G’Day David,
Have been home in Perth now for just 1 week so I thought it time to drop you a line re our trip.  It’s quite common in this world we live in today for people to scream & criticise when things go wrong, but say nothing when the opposite happens.  The latter is where we come in, firstly from the very start of the journey Bill made us very welcome & we also fitted in with the other guests, Phil, Malcolm, Dave & Shauna, very well.  A great mix, 2 Brits, 2 Canadians & 2 Aussies, certainly a sure-fire way to get some good conversation & also a cross section of opinion on the problems faced by our soldiers in WW1.  The Itinerary was first class, certainly from my perspective I had nothing specific to see but wished to examine the Australian contribution in a general sense, this was done to a tee, if not more.  The other things I would like to briefly comment on was the hotels & food etc.  These were both above any pre conceived idea that Kaye & I had, we did not expect for instance, that the wine at the evening meal would be part of the deal, & we enjoyed all of the venues & restaurants that we visited.  The VW vehicle was also tops for the job!
I’ve left the best till last, & that’s Bill McQuade, his knowledge of the subject (not only WWI ) was staggering, but he did not at any time appear a know-all, but delivered the facts & then answered any questions which popped up.  It was at all times,  informal & very friendly.

I have all ready passed on to several people here (including Orba Travel) how impressed we were with your Tour, hope it brings you more business, & if you wish to use any of the above comments, l would be more than happy.  Once again, many thanks.

Dear David

Just a note to say how much Patrick and I enjoyed the tour. I was wondering whether it would be as moving second time around and indeed it was. Whist some of the immediate impact is reduced this is far outweighed by the opportunity to delve deeper into things.

Mike was an excellent guide, knowledgeable and humorous the latter being essential on this type of tour otherwise one can be overwhelmed by the tragedy altogether.
The use of GPS in conjunction with the contemporary field maps was absolutely brilliant as it enabled us to virtually stand where the action was for both of the soldiers we followed and brought things properly into perspective.

The hotels were both lovely and perfectly located.

Our enthusiasm remains undiminished and Patrick is already planning next year’s tour - fuelled by Mike advising him about the hotel in Cambrai (I think) whose proprietor apparently owns a tank!?

Once again thanks to Bartletts and to Mike for a wonderful trip. It was also great to see Chris again and we look forward to travelling with one or the other of them next year.

Dear David

We are writing to say how very much we enjoyed our visit to the Western Front & Battlefields with Michael last week.

The planning and organisation of the trip was first class ensuring we covered as much of the area without rushing or feeling under pressure.

Michael's knowledge of the area and his ability to impart it to us is to be commended.  The background information and the handouts were excellent and Michael's research into relatives of people in our party brought everything to life - and stark reality.  His remembrance of relatives with sensitive tributes and readings was wonderful - as was his poetry and music.

We enjoyed being with the group very much and the hospitality offered in our excellent accommodation - all washed down with Michael's great sense of humour.

A most memorable, thought provoking and unforgettable time.

We were greeted with such warmth by your sister, Jan, and I would be grateful if you could let me have her full address.  Perhaps you would pass on our sincere thanks again to Mike.

Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed the visit to the Western Front last week. My wife and I found the experience thoroughly interesting and memorable, and will recommend it to our friends. Michael Kelly was a fantastic guide and looked after us extremely well, as well as being highly knowledgeable on the subject of the WW1. The accommodation and meals were to a very high standard.
Thank you very much for providing such a wonderful competition prize!

Dear David,

Laughter, tears, sunshine, rain & some very poignant moments with such a group of wonderful people who became friends so quickly.  We will remember our Normandy trip forever.  It was so humbling to meet the Veterans and learn their stories.

Everything went so well, the hotel excellent; Bill explained so much and answered all our questions; and Steve gave us a very smooth journey.

No doubt Jill will email you, but I know that she thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

With our very grateful thanks and very best wishes.

Dear David
I don’t know how to thank you and your staff enough for giving me – and Andrew – one of the most fulfilling weeks of my life.  I know your other passengers got a lot out of the journey too, but I undoubtedly felt that I had the lion’s share of everything on offer; To lay a wreath at the foot of my uncle’s name at Thiepval and to see exactly where he fell, to step inside the wood where Dad won his M.C. and to see the remains of the bridge he blew up 90 years ago, all specially tailor-made for me was beyond my wildest expectations.  Not to mention being furnished with personal dossiers and so many copies of relevant War Office documents.
We may have been on a pilgrimage but the trip had all the elements of a good holiday too; the accommodation and catering arrangements both daytime and in the evening were superb.
A special heartfelt word of praise and thanks to Bill McQuade, both for putting the itinerary together and for his commentaries on everything which were so comprehensive, one felt we had only scratched the surface of his overall knowledge – he was never ever at a loss for an answer to anything we asked.
It is good to see the increasing enthusiasm for WW1 battlefield tours keeping alive those memories.  I am unlikely to do another one, but I have a feeling that when Andrew’s family are old enough he will be bringing them out with you.
With all good wishes, and again many thanks.

