Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Walking The Somme: Authuille to Thiepval
In the shadow of Lutyens’ mighty Thiepval Memorial, we visit the graves of British soldiers in the picturesque Authuille Military Cemetery, discover how a Newcastle United player launched the attack here with a football on 1st July 1916, and find what remains of the pre-war village of Thiepval, more than a century after its destruction.
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Podcast Extras
Podcast Extras: Thiepval
29 Comments on “Walking The Somme: Authuille to Thiepval”
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Old Front Line 
Someone help me! While stationed in Germany I was part of a detail that went to France for a memorial presentation and cannot remember the battle location. The year was ā77 or ā78 and I was with the 1/10thFA and we were chosen for this and I trained a gun salute squad and along with was a 1lt. SFC , e-5 and 7 emās. Somewhere around Paris and Verdun is a 3 story high memorial with 3 soldiers atop, one American, one Canadian and one Australian. I only remember that the area of battle has the word āfarmā or something like that. Iāve searched diligently but cannot find it. My description of it is accurate and Iāve looked at many pictures and places online but to no avail so help me out someone. Also after the event Stars and Stripes read ā1/10th represents US Armyā.
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I would guess itās Navarin Farm but the soldiers on it are not Australian and Canadian. When you went there, there was a significant NATO base locally and up the road the Blanc Mont US Memorial.
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There is a Commonwealth Cemetery about 1km straight south of the Thiepval Memorial. There is no label on Google maps for this cemetery. Does any one know the name of the cemetery?
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Thatās Lonsdale Cemetery.
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Anyone have any information on the Martinsart Commonwealth Cemetery? Head stones are a rust brown colour. Fascinating! Wondering why this stone type was used at this cemetery? Any other cemeteries use this type of stone?
Thanks
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Itās the least used type of stone used by IWGC after the war. There are a few on the Somme like it. Itās called Corsehill stone.
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There is another unlabelled cemetery just off of D151, just south of Authuille. Any ideas for the name? Itās near a place named Vallee du Hem.
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Itās Blighty Valley Cemetery.
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Thank you for your answers and for your podcast. My favourite on the Internet. šØš¦
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Thanks, Burke. Glad I could help!
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Great podcast! I visited Thiepval a few years ago. Very impressive!
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Thanks, Richard.
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Thanks Paul. Authuille Cemetery is so beautiful. Nothing quite like visiting at dusk on a warm summer evening.
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I visited Thiepval more than 40 years ago, it was a memory that will live on forever
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I found this episode particularly interesting. My great uncle was a Salford Pal. 15th battalion. Went over the top on 1st July 1916. He survived but sadly died of wounds in April 1917. I visited Thiepval in October 2014 and hand planned to go back last spring. Hopefully can, later this year.
Thankyou
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Sorry, mistyped 1918, not 1917
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Great job again Paul. Quick question is Authuille the cemetery with one of the suggested “Willie McBride” graves?
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Yes it is, but itās very hard to tell whether the person who wrote it ever went there.
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Paul, thanks for another excellent podcast. What a thoroughly good suggestion for a walk up to Thiepval; something to keep the punters in suspense rather than heading straight for the distracting Visitors’ Centre (good loos though). Excellent choice of stand/viewpoint, rather than the usual western end of the memorial’s graveyard.
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Thanks, Jon.
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Another great walk and talk Paul
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Thanks, Niall.
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Happy New Year to you and thanks for continuing with series 2 of your podcasts. Always very interesting.
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Thanks, Nigel.
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Another great podcast and a great start to the new season. Visited Thiepval in 2014 with my dad and uncle as part of a trip to visit the graves of my great uncles who were both killed during the Somme Offensive of 1918
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Another excellent podcast with a good reading list too!
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You can never have too many books! Thanks, Stephen!
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Quite Paul. My house is bulging with them, but I always find room for more…..much to the chagrin of my partner who is a retired librarian!!
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With my love of Newcastle United, I was always going to enjoy this, Paul! Once again, listening to you describing the area immediately transported me back there. That, I think, is a special gift.
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