Classic Battlefield Tours

16/08/2025

The Kiss on VJ Day

One of the best-known kisses was in Times Square, one of the most famous photographs ever published by Life. It was shot on August 14, 1945, shortly before the announcement by President Truman occurred, and when people were beginning to gather in celebration. Alfred Eisenstaedt went to Times Square to take candid photographs and spotted a sailor who "grabbed something in white. And I stood there, and they kissed. And I snapped four times." The same moment was captured in a very similar photograph by Navy photographer Victor Jorgensen (below), published in the New York Times. Several people have since claimed to be the sailor or the female, who was long assumed to be a nurse. It has since been established that the woman in the Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph was a dental assistant named Greta Zimmer Friedman, who clarified in a later interview that "I was grabbed by a sailor and it wasn't that much of a kiss, it was more of a jubilant act that he didn't have to go back, I found out later, he was so happy that he did not have to go back to the Pacific where they already had been through the war. And the reason he grabbed someone dressed like a nurse was that he just felt very grateful to nurses who took care of the wounded."

15/08/2025

15 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech to the Japanese public

At 12:00 noon Japan Standard Time on 15 August, the Emperor's recorded speech to the nation, reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, was broadcast:

After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure.
We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provisions of their Joint Declaration.

To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations as well as the security and well-being of Our subjects is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by Our Imperial Ancestors and which lies close to Our heart.

Indeed, we declared war on America and Britain out of our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement.

But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone—the gallant fighting of the military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State, and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people—the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest.

Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.

Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers...

The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable.[

14/08/2025

Atholl Highlanders - The only legal private army in Europe.

The Atholl Highlanders is a Scottish private infantry regiment. A ceremonial unit, it acts as the personal bodyguard to the Duke of Atholl, chief of the Clan Murray, a family that has lived in Perthshire for roughly seven centuries. Although it has no official military role, this hand-picked body of local men are armed with Lee–Metford rifles, and the regiment includes a pipe band. Joining the Highlanders is by invitation from the Duke, who selects men with ties to the estate or the local area.

The regiment is not part of the British Armed Forces but under the command of the Duke of Atholl, and based at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl. It is the only legal private army in Europe.

The regiment was raised in Perthshire by John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl as the 77th Regiment of Foot (or Atholl Highlanders, or Murray's Highlanders) in December 1777. The terms upon which the regiment was raised stated that the men were to be employed for either three years or the duration of the war in America. In 1781, the original three-year term ended, and the men expected the regiment to be disbanded. However, the regiment was transported to England and marched to Portsmouth to be embarked for service in India. Upon learning of this, the men mutinied, and the embarkation orders were countermanded. The regiment was marched to Berwick, where it disbanded in 1783.

More than 50 years later, in 1839, George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl, as Lord Glenlyon, re-formed the regiment as a bodyguard. In 1842, the regiment escorted Queen Victoria during her tour of Perthshire and, in 1844, when the Queen stayed as a guest of the Duke at Blair Castle, the regiment mounted the guard for the entire duration of her stay. In recognition of the service that the regiment provided during her two visits, the Queen announced that she would present the Atholl Highlanders with colours, thus giving the regiment official Scottish regiment status, in perpetuity.

Under John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke, the regiment regularly provided guards for royal visitors to Blair Castle (which was a convenient stopping point on the journey to Balmoral).

Following the First World War, parades of the regiment became fewer, although it did provide guards when the Crown Prince of Japan and King Faisal of Iraq visited Blair Castle in 1921 and 1933.

After many years of inactivity, the regiment remained in abeyance until in 1966, when it was reformed by Iain Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl. The 10th Duke decided to revive the regiment’s annual parade. To this effect, eight local men, mostly estate employees and all with previous military service training, were invited to join; seven accepted. They paraded on 8 April 1966 at Blair Castle for the first time in 33 years.

The 11th Duke, although resident in South Africa, visited Blair Atholl almost every year to inspect the regiment's annual parade until his death. The 12th Duke continues this tradition.[

13/08/2025

We have one place left on our Gallipoli Campaign Tour with Patrick Mercer, OBE, from 19-26 September 2025

Tour Inclusions
7 nights' accommodation in carefully selected hotels
Daily breakfast and briefing
Air-conditioned transportation throughout the tour
The services of our expert guide, Patrick Mercer, throughout
Enjoy an in-depth, expert-led tour of the Gallipoli campaign
We provide double rooms for single use
We do not charge single supplements

Itinerary information
Day 1
Istanbul
Independent arrival to Istanbul.
Transfer from the airport to your hotel.
Meet Patrick this evening for an introductory talk and welcome drink.
Overnight: Istanbul

