About Christopher:

Christopher Newbould has been a professional Battlefield Guide since 1997 and is our Group Tours Manager and Chief Battlefield Guide.

His interest in battlefields began at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was awarded the Military History prize in 1961. Since then, during a Regular Army career with The Gloucestershire Regiment, that spanned nearly 40 years, he has toured battlefields worldwide — interspersed with operational service in Borneo and Northern Ireland.  During his service he lectured at several Army schools and was a member of the directing staff at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, experience that has proved invaluable in developing his story telling ability.

He is a founder member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides and was amongst the first to qualify for the Guild's prestigious guide badge. He is currently Director of Validation for the Guild.

Christopher delights in designing tours that will appeal to a broad range of interests, particularly those following family history queries. He and his colleague Frank Baldwin were responsible for winning the Realities of War MOD contract which took over 15,000 army recruits to Ypres and other locations. He also lectures widely to historical societies and community groups around the UK on subjects related to the battlefields of the world. Interested groups are welcome to enquire - please click here to .

 

Areas of expertise (conducted tours to):	Pre 20th Century He has regularly taken parties to South Africa to examine the battlefields of the Zulu War and the Boer War, including Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift, Colenso, Spion Kop, Ladysmith, Mafeking, Paardeberg and Kimberley. He has also led tours to Canada that focus on the Seven Years War sites in Nova Scotia, Quebec. 1st World War France & Belgium including Mons,Ypres Loos,  Somme, Vimy, Amiens and the Hindenburg Line. Gallipoli, Turkey	2nd World War The Fall of France 1940, notably the Arras counter stroke, defence of the la Bassee Canal, Cassel, Wormhoudt as well the Dunkirk perimeter defence and the evacuation. Tunisia 1943 – including the battlefields of Medennine, the Mareth Line,  Wadi Akarit, Enfidaville and the race for Tunis Normandy - all invasion beaches and D-Day airborne operations and the fight inland, including Operations Epsom, Charnwood, Goodwood and the Falaise Gap. Operation Market Garden.  The fight for the Arnhem bridge, defence of the Oosterbeek perimeter and the gruelling efforts by XXX Corps and the 82 (US) Airborne Division in and around Grave and Nijmegen as they fought to relieve the 1st Airborne Division. Ardennes
Interests	Designing tours Poetry, Music & Art of the First World War,
Languages	Conversational French
Guild of Battlefield Guides	Member and Badged guide number 09
Criminal Record Bureau Checked: (cleared to work with all age groups)	YES
Available for:	Group and personal tours for all age groups

TESTIMONIALS

• "Many thanks indeed for leading us so well on a very successful and enjoyable Battlefield Tour.  It all went extremely well and the itinerary was just what we wanted. All comments were most favourable and all members of our group found the tour interesting and informative. " Royal Fusiliers Association - Gallipoli
• “Thank you for organizing such a super tour last week. We both enjoyed it very much and we shall certainly be looking to come again. Near or far, we would still be interested. I thought I knew about battlefields until met you! So many thanks, and may we please we come again?” Crispian G –Western Front
• “The tour was extraordinary -- I haven't stopped talking about it since I returned... If you'll have me, I'd love to come back.”  Nancy A, USA – Mons tour
• "Thank you so much for such a successful, interesting and wonderful trip to Turkey last week.  Having spoken to just a few people, they were very appreciative and had a fascinating time out there."  14 Regiment RA – Gallipoli
• “Just a quick note to thank you for the tour. It was very special and poignant for me as I lived with my grandmother for 14 years and she would have been absolutely thrilled to know that I had been able to actually visit Gallipoli and her brother’s grave. She died 10 years ago but like a lot of people her age barely went out of Sussex let alone the country. Also to say that my wife was worried as she thought she might not “fit in” but you put her at her ease very quickly, so thanks for that.”  Peter A – Gallipoli Association tour 2011
• “A big "thank you" from me for organising such an interesting week away - and for explaining so much of what happened in Gallipoli.  Despite both the serious subject matter and the quite personal reasons for going, it was also very enjoyable and a lovely part of the world to visit.“  Helen M – Gallipoli Association tour 2011
• “I have been on tours with other battlefield guides, although knowledgeable, have not had the same passion and dedication that you put into the tours.” Tom S – Market Garden
• “Thank you so much for such an interesting and enjoyable tour.  I can’t tell you how rewarding I found it.” Kate B - Normandy
• “Please thank your wife for ‘sparing you’ for those exciting days. Thank you again for such an interesting, informative and (in our case in particular) very special tour.” Hilary D – Gallipoli
• “I so often think about the tour to Tunisia and it is the thing that brought me so close to my father, who I can’t remember, as I was only eight when he died. “ W Cooper, NZ - Tunisia

 

Article in Salisbury Journal 26th September 2013