Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Winter on the Somme
We look at three winters on the Somme front: from 1914 to 1916. We discuss Christmas Truces involving the French and Germans, and later when the British arrive, discuss the terrible sub-zero conditions of 1916, and look at the problem of Trench Foot, particularly amongst Australian troops faced with the harsh reality of Somme mud.
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BATTLEFIELD MAP:
PODCAST EXTRAS:
Link to Somme 1914 Christmas Truce Account: LES FRATERNISATIONS DE NOEL 1914
Link to Fay Sector Fraternisation: www.chtimiste.com/regiments/fraternisations1.htm
Link to Fricourt Sector Fraternisation: www.chtimiste.com/regiments/fraternisations2.htm
I.L. ‘Dick’ Read’s illustration of the 1915 Truce at Monchy-au-Bois
7 Comments on “Winter on the Somme”
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Old Front Line 
As you look at future content, Paul, here is a unique engagement involving AEF-British and Australian cooperation: the fall 1918 fighting around Bellicourt and the St. Quentin Canal, where the US II Corps (US 27th and 30th Divisions) fought alongside British and Australian troops in cracking the Hindenburg Line. (Several Americans who I have written about earned the Medal of Honor in this fighting.)
Keep up the very good work. Happy Boxing Day, and Happy New Year. Cheers.
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Yes, it’s a battlefield I know well and it will be in the Pod next year sometime.
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Happy 2023 to you and thanks for many great issues this year! See you in January hopefully! A great one to end the year with!
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Thanks, Niall!
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Happy New year Paul.
The experience of the British & French armies on the first and early days of the Battle of the Somme were very different despite it being a joint offensive I the same area.
Could you do a podcast describing and explaining rhe differences in approach and results.
TIA & best wishes
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Thanks – Andrew. And yes, I will get to that at some point! It’s an interesting subject!
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Thanks for the heads up on future content. A trench chat with Christina Holstein about her books on Verdun would be good.
Your account of the troop’s experience of trench foot made for harrowing listening. It’s a pity that it took such suffering for the Army medical authorities to introduce foot inspections etc., in 1917. Trenchfoot wasn’t exactly unknown, British troops had suffered from it in the trenches before Sebastopol in the Crimean War 60 years before.
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