Having served for 30 years as a Royal Marines Commando, gaining the Rank of Warrant Officer First Class (WO1), Mark has now retired to the heart of Normandy, living within 30 minutes of the D Day landing area. A lifelong enjoyment of reading about military history, and a holiday in Calvados, sparked his interest specifically in the magnitude of the initial phases of the D Day landings.
He served with various Units within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines (including Operational Service in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan) and various Naval establishments, where Mark was the first Royal Marine to be appointed to Base Warrant Officer (RSM) at RNAS Culdrose.
When he delivers the details of D Day, he draws on his considerable military experience to convey not only the facts, figures and knowledge of planning, combat and logistics but also the human side of war - the determination, bravery, suffering, fear, sacrifice and endeavour. After speaking with many veterans and their families, who sometimes felt more comfortable sharing their experiences with a fellow soldier, his aim is to keep their stories alive and give a privileged, first-hand account of their experiences during the landings.
He utilised his first-hand knowledge of Combat Stress in his last appointment as Trauma Risk in Management (TRiM) Instructor and Advisor; a post that saw him not only help to develop a network of military personnel who became TRiM practitioners (who are trained to spot the first signs of mental health issues), but also help those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to receive the best care.
Mark remains flexible in his ability to tailor the information given on his battlefield tours to suit the client's level of knowledge and understanding of events and deliver it to any sized tour, be it to a group of military personnel, a family with children or a couple. Also, the sites visited can be discussed prior to the tour if there is a specific area of interest, so a bespoke option is available on request.
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