Footsteps of the Fallen is a history podcast that explores the First World War through the stories of the people and places touched by the conflict. Host Matt Dixon follows battlefields, memorials, and personal accounts to trace the war's events and legacy. The show is aimed at listeners interested in the Great War's military and human history.
Episodes
Vimy
Send us Fan MailWelcome to our 199th podcast and the penultimate episode of Season 8!I'm in a nostalgic mood this evening, and we're looking at the Canadian masterpiece battle, the capture of Vimy Ridge, on Easter Monday, 1917.Through meticulous planning, shared intelligence and pure bloody-minded grit, the Canadians swept up Vimy Ridge and captured the strategic heights as part of the o
Trench Talk - Jeremy Banning
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest podcast!It's a real pleasure to be joined by military historian, researcher and cycling battlefield guide, Jeremy Banning.In our wide-ranging discussion, we talk about meeting the many veterans Jeremy shared his time with, working on documentaries for the BBC, cycling the battlefields and the long-lasting friendship formed with the last Tommy, 111-year-ol
Megiddo - Allenby's masterpiece battle
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode!Today we travel to the Middle East and hear about the Battle of Megiddo, a little-known but stunning Allied success in September 1918. Meticulously planned and executed by General Allenby, the battle ended Turkish resistance in WWI and resulted in the capture of more than 75,000 Ottoman soldiers.
High Wood
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode.Today, we visit the battlefield at High Wood, one of the deadliest killing grounds of the Great War. Over 8000 men died in the three months of fighting here and we discover what happened during those fateful months in 1916.
Beaumont Hamel
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode, we visit one of the must-see locations on the Somme, the Newfoundland Park at Beaumont Hamel. We hear the story of the fighting, discover what went so wrong for the men from Newfoundland and find out about the final capture of the village in November 1916.
The Battle of the Frontiers
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode, in which we look at the opening salvos of the Great War, the so-called Battle of the Frontiers, in which the French suffered the greatest single-day loss of life of the entire War.
The Battle of Dogger Bank
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest podcast. In this episode, we begin by mulling over what it means to be English, and look at two of those bastions of Englishness - Test Match Special and the Shipping Forecast.We then follow the shipping forecast and look at the Battle of Dogger Bank, the January 1915 showdown between the Royal Navy and the German High Seas fleet. We hear about the mysteriou
We seem to have destroyed the village.....Achicourt 1917
Send us Fan MailOn the afternoon of the 8th April 1917, a German plane flew over the small village of Achicourt near Arras, where preparations were underway for an attack to be made by the 56th Division the following day.The visit of the German plane set off a catastrophic chain of events that destroyed the village, killed countless soldiers and civilians, and resulted in one of the largest explos
Not a bit of cover to be seen - the Battle of Aubers
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we present an overview of the Battle of Aubers, which was delivered to the Great War Group earlier in March. What was supposed to be a gentle stroll across the Artois countryside turned into one of the worst days of casualties of the Great War for the British, with over 11,000 men being killed, wounded or missing for no material gain, and the offensive was a
The Balloonatics
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest podcast!In today's episode, we look at the work and perils of the Balloon Corps. Vital for observation and artillery support, balloon work was one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, with a shockingly short life expectancy.We begin at Couin Military Cemetery, where a top hat and cane marked the grave of one of Edwardian theatre's most celebr
What really happened? Episode 1: The Unknown Warrior
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest podcast!In the first of a new themed series, we take a deep dive into some of the great questions of the First World War. Each episode is carefully researched, drawing on both primary and secondary sources to explore the truth — or the uncertainty — behind some of the conflict’s most important issues.In this episode, we examine the burial of the Unknown Warrio
The Black Stork of Flanders
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode!Today we walk the battlefield from Ypres to Poelkappelle and discover the personal stories of some of the men who lie in the cemeteries in this part of the Salient, including that of the greatest French air ace, Georges Guynemer.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps:/www.patreon.com/footstepspod
The beginning of the end
