OLD COUNTRY MILITARY & HISTORY TOURS INC.
History Brought Alive in the Company of Like-Minded People.
About Us
Peter Gasgoyne-Lockwood (Chief Executive)
The son of a British Naval Officer, Peter spent much of his childhood in various parts of the world. This introduction has lead to a life long interest in the history of countries, their peoples and the different cultures.
After school he joined the British Army and continued to travel serving in many different parts of the world. Where possible his spare time was spent studying battlefield sites and the various campaigns.
On leaving the Army he continued his development of European History by research into the various races that make up the peoples of Great Britain, The Gasgoyne side of his family was a knight in the service of William the Conqueror when he landed in England in 1066.
In the early 1990's an opportunity arose to live in Virginia; this gave Peter the chance to resurrect an interest he had in the American Civil war since childhood, one of his books, a guide to 'Virginia's Civil War Battlefields' was published in 1995.
Whilst living in Virginia was a founding member of the Lower Shenandoah Valley American Civil War Round Table.
Guide for : American Civil War Tours
Liz Prest (European Tour Director)
Liz's background in travel and desire to see the world goes back to her early years when she worked in Spain and Greece, indulging her interests in architecture, local history and fine arts.
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Back in the United Kingdom her career then focused on Image and Fashion. After training with First Impressions, she has built-up a successful business in all aspects of image, color, design and presentation.
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Liz has been a member of the Federation of Image consultants for over 10 years and recently has become involved with the Costume Society and their lectures covering the history of fashion.
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Currently she organizes and hosts 'taylor-made' trips throughout Great Britain for visitors from the United States and the Far east. She has appeared frequently on British Television and Radio and has lectured to many major European institutions. Her interests include reading, theater, gardens and European history.
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Guide for: Two Centuries in Vogue & Garden tours in the UK.
Mike Vice
Mike Vice's interest in the American Civil War and Military History began as a teenager participating in the Civil War Centennial in his native state of Texas. Following his graduation from college with a BA in History and a US Army commission, he served as an infantry officer including a combat tour in the Vietnam War with the 7th Cavalry of the 1st Cavalry Division which served to launch his military history career. Following his military service he received a Master's Degree in Museum Science at Texas Tech University and entered upon a 30 year plus career working for the US Army and the National Park Service. Mike spent 10 years of his career as Chief Museum Curator for Gettysburg National Military Park, which is one of the largest Civil War collections in the United States.
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He resides in Gettysburg, where he has a number of assorted part-time jobs in retirement including a local auction house as a firearms and military appraiser; history presenter on CS and US Civil War soldier life, and tour guide for a number of Eastern Theatre Civil War sites. Mike continues to be active in Civil War living history; participating in Civil War Round Tables and advisor to assorted Civil War and Indian War history sites. He's co-authored a book on Crimean War artifacts and has just completed research work on a Custer, Little Big Horn, Sioux Campaign 1876-77 artifact book.
Neil Magnum
Neil grew up in Virginia where he honed his Civil War interest by working at Petersburg National Battlefield. He parlayed a seasonal job in 1969 into a permanent position, which eventually landed him as park historian at the then Custer Battlefield National Monument, now Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. He was involved with the archaeological programs conducted on the battlefield from 1983-1988. Mangum's 34-year stint with the National Park Service includes assignments to Desoto National Memorial in Florida, and Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. He transferred to the Southwest Regional Office in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he became regional historian. Later stops included Trans-Pecos historian at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, and a return to Little Bighorn National Battlefield as park superintendent. Mangum finished his NPS career as superintendent at both Chiricahua National Monument and Fort Bowie National Historic Site in Arizona.
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Neil graduated with a degree in history from Virginia State University. He holds a Masters Degree, U.S. West, from the University of New Mexico. Retired since 2003, he continues his interest in U.S. history specializing in the U.S. West, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War.
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He lives in Payson, Arizona, and continues his involvement in history by conducting guided tours on topics like Texas history, the Mexican War, civilian conflicts such as the Lincoln County War, Indian War and Civil War battlefields. He continues to write articles, and serve on boards of organizations such as the Friends of Little Bighorn Battlefield.
Ian Mitchell
Ian Mitchell has had a varied career that includes working as a librarian for the Ministry of Defence before serving as an officer in both the Royal Navy and the British Army for 16 years. He retired in 2014 after working for 14 years in the defence industry on large training projects.
His primary area of interest and experience as a battlefield guide is the Second World War and the operations of the US, British and Canadian Armies in North West Europe and the Mediterranean. He has a long held interest in the operations of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division. He has used this knowledge when acting as guide on Band of Brothers Tours for the National World War 2 Museum.
Ian has been active in the Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG) since he joined in 2008. Over a 5 year period from 2012, he planned and led an annual GBG event designed to develop the ability of fellow guides to lead clients on battlefield tours in Normandy, the Netherlands and the Ardennes. In 2018 the GBG Council awarded him a Certificate of Recognition for this work.
