual mix of activities - validation opportunities, Guild AGM (Saturday afternoon), Guild Awards Dinner, a quiz, bring-and-buy stall, and a range of speakers. An overview of the event is here. Those Members […]
Pre-Conference Visit to Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Sherwood Dr, Bletchley, Milton KeynesMK3 6EBThe pre-Annual Conference visit to Bletchley Park will take place on the afternoon of Friday 27 January. We will arrive lunchtime / approx. midday, and start with sandwich / cake and drink. There will be an organised tour 13.00 – 14.00; we will then have two hours to explore before the site closes at 16.00 […]
Guild Recce: “Wellington’s Way” – Peninsular War
‘Wellington’s Way’ “I am going to take a little sleep. Watch with your glass. You see that large stone? Call me when the head of the French column reaches that point.” Wellington to Lord Fitzroy Somerset prior to his great victory at Salamanca, 22 July 1812 Recce Overview: The intent of this eight-day reconnaissance […]
Guild weekend: Jersey – 2500+ years of military history
Preliminary Programme The two-day programme over the weekend (starting on Friday evening and ending Sunday evening) will include battles and battlefields from: The Hundred Years’ War The War of the Roses The English Civil War 18th century wars (including American War of Independence, Battle of Jersey 1781) WW2 and the German Occupation 1940-45 – particularly […]
Assignment 1 Validation
This is an online Assignment 1 Validation Event. The Guild Member candidate’s presentation will be “No one but the GLOSTERS could have done it” - the stand of 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment at Imjin River, April 1951. All Guild members are welcome to join the audience, particularly those who have been accepted on the […]
Annual Golf Championships 2023
Every year the Guild of Battlefield Guides holds its Annual Golf Championships; more details nearer the time from James Davis.
Accredited Guides’ Annual Dinner
The annual Badged Guides Dinner will be held in London on 18 August 2023. Further details from Tony Scott in due course.
Cold War Recce
A Cold War recce is planned for September 2023. It will be held in the former East Germany (GDR) and will study both NATO and the Warsaw Pact Naval capability, Air capability, Land capability, the use of Special Forces, Intelligence gathering and the Soviet plan to invade Berlin and Western Europe. The event would have […]
Normandy Recce
The Guild will be running a recce in Normandy in November 2023. Dates are Friday 3 November to Sunday 5 November. The aim is to cover the British and Canadian break out battles. Please note the dates in your diary for now. Full details will be available in the New Year and we will be […]
RIchard Holmes Lecture
In & Out Club 4 St James’ Square, LondonThe 2023 Richard Holmes Lecture will be given at the In & Out Club by British Commission for Military History members Major-General (retd) Mungo Melvin and Mike Shiel, the title being Richard Holmes: Soldier, Scholar, Guide and Friend and the talk will start at 7pm. The address of the In & Out Club is 4 […]
Annual Conference & AGM 2024
Doubletree Hotel, Lincoln Brayford Wharf N, Lincoln, United KingdomOur Annual Conference and AGM weekend will be held in the Doubletree Hotel, Lincoln. We will include the usual mix of activities – validation opportunities, Guild AGM (Saturday afternoon), Guild Awards Dinner, a quiz, bring-and-buy stall, and a range of speakers. There will be a pre-Conference visit to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, with […]
Ypres Recce
The Guild will conduct an Ypres recce 11-15 March 2024 , very much along the lines of the 2022 Guild Somme recce. The purpose will be to focus on some of the lesser known aspects of the Immortal Salient. The outline programme will be: 11 March. Deploy 12 March. The Indian Corps in the Salient […]
Guild Webinar “Guiding the Air Battle – A Pedagogic Survey!”
OnlineI was going to deliver a talk on "Guiding the Air Battle - A Pedagogic Survey!" at the January 2024 Annual Conference but Covid-19 intervened. This will now be delivered by webinar at 1900 hrs on Tuesday 23 April 2024. But do not be put off by the, somewhat, "tongue-in-cheek" title. Whilst I will be […]
Validation Event
Museum of Army Flying Middle Wallop, Stockbridge, United KingdomWant to progress towards Accredited Membership? Need to do a face-to-face assignment? Can’t get to a Guild Weekend? Available on 27 April? Then here’s your opportunity! Middle Wallop’s a few miles from Andover, and a one-day Validation event at the Museum of Army Flying there on 27 April could be the chance for you to […]
Guild Webinar “My Path Through our Craft”
OnlineThis will be the second in our series of Guild webinars which will be delivered by one of the founder members of the Guild, Graeme Cooper. Graeme has titled his presentation ‘My Path Through our Craft’ and he will pull no punches in relating the ‘triumphs and disasters’ of his guiding career. There is no […]
GBG Annual Golf Championships 2024
John O’Gaunts Golf Club Sutton Park, Sandy, Bedfordshire, United KingdomThis year the Guild of Battlefield Guides celebrates its 22nd Anniversary and the 15th Year of its Annual Golf Championships at the John O’ Gaunt Club in Potton. Each year a Guild Member presents a battlefield subject to all invited guests in the morning before the Championship commences. This year’s talk is to be presented […]
Guild Webinar “The Numbers Game”
OnlineThe third in our series of Guild webinars will be delivered by Nick Gane, an experienced accountant, and SE Blue Badge guide. Nick has been an accountant to businesses of all shapes and sizes and he is now co-owner of ‘Sulis Guides’ and a Blue Badge guide training company. Nick’s webinar, ‘The Numbers Game’ will […]
Guild Visit: Larkhill Royal Artillery Garrison, Wiltshire
The Venue Larkhill has been used as a training area for the British Army since the first tented camp was established in 1899. In 1914 the first wooden and permanent buildings were built, and the camp expanded rapidly through the First World War and years that followed. A military light railway was established in 1915 […]
Guild Webinar “Choosing Your Battles.”