Send us Fan MailHappy New Year!By July 1918, the German offensive was running out of steam; heavy losses, combined with overstretched supply lines, put the Germans in a perilous position. The German Commander, Ludendorff, gambled everything on one final push, the so-called Friedenstrum, or Peace Offensive. The offensive failed and the door was opened to Allied Victory.In this episode, we look at
Questions and answers - episode 2
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the final podcast of 2025!In our second question-and-answer episode, we answer some listeners' questions, covering topics including Home Front recruitment, the evolution of gas masks, rum jars, and the Carlisle Programme.Got a question you'd like answered? Please email me at chocolatemenier1915@gmail.com.Happy New Year! The podcast will be back in 2026!!Support
A walk near Ypres - Polygon Wood to Hill 60
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we meander across the battlefield to the east of Ypres, starting at Polygon Wood and heading south to Hill 60. We look at the cemeteries and memorials and find out some of the personal stories of men who fought and died on this part of the salient. I wish every one of you a very Happy Christmas and thanks for your support in 2025.Support the podcast:https:/w
The Battle of the Bees
Send us Fan MailIn November 1914, the British attempted to capture the strategically vital port of Tanga in German East Africa. Poor planning, an indecisive commander, poorly trained troops and the fanatical idealism of brilliantly trained Askari troops combined to turn the operation into a disaster for the British.In this episode, we look at Germany's colonial history in East Africa, the sk
Trench Talk - Walking the Western Front with Briana Gervat
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode of Trench Talk!Today I sit and talk with Briana Gervat, an author and photographer who, in the aftermath of the COVID lockdown, decided to connect with history and walk the length of the Western Front.She documented her journey in a book, There Will Come Soft Rains, and in this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about her deeply spiritual journey across
The rose and the thistle
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode!In a slightly shorter episode than usual, we travel to Belgium and discover the story of two lieutenants, Lt Ronald Poulton Palmer and Lt Frederick "Tanky" Turner, rugby captains of England and Scotland respectively.Rivals on the rugby pitch and comrades in the military, we look at the lives and careers of these two great characters, their de
Questions and answers - episode 1
Send us Fan MailWelcome to our first-ever questions and answers episode! In today's episode, we address questions posed by listeners and delve into a range of topics.If you have a question you'd like answered, please email me at chocolatemenier1915@gmail.com, and we will see if we can get it into a future Q&A episode. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog
The Pool of Peace
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode!Today we are in Belgium and walk the battlefield to the south of Ypres, beginning at Bedford House Cemetery and finishing at the Spanbroekmolen mine crater, the "Pool of Peace", created by the largest mine explosion from the Battle of Messines. We visit the cemeteries and memorials on this part of the battlefield to learn what happened, and
Trench Talk - Sussex to the Somme with Martin Barry
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode of Trench Talk, it's a pleasure to be joined by international cricketer, battlefield guide and WW1 fanatic Martin Barry.Martin works as a battlefield guide and volunteer for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, overseeing the vast military plot at Hastings Cemetery. In today's episode, he shares some of the personal and tragic stories of the men
Hill 70 - a listener's request
Send us Fan MailWelcome to today's episode!For the first time, we have created a listener's request podcast; I was contacted by a listener who discovered his Grandfather had been killed at Hill 70 while serving with the Cameron Highlanders at the Battle of Loos in 1915. The listener is planning his first-ever trip to the Western Front and wants to walk the battlefield where his Grandfat
Trench talk - Uniforms of the Great War with Taff Gillingham
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the first Trench Talk of the season, where Taff Gillingham joins me. Taff is a military historian and specialist historical advisor for the film, TV and theatre industries and has worked as an advisor on many well-known productions from Downton Abbey to the film 1917.Taff is an expert on WW1 uniforms and kit, and in this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, he sha
Bois Grenier
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the first episode of Season 8!Today, we travel to the forgotten front and the village of Bois Grenier. The fields in this sleepy corner of agricultural France contain dozens of German bunkers and blockhouses from the time of World War I. The sector was a nursery sector - a relatively quiet location where new battalions could learn the regimes of trench warfare. The peace
Faithful unto death - the story of the Chinese Labour Corps
