In the last couple of years my wife and I have been on a number of guided battlefield tours, these have been organized through Titan Tours and all of them have had Professor Richard Holmes as tour ‘expert’. Those of you who have seen him on the Television or read any of his books will understand how well he fills that role. The tours we have been on have covered particular events in both the First and Second World Wars. 

From WW2 we attended a tour of the D-Day Beaches and another for Operation Market Garden at Arnhem.  Both of these tours are covered in a section on my Battle of Crete site.  Before mentioning the tours covered on this site I’ll make quick mention of a couple of US battlefields that I have visited, as my wife is American her brother acted as guide. I have a particular interest in the 1863 Battle of Chickamauga (www.chickamauga-1863.com) and have visited this battlefield a couple of times. Other US ones visited are Gettysburg, Antietam, Kennesaw, Peach Tree Creek and the notorious prison camp at Andersonville.

Two books by Richard Holmes that can be bought through Amazon

Of more relevance to this WW1 site are the tours of the Ypres and Somme battlefields and Verdun.  Both are quite different because of the very different geography of the two and also I think, because of the cemeteries. Flanders and the Somme are littered with so many Allied and German cemeteries that you are constantly reminded of the sacrifice made there.  Verdun is an area still completely scarred by the millions of artillery shells poured into a small area, as well as the concrete strong points meant to hold back the Germans. Verdun is a very different area to visit from the British area further north, the area is dominated by the dark and lowering presence of the Ossuary, it leaves you with a very different experience from any of the large British cemeteries.

The Ossuary at Douaumont.  Photo J Dillon

WW1 tank.  Photo J Dillon taken at Imperial War Museum

In April 2005 we will be joining Richard Holmes on another of his WW1 tours, this time with Holts Tours as they and Titan are now one.  The April trip will be focussed on ‘The Kaiser’s Battle’ of March 1918; my Grandfather was captured on the first day of this battle and is the reason that I built the site.