OnlineThe fourth in our series of Guild webinars will be delivered by Sue King, the Guild's Education Director. Battlefield Guides may have battles ‘thrust upon them’ by tour operators or the requirements of clients. With logistics and practicalities determined by others, guides must rise to the challenge to ensure client satisfaction, but it can […]
Operation Market Garden – Guild Recce
The Netherlands , NetherlandsThe Guild will conduct a recce of the Operation Market Garden area from 1-3 November 2024. During the recce we will visit known and lesser known locations along the Market Garden corridor, beginning at Joe's Bridge, going all the way up to and including Arnhem. It will be fast paced to see as much as possible, […]
Guild Webinar “Understanding Evidence: Human Imperfection – Unintended Mistakes in Sources?””
OnlineThe nxt in our series of Guild webinars will be delivered by David Harvey, the Guild's Events Director. When we look at the types of sources available to battlefield guides, what rating of credibility do we apply? This webinar invites guides to reappraise their dependency upon all sources of human origin and to seek scientifically […]
Richard Holmes Lecture 2024
Royal College of Defence Studies Seaford House, 37 Belgrave Square, Belgravia, LondonAir Control from the Sea: Tactical Air Command & Control during Operation Neptune The talk will examine the development of expeditionary air command and control (C2) in the European Theatre in 1942 and 1943; examine the problems facing the planners for the air aspects of Operation Neptune; describe the solutions arrived at; explain how they […]
Guild Christmas Lunch 2024
Union Jack Club Sandell Street, Lambeth, LondonA great opportunity to catch up at the end of the year; the Guild’s annual Christmas lunch will be held at the Union Jack Club, Sandell St, London SE1 8UJ (which is adjacent to Waterloo Station) on Friday 6 December. The bar opens at 11.00 a.m. and members are asked to assemble for 12.30 for […]
Guild Webinar “Understanding Evidence: Lies, Damned Lies ….. Deliberate Falsification in Sources.”
OnlineAnother in our series of Guild webinars will be delivered by Chris Finn, the Guild's Accreditation Director. Following on from David Harvey's webinar concerning unintended mistakes in sources, I will be looking at the problem of deliberate falsification in sources. In other words "why do authors lie?" I will look at a number of examples […]
Guild Webinar “When Sources Are Limited and Downright Confusing! A Channel Islands’ Perspective”
OnlineThis, 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 […]
Annual Conference 2025 and AGM 2025
DoubleTree by Hilton Newbury North M4 Junction 13, Oxford Road, NewburyNext 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’ […]
Guild Webinar: Does Size Matter – the Evolution of Firearms
OnlineAs battlefield guides, we invariably will take questions on the weapons of the era we are guiding and the impact they may or may not have had on the outcome of a battle or campaign. As such, this session will cover the evolution of firearms and the changes in rifle operating systems, definitions and terminology, […]
Guild Visit Postponed: Larkhill Royal Artillery Garrison, Wiltshire
Postponed - Visit Date to be confirmed The Venue Larkhill has been used as a training area for the British Army since the first tented camp was established in 1899. In 1914 the first wooden and permanent buildings were built, and the camp expanded rapidly through the First World War and years that followed. A […]
Guild Webinar “A Research Journey”
OnlineChris Finn, the Accreditation Director, will be presenting the next in the Guild Webinar series, entitled A Research Journey. The subject will be researching the Korean War Battle of the Imjin, in particular the role of the artillery in that battle, for a talk he has delivered both on-line and to live audiences. Chris will […]
Recce: Aspern, Wagram and Austerlitz
A 4-day Recce of the 1809 battlefields of Austerlitz, Aspern-Essling and Wagram. ITINERARY: This 4-day Recce takes on the battlefields of Austerlitz (Dec 1805) in the Moravian hills where Napoleon achieved his greatest victory, at Aspern-Essling (May 1809) the scene of Napoleon’s first defeat since 1799 at Battle of Acre and at Wagram (July 1809) where the largest battle in history, at the time, […]