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Ewan’s particular interests are Leadership, the Realities of War and Close Combat, through the ages, but particularly the ‘horse and musket’ era. On tour, he believes in balancing depth of research with enjoyment.

He is a direct successor to Wellington’s McGrigor as Director General Army Medical Services. He set up and led the British Army’s Air Assault Medical Regiment and then commanded all of the Army’s Field Hospitals operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was awarded an MBE for Squadron leadership in the First Gulf War and CBE for his direction of the Army Medical Services (AMS), at a time when the AMS achieved its highest battle casualty survival rate in history (halving the death rate).

A graduate of the Army Staff College and member of the Royal College of Defence Studies, his MA was on whether it is possible to create a strategy which endures. A Fellow of one of the Medical Royal Colleges, he is also an Apothecary and Freeman of the City of London.

Gregarious rather than combative by nature, he was surprised to be elected as President of the Combined Services Martial Arts Society by its members, and even more pleasantly surprised to win the first Worldwide Open tournament for renaissance sword & buckler at Hanover in 2010.

John Cotterill is a self employed battlefield guide for military groups, veterans, civilian clubs, families, individuals and schools. He was a founder member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides in 2003, was badged in 2004 (Badge 10) and was a Guild validator for 15 years. John served as a regular officer in the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment and their successors the Mercian Regiment for 37 years. He saw active service in Ulster, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan and inactive service on four continents. He lives in Nottingham and is an active member of the Western Front Association, the Soldiers,Sailors and Airmans Families Association (SSAFA) and his Regimental Association. John’s particular speciality is writing and delivering problem solving exercises that allow participants to “re-fight” battles of the past. He has guided groups on battlefields from Tanzania to Tunisia and from Stalingrad to Singapore

I began exploring battlefields, castles and other defensive sites as a teenager. These early interests became a lifelong passion in understanding the past through battles as turning points in history and led to membership of the Guild and gaining qualification as an accredited member.

A full career in policing has trained me in a detective’s way to look for corroboration of facts. There’s a saying ‘never let facts get in the way of a good story’, however I believe the truth holds a more revealing narrative than a mere story. Revisiting the accepted course of events is a rewarding way to explore scenes of battle, encouraging discussion about accepted facts.

Graduating from the School of Ancient History and Archaeology, Leicester University in 2012, I have a familiarity with modern archaeological techniques. This enables me to explain how advances in scientific analysis may significantly add insight for battlefield tourists. An example of this has been scrutinising the recent revelations of King Richard III’s battle wounds and reassessing the conduct of the battle of Bosworth through field walking and geophysical surveys.

I have visited and studied a wide range of historical sites across the Mediterranean and Europe from ancient to modern eras. Organising private tours to interesting locations overseas and in the U.K. has become a real pleasure, providing additional research and discrete visits according to client needs.

As a local historian, I am a member of a variety of community based groups with interest in maintaining a living heritage, such as the Rutland Historical Society. My archaeological skills are maintained through field-walking, surveys and excavations with community archaeological teams and Leicester University.

Personal historical interests extend from Roman occupation of Britain through Saxon and Viking settlement to the Norman Conquest. I have particular knowledge of the English Civil War and an understanding of the Wars of the Roses with fresh interpretation of the end of medieval age with the defeat of Richard III.

My fascination with military history ignited during my primary school years, thanks to a teacher who had been a Spitfire pilot in the Second World War. His stories were utterly captivating. In my early teens, I had joined the Air Cadets, firmly ensnaring my interest in the military. I enlisted in the Canadian Army, where I embarked on operational tours in Egypt, Israel (Golan Heights), and undertook two tours in the former Yugoslavia. My military career was diverse, ranging from instructing recruits, providing trades level training for soldiers, to conducting leadership training for NCOs and officers.

After my second tour in the former Yugoslavia, I transitioned to a role with the United Nations, which took me back to the Balkans. Here, I served in Croatia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia in senior management positions, further broadening my experience and understanding of international military operations.

Currently, I live in the Republic of North Macedonia, where my passion for military history continues to thrive. Remarkably, the Dojran Battlefield is literally in my backyard. I am proud to be a founding member and the President of the Macedonian Front Society, a local Non-Government Organisation dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of the battlefields that remain from the Macedonian Campaign.

My expertise and primary interest lie in the Macedonian Campaign of 1915-1918, known by various names such as the Salonika Front, Front d’Orient, Southern Front, or Macedonian Front, depending on the country the soldiers who served were from.

This lesser-known campaign offers a rich and fascinating tour experience for anyone interested in the First World War. Whether you’re looking for a family pilgrimage or wish to conduct a detailed battlefield study, I am committed to providing a custom-designed tour that meets your specific interests and requirements.