The Old Front Line
Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he interviewed, to when he spent more than a decade living on the Old Front Line in the heart of the Somme battlefields.Â
Somme: Stump Road to Regina Trench
As the Battle of the Somme entered its final, bitter weeks, fighting continued across the ground between Thiepval, Grandcourt and Courcelette. In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the October and November 1916 battles as autumn turned to winter and the Somme battlefield became a landscape of mud, rain and continuous shell craters.
We follow the fighting, examining the attacks around Regina Trench, Stuff Trench, Grandcourt and Courcelette, and the challenges faced by British and Commonwealth troops as they attempted to push forward.
Then we walk the battlefield, visiting Stump...
Questions and Answers Episode 61
In this Old Front Line Q&A, we explore four fascinating questions from the First World War, taking us from the Ypres Salient to German-occupied France and Belgium, and from wartime prisoners to the fate of battlefield cemeteries during the Second World War.
We begin in the Ypres Salient and the often-overlooked French presence in 1914–15. When did French troops arrive, how was the Allied sector divided, why did the British eventually take over, and what was the relationship between French and British soldiers on the Western Front?
We then investigate the ...
The Missing of 1914
Between August and December 1914, the British Expeditionary Force fought its first battles of the First World War across Belgium and northern France and some 19,000 officers and men were missing. From Mons and Le Cateau to the Retreat and the First Battle of Ypres, thousands of men were killed and never recovered, becoming part of the great story of the Missing of 1914.
In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the history behind the 1914 campaign and discuss the memorials that commemorate those who have no known grave and who died...
Questions and Answers Episode 60
In this episode of The Old Front Line Podcast, we answer another fascinating selection of listener questions that explore the realities of life, death, remembrance and battlefield tactics on the Western Front during the First World War.
How much safer were soldiers when they left the front line? We examine the British Army's system of rotating troops through front-line, support and reserve positions, and ask whether moving away from the trenches really improved a soldier's chances of survival, or whether artillery, snipers and long-range shellfire meant danger was never far away.
...
Somme: Mighty Thiepval
The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing is the largest British war memorial in the world and one of the most powerful places where we remember the sacrifice of the Missing on the Western Front. In this episode, we explore the story behind "Mighty Thiepval" and uncover why this iconic monument continues to resonate more than a century after the Battle of the Somme.
We begin by examining the strategic importance of the village of Thiepval during the fighting up to 1916, and why it became one of the most heavily defended positions on the battlefield. We...
Questions and Answers Episode 59
In this latest Old Front Line Q&A, we tackle four fascinating questions that take us from the opening moments of the Battle of the Somme to the long legacy of the Western Front landscape.
We begin at Hawthorn Ridge on 1 July 1916 and ask whether the famous mine was detonated ten minutes early to help the attack, to provide Geoffrey Malins with the perfect filming opportunity, or for a combination of both. We also examine whether the advanced position of the Lancashire Fusiliers in the Sunken Lane, together with the early gains of...
The Great War Around Us
We begin Season 10 of The Old Front Line with a journey into The Great War Around Us: the First World War history that can still be found in the places where we live.
In this episode, we visit the East Sussex village of Wadhurst and explore how the impact of the Great War can still be discovered more than a century later. Starting at the village war memorial in the church, we uncover the stories behind the names carved in stone and examine what they reveal about the devastating losses suffered...
Bonus Episode: A Roll of Honour
For our final Bonus Episode before Season 10 begins in September, we look at a rare Roll of Honour for the Gravesend and Dartford area of Kent, and discuss the whole history of these Rolls of Honour and then look through this example seeing what it can tell us about the wider history of the Great War.Â
Main Image: Extracts from the Gravesend and Dartford 'Peace Souvenir' 1919. (Old Front Line archives)
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Bonus Episode: Mapping The Old Front Line
How do you find the hidden story of the First World War landscape? In this special bonus episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the fascinating world of WW1 trench maps and discover how they can transform your understanding of the Western Front and beyond.
We begin by looking at the Blue Series IGN maps that first inspired a deeper exploration of the battlefields, before uncovering the remarkable trench maps created during the Great War. What were trench maps? How were they produced? Who used them, and why are they...
Questions and Answers Episode 58
In this episode of the Old Front Line Podcast, we answer another fascinating collection of listener questions that explore the people, places and practical realities of the First World War.
We begin by asking why visitors can walk, play and live on some historic battlefields, such as the D-Day beaches, while places like Newfoundland Memorial Park on the Somme remain carefully preserved. What makes a battlefield "sacred", and who decides how these landscapes should be remembered?
We then untangle the mystery of First World War barbed wire. Discover how...
