Battle Honours is now 20 years old. When Clive and Jools first started the company in January 2005 they had no inkling that the journey would still be underway 20 years later nor where that journey would have taken them.
The hundreds (we estimate 600+) of battlefield tours over the years have been varied in both style and destination.
From the Battle of St. Albans on our doorstep to Rorkes Drift 6,000 miles away the destinations and battles have been fascinating to discover, in fact one might say, all consuming. Whilst the frequent journeys to the Somme, Ypres and Normandy have seen us return dozens of times, it is our efforts to “break new ground” on some of the lessor visited battles that are so memorable for us. From the snow covered peaks in the Vosges Mountains (Thanks Mike Shiel) to the carved granite trenches in the Dolomites and the Mosquito front in Salonika (by tractor) its fair to say we have pushed the boundaries.
For Clive, he is most proud of our efforts at continuing to explore the Gallipoli battlefield and provide memorable experiences for the visitor, while at the same time forging partnerships and friendships with the locals. Clive said “our work in Gallipoli is not done yet, every year, working with the Gallipoli Association we explore new ground, and interestingly, we have now spent more time in Gallipoli, over the last 20 years, than the actual campaign lasted!”
For Julian, a very memorable achievement was the Battlefield Studies conducted to the Baltic States on behalf of the Multi-National NATO HQ. Deep in the snow covered Pine forests of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on the very borders of Russia and Belarus posed its own challenges, but proved to be a great success. (Just don’t ask him what happens at remote border guard posts!)
At Gettysburg, we delighted the local guide when we insisted on our signature “walking” approach to view the battlegrounds. No one in 10 years had asked him to spend two whole days walking the ground. The same approach in South Africa led to one of the most unusual questions Julian has had to answer on a battlefield. When ascending Spion Kop following the same route the British Soldiers used in 1900, the morning mist cleared and a client asked “Is that a Giraffe?“
While the destinations are memorable it is the people and organisations we have met and worked with along the way that are most special. Space is too limited to mention individuals but mentions in despatches for the good Canadian folks of the Essex Scottish Regiment(Semper Paratus), The Pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, The National WW1 Museum in Kansas City, Members of the WFA and Gallipoli Associations, the ORASOT hysterical association and the Guild of Battlefield Guides (also known as the Gene pool).
More recent achievements for us have included partnering with some of the private Clubs from St James’ in central London, providing destination management and advice for some other third parties and securing work with the US Air Force, providing their next generation of leaders with development training across numerous battlefields.
So while it is Happy Birthday to us, its more of a big thank you to all of you loyal foot soldiers that have kept coming back on tours with us all these years. Here’s to all of us. Happy New Year, and we hope to see you on the ‘old frontlines in 2025.