Dear Mr Bartlett,

On behalf of Miss Rhodes and myself I wish to express our appreciation for the excellent way the tour of the battlefields of France and Belgium was organised.  The whole experience was a moving and emotional one, not only because we were able to visit the graves of our relatives, but also because we gained a much better understanding of the Great War itself and of the suffering and sacrifices of so many.
The documentation and maps provided proved invaluable and we are particularly grateful to our guide Mr Bill McQuade for the transportation and for the overall organisation.  His considerable knowledge and expertise enabled us to gain far more from the tour than we would have thought possible in 5 short days.
We were fortunate too to be joined by a small number of other people, some from overseas.  Their company and our mutual interests added considerably to our enjoyment.
Finally we would like to express out thanks for the wooden crosses and wreaths which enabled us to make tangible tributes at the gravesides.  The fact that you provided these is deeply appreciated by both of us.

Hi David,

Just a short note to say how great the tour was and to also thank you for allowing Chris to drop me off at my Heathrow Hotel. It was a great relief not having to manage luggage on the trains to get there.

The tour was a highlight of my whole holiday and I will certainly be recommending you to any friends who would like to do such a tour.

Chris was fantastic and you are lucky to have such a good tour guide on your team.

Once again, many thanks and best regards.

Dear David.

Just a quick note from both Sandra and I about the Normandy tour. We had a marvellous time and from the reception of all the other participants so did they. Thanks a lot.

While in London I purchased a copy of “D-Day” by Antony Beevor, no doubt published for the 65th anniversary. During the tour I recall Bill McQuade saying at the de Gaulle memorial that he, de Gaulle, was a legend in his own mind. Well pass onto Bill this sentence from Antony Beevor’s book. “Only de Gaulle could have written a history of the French army and manage to make no mention of the Battle of Waterloo”.

I have just returned from Western Front tour 21st-25th June; far exceeded all expectations; highly personalised and knowledgeable support from Bill throughout; many thanks once again.

Jane and I would like to thank you again for a wonderful trip to the battlefields.
It was fascinating to get a detailed insight into the Great War and to pay our respects to those who sacrificed their lives. Thank you also for uncovering such useful information on Selwyn and for showing us almost exactly where he must have fallen - that was very poignant.

Ypres and Arras were interesting places to visit and I think that we will visit again for sure.

I enjoyed our time together and hearing all your views on all matters - my wife meanwhile is in recovery!

Dear David
May I first of all thank both you and Chris for the most enjoyable and informative tour we took recently. It could not have been better prepared and Chris took every possible opportunity to show us the locations of the various actions of the Australian Divisions and the sites of the memorials and cemeteries established afterwards.
His knowledge and enthusiasm was infectious and his pleasant manner and politeness made the tour probably the highlight of our recent journey preceded by  Spain and Portugal.

I was very surprised and impressed by the folder we were given particularly with the details of my father's movements in France and Belgium and it will become part of the few pieces of memorabilia I have of his War Service. Our visit to La Clytte Cemetery was very much appreciated by our son-in-law whose great uncle is buried there. Chris again excelled in his thoughtfulness in offering us a little wreath to lay before the headstone.

We enjoyed the company of our Aussie travel companions and had plenty of laughs along the way.  We found the accommodation very comfortable having stayed at some very ordinary hotels in Spain! Could you let me have the email address of Mike and Pam Tyquin and Rod Quartermain if convenient so that we can exchange some memories of the tour.

I attach a photo of my father Desmond James as Chris asked me to let him have one to include in his records.

I know Chris is presently in South Africa cheering on the British Lions but please thank him on our behalf for the great tour, when he returns.

Wishing BBJ Ltd. every success and thanks once again.

Hi David and Rob,

Well we are finally back home, terribly busy again with our hectic lives, but I wanted to drop you a line. My husband and I had an incredible tour of Normandy with Bill McQuade. Bill was absolutely the best guide, his knowledge was by far one of the things that made the trip so interesting and worthwhile.

I, myself, am not a big history buff, however, Bill made it all seem so real and interesting. The trip was worth every penny spent and then some. My husband is very pleased with my gift to him.

By the end of the trip, I felt as though Bill was a friend and I hope that someday our paths will cross again. If any of you ever come to America, I would be honoured to hear from you.

Thanks so much for all of your diligent planning. Again, the trip was everything for which I could ever wish.

Dear David, Mike and Janet

Just a brief note to thank you all for our wonderful and deeply moving experience (7th-9th June). The arrangements could not be faulted but what made the trip so special was the enthusiasm and the knowledge of Mike, our guide. The visit to Tyne Cot was especially poignant for us and Mike's reading of such an evocative poem is a memory to be treasured. Heartfelt thanks and our very best wishes.

Dear David & Bill, (and please include our good driver).
Home about 4 hrs. ago and hope you are too! You will not want, nor have time for, lengthy emails but I just had to send this one to say once more, another great big thank you to you both for such an amazing experience! Of course our 5 wonderful War Veterans themselves so generous with input, great interest and still such courage, were Top of the Pops. Secondly you 2, for without your expert guidance and knowledge along our trips, it would never have been the same. Finally, it was  from the little ones, to those great 4 Teenagers, us in the Middle and of course, our amazing 5 stalwarts, that benefitted. I have travelled, I have been in many 'Ups' & 'Downs' in life - BUT that roller-coaster of emotions was unique and an experience I shall never forget. Thank you for all you have done for us all and for this 'First -Timer' !!!!
I do hope one day, on another trip,  I may be with you both once again'.