Day 2
Istanbul Military Museum
After breakfast, we will visit the Istanbul Military Museum with an emphasis on the Dardanelles and Ataturk.
We will have a spot of lunch before driving to Gallipoli.
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 3
Turkish Memorial and French sector
We start the day with a visit to the Turkish Memorial before visiting some of the key areas of the campaign, including the French Sector. We end the day with a sobering visit to the Helles Memorial before heading back to the hotel for our evening meal.
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 4
Kannakale
An exciting day lies ahead as we take the ferry to Kannakale whilst engaging in a Holding/forcing the Straits discussion. We will visit the Turkish Naval Museum and review the Allied naval operations and the countermeasures put in place by the Turks.
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 5
Helles Peninsula
The Helles Peninsula, the rocky headland at the South-western-most point of the peninsula and scene of heavy fighting, is where we start our day today. We will also explore the Battles of Krithia, The Vinyard, Twelve Tree Copse, and Bigali before returning to our hotel in Gallipoli
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 6
Anzac Cove
On April 25, 1915, Australian troops made their landing at the location now known as Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
For most of the 16,000 Australians and New Zealanders who disembarked that day, it marked their first encounter with battle. By the end of the evening, 2,000 had either lost their lives or sustained injuries.
Today, we explore the Cove and Lone Pine Ridge and visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at Shrapnel Valley.
We end the day investigating the August Offensive- Sari Bair before returning to Gallipoli
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 7
Suvla Bay
The unexpected landings at Suvla Bay faced minimal resistance; however, the Allies’ hesitation and delays hindered their advance across all fronts, enabling Ottoman reinforcements to arrive and fortify their positions.
Today, we visit the bay and the site of further inland incursions following the landings.
Overnight: Gallipoli

Day 8
Return home
This morning, we return to Istanbul and fly home

To book, please follow this link:

The Gallipoli campaign was an audacious yet ultimately unsuccessful offensive against the Ottoman Empire. The alliance system had split Europe into factions of combatants and neutrals. However, at the war's onset, the Ottomans were a wildcard, unaligned with either side. Strategically positioned bet...

12/08/2025

No 77 smoke gr***de

The No. 77 gr***de was a British white phosphorus gr***de introduced in September 1943 and used during the Second World War. The No. 77 consisted of around 225 grams of white phosphorus, an impact fuze, and a tin casing. It was intended for laying down smoke screens and as a signalling device. The gr***de was also very effective as an anti-personnel, incendiary weapon. As well as being issued to the Home Guard, the No. 77 gr***de was issued to the British army. This gr***de was fitted with an "all-ways" action impact fuze designed to set the gr***de off when it hit a surface - the fuze was called "all-ways" as it was designed to work no matter which way the gr***de landed.

Once the gr***de exploded, the contents (i.e., the white phosphorus) scattered and ignited as soon as they touched the air. This made the gr***de extremely dangerous — hence its usefulness in combat.

When the war had ended, many of the gr***des had become dangerous due to the corrosion of the inferior tin plate steel used in the manufacture of the gr***de bodies. In 1948, the gr***de was determined to be obsolete, and all were destroyed to minimize the danger they could cause.

However, these were produced and used in Canada until the 1950s, for the quality and manufacturing of them was better than found in Britain. References to the No. 77 smoke gr***de could also still be found in Dutch army manuals up to the fifties, coded as "C-hgr Nr 77", (chemische handgranaat nummer 77), indicating its use up to that decade in Western Europe.

11/08/2025

Germany light anti-tank gun - 2.8 cm sPzB 41

2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (sPzB 41) was a German anti-tank weapon working on the squeeze bore principle. Officially classified as a heavy anti-tank rifle, it would be better described, and is widely referred to, as a light anti-tank gun.

Although the sPzB 41 was classified as a heavy anti-tank rifle, its construction was much more typical of an anti-tank gun. Like the latter, it had a recoil mechanism, carriage, and shield. The only significant feature the weapon had in common with anti-tank rifles was a lack of elevation and traverse mechanisms—the light barrel could be easily manipulated manually.

The squeeze bore design was based on a tapering barrel, with the caliber reducing from 28 mm at the chamber end to only 20 mm at the muzzle. The projectile carried two external flanges; as it proceeded toward the muzzle, the flanges were squeezed down, decreasing the diameter, with the result that pressure did not drop off as quickly, and the projectile was propelled to a higher velocity. The barrel construction resulted in a very high muzzle velocity - up to 1,400 m/s. The bore was fitted with a muzzle brake. The horizontal sliding breech block was "quarter-automatic": it closed automatically once a shell was loaded, but unlike semi-automatic guns, the fired shell casing had to be manually ejected by opening the breech block. The gun was equipped with an open sight for distances up to 500m; a telescopic sight, the ZF 1х11 from the 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun, could also be fitted.