Somme: The Dawn Attack
In this episode of the Old Front Line Podcast, we explore one of the most successful British attacks of the Battle of the Somme: the Dawn Attack of 14 July 1916. Launched before first light, the assault captured key objectives including Bazentin-le-Petit, Bazentin-le-Grand and Longueval, bringing British troops to the edge of High Wood and changing the course of the campaign.
We examine the battle in detail, explaining the careful planning, the surprise achieved by attacking at dawn, and why this operation succeeded where so many earlier assaults had struggled. Along the way, we tell...
Questions and Answers Episode 57
In this Questions and Answers episode we head beneath the battlefields to explore the hidden world of First World War dugouts and bunkers, asking whether the Ypres Salient saw more extensive underground construction than the Somme, and how geology shaped the way British, German, Australian and other armies built and occupied these remarkable underground shelters.
We also examine one of the most fascinating aspects of post-war battlefield recovery by looking at the concentration of casualties from High Wood into Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, and ask how...
Old Front Line 300th Episode
For our 300th Episode we reflect on six years of the Old Front Line Podcast and go back to where we started in March 2020 by retaking a virtual walk through the battlefields and village of Pozières on the Somme.
We start at the Pozieres British Cemetery and Memorial and then walk into the village seeing memorials, and discussing some of the 'characters of the Somme', walking up to Mouquet Farm and ending at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.
Main Image: Thiepval M...
Questions and Answers Episode 56
In this episode of the Old Front Line Podcast, we answer another fascinating selection of listener questions covering some of the most intriguing aspects of the First World War.
We begin by exploring the formidable German concrete fortifications of the Somme, including the infamous Quadrilateral. How were these massive bunkers and strongpoints constructed so close to the front line, and why were the Allies seemingly unable to prevent their development?
We then examine war expectations in 1914 including the belief that the war would be over by Christmas. What did Britain and...
Somme South: Mametz to Montauban
In this episode of the Old Front Line Podcast, we continue our exploration of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916 by examining the southern sector of the British attack. Travelling across the battlefields of Mametz and Montauban, we uncover how some of the most successful attacks of the opening day unfolded and why this part of the front achieved results that proved elusive elsewhere.
We explore the plans, the units involved, and the fierce fighting that took place as British troops advanced against the German defences. Along the way, we examine the stories...
Somme Central: Ovillers to Fricourt
On the morning of 1st July 1916, as whistles blew along miles of the Somme front, the men of the III Corps and XV Corps rose from their trenches and walked into the centre of one of the most catastrophic days in British military history.
In this second special episode of Old Front Line for the Somme 110th Anniversary, we focus on the brutal heart of the Somme battlefield, that stretch of scarred chalk downland running from the village of Ovillers, down through the fortress of La Boisselle...
Questions and Answers Episode 55
In this latest Questions & Answers episode of the Old Front Line podcast, we tackle another fascinating collection of listener questions that uncover some of the lesser-known aspects of the First World War.
We begin by exploring the German tradition of Sterbebilder or Death Cards, the memorial cards issued to commemorate fallen soldiers. How were these cards produced, who organised them, and where did the photographs that often appeared on them come from?
Next, we examine the impact of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on the armies of...
Somme North: Serre to Thiepval
In the first of a three-part series marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, we explore the fighting in the northern sector of the battlefield on 1 July 1916.
This episode examines the attacks at Serre, Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval, where some of the most dramatic and costly actions of the opening day unfolded. We look at the ground over which the soldiers advanced, the plans behind the attacks, the units involved, and how the battle developed. From the struggles of the Pals Battalions attacking Serre to the devastating losses suffered below the...
Questions and Answers Episode 54
For this episode of the Old Front Line podcast, we open the virtual mailbag once again for another Questions & Answers special covering some fascinating and lesser-known aspects of the First World War. From observation balloons hanging silently over the trenches to trench foot, white feathers and booby traps in No Man’s Land, this episode explores the realities of life on the Western Front beyond the better-known battles.
We begin by looking at the observation balloons - the so-called Balloonatics - that became such a familiar feature of the wartime landscape. Who manned th...
Thunder in the Mountains with Tom Isitt
In this special edition of the podcast we explore a lesser-known theatre of conflict from the First World War in Northern Italy with historian Tom Isitt. Tom's new book - Thunder in the Mountains - follows a journey he made across those battlefields and with him we discover the unique challenges of mountain warfare, the diverse nations involved, and personal stories from the battlefield.
We examine the Battlefields on the Izonzo, discuss some of the highest points of the Great War in the Dolomites and move to the involvement...
