Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Beyond The Somme
The Great War on the Western Front was much more than Flanders and the Somme, and the experience of British and Commonwealth soldiers. When we travel ‘Beyond the Somme’ – what does that mean, and what do we find on these battlefields where soldiers from France and its Empire, and later American troops fought?
BATTLEFIELD MAP:
12 Comments on “Beyond The Somme”
Leave a reply to wgpeterson Cancel reply
Old Front Line 
Thanks Paul. . brilliant!
Cheers.. .
LikeLiked by 1 person
Superb, as always, and most evocative, Paul. Your descriptions of Montfaucon, Cuneo and the other American sectors in the Meuse-Argonne are simply spot-on and stirring; likewise, your visualization of Verdun and the Chemin des Dames.
(You might like to read “No Finer Company” by Edward Lengel, and “Betrayal at Little Gibraltar” by William Walker, if you have not read them; these concern the Lost Battalion and the battle for Montfaucon, respectively.)
With great and continuing respect for “The Old Front Line.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nick. And thanks for those book recommendations!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent episode!
LikeLike
Another fabulous listen Paul. I used to regularly visit the BAXI France – La Magdeleine factory in Soissons in 2007-2010 which was in the thick of the fighting during the war. I remember just inside the gates they had a huge memorial to the workers killed in the trenches and around the area which I used to admire every time I was there. Unfortunately it was closed down and sold off so I have no idea if it remains there today.
LikeLike
Paul, great episode and very thought provoking. It’s very easy to get focused on the British front/battles whilst forgetting the greater picture of the rest of the western front! If you have any suggestions for wider reading on this I’d be very grateful. Thanks for your continuing efforts to bring greater insights to this conflict.
LikeLike
A wonderful program that gives credit to all the combatants. thank you
LikeLike
An excellent and thought provoking podcast about the French and US “contributions”. We tend to forget that for much of the war the French were the senior partner, as manifest by their casualties and the length of the OFL that they occupied. Our maximum in 1918 was around 30%.
Good point on the demographic effects too. Following the debacle in 1940, which the Vichy government blamed on France’s losses in the Great War, abortion was made a capital crime and post war, birth control was only legalised in 1967.
Well done on your US TV appearance, will you be uploading this to the website?
You also said that this podcast was to enable us to see beyond the Somme. I have visited French and US sectors on two Leger tours. Would you be able to advise on how accessible these are by public transport please?
So far I have only managed the Somme, courtesy of Eurostar and SNCF from Lille to Albert.
LikeLike
Paul
When I mentioned advice about accessibility etc., I meant at the next Supporters Evening.
Thanks
LikeLike
an excellent episode Paul reminded me of the Leger tour I did called end to end. Visiting the areas around Verdun etc gave you a greater understanding of the conditions, the trenches, the ruined village of what it was like back then. Thank you for reminding of that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Margaret.
LikeLike
Brilliant as usual, especially as my beloved Ox & Bucks. I went to Soupir last year and visited the boys, especially 2nd Lieutenant Paul Chancourt Giradot. Only son of the late Lieut-Col J F Giradot 43rd Light Infantry a survivor of the wreck of the Birkenhead. I knew that they were killed outside the caves of a large stone quarry near La Cour de Soupir but did not know a lot of trenches could still be seen. (Wish I had!)
This episode is so correct, as I would not have seen Caverne du Dragon and lots of other sights along the Chemin des Dames if I had not gone to Soupir. We did manage a tour of the Caverne with an English-speaking guide, but there were no books in the shop there in English.
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person