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the final episode of Season 7!In today's episode, we look at the little-studied role played by the Chinese Labour Corps during the Great War.Over 90,000 Chinese labourers served in France and Belgium, engaged in manual labour and the dangerous work of clearing munitions and bodies from the battlefields.Who were these men, and how did they end up so far from home? Th
In the shadow of the Springboks - Delville Wood to Courcelette
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the penultimate episode of Season 7!Today we are on the Somme and walk the battlefield from Delville Wood to Courcelette via High Wood and Martinpuich.We begin we looking at "The Turning Point" a remarkable but little-known narrative of the Somme battle written by the eccentric Harold Perry-Robinson. We visit Delville Wood cemetery and memorial and hear the hi
The Brickstacks
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode!Today, we walk the canal at Cuinchy, one of the forgotten battlefields of the Great War. Cuinchy was the site of the infamous brickstacks and the scene of bitter fighting throughout the entire war.We walk the battlefield to discover the military history of what happened here, and hear the personal stories of the dead as we visit some of the nearby cem
Fromelles
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode in which we walk the battlefield of Fromelles. On the evening of the 19th July 1916, men of the newly arrived Australian 5th Division were thrown into battle against the heavily fortified village of Fromelles in Artois. In one night, over 5000 men were killed, wounded or missing and the line remained staunchly in German hands.We begin at Pheasant Wo
We don't take umbrellas to war.
Send us Fan MailThe weather played its part in the Great War, perhaps in more ways than first imagined. The Great War lasted over 1500 days, and over 600 saw rain on the Western Front. The winter of 1914 saw torrential rain and temperatures drop to -10 in France, and the autumn of 1917 in Flanders saw four months' worth of rainfall in just 33 days. London's Met Office offered to help a
Neuve Chapelle
Send us Fan MailOn the 110th anniversary, we travel to France and walk around the battlefield of the first major offensive launched by the British on the Western Front at Neuve Chappelle.Initial successes were tempered by poor decision-making and poor communications between divisional commanders and the offensive ground to a halt in the face of heavy German resistance. Casualties were 11,000 kill
Hohenzollern
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode of the podcast.Today, we walk the battlefield around the area of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, the formidable German strongpoint located on the battlefield at Loos, which was attacked by the 9th Scottish Division on the opening day of the battle of 25th September 1915. Fighting continued until the middle of October when men of the 46th Midland Division t
Trench Talk - Chris Sams and the Battle of Jutland
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the first Trench Talk of Season 7!It's a real pleasure to be joined by naval historian and writer Chris Sams as we talk about the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The long-awaited showdown between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine turned into an unexpectedly bad day for the British. We look at what happened that afternoon off the coast of Denmark and talk about other
"I can't find the damned things!" - Ploegsteert to Le Gheer
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the first episode of 2025!Today, we head to Belgium and walk a less-trodden route south of Plugstreet Wood towards the hamlet of Le Gheer. From the village of Ploegsteert, we head south and east across the farmer's fields to discover the long-lost history of this part of the battlefield. These seemingly bare fields tell the story of the rank and file of the Allied
Out of money and out of luck - life beyond the trenches
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the final episode of 2024!One of the great misnomers of WW1 is that soldiers spent all their time in the trenches fighting. Fighting battles took up a tiny amount of soldiers' time, so what did soldiers do when not in the line?In this episode, we look at life behind the lines, where soldiers had the opportunity to spend their pay on treats to make soldiering more be
Feeding Tommy
Send us Fan MailA famous saying asserts that an army marches on its stomach, and in this episode, we examine food and drink for men on the front line. The challenge of feeding an army was immense, and the war office employed science to calculate the exact calorific intake needed by a soldier to survive.Feeding the men was one thing; feeding them something palatable was something else. We look at
Liquid fire
Send us Fan MailIn the early hours of the 30th July 1915, men of the Rifle Brigade and Kings Royal Rifle Corps were attacked near Hooge by German soldiers using a new and appalling weapon of war - liquid fire. The subsequent counter-attack that afternoon by the British was a military disaster that could have been avoided had the protests of senior commanders in the line been listened to.We examin
He is not missing, he is here.
