After battlefield tour in Belgium visited friends near S'Hertogenbosch. They took me to Camp Vught and nearby Geniemuseum . Former best explained concentration camp I have seen and latter included pictured defence that stopped a German train loaded with tanks in 1944.

Sunny week's recce in Malta with Army HQ ready for Battlefield Study there in March 2025. Think that was the last of the summer for me. Home to snow on the ground in Nottingham last night

Jolly Christmas and New Year in Kandersteg | ch with 16 members of the extended Cotterill family , aged from 3 to 93. Now home to concentrate on preparing my Fellowship Presentation for the IGBG AGM in Newbury later this month.

Thanks IGBG team for organising annual conference/AGM at the weekend. Started with Chris Scott guiding us round the Battle of Newbury and I was very proud to gain my Fellowship alongside Andy Johnson on Sunday. Think the singing clinched it.

Bright and sunny week in Malta with HQ Army , or at least part of it. Looking especially at command and communications. Pictured is the Lazaretto in Valletta , the wartime home of the fighting 10th Submarine Flotilla RN.

Just had a few days on the Western Front following the Great War of L/Cpl Benjamin Perry MM of 1/5 South Staffords with five of his descendants. Held at Rouen Base Depot so missed Hohenzollern Redoubt and WIA March 16 so missed Gommecourt. Lucky man.

5 days in Northumbria with @scottnotdot and lots of castles , cycling , sunshine and seafood. Highlight was famous Riley's Fish Shack on beach at Tynemouth.

Stopped in Durham on way home from Northumbria yesterday. Original cross from Butte de Warlencourt where DLI fought at very end of Battle of the Somme in their regimental chapel in the cathedral. "Faithful Durhams".

Last week in Ardennes guiding 2 Regiment of the Army Air Corps. Pictured is a discussion on siting and defending Forward Operating Bases at Bullingen where Kampfgruppe Peiper over-ran one such location with its 12 x Piper Cubs , belonging to 99 US Infantry on 17 December 1944.

Yesterday I visited Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery . With over 31,000 dead it is a huge site and contains quite a few KC holders , mostly Luftwaffe. Pictured are Gildner , Frank and Beyer , who between them claimed 173 allied aircraft. Frank downed 3 on the Nuremberg Raid alone.

Great week guiding for Battle Honours Tours in Malta. 1091 to 1943. Pictured are Jools Whippy and Scottie in Imtarfa Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery with the Silent City of Mdina in the background.

Gallipoli last week guiding for Battle Honours Tours with Julian Whippy. Pictured is Orhaniye Battery covering the entrance to the Dardanelles.

Unexpectedly sunny start to November yesterday at the IGBG East Midlands get together. 13 members guided around the surprising military history of Melton Mowbray by HistoryFare 💙 followed by long lunch in the Ann of Cleeves - which is not the oldest pub in town !

Last tour of the year last week taking HQ Standing Joint Command UK for a recce to Malta prior to their 2026 Battlefield Study . Auberge de Castille ready for Christmas pictured.

Cold and snowy in Bavaria last week making final preps for IGBG recce in April. Pictured is viewing tower at Blenheim. Also looked at Munich Cradle of Nazism and German Great War Museum at Ingolstadt

IGBG annual conference in Portsmouth last weekend. Fun and fellowship as always. Pictured is Simon Massey and a Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle in the excellent D Day Experience.

Rededication yesterday in Nottingham Road Cemetery in Derby, of recently renovated grave of Adeline Rivers. Her son Pte Jacob Rivers , 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters, received posthumous VC for his bombing exploits at Neuve Chapelle. Remembered here and on Le Touret Memorial.

James Major , local landowner and expert , yesterday showed 12 members and guests of IGBG around scene of 1944 Fauld explosion. Largest explosion in UK when RAF bombs 300 feet underground went up killing 70 people. Kindly organised by members Chris John and Richard Barnes.

Recce for 23-25 Oct 2026 IGBG core weekend in Warwick just completed with Messrs Rich , Davey and Harvey. It is going to be a cracker. Calling notice to members to follow !

IGBG Bavaria recce at weekend. 15 of us had a busy time looking at the rise of the Nazis in Munich 1919-1933 , the Battle of Blenheim 1704 , the German Great War Museum in Ingolstadt and the Concentration Camp at Dachau. Chunks of pork and good Paulaner beer in the evenings