Dear David,

Just to say thank-you for your kindness and the consideration you extended to myself and other veterans of the group; on the occasion of our visit to France to attend the 65th anniversary of the 'D' Day landings in Normandy.

All your efforts did indeed contribute to make it a memorable one.

Also I cannot thank you enough for deviating from the itinerary just to convey
me to St. Charles De Percy B.W.G.C.

It was indeed a memorable occasion, for me an emotional one.

Very many thanks.

Back in the office today with email access. Just to say I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Somme area last week. Bill was a fantastic guide - I couldn't have wished for better!

Funnily enough, regarding my gg uncle, the previous week I received from the National Archive copies of the Commander RA, 8th Division and 45th Brigade RFA's war diary entries for June 1916 (I hadn't seen either myself in person before). The Commander RA's diary gives details of the battery positions, and the 45th Bde diary gives details as to how and when Horace Parnell was wounded (the other 5th Battery men buried at Bouzincourt were killed in the same incident, when a 5.9" shell hit their subsection dugout immediately south of Authuille, and almost literally a stones throw from the 90th FA ADS at Blackhorse Bridge!). Bill kindly stopped at the 5th Battery position where Horace was wounded - a particularly memorable moment for me!

Many thanks for all your efforts!

Dear David,
A short note to thank you and your firm for the excellent tour you put together for me and my family to the Western Front in May.

Michael Kelly was a fine guide, his research and knowledge was first rate, and I was able to get as good an idea as you can from this time distance of what my father went through and where he actually fought.

We could not have hoped for more. Please pass on our gratitude to Michael.

Dear David,  We are home safely in Australia!  We did really enjoy our time in France and Belgium on the Battlefields Tour! It was very special! The organisation prior to the tour was excellent. The research work that Michael did before the tour was just amazing. This personal link to the battles made the whole trip so much more meaningful. We are very much looking forward to passing on the information to our friend, Ian about his father and the area where he was wounded. Michael's knowledge of the events was awe-inspiring!  I felt that he had a real affinity and rapport with Australians. His endless supply of jokes was greatly appreciated!

We felt very privileged to attend the Dawn Service at Villiers Bretonneau. We simply would not have managed this by ourselves, or we would have found it very difficult and stressful.  The organisation of Bartletts made it possible for us to pay our respects and express our gratitude to all those men who had fought and died in Australia's name, and who helped forge our Australian culture and beliefs. The Last Post Service in Ypres was very moving and very humbling.

I was impressed with Michael's "flexibility" when I mentioned on our last morning in Belgium that there had been no mention of women during the trip. We had seen all these graves of the soldiers but NO women! He could tell me about the two women who are buried on the Battlefields and took me to the grave of Nellie Spindler at Lijssenthoek cemetery. We also saw the information about her at Talbolt House and Michael could tell me about a book where I could get some more information.
There are many guides who can tell THEIR stories, but I feel there are not many who can respond to the individual whim of a tourist in such an immediate manner.

We were happy with the accommodation and meals throughout the tour. However, we felt that the Hotel Ariane in Ypres was outstanding. The decor was lovely and the staff were great. The meals would be very difficult to surpass. Arnie felt that the meals and their presentation at the Ariane Hotel was wonderful!

We thought that it was a wonderful idea for the two groups of Australians, our group and your group, to get together in Arras and to go together to the Dawn Service.
 
We enjoyed the two nights we spent with your sister. She has restored our faith in English B&B's! In the past we encountered some slightly seedy ones. But Janet and Ron's was wonderful and we felt very much at home.  We loved the local pub!

Our attendance at the Dawn Service at Villiers Bretonneau was one of the main reasons for our trip overseas. Bartletts Battlefields enabled us to do this. We are most appreciative. You and Michael are now part of the Joyce and Arnie travel stories! 

Many, many thanks.

Hi or Good morning David,
Well where do I start ?  Firstly a very big thank you for the wonderful four plus days we were able to spend with you and Lyn and Doug and Ralph, in the 42 days that we were away none were more memorable or pleasant or more spoken about than the time we spent wondering around the north east of France and Belgium.  The preparation you did for Lynnie on her Uncles and their plight during the time that they were fighting in France was most appreciated and is the first thing that Lyn talks about when asked about our Battlefield tour so you are getting plenty of exposure and advertising for your efforts - a very special thank you there.
Best wishes for the coming touring season and again our thanks for a great time.

Hi David, Thank you very much for your efforts in making our recent tour one of the most interesting and rewarding things that we have done.  It certainly has its sad and sobering moments.  However, we are glad that we walked the ground and shared social time with some very nice people.

Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed the fascinating trip to the Somme with you. I was always nervous that it may have been a bit much for the boys, both for the concentration and seriousness of the subject, but they both appreciated it enormously. To keep them interested in a history subject, albeit a pretty dramatic one for so
long was quite an achievement. Cosmo is preparing a talk to his school which he is basing on his trip.

It will be an experience we'll never forget. Who knows what they'll get out of it but I know there will be a great deal over the years, whether it be purely for their historical and military knowledge, or deeper more personal feelings.

Next time, Ypres!

In the meantime, many thanks and best regards

David, I know Col Harris has already dropped you a short email to say thank you but I would also like to extend my thanks and reiterate what a great few days it was.  Bill and Chris were excellent (and although different in personality they worked exceptionally well together).  The Tour was thoroughly enjoyed by all and a learning experience for all (including Bill and Chris) despite the vast array of knowledge and experience within the group.

I will have no hesitation in recommending BBJ to anyone wishing to conduct a Battlefield Tour (military or civilian), and, provided I can persuade may next Commanding Officer that I need to run a Battlefield Tour, then I hope to use your company again.
Please pass on my thanks to Bill and Chris for a most enjoyable and education few days and to you for organising all the administration.

Many thanks.

Dear David,

Simply to say to you and Bartletts Battlefield Journeys Ltd how much the small team of 8 from the Ministry of Defence London enjoyed the tour that we conducted 23-26 Mar 09.

With a mixed group of Army, RN, RAF and civilian scientists, it was going to be a challenge to achieve what I sought to achieve.  However, with the team approach of joint working, individual research and talking parts, including the direct planning and preparation between 'my' Stuart and 'your' Bill in advance of the trip, we experienced a fascinating visit that touched on strategic capability issues right down to regimental aspects and personal/relative insights. All in all, a great success and judged as such by all of the MoD team.

Bill and Chris your guides make a good team, so I would be most grateful if you could pass on our thanks to each of them. I hope they enjoyed it also.  Their knowledge, enthusiasm and frankness contributed significantly to each of us learning a lot and walking away that much wiser but also, quite rightly, more thoughtful of the real impact of this dreadful war.

Once again, thank you.

David, We have now returned to Australia and just want to express our sincere appreciation for the tour that we participated in from the 19th to 22nd Feb.

Our guide, Bill McQuade we feel has probably forgotten more than most war historians know. We were mind blown with the attention to detail that Bill achieved. I have been researching my Great Uncle and was absolutely gob smacked when we were taken to almost the exact spot that he lost his life near Bullecourt, not only that but a wreath was given to me to lay at the Villers-Bretonneux memorial were he is remembered, as he has no known grave.

Can you please pass on our up most appreciation to Bill as we feel that praise is only to rarely given and we don't think that we expressed it enough to him at the time.

Thank you for a most memorable tour.

Hi there David, Happy New Year to you and I hope that you had a nice Christmas.
I must apologise for not being touch sooner, but we only got back into Australia on Saturday and it takes a little time to get back to normal.  There really is no way to sugar coat a flight of 27 hours.
The real purpose of this email is to let you know that we had a wonderful time during our battlefield tour. 
Chris was an amazing source of information and we all were left in awe of the enormity of what we saw.  As Chris kept saying, we only skimmed across the top of all that is there, but it was thought provoking and sobering in many ways.
The accommodation and meals were wonderful and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 
Thank you so much for organizing such a great experience for us all.
I hope 2009 is a good year for you and that you continue to enjoy the much deserved success with your business.  Can't speak highly enough of the service that you have to offer.

Dear David, We would like to extend our sincere thanks to you for the recent tour of the Somme and Ypres Salient that we joined in October. Our appreciation must also be extended to Bill McQuade our expert and ever jovial guide extraordinaire.

From the use of “Sophie” to get us around unfamiliar towns, to correcting us when we pronounced something wrong in French, to his detailed and thorough explanation of the battlefields and cemeteries, Bill made the entire trip fantastic and something special.

I cannot express how grateful I was to lay wreaths at two family members’ graves and also to take part in the wreath laying ceremony at the Menin Gate. I have laid wreaths, and heard the Last Post so many times in the past for the Scout Association of Australia and for the Royal Australian Air Force, but this was special, and something that I will probably never get to do again.

I will have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending your company to colleagues at work should they be considering a Western Front tour at any stage.

Once again our sincerest thanks to you and Bill for such a wonderful tour.

Dear David,
Now we have returned to Australia, I wanted to take the opportunity to drop you a note to say thank you from Jane and me for the arrangements which you put in place for our visit to the battlefields on tour J34.  It was an outstanding experience and was made very easy through your thorough planning, and information through the excellent efforts of Ed Church as our guide.
I hope that we will have the opportunity to travel with you again and I wish you all the best for the continued success which your enterprise certainly deserves.
Once again, with thanks from us both.

David,  I didn’t feel that Mark or I really expressed our sincere appreciation for your care, guidance & leadership that you showed to our little group on your tour of the battlefields of Northern France, so I am putting pen to paper to say a big thank you to you.
The expression “going the extra mile” is sometimes overused, but in your case it is well deserved. Neither Mark nor I ever expected such a personal, well conducted and researched tour although it was all stated in your brochure.  Your sincere, compassionate services at the memorials, although emotional, will remain in our memories for a long time.
I learnt a lot more about my father and uncle and the units they served in, and the areas where they suffered and in my uncle’s case, died.
We both have passed on to our travel agents your advertising material together with our recommendation of your tours. With our most sincere thanks to you and your sister for that cup of tea, and your assistance in getting us to the rail station.

Our trip was unforgettable and like many others I have been talking to anyone who will listen, telling them if they have thoughts of doing a tour like this, they must do it through Bartletts Battlefield Journeys!
The tour was so well organised, great meals, such comfortable accommodation and best of all such great company on our travels - to say nothing of the expertise and kindness of our guide (David)! 
I would love to do another trip but the initial journey from NZ to UK is not now so enjoyable, but memories last a long time.
Once again thank you, it was such a pleasure to be part of the tour.

Michael, have had a chance to sleep and start to download all the information we received. We had more fun and heart felt tears than we ever thought this trip might bring.  I played catch up having no military or much history education but loved every minute of it and am now most definitely hooked. Your knowledge, sense of humor and clear enthusiasm for what you are doing shines through. It was a wonderful group to join and befriend. Please keep in touch.

Michael - my family joins me in expressing our thanks for a great trip to so many points of interest from WWI battles.  In many ways the trip was much more than we anticipated & we thank you for the knowledge you imparted & trying to keep us on schedule!!  It was especially meaningful to us as relatives for Harold Goettler - visiting places where he had been AND the field where he crashed & died.  Finally got all the mud removed from two pairs of boots!!!

(Harold Goettler was posthumously awarded the CMH during the Lost Battalion engagement.)

Just a quick note to let you know how much my son and I enjoyed our recent tour with your company.  Our guide, Michael Kelly was first rate.  He was very knowledgeable, personable, and had a great sense of humour.  The hotels we stayed in were first rate and the food, with a few exceptions, was very good.  I am hoping to take another tour of the WWI American battlefields in a year or two and I will definitely be travelling with you.
Thanks again for everything,

We had an enjoyable tour.  Mike knows how to treat people, and he did all and then some to include as much as he could in the tour.  We will always be grateful to you all for the experience.
Sonya and I were thinking that it would be nice if a few of our relatives/friends could book a tour at some future date.
Again, Thanks:  We look forward to seeing Mike again somewhere.

We thought that now that the dust has settled on our trip away, we should show our appreciation to you and Chris for the fascinating time we spent in Belgium and France. It is always good to be away, doing different things, but it is only when we return home, that we reflect on the enormity of what we have experienced.
As you may have known, the Battlefields part of our trip was to be Julien's baby and I really just expected to along for the ride, so to speak. Little did I or she know that it would be just as fulfilling for me as it was for her. The itinerary was excellent, as was the information provided by Chris, and the obvious dedication of a WW1 zealot was amazing. The connection with Julien's Grandmother's then boyfriend was uncanny. How could we have known that Chris was able to do the detective work, eliminate the unlikely, and come up with the George Cadell Walker and all the information on his involvement.  It was really something special and most unexpected.
David, Julien and I especially wish to commend Chris again for making this tour absolutely unforgettable.  We have told him of our gratitude but you also should know just how good a job he does. That bloke has a huge amount to offer to people like us and the fact that we all got along so well was a bonus.

Just wanted to let you know what a fabulous trip we had with Bill.  He was a wonderful guide and I cannot begin to list his great qualities...excellent driver, a gentleman, clear instructions, accommodating and a staggering depth of knowledge.  We had a lovely touring group and I hope that Bill understood how much we appreciated his efforts.  Thank you for the seamless hassle free tour and I will certainly be recommending your tour group to others.  
All the best to you and your company.

I wanted to let you know that the tour was absolutely fantastic, a truly memorable event for me.  Bill was a superb guide and all of the arrangements were seamless- his ability to tailor the discussions to the interests of those on the tour was really great, and I know how difficult that can be.  I hope to book with you again in the future- with my wife along!

I returned safely to the States and want to thank you for accepting me on those two tours to the Western Front.  I enjoyed them both, not only seeing old places but new ones.  I was particularly grateful for your adding on the American sector a stop at Reims Cathedral which I liked very much.
Although I missed your guiding presence on the Commonwealth sector tour, I was very pleased with Bill McQuade.  He was extraordinarily knowledgeable and an excellent guide.  Mike was his good same self as before, and led us on a different and better way to the Sgt. York site.
(Bruce has now travelled with us 4 times)

Robin and I want to thank you again for the marvellous personalized tour of the battlefields you led in July this year. In particular we appreciated your depth of knowledge about WW1 and the Western Front in particular. The visit to "Deborah" at Flesquires was a highlight. Your part in my involvement in the Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate is acknowledged with gratitude. The whole trip was a wonderful experience. Thank you.
Hope out paths cross again in the future.

