One of the privileges of guiding people through the landing beaches and battlefields of Normandy is that I get to meet such interesting people and spend time in such good company. I greatly enjoyed guiding Connie and William and they were kind enough to give me a lovely testimonial. Many thanks and very nice to have met you. Gen. Eisenhower speaking with 1st Lt. Wallace C. Strobel and men of Company E 502nd PIR [...]
'Iron Mike' & The bridges of La Friere and Chef Du Pont Just a couple of miles to the west of St Mere Eglise, the River Mederet posed a significant natural obstacle to movements of troops, supplies, artillery and armour. The two crossing points at La Friere and Chef Du Pont were vital to the U.S. and German forces alike. The Germans needed to be able to counter attack towards St Mere Eglise and [...]
Christmas Day Truce 1914. One hundred years ago this month the famous Christmas truce and football match between British and German soldiers took place in this very field at Ploegsteert, near Ypres in Belgium. A small oasis of humanity in one of the most devastating wars known to mankind. We would like to wish all our friends a happy and peaceful Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. (I would also like to acknowledge [...]
Poppy Appeal Australia's tribute to the 8 million horses, mules, ponies and donkeys of all sides killed in loyal service. Very appropriate.
D Day Tours review from Capetown, South Africa. A lovely review and some very kind words from Chet and Annemarie Sainsbury. It was a pleasure to meet them both and to be their guide for a few days. They kindly sent us some photographs of their tour too, and permission to use them History Brought Alive Although we were pretty ignorant about the D-Day Invasion and had no personal connection to that part of WW2, it [...]
A Testimonial for our D-Day Tours Some kind words from satisfied clients. The wild and rugged Pointe Du Hoc, scene of one of the most heroic assaults on D-Day. Cited as a highlight of our 3 day tour by Michael and Heather Harper in their kind testimonial. I have had the privilege of meeting some very interesting people on my tours of the landing beaches and battle sites of Normandy. I enjoy meeting my [...]
Princess Elizabeth as a truckdriver in the Womens Royal Army Corps. 70 years ago, Princess Elizabeth, then a truck driver with the Women's Royal Army Corps, poses proudly beside her vehicle. Next week H.M. Queen Elizabeth II will lead the U.K. & Commonwealth in giving thanks to our D-Day veterans on the 70th anniversary of one of the most heroic military operations in history.
D-Day Landings UTAH Beach View over Utah Beach from German fortifications on the Dunes of St Martin de Varreville The Dunes of St Martin de Varreville The troops taking part in the successful Allied landings on UTAH beach on the morning of 6th June 1944 actually landed in the wrong place. The tides and current pushed the first wave of landing craft a mile further south to land opposite causeway No.2 (now the site [...]
D-Day Landings Rehearsals - Exercise Tiger Tragedy on Slapton Sands Painting of the German E Boat attack against the Landing Ship Convoy 70 yrs ago, in the last week of April 1944, the Allies staged a "Dress Rehearsal" for the planned landings on UTAH beach in June 1944. The exercise took place on the night of 28th-29th April and the convoy carrying U.S, Troops for the invasion set sail into the English Channel [...]
Allied planners for the Normandy Invasion scheduled for the late Spring or early Summer of 1944 knew that Air Superiority for the invasion would be vital. 70 yrs ago in February 1944 the Allies launched a series of air raids to target and destroy the German Luftwaffe. Thousands of bombers would set out to bomb German aircraft production forcing the Luftwaffe up to confront them or be destroyed without putting up a fight at [...]