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode, in which we explore the history behind one of the world's great monuments, the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in the Belgian city of Ypres.We hear the history of the Last Post, look at the famous lions and their connection to Australia, hear the stories of some of the dead, and contemplate what makes this an iconic place of remembrance.Suppo
I can't say my prayers on a stolen carpet..
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the latest episode!In today's episode, we look at the role played by Army Chaplains during the Great War. Responsible for the spiritual and personal welfare of soldiers, the Chaplain was a source of great comfort for men during the hell of trench warfare.We look at the history of the Army Chaplain Department and discover the massively important role that Chaplains h
The black lions of Cantigny
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest podcast, in which we travel to the southern part of the Somme battlefield, a shell-cratered morass on which the men of Canada, Australia and France died in their thousands in the final 100 days of the War.We tour the battlefield and visit the cemeteries and memorials, which bear testament to the sacrifice of so many who fell so close to the end of four years
A potato and a propellor - Amiens at war
Send us Fan MailIn today's podcast, we journey through Amiens and its surrounding areas, uncovering the deep connections to the Great War.We start in the village of Naours, exploring caves that hold a remarkable record of soldiers from the conflict. Next, we delve into the history of Amiens Cathedral and discover a moving poem, "The Song of Amiens," written by a lesser-known poet of
Here we fight, and here we die!
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode, we answer a couple of listener questions and then tour the battlefield near St. Quentin. We hear the story of the tragic death of two British soldiers shot for spying by the Germans, stand on the very trenches from which the offensive began, and visit some of the redoubts which stood in the way of the German onslaught. Our journey concludes with the story o
The black day of the German army
Send us Fan MailIn this episode we look at the Kaiserschlact, or Kaiser's Battle which was launched by the Germans in March 1918, a final roll of the dice to win the war before American superiority in arms and men came to the fore.Logistical problems tempered initial successes, and by early summer, the advance had faltered. On the 8th of August, the Allies counter-attacked with an offensive
All roads lead to Ypres
Send us Fan MailWhy do we always do the same thing? This question was posed during a work call last week, and it got me thinking about travelling around the battlefields and why I always seem to take the easy route to Ypres.In this episode, we meander up the coast from Calais to Nieupoort, taking in Zuydcoote, Adinkerke, Coxyde, Nieupoort and Ramskappelle to see what Great War history can be found
A mile and a half of history - White House to Kitchener's Wood
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode.We find ourselves in Ypres, on a part of the salient that offers real bang for the buck regarding military history. Our journey today covers just over a mile and a half from White House Cemetery to Kitchener's Wood, and we hear the stories of the cemeteries and memorials on this part of the old front line.We visit White House Cemetery, where we a
Unseen and unwanted - a colonial soldier's war
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode, we look at colonial soldiers' experiences in the Great War. Britain and France made full use of the human capital of their global empires to provide extra manpower for their armed forces.Our journey begins in an art gallery in Belgium, and we look at the work of the famous German artist Karl Goetz and his most scandalously infamous medallion depicting &
The man they couldn't kill.
