Questions and Answers Episode 55

In this latest Questions & Answers episode of the Old Front Line podcast, we tackle another fascinating collection of listener questions that uncover some of the lesser-known aspects of the First World War.

We begin by exploring the German tradition of Sterbebilder or Death Cards, the memorial cards issued to commemorate fallen soldiers. How were these cards produced, who organised them, and where did the photographs that often appeared on them come from?

Next, we examine the impact of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on the armies of the Great War. As Germany’s military fortunes declined during the final months of the conflict, how much of a role did illness play alongside battlefield losses, exhaustion, and dwindling resources? We also consider the wider effect of influenza on all the major combatant nations.

We then turn to one of the most familiar nicknames in British medal collecting: “Pip, Squeak and Wilfred”. Where did these curious names come from, and how did they become attached to the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal?

Finally, we look at trench warfare and ask how opposing armies managed to dig trenches in places where the enemy was often only a few yards away. How were these positions established under fire, and how did some sectors of the front evolve into landscapes where soldiers could hear conversations and even smell the enemy’s cooking?

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