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The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

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.

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S10 · E7
Today · 41 min
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 Road Cemetery, Grandcourt Road Cemetery and Regina Trench Cemetery. These cemeteries provide a direct connection to the men who fought and died here, revealing the human cost of the Somme's final phase. From Thiepval to Grandcourt and Courcelette, this is the story of the Somme after 1 July: the forgotten battles of October and November 1916 and the men who fought through them. Main Image: Grandcourt Road Cemetery (Stephen Kerr). Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E6
October 17 · 47 min
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 experience of British officers who became prisoners of war. Were former POWs really interrogated by British military authorities after 1918, and what happened when they returned home? Our third question takes us behind the German lines to examine everyday life for French and Belgian civilians under occupation. How did German rule affect schools, currency, local government, communication and families separated by the new front line? Finally, we look at the impact of the Second World War on First World War cemeteries, memorials and battlefields. Were Great War sites deliberately targeted, accidentally damaged or protected? And what is the truth behind the story of Hitler and the Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge? Main Image: British Officer Prisoners of war in Germany c.1916. (OFL Archives). Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E5
October 10 · 45 min
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 in 1914. But this time, we go beyond the just the names by using a specially developed AI tool. With this we analyse the data behind the Missing of 1914 to uncover patterns and statistics: which were the costliest days of the campaign, which regiments suffered the greatest losses, how old were the men who disappeared, where did they come from, and how many had previous military experience? By combining battlefield history, memorials, military records and data analysis with the expert eye of an historian, we take a different look at the men who went missing during those iconic opening months of the First World War. Main Image: La Ferte sous Jouarre Memorial (Old Front Line Archives). Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E4
October 3 · 44 min
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. We also travel to Sidcup in Kent and explore the legacy of families who suffered devastating losses during the Great War. From the pioneering work of Sir Harold Gillies and the famous "blue benches" to the story of the Crombie family, we investigate whether Britain had its own "Saving Private Ryan" stories and look at families who lost multiple sons in the conflict. A visit to Hooge Crater Cemetery prompts a question about multiple burials in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries. Why do some headstones commemorate several men? How common are collective graves, and what do they tell us about the conditions of battle and battlefield burial? Finally, we delve into the world of breastwork trenches. Common across the low-lying landscapes of French Flanders, these unusual battlefield defences posed unique challenges for attackers and defenders alike. How were breastworks built, assaulted and protected, and were they more vulnerable to artillery fire than conventional trenches? Book Recommendations: Roy, R.H. - The Journal of Private Fraser (Canada 1985, later CEF books 1998) Dr Lindsey Fitzharris - The Facemaker (London 2022) Main Image: New Zealand troops of the 9th (Wellington East Coast Rifles) Regiment holding a well constructed breastwork near Fleurbaix during June 1916. Note one of the troops using a periscope rifle. (IWM Q666). Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E3
September 26 · 1 hr 7 min
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 then follow the remarkable career of Sir Edwin Lutyens, tracing the experiences and influences that led him to create this masterpiece of remembrance. Using modern AI technology, we delve into the stories hidden within the more than 72,000 names carved into the memorial's stonework, revealing what these men can tell us about the scale and human cost of the Somme campaign. Along the way, we focus on several individual soldiers whose lives and sacrifices help bring the memorial's vast roll of honour into sharper focus. Finally, we take a walk across the battlefield at Thiepval today, exploring the landscape, the surviving traces of war, and the enduring connection between memory, history and place. Main Image: Thiepval Memorial during the WW1 Centenary.(Old Front Line archives) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. RECOMMENDED READING: Lutyens and the Great War - Tim Skelton and Gerald Gliddon (Frances Lincoln 2008) Cemeteries of the Great War by Sir Edwin Lutyens - Jeroen Geurst (Rotterdam 2010) The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme - Gavin Stamp (Profile 2006) Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E2
September 19 · 46 min
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 Ulster Division nearby, could have transformed a disastrous sector of the Somme battlefield into a genuine British success. We then explore memories of the Second World War, discussing whether First World War veterans ever compared their own experiences with the rapid collapse of France and the BEF in 1940. A question inspired by a walk along the Old Front Line looks at modern ownership of battlefield land. If your house stands on top of a trench system, can you excavate it, and what permissions might be required in France and Belgium? Finally, we examine what happened when soldiers' remains were discovered in the 1920s. How were they identified, who carried out the work, and what kind of burial and ceremony followed? Book: Nick and Fiona Jenkins - Walking The Line (Wetsocks Books 2021) Main Image: Field Marshal Montgomery reads the inscription on a grave at the Canadian First World War memorial at Vimy Ridge, 8 September 1944. (IWM BU 763). Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S10 · E1
September 12 · 48 min
