In welcoming you to our Company we hope that potential visitors to the World War One and World War Two battlefields will be able to discover a battlefield tour appropriate to their requirements and wish to take this opportunity to thank all those from the UK and Overseas who have travelled with us in the past. We have formed many close and lasting friendships as a result and look forward to meeting new guests and our 'regulars' again during the forthcoming years.

 

With our established reputation for providing a unique and very personal service we will continue to specialise in meeting the requirements of those who prefer the informality and individuality afforded by our small-group tours. Although some of our guests will be engaged on a personal pilgrimage, many may be visiting the Western Front and Normandy battlefields for the first time whilst others will be seeking to expand their already substantial knowledge of the conflict. Whatever your purpose we are certain that you will appreciate travelling with like-minded individuals and will become fully involved in our explorations together.

 

Every battlefield tour is meticulously researched and planned and it is the composition and wishes of the group members that determines the sites to be visited and explored. Each tour is very special to us as no two are the same.

 

We offer bespoke (customised) tours to accommodate those wishing to travel at different times from our schedule or in smaller or larger numbers and will be pleased to discuss options with you.

 

One of the best-organised tour outfits is Bartletts Battlefield Journeys operated by David Bartlett. Bartletts tailor a tour to suit a particular group, an advantage for Australians. Another advantage is that they operate throughout the year.

 

(As stated by the eminent Australian historian, the late Dr John Laffin, in his third edition of 'Guide to Australian Battlefields of the Western Front'.)

 

On a personal note I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am a former Police Superintendent and launched BBJ Ltd. in 1995, following a lifetime of personal interest and research into the Great War in general and the Western Front in particular. I am a member of the Western Front Association and the Guild of Battlefield Guides.

 

I made my first pilgrimage to the graves of my two uncles, Sapper Edward Bartlett and Bombardier Frank Bartlett, both killed on the Western Front, and wanted to learn more about their lives and service. After extensive research, which also involved interviewing veterans both in the UK and abroad, I traced and followed their actions during the Great War. This experience so fascinated me that I decided to create a service that catered specifically for the needs of others similarly wishing to follow their relatives' footsteps.  My interest into the events of the Allied Normandy Invasion in 1944 developed as a result of my research into the employment of my father, Ernest Bartlett, on the construction of Mulberry Harbour units used at the D-Day invasion beachhead to form the artificial harbours.

 

I take a personal interest in every aspect of planning and research for each battlefield tour and hope that we at BBJ Ltd. may be able to be of service.

 

Kindest regards

 

David J Bartlett
Managing Director
Bartletts Battlefield Journeys Ltd.