In this episode we talk to historian and author Richard Van Emden about the underage “boy soldiers” who enlisted in the Great War. We discover what motivated them, how they got through the enlistment process and what happened to them when they fought on the Western Front.
As the names of the missing on the Menin Gate are currently out of sight, in this week's episode we look at some of the stories behind the canvas tarpaulin. We discuss the "teddy from the trenches" given to her father by his 10 year old daughter and the grief stricken mother who died on the anniversary of her son's demise. And the brothers who died together, on the same day.
In this episode we talk to an Australian amateur historian, Lambis Englezos, who discovered the remains of 250 Australian soldiers killed in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. Lambis talks passionately about how he proved that the men were buried at Pheasant Wood and how he then spent years convincing the authorities of the mass graves. He also reveals new information about the whereabouts of many more British men who fell in the same battle.
In this bonus episode we talk to World War 2 veteran John Morris who is 101 years old and served in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans. With is crystal clear memory he talks about his service as an anti aircraft gunner, fighting with Partisans, escaping after being captured and being called a "D Day Dodger". He then talks about how he avoided death several times in his civilian life after the war.
In this episode we talk to New Zealand military historian Chris Pugsley. We discuss the battle of Le Quesnoy. In November 1918, the New Zealanders captured the German held fortified town without causing a single civilian casualty by climbing a ladder and forcing the surrender of the enemy garrison. How did they achieve this? What is their legacy in the town? We find out, and much more too.
In this special mini episode, we remember the famous military historian Martin Middlebrook who died last week. We look at how his book inspired so many people and the legacy that he has left behind.
In this episode we discover how 2 soldiers' have been discovered decades after they had been forgotten. Fred Smith died 3 years after he was badly wounded and was never commemorated until recently. John Butt was thought to be one of the missing but now has an identified grave at Ypres. We discover their stories by talking to the historians who uncovered their tragic stories.
In this episode we follow in the footsteps of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Flers during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. We look at what happened in this successful operation through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We are joined, as we walk the battlefield, by the relatives of 2 Kiwis who died in the battle and get their thoughts on what their sacrifice means to them.
In this episode we look at the story of the German Zeppelin airships that caused so much devastation during the Great War. We explain how civilians were targeted for the first time in history and examine the personal stories of some of those casualties.
In this episode we travel to Greece with Chris Loader, who goes on a pilgrimage to visit the location where his relative, Private Henry Loader 10th Hampshire's, was mortally wounded in September 1918. We follow in the footsteps of the men who fought in this forgotten campaign and discover what happened in this battlefield on the other side of Europe.
Christmas 1914 saw the famous truce on the frozen Western Front when soldiers from both sides put down their guns and met in No Man's Land. In this podcast we tell the story through the eyes of the men who were there. What did they see? How did they feel? Find out as we listen to their words and experiences.
In 1928, the British Legion organised for 11,000 veterans and war widows to visit the battlefields, before marching to the Menin Gate in Ypres. 90 years later, the Great Pilgrimage 90 saw 1,150 branches, and thousands of members and representatives from the UK and abroad, help The Legion recreate their original pilgrimage. In this podcast, we tell the story of these 2 famous tours."
In this episode we discover how the bereaved families from the Great War coped with, not just the loss, but dealing with the double tragedy of having no known grave for their fallen loved ones. We also look at how it still affects their descendants today - the ripple through time.
In this week's episode we speak to Michael LoCicero, the author of the book called "A Moonlight Massacre". Michael tells the story of what happened on 2nd December 1917 when the BEF launched another offensive against German positions on the Passchendaele Ridge. A forgotten action, we discover what happened to the British soldiers when they were lit up by the moon and snowfall in this night time attack.
In this episode we discover what the Great War battlefields looked like in the 1920's and 1930's through the eyes of the veterans who returned to follow in their own footsteps on the Western Front. We also discover their emotions when they trod the battlefields and looked for signs of the old front line.