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 by this small community, particularly during the fighting of 9 May 1915 at the Battle of Aubers Ridge. We then step into the parish churchyard to search for traces of the war, from Commonwealth war graves to moving family epitaphs that preserve personal memories of sacrifice and loss. Along the way, we discover how local history can open a window onto the wider story of the First World War. This episode is also a call to action. Wherever you live, the history of the Great War is often closer than you think. War memorials, churchyards, memorial plaques and family stories can all help us understand how the conflict touched communities across Britain and beyond. Join us as we explore the Great War around us and discover why local remembrance remains such a powerful way to connect with the history of that conflict more than a century ago. Main Image: Wadhurst Church and Roy Fazan. (Old Front Line archives) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E47
August 15 · 46 min
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. Main Image: Extracts from the Gravesend and Dartford 'Peace Souvenir' 1919. (Old Front Line archives) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E46
August 8 · 41 min
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 still such an invaluable resource for battlefield historians today? The episode also tells the story of Lieutenant Colonel Evan Maclean Jack CMG DSO, one of the key figures behind the development of British trench mapping, and examines his lasting influence on military cartography. Finally, we put theory into practice by studying three original trench maps from very different theatres of war: Richebourg on the Lys battlefield, Neuville Vitasse south of Arras, and the Salonika Front around Lake Doiran. Together they reveal how maps recorded trenches, strongpoints, roads, artillery positions and the ever-changing front line. Main Image: Trench Maps of Arras, Richebourg and Salonika. The portrait is Lt Col Evan Maclean Jack CMG DSO, 'Maps' at GHQ (IWM archive) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E45
August 1 · 42 min
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 troops navigated their own defensive obstacles for raids, wiring parties, patrols and major offensives, and how carefully concealed gaps and communication routes balanced defence with the need to attack. Next, we delve into the history of the King Edward's Horse, examining its formation in 1914, its links to men from across the British Empire, and why some recruits with no Dominion connections—including one listener's ancestor—found themselves serving in this unusual cavalry regiment. Finally, we travel to the closing days of the war to explore what happened after the Armistice. From the emotional scenes of 11 November 1918 to the long process of demobilisation, the return of prisoners of war, encounters between former enemies in No Man's Land, and the immense task of clearing and rebuilding the shattered battlefields of France and Belgium, we trace how Europe emerged from four years of conflict. Main Image: German barbed wire entanglements, known as 'knife rests' photographed in the Beaumont Hamel area, November 1916. (IWM Q1530). Image by Ernest Brookes. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E44
July 25 · 50 min
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 the stories of two men who experienced the fighting from very different perspectives, one an ordinary soldier, the other an officer, bringing a personal dimension to one of the Somme's defining actions. The episode concludes with a virtual battlefield walk, travelling west to east across the ground of the attack. From the British front lines through the captured villages and on towards High Wood, we explore what survives today and reveal how the landscape still tells the story of this remarkable day in July 1916. Main Image: The 20th Deccan Horse, Indian Army, in the Carnoy Valley shortly before their unsuccessful attack at High Wood during the Somme offensive, 14 July 1916. (IWM Q823). Image by John Warwick Brooke. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E43
July 18 · 45 min
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 the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission decided where recovered soldiers would ultimately be buried. Why were men from the same battalion sometimes reburied in different cemeteries years apart? From there we consider the impact of mist and fog on the Western Front. Did poor visibility and weather bring fighting to a halt, or was it an opportunity for trench raids, wiring parties, patrols and surprise attacks? Finally, we look at one of the 'what ifs' of the First World War. Following Russia's armistice in late 1917, how much artillery and equipment did Germany transfer west alongside its infantry? Could the Kaiserschlacht have happened without the collapse of the Eastern Front, and how might the war have unfolded if Russia had remained in the conflict? Main Image: Battle of Albert, 1916. The steps leading down to a huge German underground shelter at Bernafay Wood, near Montauban, captured by the 9th Division. The picture gives a good idea of the size and depth of many German dugouts on the Somme. (IWM Q4307). Image by John Warwick Brooke. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E42
July 11 · 50 min
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 Memorial to the Missing under a summer sky. (OFL Archives) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E41
July 4 · 43 min
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 Germany actually expect from the coming conflict? How did military planners believe victory would be achieved, and what political and territorial objectives were they hoping to secure? The discussion then turns to the Hindenburg Line. How much of this vast defensive system survives today, where can visitors still see it, and why were the Allies caught off guard when German forces withdrew to it during the spring of 1917? Finally, we tackle a practical but rarely discussed aspect of trench warfare: sanitation. Was toilet paper available to soldiers on the Western Front, what alternatives were used, and what can this tell us about daily life, hygiene, and disease in wartime conditions? Main Image: Remains of a German trench in Gommecourt, showing a concrete dug-out entrance, March 1917. (IWM Q4913). Image by John Warwick Brooke. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E40
