In advance of our new series of BattleWalks, Mat and Pete are taking you back to some of their favourite episodes. In this episode they explore the killing fields from the First Day of the Somme in 1916, as they walk from the Sunken Road to Y Ravine. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join us on a battlefield tour! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 23, 2025•45 min
Join Mat to hear all about guidl, a new audio tour app that he is contributing to. guidl takes you on walking tours to the world's most historic sites, narrated by leading historians. Mat's first guidl tour is of wartime Ypres and, in this special episode, Mat shares the first chapter of his Ypres walking tour. Download the app and find out more about guidl: https://www.guidl.tours/ Join Mat on a battlefield tour: https://battlefields.com.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Sep 12, 2024•8 min
The Somme region in northern France was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. Today, it is one of the most important and evocative battlefields for Australian visitors. In this special episode, Mat explores the Somme region and tells you where to go, where to stay and what you will see when you are there. Watch the video version of this podcast! https://youtu.be/vo1LDZI5UZg?si=ru4wT_lpT1JJkkOk Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Subscribe via Patreon f...
Sep 05, 2024•40 min
Mat McLachlan and Peter Hart are going to Gallipoli! In this special episode of the podcast, the two historians and chums discuss their upcoming tour in May 2025, which will discover the battlefields of Gallipoli by walking in the footsteps of the men who were there! The 10-day tour begins in Istanbul on May 21, 2025, and we'd love you to join us (from wherever you are in the world)! There are limited places still available! Click here for full details: https://battlefields.com.au/gallipoli-sign...
Aug 14, 2024•33 min
Join Mat McLachlan on YouTube Live on Feb 15, 2024 at 6pm Sydney (7am London) time to discuss the Battle of Passchendaele! Click here to join: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfWdbJGaBZ0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 15, 2024•2 min
A special bonus episode from our sister podcast, Living History with Mat McLachlan! To kick off Season 8, Mat is joined by historian John McManus to discuss the new Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg production Masters of the Air , currently streaming on Apple TV+. Mat and John discuss the history behind the mini-series, and the immense contribution made to victory in the Second World War by the US Army Air Forces. What was is like to take to the skies in a B-17 over Nazi Germany, what psychological eff...
Jan 31, 2024•59 min
Mat and Pete are on the last day of their Signature Tour of the battlefields of the Western Front. Join them for a recap of an extraordinary week's touring! Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Join us on a battlefield tour at www.battlefields.com.au Support the show with a one-off contribution: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Fi...
Oct 12, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 65
Mat and Pete are live on the battlefields! Join them as they discuss an exciting day of exploring 1918 battlefield sites, fascinating isolated cemeteries and a V1 rocket launch site! Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Join us on a battlefield tour at www.battlefields.com.au Support the show with a one-off contribution: www.buyme...
Oct 04, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 64
Mat is joined by battlefield historian Jo Hook as they walk the famous Second World War battlefield of Arnhem. It was here in September 1944 that British paratroops fought a desperate action to capture the Rhine bridges, as part of the huge Allied attack known as Operation Market Garden. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Jo Hook Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Join us o...
Jun 19, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 63
Mat and special guest Richard Osgood, an archaeologist who has dug on battlefields from ancient to modern, discuss Richard's latest project, an excavation of the English village where Easy Company trained before parachuting into Normandy on D-Day. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Richard Osgood Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off contributio...
Jun 09, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 62
Mat and Pete would love you to join them on their Signature Tour of the battlefields of France and Belgium in 2024. The Signature Tour is the only tour that Mat personally escorts, and it is the most popular tour offered by Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours. In 2024 the tour will visit all the key Australian battlefields of the Somme, the Ypres Salient and French Flanders. It starts and ends in Paris, and includes upgraded accommodation in the heart of the battlefields, many meals, plus visits to ...
May 02, 2023•2 min
In this special Anzac Day episode, Mat McLachlan speaks to historians Pete Smith and Peter Hart about the landscape of Belgium, France and Gallipoli, and how the secrets of the battlefields are still being revealed more than a century after the guns fell silent. Pete Smith reveals relics he's found on the battlefields of the Western Front, and Peter Hart describes how getting off the beaten track at Gallipoli can be the most rewarding adventure of all. To book your own journey in the footsteps o...
Apr 28, 2023•54 min
Pete is out and about guiding a group on the battlefields! In this special episode live from the Somme he takes a breather from his hectic schedule to catch up with Mat about his experiences over the last few days. What's it like to lead a group of young people, who have no direct connection to the history of warfare, on a tour of the battlefields? Where do they go, what questions do they ask, and can they really understand the events of a century ago? Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith P...
Apr 19, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 61
Pete is back with the second episode in his series about touring the backroads of Normandy. While exploring V1 and V2 launch site, Pete let his SatNav lead him on some fascinating diversions, discovering often-overlooked battlefield sites he would otherwise have missed. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a...
Apr 11, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 60
Mat and Pete are walking one of their favourite battlefields, the Suvla sector at Gallipoli. The landings at Suvla Bay were a key part of the huge August Offensive, launched by the Allies in a last desperate bid to win the Gallipoli campaign. But what should have been a brilliant flanking manoeuvre became a siege, as the British dithered on the beach and the Turks flooded reinforcements in to surround the new beachhead. The Suvla landings were one of the great missed opportunities of the Gallipo...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 59
Mat and Pete return to the Somme battlefields to explore the horrific tale of July 1st, 1916. Today they are walking the ground around the village of Serre, an area that saw the virtual destruction of the Pals Battalions from the north of England. As they tell the tale of the boys from Sheffield, Accrington, Hull, Leeds and other communities they will visit the sites of memorials, preserved trenches and battlefield cemeteries in the middle of no man's land. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Sm...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 58
Pete is exploring the Second World War battlefields of Normandy and has realised that some of the most fascinating historic discoveries are made between your intended destinations. In this special episode he describes lonely memorials, unexpected historic sites and memorable military graves that he has discovered as he journeys along. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per mo...
Mar 22, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 57
Mat and Pete are returning to the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War, to walk another battlefield from the legendary Guadalcanal Campaign. Following on from their episode about the Thin Red Line, this time they are walking the slopes of Mount Austen, a landmark that could be seen from all parts of the battlefield and the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting in the final stages of the campaign. This is a tale of audacious patrols behind enemy lines, Medal of Honor actions, desperate fight...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 56
Mat and Pete go behind the lines to explore the northern French town of Cassel, which played a vital role in both world wars. As they explore the streets they will reveal stories of headquarters, brothels and desperate fighting to the last man. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buy...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Welcome to Season 4! In this episode, Mat and Pete return to the Somme to explore the battlefield of Pozieres, scene of the most costly battle in Australian military history. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow us on Twitter @BattleWalks and Facebo...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 54
Your chance to walk the battlefields with Pete Smith! In this special episode, Mat and Pete discuss their new tour, Battle Tactics on the Western Front, which walks in the footsteps of the Anzacs on some of the most important battlefields in France and Belgium. Battle Tactics on the Western Front Tour: Departs Paris on October 11, 2023. Visit www.battlefields.com.au for full details! Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki For more great history content, visit www.Livin...
Dec 15, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 53
The final episode in our special series live from the battlefields! Mat and Pete are in the Somme, discussing their adventures exploring the 1916 and 1918 battlefields. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit www.battlefields.com.au for more information. For more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV Do...
Nov 03, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Mat and Pete are still on the battlefields! Join them live from Ypres as they discuss three busy and rewarding days exploring the Salient! Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit www.battlefields.com.au for more information. For more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV Don't forget to subscribe and re...
Oct 21, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 51
For the first time in three years, Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith are exploring the battlefields of the Western Front! In the first of a special series of episodes, join them as they discuss their day exploring the Somme 1918 battlefields, live from Ypres! Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Pete Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit www.battlefields.com.au for more information. For more great history content, visit www.LivingHist...
Sep 25, 2022•12 min•Season 3Ep. 50
Mat is joined by historian David Howell to complete our special series on the battlefields from the New Guinea Campaign of World War 2. In this episode we walk the northern beachheads, and the battlefields of Buna, Gona and Sanananda. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and David Howell Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee...
Aug 15, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Mat is joined by guest historian David Howell to explore the 1942 New Guinea battlefield of Milne Bay, the spot where Japanese forces were defeated on land for the first time in the Pacific War. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and David Howell Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow us on Twitter @B...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Mat and guest host David Howell complete their epic trek along the Kokoda Track, scene of brutal fighting in 1942. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and David Howell Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow us on Twitter @BattleWalks and Facebook @Battle.Walks For more great history content, visit www....
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 47
In the second episode of a special series, Mat is joined by guest host David Howell as they continue their walk across the Kokoda Track, the rugged trail that was at the heart of the New Guinea campaign in 1942. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and David Howell Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 46
In the first episode of a special series, Mat is joined by guest host David Howell to walk virtually across the Kokoda Track, the rugged trail that was at the heart of the New Guinea campaign in 1942. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow us on Twitt...
May 05, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Mat and Pete go off-the-beaten-track at Gallipoli to explore the Suvla sector, scene of frustrating mistakes and missed opportunities during the August Offensive. Presenters: Mat McLachlan and Peter Smith Producer: Jess Stebnicki Become a member to listen ad-free and to receive exclusive bonus episodes from only $2.99 per month!: https://plus.acast.com/s/battlewalks Support the show with a one-off donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/battlewalks Follow us on Twitter @BattleWalks and Facebook @Battle.W...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 44
