Visiting WW2 Battlefields

I've just read through all the posts on here and am amazed to see no references to the Lottery funding that is available to help veterans and their spouses, widows or widowers and their carers to visit WW2 battlefields.

While researching other topics, mainly Dig for Victory and wartime ways of surviving on very little money, I happened to cross virtual paths with Ted Cachart, former Sgt. 49th Squadron. (I'm now sidetracked, as I ended up reading all about Ted's fascinating story as a PoW.) He's already taken advantage of the funding, which can be anything from £150 to £5,500 in total, depending on how many travel and to where. He visited Nice and Avignon, if I'm not mistaken.

There are a couple of veterans from my own village who have also made the most of the opportunity, so I know that this money is still available.

The funding is accessible through the Heroes Return 2 programme, run by the Big Lottery Fund and they've extended the dates for applications. (Big Lottery Fund info is here.)

I 'met' Ted through his current mission to spread the word of this before the funding ends (January 2012) and he's now offering free advice about the application process. You'll find all his contact details at World War Two Heritage.

Sorry if this is old news to everyone, I'm still a bit taken aback at never having heard of it until recently, despite it having been available since 2004!

Hope the info can be of some benefit to someone on here.

 

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/18844-cash-available-returning-ww2-%22heros%22.html

And welcome aboard !

Ron

 

Thanks for the welcome, Ron.

I hope you enjoyed your trip last year (read it via the link you posted, thanks) and it's great knowing that there are still people able to benefit from this. I was a little bit annoyed/ashamed of myself for not having heard of it until recently, but I'm trying to do my bit now to help. Few of my generation I have spoken to are aware of it (45-55), yet many of us have relatives who played their part during the War.

Ps: My grandfather was posted in Scicily for part of the time during the War.

 

This thread seems to be about tours.....if anyone needs a book for self-guided tours of WWII monuments, museums, cemeteries, and battlegrounds in central and northern Italy, please see A Travel GUide to World War II Sites in Italy. It's sold on Amazon and at other book websites in the UK. The book's website (Travel Guide Press) lists where to find more information about particular sites.

 

I'm planning to visit Normandy next year and am trying to decide where to visit. I'm hoping to be there for about 4 days. Has anyone got any top tips for an itinery?

I've just found an app on my iPhone called DDay and Normandy that looks like it could be really useful.

 

Have a look around Paul Reed's website:

Battlefields of WW2 by Paul Reed

I believe he has a book/guide to be published soon on Normandy.

Edit:

Here you go

WW2 Books by Paul Reed

 

Here are few battlefield tours from The Cultural Experience for 2012 - Battlefield Tours | Historical Tours | Military History Tours
Northeast India http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/north_east_india.php
Tunisia http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/the_war_in_the_desert_tunisia.php
Egypt
http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/the_war_in_the_desert_egypt.php
Italy
http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/the_winter_and_gustav_lines.php
Russia http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/the_great_patriotic_war.php
Crete http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/operation_mercury.php
The Holocaust http://www.theculturalexperience.com/historical_tours/the_holocaust.php

 

Welcome to the forum Vfurnier, we have a fairly relaxed attitude to advertising but I hope you'll do more here than just post links. Perhaps introduce yourself?

 

In October for my Dad's 75th we are going on the Leger trip that covers Arnhem and the Rhine Crossings. It's going to be good because we will be following in my Grandad's footsteps with 43 Div in crossing the bridge at Nijmegen and then onwards to the Rhine.

I can't really post anymore on it as the trip is a surprise and my Dad is a member of this forum as a casual observer/reader. He's away at the moment so this should be pretty safe!

 

Most of my battlefield guiding is WW1 based but I am conducting a private tour for a party of 6 to Normandy in the last week of February. It will be my first visit to the beaches for about 3 years! - are there any new must see memorials, museums etc that have opened in the last 3 years?
see World War Ancestry - ancestor tracing, military, army, soldier historical research, tracking relatives

 

Here is may blog with travel guides to visit battlefields, museums, concentration camps... I try to explain everything: transports, accommodation... Hope it helps

WW2 Tourism.

 

My company does battlefield tours from Canada ... the well known writer Mark Zuehlke is our host on our Italian Tour ... and I host our North wets Battlefield Tour ... we also have a tour going overseas for the 100th anniversary of The Somme/ Beaumont Hamel ... and also for the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge ... we are currently designing other tours but I don't want to just stick the company link up because (a) I don't want to blow our horn and (b) I don't want to violate any site regulations and offend anyone. But if anyone wants info just ask. Best. Phil Craig. I created and curate at www.georginamilitarymuseum.ca just north of Toronto.

 

Good to know. Georgina is only 40 km north of me.

 

PJCraig,

Having done the Gothic line two years ago which confirms that Norm Christie was correct in stating>>>>There are very few memorials in Italy>> What does your tour offer that is not in one of the Copp guide books?

Cheers

 

If anyone is interested, I am running a battlefield tour to Monte Cassino on 5-8 May 16.

We will look in detail at the four battles that ran from 12 Jan-5 Jun 44. The tour will include the Canadian attack on the Hitler Line at Aquino and Mark Clark's controversial decision to switch the bulk of the VI (US) Corps breakout from Anzio away from Harold Alexander's intent of destroying the retreating German Tenth Army at Valmontone.

PM me if interested.

Regards

Frank