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we travel to the Somme and begin our journey at one of the most iconic sites on the battlefield, the Basilica at Albert. We hear about its founding and discover more about the legend of the Golden Virgin.We leave Albert, head onto the battlefields over the Tara and Usna line, and visit the Lochnagar Crater at La Boiselle. Just to the right of the crater on the 2n
Palestine
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we visit one of the forgotten fronts of the Great War and look at the fighting in Palestine in 1917-1918. This was an unforgiving landscape that saw numerous battles, the removal of a Corps Commander and one of the most impressive military victories in history.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblo
Festubert - a walk round a battlefield
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, recorded live on the battlefields, we are at Festubert, the forgotten battle of 1915, and we visit some of the cemeteries around the battlefield to hear the personal stories of the men buried within them. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog
The Devil's breath
Send us Fan MailWelcome to Season 7!In our first episode, we look at poison gas, its development and use on the battlefield, and how the science of chemical weapons saw the militarisation of academia in the pursuit of developing more lethal and deadly weapons.We discover how the Allies combated the German gas threat, what it was like to be a gas victim and how a common garden pest was, in fact, na
The farm cemeteries - Ypres
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the final episode of Season 6 and our 150th podcast!In this episode, we look back at the podcast since it began 3 1/2 years ago, examine some of the statistics about the pod, and contemplate some of my favourite episodes that have been released.We then head over to Belgium and travel from Essex Farm to Elverdinghe, where we visit some of the smaller and less visited ceme
Trench Talk - Tom Isitt and the Italian Front
Send us Fan MailIn this latest podcast, historian and author Tom Isitt joins us. Tom has a passion (or, he might say, obsession) with the Italian Front in the Great War. An inhospitable battlefield with appalling weather conditions and treacherous terrain, the fighting around the Isonzo River proved to be the graveyard of the Italian army in a series of 12 battles that cost hundreds of thousands o
Fricourt
Send us Fan MailWith the sad news of the passing of Martin Middlebrooke, this podcast heads to the Somme battlefield where we walk across the battlefield at the village of Fricourt.Our journey takes in some of the cemeteries and memorials that cover this part of the Somme battlefield, and we look at some of the literary figures whose output provides so many insights into Fricourt and its surroundi
Special podcast update
Send us Fan MailMany of you who listen to the podcast aren't on social media and are not followers of me on Twitter so please find attached a very brief update on what's happening with the podcast going forward.I posted a video on Twitter on Sunday 18th February and this is the audio recording of that video. You can view the video on YouTube with the following link:https://youtu.be/AmNH
Trench Talk - Roger Steward in conversation about Langemarck German Cemetery
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode of Trench Talk, it's a real pleasure to be joined by military historian, battlefield guide and author Roger Steward.Lockdown allowed Roger to write the book he always wanted to write about the German Cemetery at Langemarck. Very few places on the Western Front have as many myths attached to them, and in this wide-ranging chat we discuss the cemetery, wha
Where it all began - Vimy
Send us Fan MailIn this latest episode, we visit the battlefield where my journey through the Great War began some 35 years ago - Vimy Ridge.We look at what happened in this part of the front and have a brief look at the battle of the 9th April 1917, before we travel around some of the cemeteries and memorials that cover this part of the battlefield. We begin at the French National Cemetery at Not
Beyond the front - Kemmel
Send us Fan MailWelcome to this latest episode of Footsteps of the Fallen.In this episode we travel to Flanders and visit one of the lesser-visited corners of the Great War in this part of Belgium, the area around the mighty Kemmelberg.Our journey begins at Underhill Farm cemetery before heading to Nieuwkerque and across to Kemmel and Dranoutre. On route, we visit some of the cemeteries, memorial
Cambrai - one day on the battlefield
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we visit the battlefield around Cambrai, where, on the 20th of November 1917, the first mass tank battle in military history took place. The Allies smashed a 5-mile hole in the German's lines. Still, poor communication and placement of the reserves failed to exploit the advantage and when the campaign ended 12 days later, over 40,000 men had become casu