This trip was one I had long wanted to achieve.  
It exceeded my hopes and Bill was a knowledgeable, tactful and diplomatic guide.  He must hear the same inane questions, hear the same comments and sigh over his fellow travellers' stupidity and lack of knowledge but Graeme Bettles and I both felt we had a personal service which we appreciated.   This certainly would not have been so special had we been part of a larger group.
The vehicle is excellent for seeing across the wide open spaces.  Bill is a good driver.   No way would the lone traveller be bold enough to pursue some of the unsigned smaller roads.  We went to Anzac Farm for Graeme the position of which was well hidden from view.
The all inclusive journey price is good.  There is nothing worse than being asked to shell out for something unexpected - and not budgeted for.
Information from Bill inexhaustible, interesting, revealing, surprising and varied. 
Information gathered from Kew is excellent and includes more surprises than I would have found. 
I would urge anyone sufficiently interested to explore and ask Kings College London in the Strand if they hold any records in the Liddell Hart Military Archive as, by chance, I found information and possessions of my great uncle there.  These had been deposited by a relative of mine.  
One minus on my score sheet would be the (my) bedroom at Hotel St Claude, Peronne.  But then we were only there because of my great uncle and he had no bed let alone an en suite bathroom so that is an exceedingly small blip.  The welcome there was good, the food too.  The Hotel Ariane is terrific and clearly deserves its four star rating.   It was good to see how welcoming hotels were towards Bill.  That gives the impression your business is respected. 
I should be very happy to answer prospective travellers' questions if anyone wants an endorsement of your services.  
This has been an exhausting journey, both physically and emotionally but one well worth while. As a lone woman traveller I felt secure and protected.   I shall write to Bill but please do pass on my thanks also. 
with best wishes

We write to express our gratitude for conducting the battlefields tour and in tracing the footsteps of our ancestors in such a detailed and enjoyable manner. It was a most moving experience to realise the extent of the sacrifice of these young men who gave their lives and their future, not for King and Country, nor to be considered as glorious Dead, because there is no glory in death, but purely from a sense of duty.
We appreciated the detailed planning, your courtesy, your company and all the behind the scenes arrangements to make this a most enjoyable and yet humbling experience and one will remember for as long as we live.
Your kindness in arranging wreaths as a personal memorial to these soldiers and in the reciting of poetry at each memorial was again greatly appreciated. We will long remember you as a very special person.

Just to thank you for enabling us to have such a satisfying visit to the battlefields last week. The hotels, weather and company were outstanding.
We are both exhausted but have some grand memories.

We are back home in Watford after our very enjoyable visit to the WW1 Battlefields.
Bill, our First Class Guide asked us on the last day for comments and criticisms. We really had to struggle to make any adverse comments.
All aspects of the trip were excellent.
Everyone contributed towards the very friendly atmosphere within the group.  Bill was great - great attitude and encyclopaedic knowledge.
We saw so much, and learned so much, in such a short time, that gave rise to such a mixture of emotions - pride, admiration and sheer awe at the scale of the events, against the deep feeling of the futility of war.
Thank you so much for the trip.

Our trip to Western Front was beyond our expectations. Everything was first class; transport, accommodation, food and the company of guide Mike Kelly.
Mike was fantastic, and was always willing to share with us his vast amount of knowledge and understanding of WW1 and the battlefields.
Nothing was too much trouble for him, and he didn't seem to mind having to explain even the most basic of WW1 history to us.   At no time did we feel that Mike was 'just doing his job'.   Indeed on several occasions, Michael went beyond what was probably required of him, at all times striving to add to our experience and understanding.
While seeing many sights in our round the world tour I think the emotions aroused by our experience with Mike still will stay with us for the rest of our lives- nothing will compare with the last post at the Menin Gate or Mike’s poetry reading at various cemeteries. The song Willie McBride brings a tear to our eye and we still become emotional when describing some aspects of our tour to other people.
The use of technology in this trip added to the experience in making the trip unique.
David, many thanks to you for organising the trip and thanks to Michael for being such superb driver and guide, for being so friendly and for showing such respect to our soldiers from WW1.  It's much appreciated.
Please pass our kindest regards onto Mike.
I have no hesitation in recommending your tours and will follow through the idea of bringing students from Australia to experience the western front.

I would like to thank you and Mike for the most wonderful experience we had on our recent battlefield tour. Mike was the ultimate guide, a good host, a knowledgeable and interesting person with a great sense of humour as well!! While the journey was emotional, absorbing and constant, Mike was the best of company and has certainly contributed to heightening our awareness and interest in WW1.
Jeremy is already talking about the next visit and we have been extolling the company's virtues to all and sundry!! We both really appreciated the wealth of information that was given to us and in my case it was wonderful to hand this over to my father when we met up in Vancouver. Dad is truly overwhelmed that I was able to "walk in his fathers footsteps" and has been fascinated by what we did - looks like he may join us on the next one!!
Many thanks again for the most wonderful and memorable journey.