Squeeze bore guns saw only limited use in World War II. Manufacturing such weapons was impossible without advanced technologies and high production standards. Besides Germany, the only country to bring such weapons to mass production was Britain, with the Littlejohn adaptor, which, although not a gun in itself, used the same principle. An attempt by a Soviet design bureau headed by V. G. Grabin in 1940 failed because of technological problems. In the US, reports about the sPzB 41 inspired a series of experiments with 28/20 barrels and taper bore adaptors for the 37 mm Gun M3; the work started in September 1941 and continued throughout the war, with no practical success.

The sPzB 41 combined good anti-armor performance at short range (for example, at least once a shot penetrated the lower front plate of the heavy IS-1 and a high rate of fire with small, lightweight (for an anti-tank gun), dismantleable construction. However, it also had several shortcomings, such as:
The barrel was hard to manufacture and had a short service life (about 500 rounds)
It had a very weak fragmentation shell
It's use of tungsten for armor-piercing shells
It has a short, effective range
It's relatively weak beyond-armour effect

10/08/2025

Martello tower

Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts.

They stand up to 40 feet high (with two floors) and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15–25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse, and hence fire, over a complete 360° circle. A few towers had moats or other batteries and works attached for extra defence.

Between 1804 and 1812, the British authorities built a chain of towers based on the original Mortella tower to defend the south and east coast of England, Ireland, Jersey , and Guernsey to guard against possible invasion from France, then under the rule of Napoleon I.

A total of 103 Martello towers were built in England, set at regular intervals along the coast from Seaford, Sussex, to Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Most were constructed under the direction of General William Twiss (1745–1827) and Captain Ford. The northernmost tower at Aldeburgh is of quatrefoil design, i.e. four in one.

Included in the scheme were three much larger circular forts or redoubts that were constructed at Harwich, Dymchurch, and Eastbourne; they acted as supply depots for the smaller towers as well as being powerful fortifications in their own right.

The effectiveness of Britain's Martello towers was never actually tested in combat against a Napoleonic invasion fleet. They were, however, effective in hindering smuggling. After the threat had passed, the Martello towers in England met a variety of fates. The Coast Guard took over many to aid in the fight against smuggling.

Fifteen towers were demolished to enable the re-use of their masonry. The sea washed thirty away, and the military destroyed four in experiments to test the effectiveness of the new rifled artillery. During the Second World War, some Martello towers returned to military service as observation platforms and firing platforms for anti-aircraft artillery.

09/08/2025

Free expert talks via Zoom for the Autumn months

The Holocaust with Nick Jackson
25th September 2025 from 18.00 to 19.15 with Q&A

The Holocaust, known in Hebrew as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, N**i Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe, around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich with Dan Hill
Thursday 30th October from 18.00 to 19.15 with Q&A

We travel back in time to N**i Germany to explore the story of the Rise and Fall of Hitler’s Third Reich.

The Battle of Austerlitz with Andy Mullen
Thursday 20th November from 18.00 to 19.15 with Q&A

Not only is this one of the most important battles of the Napoleonic period it is often included as one of the most important battles in history; often put in the same league as Cannae or Gaugamela.

Hadrian’s Wall with Warwick Louth
Thursday 18th December from 18.00 to 19.14 with Q&A

Building began in 122 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrianand included the stone base of the wall, forts every five miles, a militaryroad, defensive ditches, and milecastles. Warwick will discuss why the wall wasbuilt, stories of the Romans who manned the wall, and why it was abandoned.

The cost is free, although please register so we can send you the login details

Details can be found by clicking on this link:

https://classicbattlefieldtours.com/tour-types/schedule-tours/

08/08/2025

A review from Australia

My father and I had a wonderful trip; our guide, Mark, was fantastic. His knowledge of the battlefield was extensive, and while we were travelling around, he also researched details on my grandfather’s WW1 records, and we found the exact place my grandfather was wounded in 1917. My father is 87, and while he is very mobile for his age, there were times we needed to alter our plan. Again, Mark was very flexible, changing plans to suit our needs.

I would highly recommend Mark to anyone wanting a personalised experience.

