Your Favourite Battlefield Tour?

Discussion in 'WW2 Battlefields Today' started by rosstcorbett, Nov 7, 2015.

  1. rosstcorbett

    rosstcorbett Member

    Hi everybody,

    A friend and I recently returned from our first ever Battlefield Tour. We travelled to Normandy with Leger to explore the D-Day beaches and our guide was Paul Reed.

    I have always preferred to travel independently but I absolutely loved this tour and without doubt will look to do another one at some point soon.

    I was wondering what has been your favourite Battlefield Tour and if there is a particular tour you would do again?

    Regards,

    Ross
     
    ritsonvaljos likes this.
  2. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    WW2 Italian tour with Leger and Paul Reed
    WW2 Italian tour with Leger and Paul Reed again :biggrin:, although I am considering a WW1 Western Front tour too.

    Lesley
     
  3. smdarby

    smdarby Well-Known Member

    I have a buddy who is a former colonel in the US Army. He managed to get me on a USO Battle of the Bulge Tour from a base in Germany (USO organises social events for the US military - no outsiders are usually allowed). It was led by a lecturer from West Point who gave us a large map/organization chart booklet and talked non-stop for virtually the whole day (which started at 04.15 and didn't end until around 22.00!). As you can imagine, since it was the guys job to educate the US Army's future officers about the lessons learned from the battle, he was incredibly interesting to listen to. He covered everything - tactics, strategy, logistics, organization, intelligence, command and control, political consideration, everything.

    Another thing I liked was that when he talked about Montgomery he wasn't derogatory. He explained how Monty being given command over the northern part of the Bulge made sense for command and control reasons. And he didn't know there was a Brit on the bus!

    Unfortunately, can't get onto these tours anymore as my buddy is in the Middle East somewhere (I think).
     
  4. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Lesley
    Next time try another Italian tour from Ancona to Ravenna including the Coriano Ridge - that will scare you !

    Cheers
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Ross,

    I have been to Burma and spent two weeks retracing the steps of the 1943-44 Chindits. Obviously, I would love to do this again, especially as I now know so much more about my grandfather's participation and travels.

    I also went to Ypres a few years back with my brother and Dad. Again this was a wonderful experience and another excellently run tour. I have alway wanted to visit Turkey and tour the Gallipoli campaign area.

    Best wishes

    Steve
     
  6. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    I really enjoyed a tour of Okinawa that I did in 2007, seeing the many locations related to that battle from Admiral Ota's tunnel HQ to the final battlefield via The Cave of the Virgins. It was difficult to translate the images from the battlefield photos/film to the actual locations due to the urban expansion but interesting none the less.

    Two that I would like to do in the future are for the Far East, Kohima/Imphal and for Europe, Narva.
     
  7. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Arnhem / Oosterbeek (Netherlands)

    I have been on guided tours to Arnhem / Oosterbeek coinciding with the anniversary commemorations a few times. Also on these tours were a number of Airborne veterans who had taken part in the battle plus a number of postwar ex-paras, relatives of those killed in the fighting, etc. So, of course there was a lot of first-hand knowledge among the group.

    In addition to this, there is the extra special warm welcome, friendliness and helpfulness of the Dutch people. Thus, for a guided tour I would say Arnhem / Oosterbeek has been a personal favourite and would recommend it to others.

    For WW1 and WW2 battlefields in France, such as Normandy or Paris, I am reasonably familiar with them from previous research / university studies. So, unless it was for something like a special anniversary visit, when it would be better with a group, I tend to visit these places independently.
     
  8. Brian Smith

    Brian Smith Junior Member

    A few years ago we did the Anne Frank and Oscar Schindler tour with Leger. Harrowing and interesting in equal measure. Covers the whole story of the "final solution" from conception to trial.

    Brian
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Dunkirk of course :lol:
     
  10. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Cassino - I have been 131 times and am looking forward to 131 more. It is an incredible battle.

    FdeP
     
  11. Goodygixxer

    Goodygixxer Senior Member

    I've been to Normandy several times doing my own thing with a bit of prior online research but would love to do a proper tour with an expert as i'm sure there is so much i don't know about.

    Not WW2, but one of the best battlefield tours i've been on is in the Falklands, around Goose Green, Darwin and San Carlos water etc. I know it's a bit off the beaten track for most Brits but if you ever get the chance i fully recommend it. I'm fortunate enough to have been there 5 times but will sadly not get the chance to go again now i'm a civvy...and i'm gutted i never got around to doing the other tour up in the mountains of Tumbledown and Longdon etc....apparantly, there are still loads of relics up there.
     
  12. Swiper

    Swiper Resident Sospan

    As a teenager I self-guided Monte Cassino with the school group, doddle at the time (still surprised without ever seeing/field walking the area that I managed to be as accurate as I was!)

    Other than that for me it is all the inland battle areas in Normandy, glossed over by most but far more to see. You do need a *very good* knowledge of the ground though!
     
    Rob Dickers likes this.
  13. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Agreed Swiper.
    I did this tour a few years ago with a well known company.
    I must say it was very good in most part, but the guide new f--k all about any Artillery elements of the actions involved in the whole campaign, which was no suprise to me.
    He did get an education most nights in the bar though, which i think he did take onboard for future tours.I hope, as he did take down a lot of notes for reference.
    Rob
     
  14. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Cheriton (1644). 2AM. Guided by a chap who knew the battle inside out, by lantern light, while hammered. Nearly soiled myself at several points. Entire scenario now burnt into my brain.

    Towton (1461). Had been reading heavily on those wars. Thick fog. Scattering of snow. Memorial in the mist suddenly appeared while on the way elsewhere with a mate. Pure chance, as hadn't been paying attention to Geography.
    Shivers. Led to hours wandering the field. Cock Beck running red with blood & bridges made of corpses? Yeah. I can see that.
    20-30k dead in a period when most large battles didn't even have that many combatants. Remarkable.

    Roundway Down (1643). Pissing rain. Again, showed round by a complete expert (bribed from his lair with Pussers). Marvellous. First time I appreciated what the power of a Cavalry charge over certain terrain might be.


    Towton wins. Towton still gives me the willies.
     
  15. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Made plenty of (self-guided) BFtours over the years, each one in itself interesting. Some stand out. Touring the battlefield of the Rhinecrossing at Rees with a bus full of 51st Highland veterans, or a three day tour to the Ardennes with the same group. Visiting the Arnhem bridge with a bus load of veterans from 6th Airborne Division, they wanted to see the battle they had missed. Some impressive tours through the Rhineland with relatives of WW2 veterans, many of them Canadians.

    But I'll always remember my self-guided tour in the early-80'ies in the dank forests along the "International Highway" near Hollerath in the northern Ardennes, where the US 99th Inf Div was surprised by the onslaught of the German Ardennes offensive. At the time all US positions were still very well visible and seemed almost untouched, with sometimes little stoves inside and all sort of equipment lying about. As if the occupants had just left.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2019

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