Dudley Giles has been a battlefield guide for more than 30 years. He joined the International Guild of Battlefield Guides on its formation in 2002 and shortly afterwards undertook its rigorous certification process to became an accredited guide; he now holds Badge #26. Dudley has previously served as the Director of Development for the Guild and in 2020 he received the Guild's prestigious Richard Holmes' Award given in recognition of his personal contribution to the improvement and further development of the Guild. A member of the Guild's Accreditation Panel, he holds a qualification to teach in the UK's Adult Learning Sector.
So you want to be a battlefield guide?
You are not alone. But where do you start?
Most people try to go it alone. They begin by taking friends and family around the battlefields and they learn their trade the hard way; by trial and error. And, let's be honest, its mostly error.
But there is a better way.
So what do I need to know?
There is much more to battlefield guiding than knowing your history. In fact, it surprises people to discover that knowing your military history is not the major skill of being a battlefield guide. "What?", we hear you say, surely that can't be right?
It's true. Customer care skills are just as - if not more - important for a battlefield guide as their historical knowledge of a particular battlefield.
Customer care is everything. You can get your historical knowledge spot on, you can tell a brilliant story, but if you can't look after your customers those two things are irrelevant - Sophie Shrubsole (Sophie's Great War Tours)
So our programme assumes that you know your history - although we will, of course, give you pointers on how to improve that knowledge. Instead it concentrates on the real essentials of battlefield guiding.
Things like: customer care; understanding how the industry operates; storytelling; teaching and learning models and the use of appropriate learning aids; research skills; and, most importantly, the day-to-day practicalities of operating as a freelance battlefield guide.
And you will be surprised by how many transferable skills you already have.
Oh Wow! Outstanding. So much I didn’t know I didn’t know – and yet so much from my previous professional career which was of relevance to guiding.
Ian Doyle, Student
Our Mission Statement
The Battlefield Guide Training programme is designed for beginner or inexperienced battlefield guides who have a desire to become accomplished freelancers. By sharing our hard won experience (and that of our fellow guides) our aim is to open student's eyes to the possibilities, joys and potential pitfalls of the industry in order that they can avoid having to learn these valuable lessons through damaging trial and error.
I don't think I would have had the courage to approach the local military museum as a volunteer guide had it not been for the confidence I had gained during this course.
Ian Doyle
Retired University Manager
Our Promise
Our promise to our students is that we deliver to them the tools and knowledge to deliver their first battlefield tours with authority and confidence.
Our Methodology and
Course dates
So how do we teach the course?
We teach partly online - through a ten week distance learning package in which you learn the basics of battlefield guiding - and partly in the field where we give students the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills in a totally safe learning environment with practical assessments carried out by a qualified vocational assessor.
For more details see the next section.
The mix of theory, practical top-tips, team discussion and guest speakers was great.
Jonathan Davy
Commercial Airline Pilot
The Online Course
We deliver the online course to a cohort of individuals so that you are able to learn not only from us, the course tutors, but also have the opportunity to share the learning experience with fellow students
The course, which is otherwise self-paced, consists of 12 modules which we release to you over a period of 10 weeks. Our aim in taking this approach is not to overwhelm you - because we know that 'life happens'.
Each module requires between one and two hours of study to complete and students have a week to polish off the lessons before moving on
In total the course, which has over a hundred individual lessons, requires about 15-20 hours of self paced study and nine hours of contact time to complete. It also includes three small assignments
Weekly contact time
A strength of the course is that we do not leave you entirely unsupported as you plough your way through. We meet as a group once a week to discuss the previous week's learning and to look forward to the week ahead.
the ability to reflect over a week and then revisit elements the following week was a positive learning methodology. The weekly meetings were the highlight of the course for me personally.
Andy Lawless, Army Officer
The pace of the course is very manageable and modules can be completed in a few hours each week. It is not an onerous pace by any means.
Tom Smith, retired police officer
having a weekly event was a useful deadline to work towards and against which to measure progress.
Ian Doyle,
Retired University Manager
I found the amount and quality of content in this course to be excellent. And, for me, a major high point of the course was the excellence of the guest speakers.
Jonathan Davy, Commercial Airline Pilot
The Practical Weekend
The online course is very comprehensive but, at the end of the day, battlefield guiding is a practical skill. We can teach you the theory but eventually you will have to stand on your own two feet and...deliver.
So this is where the practical assessment weekends come in.
Students who have completed the online course can apply to attend an assessment weekend where their newly acquired knowledge and skills can be put to the test in a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Our practical assessment weekends are run twice a year; once in the Spring and once in the Autumn and are only open to students who have previously completed the online course.
The assessments are carried out by Steve Smith, one of the course tutors. As well as being a highly competent battlefield guide, Steve is also a trained and experienced NVQ A1 Assessor.
The location of the practical weekend is always chosen in consultation with the student cohort (with the most popular destinations being usually somewhere in the UK or Ypres, Belgium). For this reason, students are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements (although generally car-shares are arranged so as to minimise costs).
The skills and tools which I learnt on this course were invaluable when I delivered my first stand at the impressive Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme.
Simon Massey, Company Director
Online Course dates
We have not yet set the exact dates for the 2024 online courses (watch this space) but they are most likely to be:
February to April;
May to July; and
September to November
Assessment Weekends
Similarly, the dates for the 2024 Assessment weekends are agreed with the students after enrolment but generally take place twice a year.
