Meet the Team

Tony Eden

Tony is the managing director of Rifleman Tours and works as the principal battlefield tour guide. Tony’s interest in military history began with the Napoleonic era and the first battlefield he visited was Waterloo.

His family all served during World War Two. His father was at Dunkirk and went on to serve with the 8th Army in North Africa and Italy.

He also has a strong connection with the Great War. His grandfather William James Eden, who as a professional soldier was serving with the 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps, was killed on the 31st October 1914 at First Ypres during the battle of Gheluvelt. He is remembered on the Menin Gate.

Tony has no picture of his grandfather and would dearly love one so if anyone out there has a picture of Rifleman W J Eden, a copy would be most appreciated.

Tony has guided many battlefield tours over the years working with many groups and associations and regiments. Recently he was the lead guide for a ‘Joint Defence Force tour’.

Tony has written a number of published battlefield articles and helped authors research books on the subject of WW1 and 2, including The British Shell Shortage of the First World War by Phillip Harding.

He recently guided and assisted a tv crew from Sky Arts for a television documentary The Pity of War: Poets at the Front. The programme focused on the life and works of WW1 Poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.

Tony is married to Allison and they have a daughter Olivia and a typical Jack Russell called Monty.

Allison Eden

Allison shares her time between her ‘proper’ job as Media Relations Manager for a car importer in Milton Keynes and working with Tony for Rifleman Tours. Her skills at arranging events and attention to detail, helps Rifleman Tours put together their excellent battlefield tour packages.

On our battlefield tours she acts as tour manager, ensuring the welfare of our guests is taken care of and she is the queen of serving refreshments!

Allison’s family has a strong military connection. Her father, Robert, served with the RAF and her Grandfather and Great Uncles served in the Great War.

Her Grandfather served with the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry and was at Fromelles where he was gassed. Upon his return to duty he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and after a period of time serving in the Western Front, was transferred to India.

 

Olivia Eden

Olivia has been visiting the battlefields since she was three years old and has developed a keen interest in the First World War and World War Two.

Now a teenager she is studying for her GCSEs but in her spare time, Olivia enjoys dance classes and going to the shooting range with her rifle.

Olivia has visited the battlefields many times and Ypres  is her favourite place to stay – not just for the ice cream and chocolate (close second is Arromanches). Her favourite trip was the Cat Festival Weekend (click here for the photo gallery of the Cat Festival Weekend).

 

Our drivers play an important part in our organisation and we believe we have the very best.

James Mason

James is the owner of Masons Coaches of Cheddington and has been driving with Rifleman Tours for many years. Masons is a family run business and is now being run by James and Matt (third generation) and James’ wife Candice. They have a wide selection of vehicles that suit our purposes ranging from minibuses to 52 seat executive coaches.

Over the years Tony has led James and his drivers over some tough terrain bringing our travellers up close to where the action happened. Thankfully they have forgiven him.

 

 

Finally…

Monty

Monty is a 9 year old rescue dog who guards the office and has a close connection to World War One and Two. His distant Jack Russell relatives kept the trenches clear of rats in the Great War and he is named after Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery.

In his spare time he likes to bark at postmen, chase cats or squirrels and take long walks.

Pictured above (last photo) is Torpille the Jack Russell who belonged to a Jules Van Neste, a Belgian Chaplain in World War One and used as a rat catcher. Torpille has been recently restored and can be found in the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres.