Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Category: WW1 Cemeteries
Caring For The Silent Cities
In this special edition, we’re joined by Jon Gedling, Director of Estates for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to discuss the challenges and responsibilities involved in caring for First World War cemeteries in Belgium and France. We explore the history behind making these cemeteries permanent after the… Continue Reading “Caring For The Silent Cities”
West of Arras: Behind The Lines
We travel to the area Behind the Lines of West of Arras, visiting cemeteries where Casualty Clearing Stations were moved back to in 1918, discuss a small village where WW1 meets WW2, discover some original Great War graffiti on a farm building wall and… Continue Reading “West of Arras: Behind The Lines”
Return to the Somme
As the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme approaches, we walk part of the battlefield across the iconic Mash Valley, visit Ovillers Military Cemetery and walk through Ovillers village to the far end of the valley facing the Pozières Ridge. Alf Razzell discusses… Continue Reading “Return to the Somme”
The MOD War Detectives
In a Trench Chat special we speak to the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team – otherwise known as ‘The MOD War Detectives’ – who work to recover and identify the dead on the former battlefields of the Great War. Thanks to the… Continue Reading “The MOD War Detectives”
Walking the Somme: Mailly-Maillet
We begin Season 8 back on the Somme Battlefields of 1916 and walk the ground around the village of Mailly-Maillet, located just behind the British trenches in front of Beaumont-Hamel and Serre and later much closer to the fighting in 1918. We visit cemeteries,… Continue Reading “Walking the Somme: Mailly-Maillet”
Loos: A New WW1 Cemetery
We take the podcast across to Northern France and visit Loos British Cemetery on the battlefields of 1915, seeing the new Extension that has been constructed here, looking at the initial burials and asking how this brand new cemetery might develop over the coming… Continue Reading “Loos: A New WW1 Cemetery”
Newfoundland’s Unknown Soldier
Just this week it was announced that the body of an Unknown Soldier from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment would be taken back to Newfoundland to become their Unknown Warrior. In this first episode of Season 7 we look at the story behind this and… Continue Reading “Newfoundland’s Unknown Soldier”
Etaples to Arras: A Journey
In a special edition of the podcast which marks the end of Season 6, this episode was recorded on The Old Front Line where we take a journey from the vast Etaples Military Cemetery, look at the Tank Gunnery School at Merriment, Douglas Haig… Continue Reading “Etaples to Arras: A Journey”
Despatches: Somme – Redan Ridge
We travel to the familiar landscape of Picardy and visit one part of the ‘Forgotten Somme’ – the battlefields on the Redan Ridge. Here we see look at the fighting on 1st July 1916 and at the end of the battle in November 1916,… Continue Reading “Despatches: Somme – Redan Ridge”
Battlefield Vlog: Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery
In a follow on film to our recent episode about the Battlefields of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in September 1918, we explore the American Cemetery at Romagne and ask are the American dead from the Great War forgotten? This is the largest US War Cemetery… Continue Reading “Battlefield Vlog: Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery”
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