In this week's episode we tell the story of the horror of the Butte de Warlencourt at the end of the Battle of the Somme in October and November 1916. Through the eyes of the British, South African and German soldiers we look at what happened on and around the Butte during those dreadful few weeks. And there is important news from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission too.
In this episode we look at the story of the fight for Crest Farm and the village of Passchendaele itself in November 1917. We tell the story through the eyes of the soldiers who were there and discuss the story of one of those thousands of Canadians who fell during the battle, Private Graham Adam.
In this episode we join the son of a World War soldier as we follow in 2nd Lt Herbert Dudley's footsteps across the Western Front in 1916 and 1918. What did we discover on this emotional tour? How did Herbert become a casualty on the Somme without being wounded? And what did the tour mean to his 83 year old son as we recreated his father's journey in the Great War?
In this episode we walk from the Somme to Ypres with ABF The Soldiers' Charity "Frontline Walk". We hear the stories of the fallen as we pass their graves. Listen to an emotional interview with a British Army veteran, who explains how the Charity and this 100K trek have helped him overcome PTSD. We discover all sorts of stories along the way and how a piece of classical music found its way onto a soldier's headstone."
In this episode we tell the tragic stories of fathers and sons who served in the Great War. We examine the unbreakable bond between father and son and how some of them died together on the battlefields of the Western Front, Gallipoli and Eastern Africa. We also look at the extraordinary lengths that some fathers went to to be reunited with their sons after they were killed.
In this episode we talk to former England cricketer Jack Russell about his relative Edward Hogg who died in the Great War. Jack talks emotionally about how Edward died near Ypres and he describes how a pilgrimage to the location where Edward died inspired Jack to produce a painting that he called "Seconds from Hell".
Through the eyes of the soldiers who were there we tell the story of how the German fortress finally fell to the 18th Division on 26th September 1916. This hill top bastion had been attacked several times but discover how the the BEF finally overcame Thiepval.
In this episode we follow the story of the tanks from their design and manufacture in Lincoln, to the testing fields in Suffolk where a mock battle was held. We then go to the Somme and discover, through the eyes of the soldiers on both sides of the wire, what happened on 15th September 1916 when tanks were used for the first time.
After weeks of horrendous and brutal fighting, what was left of the village of Guillemont fell on 3rd September 1916. The terrible story of the Guillemont is told through the eyes of the soldiers from both sides of the wire and we also look at what you can discover when you visit the battlefield.
Walter Tull was one of Britain's first black army officers and was killed in action in March 1918. He was also one of the first black professional footballers, appearing for Tottenham and Northampton Town. His incredible story, from orphan to war hero, is told in this podcast by BBC Radio Northampton's Graham McKechnie, who has discovered a connection between Tull and another black sportsman who played for Northampton Saints RFC.
In this episode we look at the story of the opening day of the 100 Day Offensive that saw the Allies put into practice the lessons they had learned in earlier battles. We tell the story of 8th August 1918 through the eyes of the soldiers who were there, including the German General Erich Ludendorff.
In the 2nd part of this episode we return to the Somme and the interview with historian Steve Roberts. We continue our chat with Steve and reveal how the famous battle was filmed by Geoffrey Malins. We take a closer look at the men featured in the film. And we also discuss the "fake footage"
In the 50th episode we talk to historian and author Steve Roberts about how the famous film "The Battle of the Somme" was filmed in 1916. Who were the cameramen? What did they see? How did they film the footage in the Sunken Lane? And who were the soldiers in the film?
In this week's episode we visit the key sites around Pozieres and look at the battle for the village through the eyes of the Australian soldiers who were there, including 2 Victoria Cross recipients. We also look at the story of composer George Butterworth.
In this episode we travel to Fromelles to tell the story of this tragic 24 hour battle through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We walk the battlefield and visit the Australian Memorial Park on the old German front line and several cemeteries where the casualties are now at rest. We also attend the Menin Gate Ceremony in Ypres and talk to students and their teacher who participated in the ceremony.