My battlefield tour with Bartlett's was one of the most memorable and enjoyable things I have ever done. Your guys thought of everything! I was particularly taken by the high level of organisation and attention to detail that went in to the logistics of the 5 day trip, the quality of the accommodation was excellent but most of all I was "blown" away when Chris presented each of us with a personalised folder that contained, in my case, the military record details of my grandfather as well as copies of the unit diaries over the period that he won the Military Medal at Pozieres in July / August 1916. Using the diary and copies of wartime maps overlaid with modern day topographical maps you allowed me to stand on the very spots where my grandfather's machine gun posts were positioned. It was both a surreal and a very emotional experience for me and I certainly did expect to receive such personalised attention. I found Chris's commentary on the battles that we covered - Poziers,Villers Brettoneaux, Mons St Quinten, Fromelles, Passchandaele, Messine Ridge to name a few was outstanding - Chris had the big picture as well as the minute details and he very skilfully worked both elements to provide an amazing , indelible mental picture of what took place on , what is today a ploughed field, or a piece of grassland or a built up area.
Thank you so much David and team for the experience of a lifetime and the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of a grandfather that I never had the privilege of knowing.

Thank you so much for organising a wonderful trip for our family recently.  e really appreciate everything you did for us all.  It was very moving to stand near the spot where young Teddy was fighting and to put our crosses down for him. Thank you also for saying a few words at the Thiepval Memorial when Grandma laid her wreath: these extra touches meant a lot to us, especially Grandma for whom the trip was probably more emotional than most.
The songs, poems and recordings which we listened to at various stages of the journey really added to the poignancy and I thought they were a lovely touch.
Although we had many special times on the trip, one of the highlights for me personally has to be the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to walk across with Grandma as she laid her wreath; something that none of us will ever forget, a proud moment for all the family; and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for arranging that. It meant so much to Grandma too.
We enjoyed your company very much; your enthusiasm for what you do really shines through and you are a mine of information, which helped to make the visits even more interesting. Grandma says you are an honorary member of our family.
The hotel in Ypres was fantastic as you said it would be and we can easily see why it is your home from home.
Once more, many thanks for the experience and I am sure that you will see some, if not all of us, again in the not too distant future.

I am writing on behalf of my mother and myself to let you know how much we enjoyed our tour in July.   Chris was an excellent guide and good company.  I know for myself, that I took in much more than I would have if I had had to do all the driving!  We were both moved by what we learned and will treasure the memories.  It brings history alive when you can visit the actual locations that the fighting took place.  You offer a wonderful service and we will certainly recommend it to others.
Thank you again.

Several days back and I would like to put on record my thanks for a great trip. Having not done anything like that before I was not sure what to expect but in the event the trip exceeded my expectations.
Chris really brought the battlefields to life and enabled me to understand them in a way not possible from books alone -definitely no hesitation in recommending you to others.

Now that I am back in the "real world" - work, family , taxes etc , it would be remiss of me if I did not pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation for the superb organisation and content of our recent journey.
In particular, I would like to commend our guide, Chris Wesley, his knowledge, enthusiasm and compassion is a credit both to himself and your organisation.
Whilst "enjoyment" of the trip is not quite the right word, given the context of the journey, I will say that it was worth every penny and the experience will stay with me for a very long time.
While not planning to pass that way again in the near future, Bartletts Battlefield Journeys would be at the top of my list, if I did.
Once again, thank you and congratulations on having a fine company and a great team.

Today while working in my home office, my visiting grandson asked me why I kept your card stuck to the edge of my computer screen and not filed it with all my other business cards.  I looked at the card and the piece of paper attached and suddenly realised that three full months had passed since that amazing journey through France into Belgium.
I took out the folder containing the notes Bill gave me, loaded the photos on to my computer screen and showed my grandson the history I had collected about his great, great grandfather, an ANZAC in the first world war.
The memories of our trip all flooded back me and it gave me a great sense of pride and joy to be able to explain it all to my grandson.
I write now to express my appreciation to your organization for the very professional way it had organized and carried out the group journey.  The written historical information you supplied, included the maps, war diary extracts, etc that pertained to my grandfathers unit were very helpful in locating the area where he was killed and in what battle, this together with Bill McQuade’s (our Guide) knowledge of how these battles were fought, the military procedures and command structures being used, the likely weather and local conditions, gave me an insight that I had hoped to achieve but did not expect to achieve from this trip.

Thanks for sending through the personal papers you ordered from Canada.  Just to say that we had an excellent tour with Bill. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject was amazing. We all learnt such a lot over the 3 days. When we retraced my grandfather's footsteps at Boyelles and found Gabriel's grave at Barlin it was all very emotional. Ending the tour with the last post at Menin Gate was perfect.  Bill was great company and a wonderful guide.  Please thank him for a memorable trip. We all said that when we do a tour of the Normandy beaches we would like to go with Bill !
Thank you for organising the trip for us. Needless to say we would recommend your company to anybody looking to go across to France on a similar journey.

Gethyn and I would like to take this opportunity of letting you know how much we all enjoyed our few days in France and Belgium.  The trip was not only enjoyable but also very informative and our thanks must go to Mike Kelly for both his careful preparation and in depth knowledge of his subject together with his friendly and considerate manner towards the group.  We all felt that Mike's presence was a significant contribution to the success of the tour.  Please will you convey our thanks and appreciation to Mike.
My brother, Adrian and his wife, Janet, have returned to Canada with an immense amount of information for their brother-in-law relating to his great uncles of the Ayre family.  We were all very moved when it came to laying the wreaths on the three graves and with the most appropriate poems chosen by Mike to recite at the gravesides.
Once again, we would like to thank you and your team for all the hard work you put into researching and organising our trip for us.  
We are already planning the next one!!

