Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Sambre Canal 1918: Lock No 1
In this episode we travel to the last major battlefield of the Great War on the Western Front – the Sambre Canal. Here we follow the story of the infantry and the engineers who attacked the Canal on 4th November 1918, including the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. We also see what remains of the battlefield today.
The interview with Josh Grover MM is on the IWM website here: Josh Grover MM interview.
Recommended Book: Decisive Victory by Derek Clayton.
Thread on the Great War Forum: Royal Sussex Regiment at Lock No 1.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
BATTLEFIELD MAP:
Podcast Extras:
7 Comments on “Sambre Canal 1918: Lock No 1”
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Hi Paul
Another great episode on a battle I knew nothing about!
Very interesting to hear about the AIF engineers and knowing that they are some of the last casualties for Australia in WW1.
My son is an Australian Army combat engineer and I have sent him a link to this episode as I’m sure he will be interested in their story.
Cheers
Gordon
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Thanks, Gordon – nice to highlight some lesser known aspects of the Great War and hope your son found it of interest.
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Great episode Paul. Thank you. I have a relative that died with the 15th Lancashire Fusiliers on the 30.9.18. The battalion diary for that day says… ‘Crossed St. Quentin canal and advanced towards Joncourt’…
The previous day they are at Bellenglise. He has no known grave and is memorialised at Vis-en-Artois.
I visited that area last year in the hope that he is one of the unknowns in La Baraque, Uplands, Joncourt or Joncourt East.
They are all full of Lancs lads, and I found Uplands cemetery to be in a particularly nice spot overlooking the valley. Each unknown in the four cemeteries received a poppy and a nod of acknowledgement. Once again, thank you. Ian
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Thanks, Ian – so many small battlefield cemeteries like those in that part of The Old Front Line.
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Thanks for a great podcast Paul. Were you in this area when you filmed “The last day of WW1” with Michael Palin in 2008? Fascinating interview with Josh Grover MM. If the interview were a book, you wouldn’t be able to put it down!
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Another great ep Paul. If I learnt one thing then it was that more men went over the top on 4th November 1918 than on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Extraordinary ! Its the podcast which keeps giving
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Thanks, John!
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