John Hetherington Battlefield Tours

John Hetherington Battlefield Tours John Hetherington Battlefield Tours My name is John Hetherington and I have been teaching history in North Bay since 1987.

I have always been very interested in military history. Since 1983 I have spent most of my summers backpacking throughout the world exploring ancient and modern battlefields. I have also had considerable experience traveling through areas that have been ravaged by civil war. I have been making trips to Europe each year since 1991 to study the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars. In 199

7 I also began leading groups of students on battlefield tours throughout Europe. The route and sites that I have selected for this tour will provide all participants with an educational and memorable experience that will last a lifetime. This tour will focus on some of the main campaign areas of the Canadian, British and American Armies that fought in Belgium and France during the First and Second World Wars. We will be visiting museums, memorials and military cemeteries as well as the actual sites where these battles took place. There will also be opportunities to inspect bunkers and trench systems as well as meet some interesting people along the way. Special emphasis will be directed towards highlighting the various battle tactics employed by the Allied Armies while fighting in Western Europe during the campaigns of 1914 to 1918 and 1939-1945. All participants will be provided with a detailed dossier of the areas that we will be visiting one month prior to the departure date. This will include a comprehensive reading and map package designed to provide a more complete knowledge of the battle sites that we will be visiting. At each stop we will receive a full explanation regarding the significance of each site. Visiting the actual battlefields will allow everyone to gain a greater appreciation of each campaign. The sites selected for the tour will allow participants to develop a greater understanding of the tactics, strategies and weapons used during both wars. This experience is also intended to give all participants a greater appreciation for the sacrifices made by all soldiers who served in Western Europe during the First and Second World Wars.

Essex Farm. Came across this sketch of the Essex farm dressing station where John McCrae worked and wrote in Flanders Fi...
08/02/2024

Essex Farm. Came across this sketch of the Essex farm dressing station where John McCrae worked and wrote in Flanders Fields I can't remember where I found the map but it is very accurate. Many of the people who I have lead on tours over the years may remember this. Small canal bridge location roadway and vehicle parking area ( now a garden center) are all visible.

I know, I know.. while other people are taking pictures of great architecture and beautiful countryside on a tour I am o...
02/04/2024

I know, I know.. while other people are taking pictures of great architecture and beautiful countryside on a tour I am off when I can to find evidence of "after the battle"
Juts 300 meters down the street from our hotel in Zutphen is the clock tower named the Wijnhuistoren. As you can see the Canadians did a very good job of laying waste to it as they fought their way into the town. The front has been modified a bit as the balcony over the door could not be repaired and a white concrete entrance replaced it. On closer inspection it had 1955 written on it. This was a tough one to find. Canadian soldiers can be seen in front of it after the liberation of Zutphen on April 8th 1945.

I managed to find where this scene took place while out for a stroll while leading one of my battlefield tours. Canadian...
01/21/2024

I managed to find where this scene took place while out for a stroll while leading one of my battlefield tours. Canadian soldiers being marched off into captivity after the failed raid on Dieppe August 19 1942. The street is the Rue de Sygogne that comes up from the Western end of the main beach

St Aubin sur Mer Juno Beach 1944/2023Resistance nest 27 (WN27) Captured by the North shore Regiment and support from the...
12/30/2023

St Aubin sur Mer Juno Beach 1944/2023
Resistance nest 27 (WN27) Captured by the North shore Regiment and support from the Fort Gary Horse armoured and 19th field Regiment on the morning of June 6th 1944. This is the only surviving 50mm gun still in place along the coastline. The black and white picture shows the wreckage on the beach following the invasion. Also the remains of an M-7 Priest self propelled gun knocked out by enemy fire on the run into shore
This is just another location that we will be visiting during our 80th anniversary tour to Normandy in June 2024.
for details visit
verstraete.com

Join me on John Hetherington Battlefield Tours and explore the Canadian route as they breached the Hindenburg Line in Au...
12/13/2023

Join me on John Hetherington Battlefield Tours and explore the Canadian route as they breached the Hindenburg Line in Aug/Sept 1918

There is still time to sign up to join us on this unforgettable tourFor more information visitverstraete.com
12/13/2023

There is still time to sign up to join us on this unforgettable tour
For more information visit
verstraete.com

Its always nice to hear about what someone from the tour says about a relative who was involved in an action when you ar...
11/25/2023

Its always nice to hear about what someone from the tour says about a relative who was involved in an action when you are touring a site. This from Rick Cartmel and I never really knew why he was so interested in this stop. Glad we stopped here.

