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Why I Guide

I grew up in Arnhem. I lived there for almost twenty years, then moved to Veghel, where I’ve been for the past eighteen years. Both towns sit directly on the Operation Market Garden battlefields. I didn’t choose this subject, it chose me. I’ve been studying these battles for as long as I can remember, and since 2012 I’ve been taking people to the places where they happened.

Over those years I’ve guided individuals, families, small groups, large groups, relatives of veterans, school classes, and serving military units. Every tour is different, because every visitor brings a different connection to the history. That’s what makes this work worth doing.

Guild of Battlefield Guides

In 2018 I joined the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and began the accreditation process, a rigorous programme of assessed battlefield presentations and written assignments. I completed it in October 2020, earning Accredited Member Badge #112. On top of that, I was awarded the David Chandler Award for the best Above Standard presentation that year.

The GBG accreditation matters because it’s the only internationally recognised standard for battlefield guiding. It means my tours are assessed against professional criteria for historical accuracy, narrative quality, and visitor experience, not just enthusiasm.

TripAdvisor

We’ve been awarded the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award three consecutive years: 2023, 2024, and 2025. This places us in the top 10% of experiences worldwide, based entirely on consistent positive reviews from travellers. It’s not a paid placement, it’s earned from guests who care about how history is presented.

YouTube

Not everyone can visit the battlefields in person, so I started a YouTube channel to bring them to a wider audience. I post virtual battlefield tours, stories from locations that are off the beaten track, events I attend, and a series called Dodge Adventures featuring my WWII Dodge Weapons Carrier.

The channel has grown to over 20,000 subscribers. If you’re considering a tour with me, it’s the best way to get a feel for how I work and what a day on the battlefields actually looks like.

Watch on YouTube →

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Beyond the Tours

The personal side — the community, the vehicles, and the history that isn’t in the guidebooks.

Screaming Ducks Living History Association

Since 2006 I’ve been a member of the Screaming Ducks, a group of friends, most with WWII vehicles, who portray Able Company of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. We attend events across Europe; every December you’ll find us in Bastogne, and most years we’re in Normandy too.

In 2014 the Screaming Ducks were granted the title Honorary Members of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, which we’re very proud of.

In 2022 a few of us travelled to the United States, visiting Mount Currahee, the Camp Toccoa museum, and Fort Campbell to link up with the current 101st Airborne Division. Without any doubt, the trip of a lifetime.

My WWII Dodge Weapons Carrier

Since 2005 I’ve had an original WWII Dodge Weapons Carrier (WC 51) in my garage. It was my ticket into the world of military history, it turned me from a spectator into a participant, and eventually into a guide.

Over the years I’ve driven the Dodge across the Netherlands and to Normandy and Bastogne. We’ve been in commemorative convoys, static shows, and I’ve had the privilege of driving WWII veterans in it. The Dodge was a life changer, and it now stars in its own YouTube series.

Operation Market Garden Commemorations

In 2014 and 2019 I was involved in organising the Operation Market Garden commemorative events, in which over 300 WWII vehicles drove the original route from Belgium to Nijmegen.

Stolpersteine — Stumbling Stones

I have participated in the Stolpersteine foundation in Veghel. We are in the process of laying 17 stumbling stones at the houses where Jewish residents lived who were murdered during the Holocaust. This is quiet, local work, but it matters.

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Connect

TripAdvisor: The Battlefield Explorer
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g3833854-d4235139-Reviews-The_Battlefield_Explorer_Tours-Veghel_North_Brabant_Province.html

YouTube: The Battlefield Explorer
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBattlefieldExplorer

Facebook: The Battlefield Explorer
https://www.facebook.com/theBattlefieldexplorer/

X (Twitter): @battlefieldexpl
https://twitter.com/battlefieldexpl

LinkedIn: Joris Nieuwint
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joris-nieuwint-a514907/