Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Category: Podcast Episode
Trench Chat: The Caretakers with Caitlin DeAngelis
In this latest Trench Chat we speak to historian and writer Caitlin DeAngelis who has just finished a fascinating new book ‘The Caretakers: War Graves Gardeners and the Secret Battle to Rescue Allied Airman in World War II’. We discuss her research for the… Continue Reading “Trench Chat: The Caretakers with Caitlin DeAngelis”
From Training to Trenches
In this episode we look at how British soldiers joined the army, either before the war or when the New Army of volunteers was created in 1914, what their training and preparation for war consisted of, and what their route to the trenches was. … Continue Reading “From Training to Trenches”
First Day Of The Somme
On the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, we take a virtual walk along all eighteen miles of the Somme front from Gommecourt to Montauban, connecting to the landscape and discovering the stories of those who fought and fell on 1st July 1916:… Continue Reading “First Day Of The Somme”
The Monocled Mutineer
In 1986 the BBC Drama ‘The Monocled Mutineer’ was released, starring Paul McGann who plays Percy Toplis. In this episode, we look at the series and ask what is the truth behind Toplis and the claim that he dressed as an officer and took… Continue Reading “The Monocled Mutineer”
Ypres Walks: Menin Gate to Ypres Town Cemetery
In this episode recorded in Ypres, we look at the renovations at the Menin Gate Memorial, discuss what Memorials to the Missing mean to us, and then walk to Ypres Town Cemetery following the stories of English Lords, members of the Royal Family, and… Continue Reading “Ypres Walks: Menin Gate to Ypres Town Cemetery”
Somme Walks: Hawthorn Ridge to the Sunken Lane
In another episode recorded on the battlefields, we walk the crest of the Hawthorn Ridge near Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme, visiting Hawthorn No 1 Cemetery, across to the Hawthorn Mine Crater, and down to the famous Sunken Lane and Beaumont-Hamel British Cemetery. The Hawthorn… Continue Reading “Somme Walks: Hawthorn Ridge to the Sunken Lane”
Somme Walks: Bois Français
Recorded on the battlefields, in this episode we walk the ground where poets Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Bois Français near Fricourt and end at the Devonshire Cemetery near Mametz. FURTHER READING: BATTLEFIELD MAP: PODCAST EXTRAS:
Trench Chat: Black Poppies with Stephen Bourne
In this latest Trench Chat, we are joined by Stephen Bourne, author of Black Poppies. His important book, now in its third edition with a children’s version, tells the often-neglected contribution of Black soldiers in the British and Commonwealth forces in the Great War.… Continue Reading “Trench Chat: Black Poppies with Stephen Bourne”
Springboks at Delville Wood
In the summer of 1916 men of the South African Brigade marched into Delville Wood. After six days of fighting, less than a third of them returned from among the shattered trees of “Devil’s Wood”. Who were the Springboks of the South African Brigade… Continue Reading “Springboks at Delville Wood”
Forgotten Battlefield: The Reunion
More than twenty years after the BBC made a film about the work of ‘The Diggers’ called ‘Forgotten Battlefield’, in this special edition of the podcast we bring together three of us connected to the film – Aurel Sercu from the Diggers, BBC Producer… Continue Reading “Forgotten Battlefield: The Reunion”