Additional Notes to Lt C.E. Cartmel’s Second World Wars Reminiscences

Updated July 2023 due to visit to France June 3 – 15th 2023

In my father’s memoirs he mentions my Uncle George Cartmel being wounded near Carpiquet in July 1944 and how he was brought back to life by the North Nova Scotia Regiment. I have often wondered about the details and where exactly was my Uncle hit by mortar splinters. While visiting France this year on tour with John Hetherington, he was presenting the situation of the allies being held up once they had made inroads into France near Caen by the Germans for I think it was a month delay after getting of the beaches and moving inward. John was explaining this at a site called Hell’s Corner and Captain George Cartmel, being a FOO (Forward Observation Officer) was attached to the North Novas to provide artillery support to them by calling in shelling where necessary. Well Hell’s Corner was where all this happened (Uncle George being put out of action). Of course George when healed got back into the fighting and left Germany in 1946 serving as a Major and helping the reorganization / policing of peace time Germany

Join us on this exciting tour of remembrance in June 2024 for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. Contact me...
09/18/2023

Join us on this exciting tour of remembrance in June 2024 for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. Contact me for more details
Booking forms will soon be ready. There is limited space on this tour.

07/25/2023
Puys beach Dieppe and hiking to a bunker that fell from the cliff above
07/17/2023

Puys beach Dieppe and hiking to a bunker that fell from the cliff above

Very good day today at Vimy and surrounding area.Managed to make stops at 4 cemeteries for people on the tour with relat...
06/09/2023

Very good day today at Vimy and surrounding area.Managed to make stops at 4 cemeteries for people on the tour with relatives who fell in the Great War.
The last stop was for a man on our tour from Nova Scotia. I've been researching his great uncle for months. It was a tough one to crack but i did it. Found where he went into battle at Vimy and where he died from his wounds.
I took Stephen Wright to his grave in an out of the way cemetery. He was the first in his family to visit it since he died of his wounds April 11 1917.

WW2 LIBERATION TOURJune 3 – 15, 2023Tour Leader: John HetheringtonOn behalf of Verstraete Travel and Cruises I am please...
01/18/2023

WW2 LIBERATION TOUR
June 3 – 15, 2023
Tour Leader: John Hetherington
On behalf of Verstraete Travel and Cruises I am pleased to invite you to join me on the WW2 Liberation Tour starting in Normandy and finishing in The Netherlands.
Currently there are 7 seats remaining.
The tour focuses on the main campaign of the Canadian Army starting with the D-day landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944 and ending with the liberation of Holland in May of 1945. (We will be attending the D Day Ceremonies on June 6th.) We will also be visiting Dieppe and WW1 battlefields along the Western Front, The Somme, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, touring the Scheldt, Arnhem and the crossing of the Ijssel River in Holland.
Attached is the tour flyer detailing the itinerary and cost. If you are interested and would like to join the tour, I strongly recommend that you complete the booking form found on the website and return it as soon as possible.
Since tours of this nature have not been able to take place for 3 years I expect a high demand. The tour group size is limited and I expect it will sell out completely.
If you have any questions about the day to day tour details you are welcome to contact me at [email protected]
The Booking Form should be completed and returned to Verstraete Travel by email to [email protected] or by mail to the attention of Anne Winter.
Thank you for your interest and Verstraete Travel and I look forward to hearing from you.
Verstraete Travel & Cruises
300 - 14845 Yonge Street
Aurora, ON Canada L4G 6H8
Tel 416-969-8100 or1-800-565-9267
Visit us at www.verstraetetravel.com

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My name is John Hetherington and I have been teaching history in North Bay since 1987. I have always been very interested in military history. Since 1983 I have spent most of my summers backpacking throughout the world exploring ancient and modern battlefields. I have also had considerable experience traveling through areas that have been ravaged by civil war. I have been making trips to Europe each year since 1991 to study the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars. In 1997 I also began leading groups of students on battlefield tours throughout Europe. The route and sites that I have selected for this tour will provide all participants with an educational and memorable experience that will last a lifetime. This tour will focus on some of the main campaign areas of the Canadian, British and American Armies that fought in Belgium and France during the First and Second World Wars. We will be visiting museums, memorials and military cemeteries as well as the actual sites where these battles took place. There will also be opportunities to inspect bunkers and trench systems as well as meet some interesting people along the way. Special emphasis will be directed towards highlighting the various battle tactics employed by the Allied Armies while fighting in Western Europe during the campaigns of 1914 to 1918 and 1939-1945. All participants will be provided with a detailed dossier of the areas that we will be visiting one month prior to the departure date. This will include a comprehensive reading and map package designed to provide a more complete knowledge of the battle sites that we will be visiting. At each stop we will receive a full explanation regarding the significance of each site. Visiting the actual battlefields will allow everyone to gain a greater appreciation of each campaign. The sites selected for the tour will allow participants to develop a greater understanding of the tactics, strategies and weapons used during both wars. This experience is also intended to give all participants a greater appreciation for the sacrifices made by all soldiers who served in Western Europe during the First and Second World Wars.