Normandy Spearhead Tours

24/03/2025

https://theundauntedhistorian.com/2025/03/24/expansionist-ambitions-in-historical-perspective-is-greenland-trumps-lebensraum/

12/03/2025

https://theundauntedhistorian.com

Revisiting the past for a deeper understanding of history and the times we live in

24/12/2023

Best wishes for a joyous Christmas filled with love and happiness!

17/04/2022

HAPPY EASTER everyone!
Looking forward to a better season in what should (hopefully) be post-pandemic life, here is a new 2-in-1 tour formula! It is dedicated to all visitors who want to discover another side of the history of Normandy as well as the local produce and traditions...
https://www.spearhead-tours.com/falaise-pays-d-auge

PS. What is better than celebrating Easter? To celebrate it twice on two consecutive Sundays 😉 Thank you, Great Schism! 🙂

30/04/2021

www.spearheadofhistory.com

Spearhead of history is a podcast and blog dedicated to revisiting key events in European history

28/04/2021

https://youtu.be/8dlXnPfedOc

In the first episode of Spearhead of history, prof. John McManus and I will discuss the main aspects of the initial assault on the eastern section of Omaha b...

27/04/2021

https://youtu.be/0r0qtm7BqME

In the first episode of Spearhead of history, prof. John McManus and I will discuss the main aspects of the initial assault on the eastern section of Omaha b...

13/03/2021

The virus may have deprived us of so many things over the last 12 months but nothing, not even the pandemic, could prevent one from pursuing his passion. It has been over a year since my last tour but my love for history is now probably stronger than ever. And since love has to be expressed one way or another I am dedicating myself to a new project called 'Spearhead of history' podcast.

In the first episode, award-winning professor and military historian John C. McManus kindly accepted my invitation to revisit the D-DAY operations at Omaha Beach and the role played by the 'Big Red One' in the opening stage of the Normandy campaign.

06/06/2019

17 y.o + 75 D-DAY. Dennis Alcock is as full of life today as he was in 1944.

This afternoon, after spending a good part of the day at Bayeux Cemetery, my daughter and I were heading home when a veteran waved to us. I have to admit: she is like a veteran magnet - so we went to say hello! From the start, I tried to warn Dennis that if Theresa May could not get more than a friendly handshake from her earlier, then there was little chance he would be more successful. I forgot for a moment that Dennis and his mates were here 75 years ago and that nothing can stop these guys!

I was lucky enough to chat with him and his lovely wife for a few minutes while they were waiting for their coach to arrive. Just enough to learn about how he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17 by scraping off part of a 7 on a bit of paper to look like 1 using a razor blade as a tool or how the ship he was on was 'sandwiched' on D-DAY between HMS Rodney and HMS Warspite. He also told me about his long career as a football referee - it spanned over 20 years - and how proud he was for having had the chance to talk to Prince Charles today. Well, before I new it, this 17 year old (+75 D-DAY anniversaries) found a way to 'instigate' a clapping game with my daughter. In a few moments it became pretty clear that she could not resist him either and everyone had a good laugh.

Dennis has NOT grown old. He is as joyful and full of life as any other 17 year old, now or then. It is very likely that Edward W. Durn was exactly the same, a young Royal Marine who fell on June 6th, 1944 and who is resting in Bayeux Military Cemetery. Neither one of them will grow old and what they did three quarters of a century ago will forever be embedded in the hearts of liberty loving people!

We said goodbye to Dennis and his wife (who used to be a ballerina!) only when their bus arrived. I thought I should play it cool with a handshake but I could not help myself and that quickly turned into two big hugs! What an amazing encounter this has been!