June 27 · 47 min
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 of the soldiers who fought here, the objectives they were tasked with capturing, and the cost of victory on the Somme's first day. The episode also includes a virtual battlefield walk across the landscapes of Mametz and Montauban as they appear today, connecting the modern terrain with the events of July 1916 and highlighting key locations, memorials, and surviving traces of the battlefield. Whether you're researching the Battle of the Somme, planning a battlefield visit, or simply interested in First World War history, this episode provides an in-depth guide to one of the most important sectors of 1st July 1916. Jonathan Porter’s Somme Books: Zero Hour Z Day website. Main Image: Infantry from the British 7th Division advancing towards German trenches at Mametz, 7.30am on 1 July 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. (IWM Q 89). Image by No 1 Printing Company Royal Engineers. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E39
June 20 · 55 min
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, to the encircled ruins of Fricourt. This was the ground where some of the few remaining regulars alongside men of Kitchener's volunteer army, Tyneside Scots and Irishmen, Grimsby fishermen, South Yorkshire lads in the York & Lancs, and Green Howards among so many others, were sent against some formidable German positions on this central part of the Somme front of 1st July. The podcast follows the 8th Division into the killing ground of The Nab and Mash Valley at Ovillers, where German machine guns on three sides made survival almost impossible. We stand at the edge of the Lochnagar crater and trace the advance of the 34th Division, all twelve battalions committed at once, nothing held in reserve, as the Tyneside brigades marched in waves across open ground toward a village that was ready and waiting for them. And we examine the bitter fighting around Fricourt, where the 10th West Yorkshire Regiment suffered the single greatest British battalion casualty toll of any unit in on The First Day of the Somme. We end with a virtual walk across those battlefields today. Jonathan Porter's Somme Books: Zero Hour Z Day website. Main Image: Destroyed German trenches at Ovillers, looking towards Albert, July 1916. (IWM Q 4044). Image by John Warwick Brooke. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E38
June 13 · 41 min
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 the Great War. As Germany's military fortunes declined during the final months of the conflict, how much of a role did illness play alongside battlefield losses, exhaustion, and dwindling resources? We also consider the wider effect of influenza on all the major combatant nations. We then turn to one of the most familiar nicknames in British medal collecting: "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred". Where did these curious names come from, and how did they become attached to the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal? Finally, we look at trench warfare and ask how opposing armies managed to dig trenches in places where the enemy was often only a few yards away. How were these positions established under fire, and how did some sectors of the front evolve into landscapes where soldiers could hear conversations and even smell the enemy's cooking? Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E37
June 6 · 1 hr 1 min
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 heights of Thiepval, we trace the story of the men who fought there and assess the outcomes of their efforts. Along the way, we examine the key commanders, the challenges posed by the terrain and German defences, and the human cost of the battle, exploring the casualties suffered and the legacy left behind on this iconic section of the Western Front. The episode concludes with a virtual walk across the modern battlefield, following the route of the attacks and contemplating that story, that legacy of 1 July 1916 today. Main Image: Troops waiting, some still asleep, in a support trench shortly before zero hour, Beaumont Hamel. (IWM Q64). Image by Royal Engineers No.1 Printing Company. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E36
May 30 · 45 min
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 these vulnerable aerial observation posts? What was life like for the crews suspended high above the battlefield? How many balloons lined the front by 1916, and were they more effective over the flat plains of Flanders than the broken ground of the Somme? We also examine the infamous White Feather campaign and the pressure placed on young men to enlist, alongside the Derby Scheme which allowed men to attest for service before being called up later. How widespread was the practice, and what impact did it have on those who experienced it? Inspired by an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, we then investigate whether anti-personnel minefields really existed in the trenches of the Great War, and explore the grim world of booby traps and explosive devices hidden one the battlefield. Finally, we answer a question from Australia concerning trench foot and the long-term effects suffered by soldiers who returned to duty after treatment. How badly could damaged feet affect a man’s ability to march, and what happened when he rejoined his battalion? Join us for another deep dive into the forgotten details and human stories of the First World War. The book mentioned in the introduction is Jon Woolcott's Tattooed Hills: Journeys to Chalk Figures published in 2026. Main Image: The Medical Officer of the 12th Battalion ,East Yorkshire Regiment conducts a foot inspection in a support trench near Roclincourt, 9 January 1918. (IWM Q10622). Image by Thomas Keith Aitken. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
S9 · E35
May 23 · 1 hr
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 of German troops in Italy, including Erwin Rommel at Caporetto in 1917, and the arrival of British forces who fought here until the end of the war. You visit Tom Isitt's website and order the book here: Thunder in the Mountains. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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