Captain E.C.B. Blencowe. From Menin Gate to Bedford House Cemetery.
I posted on my blog an article in respect of Captain ECB Blencowe in April 2023 and in June 2025 an amazing update to his …
History
Pte Francis Kelly No 2 Commando The Greatest Raid of All.
While I was in Ypres during April 2025, I was able to arrange a trip which I had wanted to take for some time. I …
Achnacarry. Home of the Commando October 2024
I assist the Royal Marines Historical Society as their Armourer when they provide exhibitions around the United Kingdom. The theme in 2024 was Royal Marines …
The Battle of Culloden 16th April 1746
In October 2024 I was in Fort William with the Royal Marines Historical Society and thus had the chance to travel through the Great Glen …
Arnhem 80th Anniversary 18th -23rd September 2024
I was very fortunate to attend the 80th Anniversary commemorations for the Battle of Arnhem. My school granted a week’s holiday so I could attend …
80th Anniversary Normandy Beach Landings – D-Day.
As we are now in 2025, I felt that I needed to publish some details of my travels in the second half of 2024. My …
Waterloo April 2024 – Day Three.
Being with Zack for the last two days has taught me so much about this battle. Today was all about the Prussians. Zack had explained …
Waterloo April 2024 – Day Two.
We started the day at Hougoumont, where I was staying. Today was all about the 18th June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. Tomorrow we would …
Waterloo April 2024
I was incredibly lucky to visit the Waterloo Battlefield and stay at Hougoumont Farm. They have an apartment which forms part of the farm that …
Fort Eben-Emael.
While staying at Waterloo this month I took the opportunity to visit Fort Eben-Emael located near the Belgium – Netherlands border protecting the Bridges of …
The Massacre at Le Paradis
After my visit to the Memorial Park at Wormhoudt which was the site of a German SS massacre of British and French soldiers on the …
The Massacre at Wormhoudt
During the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940 certain infantry divisions were assigned positions to slow the German advance and to grant time for the …
Blockhaus d’Eperlecques
The Blockhaus is located near La Coupole, which is near St Omer. (It is 14km northwest of La Couploe) The museum has many artifacts covering …
La Coupole V2 complex
La Coupole is located in Wizernes France. It is built into an old quarry 5km from St Omer, South East if Calais. I visited this …
The Crater Cemeteries near Neuville-Saint-Vasst
There are two very interesting Canadian Cemeteries near Neuville-Saint-Vaast, were the burial of Canadian soldiers found on the Vimy battlefield were laid to rest in …
The Cemetery of Brussels
I have a long-standing journey which I have been travelling for some time. The details of which will be confirmed in a standalone entry within …
Remembering the Fallen
It seems ages since I was last on the battlefield and 2024 is going to be a busy year. I have arrived back in Ypres …
Clash of Empires
On returning from the battlefield trip to Ypres I was able to travel to London to attend the last day of the Clash of Empires …
Ypres July 2023
The last ten days in Belgium and France have been fantastic even the non-seasonal weather. I have posted new content on the blog with regard …
Le Cateau 26th August 1914
On the same day I travelled to Ors, I also visited Le Cateau. It was here that the BEF ll Corps staged a delaying action …
La Main De Massiges
If you are travelling the Western Front, this is a visit which should be at the top of your list. I travelled from Ypres and …
Mons 23rd August 1914
Today I travelled from Ypres to Mons in Belgium where the B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) clashed with the German army for the first time in …
The Sambre Canal 4th November 1918
I travelled south to Ors in France today to look at part of the Battle for the Sambre. I would then also pop over to …
The Belgian Army Front – Diksmuide
I am so happy to be back in Ypres (Ieper) and have plans to visit many sites which I have not seen before. On the …
New Milton and Barton on Sea Indian Memorial.
In my school town of New Milton and Barton on Sea we have a memorial dedicated to the Indian soldiers who came to our town. …
Durlston Court School Plaque
I have visited Ypres for some years now and have always popped into St George’s Chapel, (Church) to pay my respects to the soldiers who …
Captain E Blencowe – Dorsetshire Regiment
I have returned to the Western Front after my week in Normandy. Today I tried to find the area where Captain E.C.B Blencowe was killed. …
The Falaise Pocket – Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour Normandy
Today is the 6th April 2023 and it is the sixth day of Paul’s Battlefield Tour in Normandy. This is my last day. We started …
Operation Cobra – Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour Normandy.