Questions and Answers Episode 53
In this wide-ranging listener Q&A episode of Old Front Line, we dive into some intriguing and human questions thrown up by the Great War.
We begin with the fate of the missing. With hundreds of thousands of men listed as “missing” across the Western Front, is there any real evidence that some chose to disappear, seizing the chaos of war to start new lives elsewhere? We explore the realities of desertion, the systems used to record the dead, and whether the idea of men slipping away into anonymity holds up under historical scrutiny.
Fr...
St Eloi Craters 1916
Step into one of the most chaotic and little-known battles of the First World War in 1916 with this episode of The Old Front Line, as we explore the Battle of the St Eloi Craters (March–April 1916).
Fought in the shattered landscape south of Ypres, this battle saw the devastating use of underground mines transform the battlefield into a nightmarish maze of mud-filled craters. We examine how British tunnelling companies detonated massive charges beneath German lines, and how the newly arrived Canadian Corps struggled to hold and understand the ground they had inherited.
...
Questions and Answers Episode 52
Step back from the battlefield and into the questions that bring the Great War to life in this special Q&A episode. Drawing on years of battlefield exploration and historical research, we tackle four fascinating listener questions centred on the Battle of the Somme and beyond.
We begin on the heights above the battlefield, exploring the idea of Bouzincourt Ridge as a “grandstand view” on 1 July 1916. What could be seen at 7:30am as the attack began? While no direct veteran testimony from that exact vantage point survives, we examine contemporary accounts, artillery observation points, and how...
The Bad Luck Battalion
With a special edition for ANZAC Day, in this insightful interview, playwright Arthur Meek discusses his project to bring to life the voices of Gallipoli veterans through oral histories and verbatim theatre. The conversation explores the power of personal stories, memory, remembrance, and the impact of war on individuals and collective memory.
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Questions and Answers Episode 51
In this in-depth Questions & Answers episode of The Old Front Line, we tackle four fascinating listener questions exploring the aftermath and realities of the First World War.
We begin in the Ypres Salient, examining how the Commonwealth War Graves Commission replaced thousands of temporary wooden crosses with the iconic headstones we see today. How was this monumental task organised? How many stonemasons were involved, and how long did the process take?
Next, we explore the often misunderstood concept of “machine gun barrages” during trench warfare. How did these indirect fire weapons work, and how effective were...
Chalk, Englishness and the Great War
In this special episode with Professor Mark Connelly we explore the profound connection between landscape, memory, and national identity during the Great War, focusing on the significance of chalk landscapes in Britain and their influence on cultural memory and battlefield symbolism.
We dive into how the beautiful, chalky terrains of England shaped the identity of soldiers during the Great War. Many of them carried an intimate knowledge of these landscapes, a connection forged through literature and culture. When they found themselves on the battlefields of France, the familiar terrain sparked powerful memories and emotions, making...
Questions and Answers Episode 50
We are now 50 Q&As in, and the questions keep getting better, sharper, and more human! This milestone edition of The Old Front Line is built around four listener prompts that take us from the small, intimate scale of one soldier’s photograph to the vast, uneasy scale of a battlefield that never fully stops giving things back to the surface.
We start with the stories that first hooked me on First World War history: individual men whose faces, medals, and graves became “beacons” I return to again and again. From Ypres to Plugst...
Colonel Driant's Command Post
In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the dramatic opening moments of the Battle of Verdun, focusing on the heroic stand of Lieutenant Colonel Émile Driant and his men in the Bois des Caures on 21st/22nd February 1916.
Commanding the 56th and 59th Battalions of Chasseurs Ă Pied, Driant faced the full force of the German offensive as it erupted with one of the most intense artillery bombardments of the First World War. Outnumbered and under relentless pressure, his lightly fortified positions in the Bois de...
Questions and Answers Episode 49
In this Old Front Line Q&A episode, we tackle a fascinating range of questions from listeners about life, death, and survival on the battlefields of the First World War. We begin by exploring whether veterans of the conflict were ever allowed to be buried within the official war cemeteries alongside the comrades who fell during the war, and look at the rules established by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission after the creation of the Imperial War Graves system. Did any veterans later return to the battlefields to be laid to rest where they once fought?
<...From The Battlefield to the Tabletop
In this special episode of the Podcast, Paul Reed speaks with archaeologist and wargamer Alex Sotheran about his journey in battlefield archaeology and the evolution of wargaming. They discuss the significance of battlefield archaeology in understanding the human experience of war, the challenges faced in recovering human remains, and the impact of television on the field. Transitioning to wargaming, they explore its historical roots, modern developments in rules, and its potential as a therapeutic tool for veterans. The discussion highlights the social aspects of wargaming and the importance of community in this hobby.