07/08/2025

Remembering the British Indian Army during World War II

The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.[2] By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, rising to over 2.5 million men in August 1945. Serving in divisions of infantry, armour, and a fledgling airborne force, they fought on three continents in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

The army fought in Ethiopia against the Italian Army, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria against both the Italian and German armies, and, after the Italian surrender, against the German Army in Italy. However, the bulk of the Indian Army was committed to fighting the Japanese Army, first during the British defeat in Malaya and the retreat from Burma to the Indian border; later, after resting and refitting for the victorious advance back into Burma, as part of the largest British Empire army ever formed.

These campaigns cost the lives of over 87,000 Indian servicemen, while 34,354 were wounded, and 67,340 became prisoners of war.

Their valour was recognised with the award of some 4,000 decorations, and 18 members of the Indian Army were awarded the Victoria Cross or the George Cross.

Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from 1942, asserted that the British "couldn't have come through both wars (World War I and II) if they hadn't had the Indian Army." British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also paid tribute to "The unsurpassed bravery of Indian soldiers and officers."

06/08/2025

The origins of Great Britain

The Greco-Egyptian scientist Ptolemy referred to the larger island as great Britain (μεγάλη Βρεττανία megale Brettania) and to Ireland as little Britain (μικρὰ Βρεττανία mikra Brettania) in his work Almagest (147–148 AD). In his later work, Geography (c. 150 AD), he gave the islands the names Alwion, Iwernia, and Mona (the Isle of Man), suggesting these may have been the names of the individual islands not known to him at the time of writing Almagest. The name Albion appears to have fallen out of use sometime after the Roman conquest of Britain, after which Britain became the more commonplace name for the island.

After the Anglo-Saxon period, Britain was used as a historical term only. Geoffrey of Monmouth in his pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136) refers to the island of Great Britain as Britannia major ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from Britannia minor ("Lesser Britain"), the continental region which approximates to modern Brittany and had been settled in the fifth and sixth centuries by Celtic Briton migrants from Great Britain.

The term Great Britain was first used officially in 1474, in the instrument drawing up the proposal for a marriage between Cecily, daughter of Edward IV of England, and James, son of James III of Scotland, which described it as "this Nobill Isle, callit Gret Britanee". The Scottish philosopher and historian, John Major (Mair), published his 'History of Great Britain, both England and Scotland' (Historia majoris Britanniae, tam Angliae quam Scotiae) in 1521. While promoting a possible royal match in 1548, Lord Protector Somerset said that the English and Scots were, "like as twoo brethren of one Islande of great Britaynes again." In 1604, James VI and I styled himself "King of Great Brittaine, France and Ireland".

A copy of Ptolemy's 2nd-century map of Roman Britain.

04/08/2025

Potsdam Conference

The Potsdam Conference was held at Potsdam in the Soviet occupation zone from 17 July to 2 August 1945, to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding the mistakes of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They were represented respectively by Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Harry S. Truman. They gathered to decide how to administer Germany, which had agreed to an unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier. The goals of the conference also included establishing the postwar order, solving issues on the peace treaty, and countering the effects of the war.

The foreign ministers and aides played key roles: Vyacheslav Molotov, Anthony Eden and Ernest Bevin, and James F. Byrnes. From 17 July to 25 July, nine meetings were held, when the Conference was interrupted for two days, as the results of the British general election were announced. By 28 July, Attlee had defeated Churchill and replaced him as Britain's representative, with Britain's new Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ernest Bevin, replacing Anthony Eden. Four days of further discussion followed. During the conference, there were meetings of the three heads of government with their foreign secretaries, as well as meetings of only the foreign secretaries. Committees that were appointed by the latter for precursory consideration of questions before the conference also met daily. During the Conference, Truman was secretly informed that the Trinity test of the first atomic bomb on 16 July had been successful. He hinted to Stalin that the U.S. was about to use a new kind of weapon against the Japanese. Though this was the first time the Soviets had been officially given information about the atomic bomb, Stalin was already aware of the bomb project, having learned about it through espionage long before Truman did.

Key final decisions included the following: Germany would be divided into the four occupation zones (among the three powers and France) that had been agreed to earlier; Germany's eastern border was to be shifted west to the Oder–Neisse line; a Soviet-backed group was recognized as the legitimate government of Poland; and Vietnam was to be partitioned at the 16th parallel. The Soviets also reaffirmed their Yalta promise to promptly launch an invasion of Japanese-held areas.

Views were also exchanged on a plethora of other questions. However, consideration of those matters was postponed to the Council of Foreign Ministers, which the conference established. The conference ended with a stronger relationship among the three governments as a consequence of their collaboration, which renewed confidence that together with the other United Nations agencies, they would ensure the creation of a just and enduring peace. Nevertheless, within 18 months relations had deteriorated and the Cold War had emerged.