Today is the 5th April 2023 and it is the fifth day of Paul’s Battlefield Tour in Normandy. This is Operation Cobra Day. Paul took …
US Airborne and cutting the Cotentin – Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour.
Today is the 4th April 2023 and it is the fourth day of Paul’s Battlefield Tour in Normandy. This is US Airborne Day. We are …
It is all about the terrain – Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour.
Today is the 3rd April 2023 and it is the third day of Paul’s Battlefield Tour in Normandy. This is terrain day. We will look …
Commando Day – Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour.
Today is the 2nd April 2023 and it is the second day of Paul’s Battlefield Tour in Normandy. We started at Pegasus Bridge. Operation Deadstick. …
Paul Woodadge Battlefield Tour – Normandy- Omaha Beach – Day One.
The battlefield season has started, and I am so looking forward to the next three weeks. I am joining a weeklong battlefield tour with Paul …
Ulster Tower, The Somme 16th February 2023
It is great to be back on the battlefield. Over the past few days I have been staying in Ypres, Wipers or Ieper, however you …
A tale of two Brothers at Arnhem
Having returned from Arnhem I felt I would like to add some more information of what I discovered while on the ground. The battlefield and …
Arnhem, 2022. 17th & 18th August
18th August 2022 Operation Plunder. After a day tracing the Canadians during Operation Veritable and the clearing of the Germans from the south bank of …
Arnhem, 2022. 17th August
For the next two days I was travelling with Edwin Popkin, a fantastic historian based near Eindhoven in the Netherlands. I have known Edwin for …
Arnhem, 2022. 13th August
So pleased to be back in the Arnhem area. Here for a couple of weeks so plenty of days to explore the Battlefields. The weather …
Ypres, 2022. 24th July
Today I set off for the Somme to record the resting place of three more ex-pupils of Durlston Court School. I also wanted to see …
Ypres, 2022. 23rd July
Back on the bike and a trip out of Ypres to The Bluff. Numerous cemeteries along the southeast edge of the Salient. The front line …
Ypres, 2022. 22nd July
I decided to visit some Cemeteries on my Bicycle and have listed some photographs of my journey. In the evening I laid a Wreath at …
Ypres, 2022. 21st July
Toc H. I travelled to Poperinghe which is approximately 7 miles from Ypres. During WWI Poperinghe had more traffic than Piccadilly Circus in London. This …
Ypres, 2022. 20th July
My school has a long history and connection with the First World War. Many former pupils fought during the conflict and nineteen of them paid …
Ypres, 2022. 19th July
Early start today to discover two battles which took place in World War I. The first was the Battle of Fromelles which took place 106 …
Ypres, 2022 18th July
It is great to be back at Ypres in Belgium. Arrived on Sunday evening ready to explore more World War I battlefields. Today Monday, 18th …
Normandy 2022. D-Day 6th June.
It has been a great adventure in Normandy 2022, and I hope everyone has enjoyed my posts. Today I travelled to Sainte-Mere-Eglise in the Utah …
Normandy 2022, 5th June.
D-Day is only the beginning of the Normandy Campaign, which lasted until the end of August 1944. Most visitors do not venture away from the …
Normandy 2022, 4th June.
The weather today followed the tremendous thunderstorms of last night. Although dry in the morning, more thunderstorms were due in the afternoon. Isigny-sur-Mer, the town …
Normandy 2022, 3rd June.
I set out towards the British and Canadian sectors today with a long drive in the Willys jeep from Omaha to Pegasus bridge. I would …
Normandy 2022, 2nd June.
I started to venture into the British Sectors today with a visit to the La Cambe, WW2 German Cemetery. This is a large collection cemetery, …
Normandy 2022, 1st June.
Today I took a slight detour from the battlefield and visited a Militaria Fair at the Écausseville Airship Hanger. It was truly a sight to …
Normandy 2022, 31st May.
Utah I returned to Utah Beach to view the beach defences. Utah was one of the two American landing zones, the other being Omaha. It …
Normandy 2022, 30th May.
Today I started off with taking a 30-minute drive to the Omaha Beach sector. My first stop was the most visited WW2 American cemetery in …
Normandy 2022 29th May
Recce trip to Utah Yesterday was my first day in Normandy for the D-Day Festival 2022. The weather has been great, with bright blue skies. …
Normandy 2022
It has been a three year wait to return to Normandy for the June 6th commemorations. All due to the pandemic. So excited to be …