His first book The Battle of the Peaks and Longstop Hill: Tunisia April - May 1943 was published by Helion in
July 2019.
Bruce Cherry
Bruce Cherry's interest and experience in military history covers both the academic and practical battlefield touring. He took a first degree in history and obtained his PhD in a Great War related area in 2010. In 1986 he founded a specialist tour operator (sold in 2008) that offered battlefield tours throughout France, Belgium and the Low Countries. In addition to planning and administration he has also led many tours as a guide for a variety of groups from schools to dedicated enthusiasts. Bruce's grandfather and father both served in the British Army.
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He is an associate member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides.
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Married he lives at Woodburn Green
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Guide for: The Introduction to the Western Front Tour.
Nigel Dunkley MBE MILing
Scotsman, soldier, diplomat and historian, Nigel graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1976, joining the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Soldiering all over the world followed, including covert intelligence gathering duties behind the Iron Curtain in the former East Germany with BRIXMIS during the Cold War, interpreting for Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison, two years with the US 1 st Cavalry Division on the staff of General Tommy Franks, both in Texas and during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq, for which he was awarded the MBE and US Bronze Star Medal. After command of armoured reconnaissance and tank squadrons he became Chief of Staff of the Royal Armoured Corps Centre at Bovington in Dorset, and a Defence Attaché at the British Embassies in Bonn and Berlin.
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Nigel has led history tours for many years to many major battlefields in Europe and beyond. Being fluent in German and Russian, and living in Berlin, he has been able to devote much study to history from the 'other side,' adding a unique extra aspect to his tours, lectures, and presentations on a wide variety of historical subjects, from Frederick the Great to the Second World War and the Cold War.
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Guide for: The Italian Campaigns & Berlin to Colditz
Major (Retired) Tim Saunders MBE. MA
After 30 years as an infantry officer, during which he took the opportunity to visit many obscure battlefields, Tim Saunders retired to take up his life-long passion for military history full time. He is author of 14 military history books mainly on aspects of the First & Second and World Wars. In parallel he has played a leading role in writing and co-presenting some forty full length documentaries on campaigns and battles, from Viking times through to the end of the Second World War, for Battlefield History TV and several other Broadcasters including Time Team.
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At home with a wide variety of groups, Tim readily adapts his style and content to audiences ranging from high level military staff rides to GCSE school groups.
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Tim is a Fellow of the Guild of Battlefield Guides and received the MBE for his military duties and services to military history.
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Guide for: 'The Heart of War Trail 1914 - 1918' & First in the Field 'The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry' in WW1, Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War & Operation Overlord & D Day
Colonel John Hughes-Wilson
John Hughes-Wilson a full time author and broadcaster specialising in military-historical and intelligence matters, and is recognised as one of Britain's leading commentators on military subjects. An Archives Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge and the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, he is also a consultant to the UN, EU, MoD, universities, and a number of international corporations on international intelligence.
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Past President, Guild of Battlefield Guides.
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Leader of 130 successful battlefield tours for national and international groups.
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Battlefield Tours Consultant to international tour companies and TV companies.
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Military History Prize at Sandhurst 1964. [Student of Dr David Chandler and Sir John Keegan]
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Legion of Merit, International Napoleonic Society for, "Who Really Murdered Napoleon?"
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Author of;
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"The Puppet Masters", 2004. "A powerful book" The Spectator; " A fascinating read ", Andrew Marr, BBC. (Shortlisted for 2005 Westminster Gold Medal.)
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Best selling "Military Intelligence Blunders", 1999 [new edition 2004] (Standard book on international cases of intelligence failure from WW2 to the WTC, 9/11.)
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Co-author, "Blindfold and Alone" 2001. (" The definitive book on the 1914-18 executions ", Guardian)
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Author of numerous articles, reviews and features for national newspapers
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Guide for: The Somme 1916, Defeat into Victory 1918
Peter D. Smith
Peter's life has revolved around the Great War since he inherited his grandfather's medals and diary as a small boy.
He grew up in rural East Yorkshire before joining the Territorial Army at 17.
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At 21 he decided he needed a little more action and enlisted as a Royal Marines Commando, serving with them for eleven years.
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For the next 14 years Peter worked in the print industry, finally as the sales director for a Dorset based company.
In 2004 he moved to the Somme battlefields of France, where he started a bed and breakfast in the historic village of Flers.
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He now works full time as a historian, battlefield guide and researcher.
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His expertise encompasses the British, Australian and American experience and battlefields of the western front.
Peter is an a member of The British Commission for Military History, European Tour Operators Association, The Western Front Association and an associate member of The Guild of Battlefield Guides,
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He is a prolific collector of Great War ephemera and photographs, many of which have been used in related publications.
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Guide for: Doughboys Tour
