I am René van Oirschot (pronounced as Van Ohrshot) and from a very young age I have been interested in WWII history. I was fascinated as a child by the stories of my parents and grandparents shared with us at home in Holland. Stories of how my grandfather was in the Dutch army and mobilized in 1940 to defend our country. At the point of capitulation capitulation he was taken prisoner of war and held in a camp at Altengrabow (Germany). It must have been horrendous, as he did never wanted to talk about this experience as long as he lived.
During Operation Market Garden, the 101ste Airborne division picked their Drop Zone in the vincinity of the village I grew up. The Americans after the war left their vehicles behind, as this was cheaper than shipping them back to the US and my got involved in restoring them. This gave me the enthusiasm to research these vehicles and that is where I learned of this great military event. Since the age of ten it was always my ambition to own a Jeep and kept up a constant and enthusiastic approach to my research of the events of the D-Day landings. In later life I did buy the Jeep. This is still the Jeep we use these days for conducting private Jeep tours. I joined a re-enactment association who were very acytive in keeping WWII history alive. This association made it possible to meet a lot of WWII veterans and I attended lots of battle field tours with them telling us their stories. More than once, their own families where amazed by the stories they told us. Being at the exact spot, it brought the veterans back to where happened like yesterday. These stories we have heard first hand are part ofour presentation and to share these on our tour gives us great pleasure so we can honor the memory as the years go by. This decade we are in transition from remembering to history and sharing these these stories will keep the memory alive of ‘The Greatest Generation!’’
In 2004 “WWII Airborne Demonstration Team” cane to Sainte Mère Église for the 60th anniversary annual commemoration parachute jump. I witnessed this great event and was so determined to be part of this great historical re-enactment that I attended their jump school at Frederick, Oklahoma. There I learned to jumo, with full equipment jumping from a WWII C-47. I graduated and my proudest moment was to get my jump wings pinned on by WWII 501 PIR 101st Airborne Division veteran and friend Bobby Hunter (1924-2013) from Gunter, Texas. It was a pair of his original WWII jumpwings and I now wear them with pride on special occasions.
Before we moved to Sainte Mère Église I have been visiting Normandy numerous times over the years to build on my knowledge and to see first hand where and how the events happened here on the beaches. It was on one of these visits that I met Ellwood von Siebold and were truly impressed with his touring company D-Day Battle Tours. Enraptured by his approach to telling this interesting and life changing D-Day story here where it happened. Ellwood was looking to a form of business alliance with enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides who could join him and be part of this truly remarkable event. We went on tours with Ellwood and since then I have conducted many tours of my own.
Myself & Monica now working with Ellwood at D-Day Battle Tours and we are sharing the tours to give our clients an information and yet enjoyable experience walking the ground that those brave soldiers fought over our most precious good: Freedom!
Yours sincerely,
René van Oirschot bc
I would like to thank all past clients who have contributed to the success of my dream and to say thank you for the many kind remarks on Trip Advisor
The objective of this tour is to provide you with a visit to the most significant area of the American military activity that took place on the 6th June These tours can be made up by single parties, individuals or groups.
The objective of this tour is to incorporate all of the most significant events of the D-Day tour into a schedule
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Private tours bring a special focus to your tour with D Day Battletours and provide the ultimate in experience and satisfaction Experience has shown that the majority of clients have chosen Private Tours.
Monica was outstanding! Cannot say enough. She accommodated my very last minute request and made the experience way beyond expectations. I never thought I would get to walk in... read more
ATLFAMGUY
It will exceed your expectations! - For most people, visiting the D-Day sites are a once in a life-time, bucket-list activity. As such, don't cut any corners and do it right. Hire Rene for... read more
Chad F
Learned so much! - Our day with Monica could not have been better (except for weather- though it made the landing days feel a bit more real...). She was passionate, knowledgeable, flexible, and charming... read more
AnneKAdventurer
Monica is a star - We were privileged to have Monica as our guide and driver for a five day tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley. She is an incredible expert on WW2... read more
rick s
Three Day Private Tour - Monica was clearly very passionate about the history behind the D-Day landings. She even took us to lesser known places that give a very complete feel of all there is... read more
Killerkangaroo
This is a MUST for any American visiting France! - Our family of 4, including two 20-somethings, cited our tour with Rene as the highlight of our European vacation. His knowledge and passion for the area and the history... read more
gleguria
Had a great full day private tour with our tour guide Monica. Although the weather, cold, rain, and windy, wasn’t the best, Monica was able to adjust due to... read more
Joe F
Highlight of my Historic Trip to Normandy France - I signed up with D-Day Battle Tours in preparation for a trip to Normandy France and specifically Sainte Mere Eglise to trace the invasion parachute drops and routes from the... read more
Jeffrey S
A worthwhile experience - Outstanding knowlege, emphatic guide, awesome experience. Learn of the battles, learn of the towns. Will do this again and again.
juliorza
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