How much does the course cost?
Because there will always be some people who are not able to get to the practical assessment weekend (see our FAQs below), we charge separately for both elements of the course.
The Online Course
The cost of the online course is £499.
The Practical Weekend
The cost of the practical assessment weekend is £350*
* This figure covers the assessment costs only
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the weekly live sessions held?
The live sessions are held on a weekend. This is primarily because both tutors are still working guides and so one or other (but not both) of us will undoubtedly be on tour at certain times during the course. That being said, we try to find a day and a time at the weekend which is mutually convenient to the majority of the cohort.
What happens if I can't make one of the live sessions?
No dramas. It will almost certainly be the case that you will not be able to attend one of the live sessions because, as we all know, 'life happens'. Indeed, it's quite rare that any student is able to attend every one of the live sessions. And so that's why every live session is recorded and is available to view immediately afterwards.
Will this course help me pass the Accreditation process of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides (IGBG)?
We need to be very clear here. This course is not a primer for individuals looking to progress through the IGBG's accreditation process. This is a course that has been designed specifically for individuals with little or no previous experience of battlefield guiding whereas the IGBG accreditation process has been designed to validate experienced guides. That being said, completing this course will undoubtedly fast-track that experiential pathway!
The course has been constructed by two very knowledgable and experienced guides who have a huge amount of subject matter knowledge.
Tom Smith, retired police officer
I don't live in the UK. Is this course for me?
The course has been designed for an international audience - although the working language is English - and in the past we have had students from Canada, the USA and Europe. So yes - this course is for you.
As a Canadian living and working in Canada I found that the course more than met my needs. (We have battlefields here too 😎.) And the lessons are not geared to any one period of history or geographical location.
Krista Drew,
I suppose this is geared towards the First and Second World Wars?
No, actually; its not. Whilst undoubtedly many, if not most, of our students do have a specific interest in those conflicts, our teaching is applicable to all eras and areas of conflict. Recent students have wanted to guide the Spanish Civil War, the War of 1812, and the English Civil War to name but a few 'other' conflict zones.
Do I have to do both parts of the course? The online module and the practical assessment?
Ideally, yes. And we certainly won't accept students on the practical assessment weekend who have not first completed the online modules. But sometimes attending the practical assessment weekend isn't.... well, practical. (It's a lot of money to spend to come to the UK or Europe from, say, Canada or the USA just for a weekend). But there is still tons of value in the online course for these students who take it even without the affirmation of the practical assessment weekend.
Will I gain a formal qualification?
No. Because - in all honesty - there is still no 'formal qualification' for battlefield guides. (But see the question on IGBG Accreditation.) However, we do issues certificates of completion for both parts of the course and, most importantly, the course is recognised as valid and valuable training by a number of employers in the industry - and specifically by the International Guild of Battlefield Guides (IGBG).
What if I start the course and I discover that its not for me? Do you offer a Money-Back Guarantee?
We realise that, for many people, this is a big investment and we want you to be entirely satisfied with the course. So, if within 28 days of starting the online course you believe that it is not for you and provided that you have, up until then, fully engaged in the course content, we will absolutely refund your course fee.
Dudley and Steve are highly experienced and respected figures in the world of battlefield guiding. They have developed an excellent course that will give anyone who is looking to start taking people around the battlefields a real idea of what is needed to do so safely, successfully and enjoyably. I found the mix of theory, practical exercises and guest speakers covering all aspects of battlefield guiding hugely useful. Strongly recommended.
Jonathan Davy, Commercial airline pilot
What Our Members Have to Say:
“"I can unequivocally recommend the course to any prospective guides. My understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a guide, guiding knowledge and skills and the wider tour industry has improved exponentially and I successfully implemented much of the course learning during a tour I led part way through the course."”― Andy Lawless - Serving Army Officer
“"I found the amount and quality of content you provided was excellent; you certainly exceeded my expectations. The mix of theory, practical top-tips, team discussion and guest speakers was great. The lessons on driving regs, insurance and liability were worth the cost of the course alone."”― Jonathan Davy - Commercial Airline Pilot
“"The course is also a great opportunity to network and make friends and contacts within the guiding industry whilst expanding your knowledge and skill-set. I would highly recommend this course."”― Tom Smith - Retired police officer
“"This course has given me a wonderful insight into the World of Battlefield Guiding. I am extremely grateful to Dudley and Steve for sharing their skills, expertise and experience by running this superb course."”― Simon Massey - Company Director
“"“Dudley and Steve are highly experienced guides willing to share their extensive knowledge of battlefield guiding and the industry in which they work. The advice and guidance provided by the eminent guest speakers they enlisted to contribute to this course are an invaluable source of advice for anyone considering working in this field.
I would certainly recommend the course to anyone thinking of signing up and wondering whether it was worth it”
"”― Ian Doyle – University Manager (recently retired) and ex-RAF
About your Tutors
Steve Smith has been a battlefield guide for more than 20 years and was a founding member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides. He holds Badge #17. In a former life Steve was a policeman and, for more than 10 years, worked in the training department of Norfolk Constabulary guiding the learning of police trainers and probationary constables. Steve too holds a qualification to teach in the UK's Adult Learning Sector and is a nationally recognised NVQ A1 Assessor.
Contact Dudley for an initial chat so that we can both be assured that this is the course for you: dudleygiles2@gmail.com