Battlefield Tour Podcast: Merlin's Barn #20 "Walking WW1 Battlefields"

The July 15, 2025 episode of the Merlin’s Barn Podcast features Knee Deep Into History founder Randy Gaulke talking about how he became a battlefield guide. Readers who enjoy listening to battlefield tour podcasts can listen to it on the link below:

Ep 20: Walking WW1 Battlefields – by Merlin’s Barn

Early Beginnings

Randy’s first battlefield tour was in July 1986 when he was studying as a Fulbright Scholar at the Universitaet Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany. That tour was led by Lt. Col. Graham Parker of Flanders Tours. The weekend trip spent one day in Ypres and one day on the Somme. Randy caught the bug and has been hooked on battlefields ever since. His second tour was in 1990. Beginning in 1994 he visited the battlefields almost annually.

Lt. Col. Graham Parker of Flanders Tours was an early inspiration

This battlefield tour podcast spends a fair amount of time talking about one of Randy’s early tour efforts: In 2005 he led a tour for three members and two spouses of his reenacting regiment, the 8th Kuerassier Regiment. Podcaster Merlin Hanson and his wife at the time participated in this tour. It focused on the regiment’s march into Luxembourg and France in Autumn 1914 and on the regiment’s fighting near Douaumont Village during the Battle of Verdun.

Members of the 8th Kuerassier Regiment at a museum in Koblenz, Germany — Participants of the 2005 tour and former members of Panzerbattalion 144-344 at the battalion’s private museum in Koblenz Germany. When it existed, the battalion assumed the lineage of the 8th Kuerassier Regt.

A Freelance Guide in France, 2017-18

Fast forward, and the battlefield tour podcast also spends a decent amount of time on Randy’s decision in 2017-18 to quit his professional job and to spend eight months living in France as a freelance guide to the WW1 AEF battlefields. In preparation for that, Randy asked Merlin Hanson for a testimonial, and he wrote:

“I traveled on a tour Randy organized for a group of us in 2005. On this journey we followed a WW1 German cavalry unit, the 8th Kurassier. Randy took us from Koln, Germany, where they originated; to Helly ravine, Verdun, where they fought in the battle for Fort Douaumont. Along the way we stayed in small local hotels, saw places significant to the Kurassier, met with veterans who maintained a museum of the 8th Kurassier, and saw such amazing places as the Romagne 14-18 museum (look it up, it is a special place.)

Randy has a passion for WW1, and his extensive time in Europe has built him an extensive knowledge not only of the history of the area, but a connection with many local people. We were immersed in the history we explored. A trip with Randy is a well rounded experience that I doubt you will find anywhere else.”

Knee Deep Into History Founder Randy Gaulke in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery — Randy Gaulke in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. Photo by Valerie Young.

Establishing Knee Deep Into History LLC

Finally, the battlefield tour podcast focuses on Randy’s decision in 2020/21 to establish Knee Deep Into History LLC and to build it into a leading WW1 and WW2 small-group battlefield tour company. As of this writing, KDIH has just about completed its fifth tour season. For those who enjoy the rambling nature of podcasts, this is a great way to learn about the company and its founder. Enjoy listening!