You...
Questions and Answers Episode 48
In this Old Front Line WW1 podcast Q&A episode, we answer listeners’ questions about the history of the First World War  and the legacy of the conflict today. We begin by exploring British and Commonwealth war cemeteries, explaining how the headstones are kept perfectly aligned and why some graves appear in straight rows while others are spaced further apart, including the role of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission of how this was made permanent,Â
We then look at the huge stockpiles of artillery ammunition left at the end of the...
Ypres: A Walk on The Bluff
Step onto the Western Front in Flanders as we explore the area near to Ypres known as The Bluff. In this episode we uncover the story of the fighting here in February-March 1916, when British and German forces struggled for control of the high ground overlooking Ypres. Using contemporary accounts and battlefield evidence, we explain why this small rise in the landscape mattered so much and how the battle unfolded.
The Bluff was created from spoil dug out during the construction of the Ypres–Comines Canal, forming an artificial ridge that dominated th...
QnA Special: On The Battlefields
In this special Q&A episode of the Old Front Line podcast, recorded on location at Hooge, near Ypres, we answer questions about the battlefields of the Western Front and the legacy of the First World War.
We begin by exploring what happened to the woods and forests on the Western Front during World War One. Were they completely destroyed by shellfire? Did they naturally grow back after the war, or were they replanted? And more than a century later, have these landscapes ever truly recovered?
<...London Pride: The London Territorials in WW1
In this episode of the Old Front Line podcast, host Paul Reed is joined by military historians Charles Fair, Richard Hendry, and Dr. Tom Thorpe to delve into the often-overlooked history of the London Territorial Force during the Great War. The discussion begins with an exploration of the origins and purpose of the Territorial Force, established in 1908, which served primarily for home defense before the war. The historians highlight the unique characteristics of the London Regiment, which comprised numerous battalions, each with distinct identities tied to local communities, and how this diversity contributed to its prominence in...
Questions and Answers Episode 46
In this latest First World War Q&A episode we tackle some of the most intriguing and overlooked questions about life, strategy and survival on the Western Front and after the guns fell silent.
Why did the British Army so often attack on ground not of its own choosing, at places like Loos and the Somme? If British commanders could have picked the battlefield, where might they have fought instead, and why?Â
We then explore the everyday realities of the British Army by looking at the role of regimental cooks: were they safe b...
Winter in Flanders
In this episode, we explore the four brutal wartime winters in Flanders during the First World War, focusing on the Western Front around Ypres from 1914 to 1918. Beginning with the establishment of the British front line at Ypres in late 1914, we examine how soldiers endured cold, mud, and constant danger during the Great War’s earliest winter, including the famous Christmas Truce of 1914.
Using firsthand accounts, battalion war diaries, and casualty records, we analyse how Christmas on the Western Front in Flanders changed as the war dragged on, and why later winters were very different from th...
Questions and Answers Episode 45
In this latest Questions & Answers episode, we tackle some intriguing, and often misunderstood, aspects of life and fighting on the Western Front during the First World War.
Who actually decided what a battle was called? Did the ordinary soldier know, at the time, which battle he was fighting in – or even when one battle had ended and another begun, during almost four years of near-continuous combat? We explore how battles were named, dated, and defined, and what that meant for the men experiencing the war on the ground.
We al...
Demarcation Stones at Ypres
In this special episode, Paul Reed discusses the Ypres League's mission to preserve the history of the Ypres Salient and the significance of Demarcation Stones that mark the furthest advance of German forces during the First World War in 1918. Roger Stewart and Dr Dominiek Dendooven share insights into the history, design, and restoration efforts of these stones, emphasizing the importance of community involvement and funding for their preservation. The New Ypres League aims to foster relationships between different communities and ensure that the legacy of the First World War continues to resonate...
Questions and Answers Episode 44
In this episode, we explore the role of British Army Chaplains during the First World War, examining who they were, what duties they performed at the front, and how effective they were in the brutal conditions of the Great War. We also ask whether chaplains are commemorated on their own permanent memorial today.
We then tackle a persistent myth of the First World War: were German machine-gunners really chained to their weapons, or was this story a product of wartime propaganda? Using historical evidence, we separate fact from fiction.
Next...
Are We Forgetting The First World War?
Is the First World War slowly fading from public memory, or has our relationship with the Great War simply changed? In this episode, Are We Forgetting The First World War?, we explore how interest in WW1 has grown, shifted, and adapted over the last forty years, and what the future may hold.
We begin in the 1980s, with the formation and growth of the Western Front Association, a turning point that helped revive serious public interest in the First World War. From there, we chart the expansion of family history...