Cobbers - Australia on the Somme
Send us Fan MailWelcome to our first podcast of 2024!In this episode, we visit the battlefields around Villers Brettoneux on the Somme, an area of Picardy that will be forever associated with the Australian Army.We tour the battlefield and discover the military history of this part of the Somme, discover just how close the Germans came to Amiens in 1918, and visit some of the many cemeteries and m
Trench talk - Peter Doyle and the Princess Mary Christmas Box
Send us Fan MailWelcome to our Christmas episode of Footsteps of the Fallen!In this special Trench Talk I'm joined by Professor Peter Doyle who tells us all about the history behind one of the most iconic of all Great War artefacts, The Princess Mary Tin.In this fascinating talk, we hear about the history of the box, the minute attention to detail that went into ensuring that its contents cat
Dud Corner - a journey through a cemetery
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we travel to Dud Corner Cemetery and the Loos Memorial in Artois to discover the stories of some of the men who lie here. The podcast begins with an overview of the Battle of Loos, and we look at what went wrong with the offensive in September 1915. Like all cemeteries, every story and every name on a memorial is a tale to be told. We encounter a formidable
Trench Talk: Jules the Poilu - in conversation with Alexandre Lyons
Send us Fan MailThe discovery of a huge collection of letters, postcards and writings of his great-great-grandfather has taken Alex on a fascinating journey through the wartime experiences of his ancestor, Jules Destrigniville. A Parisian police officer by trade, Jules was conscripted into the 315th Infantry Regiment in October 1915 and promised to write home every day. The letters provide a fas
The end of the line
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we visit the end of the Western Front and take a whistlestop tour around the Lys battlefield near the North Sea coast of Belgium.We look at the military actions that took place in this part of the battlefield including the famous flooding to stem the German advance and look at the heroic actions of French Marines in their stemming the tide of the German advan
The Foresters of Flanders
Send us Fan MailDuring the Great War the demand for timber for the front line exceeded at one stage 50,000 tonnes a month. But where on earth could this amount of timber be sourced and who would be capable of felling that many trees?In WW1 over 35,000 men served in the Canadian Forestry Corps; recruited from the millions of acres of Canadian wilderness, these were physically tough men who thrived
Bunkers and bards - Boesinghe to Ypres
Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, we travel the Ypres salient from Boesinghe to Ypres and visit some of the many cemeteries and memorials that dot this part of the battlefield. We begin at the Ziegler Bunker and one of the finest bunkers left on the Western Front before continuing to a roadside memorial bedecked with the tricolor of Ireland, and hear the sad tale of one of Ireland's fi
The most dangerous man I ever knew.
Send us Fan MailOur latest podcast begins at the Guards Grave in the Retz Forest near the village of Villers Cotteret on the Aisne battlefield. It contains the graves of 98 men of the Guards Brigade who fought one of the most remarkable rear-guard actions of the Great War near this spot on the 1st of September 1914. We meet the eccentric and dangerous-to-know Irish Guards officer Lt Aubrey Herbe
Mazengarbe - a journey through a cemetery
Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, we visit the communal cemetery and extension at Mazengarbe on the Loos battlefield and discover the stories of some of the men who lie buried within.We begin by reminiscing on an encounter in a cemetery on All Souls Day, hear the story of a Scottish VC winner who performed two remarkable acts of heroism on the battlefield at Hill 70, and meet one of the les
Mount Sorrel
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we travel to Flanders and look at the fighting of June 1916 for Hill 62, or Mount Sorrel as it was known. Standing on the top of the ridge today overlooking Sanctuary Wood is a Canadian Memorial and this is a battlefield always associated with the soldiers of Canada.We begin at Hooge Crater Cemetery and hear the story of two remarkable VC winners, before we move t
The Nivelle Offensive
Send us Fan MailIn 1917 French general Robert Nivelle launched an offensive against the Germans on the River Aisne which he was convinced would break the Western Front once and for all. After nine days of fighting 187,000 French soldiers had been killed, wounded, or missing, and the French Army was in a state of mutiny.In this episode we look at the Nivelle Offensive, why it happened, and what we
Farming the front