Our trip to Ypres was beyond our expectations. Everything was first class; transport, accommodation, food and the company of Phillip Wright and of course our guide, Bill.
We congratulate your company on its organisation and attention to detail. The amount of information handed over by Bill, especially the war diaries, brigade operation orders etc, will give me many hours of quiet, interesting reading. As a person with no military experience and no idea of the composition of an army, Bill had a real raw recruit. Please convey my grateful thanks to him for an excellent journey.
Again thank you for an excellent experience.
Kind Regards,

On behalf of our party of six, I would like to express our appreciation to Bartlett’s Battlefield Journeys for the tour we have just undertaken.
It proved to be a fascinating, informative and very moving three days, made all the more successful by the thoughtfulness and attention to detail that had so obviously gone into its planning.  We could certainly never have covered the same itinerary off our own bat.  We would never have been able to cram as much in, nor to have noticed all the key points at the sites we did visit.  All of us came back filled with admiration for the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, carried out with such dignity and dedication over so many years.  It also added immeasurably to the value of our trip to visit to grave of George Arnold Connelly, Judy Cimelli’s Great Uncle, and to have the opportunity to retrace his movements on the day that he was killed.
Particular thanks are owed to our guide, Chris Wesley, for his indefatigable, knowledgeable and good humoured presence throughout.  He pitched his inputs of information at just the right level, backed by the set of professionally produced fact sheets that now provide a valuable permanent record.  His was a major contribution to a time we will never forget.  
Our thoughts are now beginning to turn to the possibility of repeating the experience with a tour of the Normandy beaches.  So you may be hearing from us again before too long.
With many thanks once again to all concerned.

Just a quick note to say thank you for the wonderful tour that Bob and I enjoyed with you in April.  We really enjoyed the few days we spent with you on the Somme and we have been busy showing around all the photographs we took during the tour.  As you may have already heard, the Australian Government has announced that the Anzac Day ceremony at Villers-Bretonneux will become an annual event from 2009 onwards.  So you can look forward to many more early mornings!
Bob and I are doing our bit in spreading the word about the wonderful service you give and the personal way your tours are conducted.  Once again thank you for a wonderful tour and hopefully we may meet up again some day as I am sure we will return to France in the not too distant future.  I now have more details on my grandfathers and I am very keen to follow them up and see what information I can find.
Best Regards

We have finally arrived back in Australia with wonderful memories of a great trip. Of course the highlight of our journey was the Battlefield Tour. We were privileged to have Bill as our guide. His knowledge, attention to detail, patience, and care to our every need was incredible. We are sure that the tour would not have been anywhere as good without Bill as our guide.
We are so pleased that we built our whole trip around the Anzac Day dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux.
We wish to thank you personally for your tremendous organisation of the tour and for your choice of excellent personnel. We will have no hesitation in recommending Bartlett's Battlefield Tours to all our friends and family.
Kind regards.

We have arrived home from a fantastic holiday. The Battlefields tour was in many respects the highlight of the trip and I am writing on behalf of the group to thank you. Bill was outstanding. He was good company and a knowledgeable guide. The tour far exceeded our expectations and will never be forgotten.

We would like to express our appreciation of our Battlefield Journey of last week. Your organisation and planning were faultless and we both found it a wonderful experience.  We would have no hesitation in recommending Bartletts Battlefield Journeys. Thank you.

I thank you and Mike for the wonderful tour we had to the Ypres Salient and the northern part of the Somme last August. The very careful preparation and attention to detail in the planning was quite outstanding. Mike’s passion for his subject, his empathy with those brave men so long ago and his rapport with people along the way were most impressive. We were quite overcome with the fact that, not only had you gone to the trouble of locating and copying the service record of the officer whose sad fate we wanted to commemorate but that the service record had been copied in colour. The detailed battlefield maps and extracts from the Battery ’s way diary completed a fine piece of research. Then there was the wreath to lay on the memorial tablet at Tyne Cot. Thank you for this excellent thought which meant so much to Patricia.

I have passed your name onto several friends since returning. I trust that this may have led to others coming on your tours.

We had a wonderful tour with Michael. Many thanks to you and to him for all the work that went into making our tour such an interesting one.  We look forward to meeting you on our next trip with Bartletts .

I thought it was time to write to thank you for a most enjoyable and informative trip. It was worth every penny.  I was also lucky to be part of a small group which enabled each member to get virtually individual attention. I was most impressed with your knowledge and organisation. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The hotel accommodations and the meals were excellent. On one hand we experienced top class Belgian accommodation in Ieper and on the other real French charm in Peronne – their table was excellent. I will be a strong supporter of BBJ in the future and will gladly recommend your excellent tours to my friends and anyone I overhear discussing WW1 tours. Thanks for all the organisation which ran like clockwork. I had no problems at all.