Questions and Answers Episode 48

In this Old Front Line WW1 podcast Q&A episode, we answer listeners’ questions about the history of the First World War  and the legacy of the conflict today. We begin by exploring British and Commonwealth war cemeteries, explaining how the headstones are kept perfectly aligned and why some graves appear in straight rows while others are spaced further apart, including the role of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission of how this was made permanent,

We then look at the huge stockpiles of artillery ammunition left at the end of the First World War, discussing how millions of shells were stored, disposed of, or destroyed after the Armistice of 1918.

Another question focuses on officers’ servants, often known as batmen, in the British Army during WW1: how they were recruited, what duties they carried out on and off the battlefield, and what their wartime experience was really like.

Finally, we examine salvage on the Western Front and ask whether the famous scene in All Quiet on the Western Front, where Paul Bäumer is issued a dead soldier’s tunic, could really have happened during the war.

The Killing Ground mentioned in the podcast can be found here: Killing Ground on YouTube.

Main Image: Tyne Cotts Pillbox. After capture it became important position and Company Headquarters. Top – Capt Cross MC, 33rd Battalion MGC with runner and batman. (IWM Q56253)

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