Send us Fan MailDuring the course of the Great War, the problem of feeding the vast numbers of men and animals in the military was a constant source of concern for Army command. The Army contained many men whose background was in agriculture and the decision was made to turn 45000 acres of fertile French land into a central farm to supply food to the front. Run by the Army Agricultural Companies
Le Cateau - one day in August
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we visit the battlefield of Le Cateau. In August 1914 Horace Smith-Dorrien's II Corps stood and fought when they had been ordered to retreat. This disobedience delayed the Germans and has been described by one military historian as being "the battle that saved the BEF".Sir John French later used Smith-Dorrien's insubordination as a tool to dis
Surrender be damned! The Battle of Frezenberg Ridge
Send us Fan MailBetween the 8-13th of May 1915, the Germans attempted to smash their way through the British lines in the Ypres salient launching an attack against the Frezenberg Ridge. The British were subjected to an artillery bombardment of a ferocity never seen before and suffered over 8,000 casualties in defending the ridge.Our journey begins at the Menin Gate where we discover the works of o
The sculpting soldier
Send us Fan MailStanding at Hyde Park Corner in London, the Royal Artillery Memorial has been cited by one art critic as the finest work of sculpture of the 20th Century. Its creator, Charles Sergeant Jagger, was once described by Auguste Rodin as "The Master".Who was Charles Jagger? In this episode, we look at one of the finest sculptors of the human form to have lived, his work includ
The lost cemetery
Send us Fan MailOur journey today begins at Berkshire Cemetery Extension near Ploegsteert Wood, home of a stunning memorial to the missing, and two magnificent stone lions guarding the entrance in allegorical perfection. We hear the story of a short-sighted 2nd Lt whose father pulled strings to get his son a commission and look at the tragic death of a New Zealand chemist who lies buried in the c
Fricourt to Flatiron
Send us Fan MailWelcome to Season 6!My wife went away with the kids and instructed me not to anything rash while she was away. So I got on a ferry and went to the Somme....In this episode, recorded on the Somme battlefields we travel from Fricourt to Mametz via Flatiron Copse and visit some of the cemeteries and memorials on this beautiful part of the Somme battlefield.Support the podcast:https://
I died in hell....
Send us Fan MailWelcome to the final episode of Season 5!In today's episode, we look at the 3rd Battle of Ypres, more commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele. A campaign flawed in its inception, and blighted by the weather, when the ridge at Passchendaele was finally captured some ninety-nine days after the offensive began, over 250,000 men had become casualties
The Astrologer of Flanders
Send us Fan MailDuring the course of WW1 over 34 million maps were produced by the Royal Engineers and the Ordnance Survey. From primitive beginnings, by the end of the war, the British Army was in possession of the finest and most accurate maps of any of the combatant nations.How did this happen and who were these men? We look at the work of the Field Survey Companies commanded by the meticulous
Mr Tickler's Suicide Squad
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we look at the weapons of war used by men in the trenches. The standard rifle of Tommy Atkins was the Short Magazine Lee Enfield, a highly effective rifle, that was deadly in the hands of a trained marksman. As casualties rose the declining standards of British musketry were a real concern for senior command.At the business end of the rifle was often found the s
Trench Talk: Dr Lindsey Fitzharris - The Facemaker
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, it's a privilege to be joined by the writer and historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, who wrote the superb book "The Facemaker" about the pioneering WW1 surgeon Dr. Harold Gillies.Gillies was determined to give wounded and disfigured servicemen as normal an appearance as possible and his groundbreaking plastic surgery revolutionized maxillofacial m
Le Touret - a journey through a cemetery
Send us Fan MailStanding at the side of the main road from Bethune to Armentieres, the Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 men who died on this part of the battlefield between October 1914 and September 1915.In our latest podcast, we discover the stories of the men who are commemorated here including a Private who wasn't, the distant relative of the founder of Georgian England's
The sound of sadness - a journey round The Birdcage
Send us Fan MailIn our latest podcast, we visit the hulking mass of Plugstreet Wood and look at the actions of December 1914 around the German strongpoint known as The Birdcage.Formed of trenches captured from the Worcestershire Regiment and three ruined farm buildings, it was a show-stopper for the men of the Rifle Brigade, Somerset LI and Hampshire Regiment who paid a heavy toll in trying to cap
