Footsteps of the fallen

Send us a textWelcome 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? The podcast will be back for Season 8 on Sunday July 6th 2025.Supoort the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://footstepsofthefallen.com/gallery/

Send us a textWelcome 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 history of the site, as well visiting the only remaining tree from the Great War.We walk to High Wood - "Ghastly by day, ghostly by night, the rottenest place on the Somme" and discover some of the memorials around this great killing ground.  We then head to Martinpuich and conclude at Adanac Cemetery in Courcelette.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://footstepsofthefallen.com/gallery/

Send us a textWelcome 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 cemeteries. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Send us a textWelcome 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 Wood and meander across the battlefield, visiting some key sites and hearing the stories of the men buried in the cemeteries in and around the old front lines.A walking map can be found on the website to allow you to follow the route - please see https://footstepsofthefallen.com/gallery/My apologies for the sound quality in the final segments of the episode. I don't know what happened with the microphone, but it all went wrong! Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Send us a textThe 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 at the outbreak of war, but a terse telegram from GHQ rebuffed this offer.  However, the increased use of aircraft and poison gas quickly made senior command understand the importance of meteorology, and the Meteorological Service of the Royal Engineers soon started providing masses of valuable data.Who were these men, and what did they do? In this episode, we look at the work of "Meteor" HQ and their vital role as the war progressed. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Send us a textOn 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 killed, wounded and missing in three days, but no fewer than nine VCs were awarded for the fighting in this area. These quiet farmers' fields hide the secrets of the past, but there is much history to be found if one knows where to look.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Send us a textWelcome 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 tried and failed to retake the redoubt.What happened here, and what can be seen when you walk the battlefields today?  Supporting maps and the walking route can be found in the gallery section of the website: https://footstepsofthefallen.com/gallery/Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textWelcome 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 naval matters in this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation.Chris' book on the German navy can be found here.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textWelcome 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 infantry who fought and died in this so-called quiet sector of the front.  There is much to be found if one knows where to look.We meet the famous (latterly very famous) 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers commander, a certain Mr W.S Churchill, hear the sad story of an officer's death through an appalling piece of treachery, discover the unpleasant and dangerous work of "pond duty", and contemplate how McKenna's bridge got its name.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textWelcome 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 bearable.  Many soldiers indulged in the age-old vices of women and gambling; gambling was technically illegal, but thousands of francs were known to change hands through unscrupulous soldiers using loaded dice to stack odds firmly in their favour.  We look at the ubiquitous concert parties, hear about the leave lottery endured by soldiers, and discover why being a competent "anchor-man" was a financially enviable position.  We also hear the sad story of Basil Radford, "Gilbert the Filbert", one of Edwardian theatre's greatest dandies who met a terrible end on the battlefields of France. Footsteps of the Fallen will be back in 2025!Support the podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textA 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 trench rations, from the infamous Army Biscuits to cans of "dog vomit," and see that the culinary life of a soldier in the trenches was not a happy one. Occasionally, however, comfort came in mysterious ways, as men of the Hampshire Regiment found out when the Germans shelled the canal near Cuinchy and provided an unexpected and welcome treat.  Alcohol played an essential part in soldiers' lives from all sides, and we discover more about the daily rum ration, "Pinard", and celebratory German beer mugs.  We learn the origin of the phrase "to be on the fiddle", and hear about how excessive alcohol consumption caused huge problems for the Germans advancing in March 1918. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textIn 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 examine what happened that day, discover the story of the man who won the first VC for the new armies, and meet the enigmatic and eloquent "Student in Arms."Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog 

Send us a textWelcome 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.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a textWelcome 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 had in the lives of men at war and meet some of them, including the famous Woodbine Willie, "Tubby" Clayton and the Reverend Theodore Hardy, a non-combatant who ended the war with an MC, DSO and finally a VC.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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 of conflict. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 the Great War. A British Chaplain shares a story of divine intervention after "borrowing" a standard lamp from the cathedral. Amiens was a place of rest and indulgence for officers and soldiers, and it offered abundant good food, wine, and other human pleasures. We visit the graves of the first airmen to die in World War I and hear the tale of one of the war's great eccentrics, RFC officer Lt. Harvey-Kelly, a man known for living life at full speed, always flying with potatoes in his pockets. We then visit the closest point the Germans reached to Amiens before exploring the site of the first tank-versus-tank battle near Villers-Bretonneux.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 of Manchester Hill and the heroic efforts of Lt Col Wilfrith Elstob VC DSO MC.  Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 near Amiens that captured nearly 15,000 men and saw estimated German losses of 30,000.  Ludendorff described it as the "black day of the German army"Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Why 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 when heading to Ypres along a road less travelled.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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 also discover the social history behind a small wooden house opposite the cemetery entrance. We visit Oxford Road, the 50th Division Memorial and Mousetrap Farm, where we hear the remarkably tragic story of two fighting Irish brothers before heading to Kitchener's Wood. There, Marechal Foch described the actions of the Canadian soldiers in April 1915 as the finest feat of soldiering of the entire war.   Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 Black Shame."We examine the role played by French colonial troops and discover the story of the most decorated Division in the French Army. King George V's intervention created the British West Indies Regiment, an organisation founded on maternal coercion and wild promises that the British Government had little intention of fulfilling. We look at the military experience of black soldiers and discover how years of repression, racism and segregation exploded in the Taranto Riot of December 1918.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 2nd of July 1916, a Victoria Cross was won by one of the great characters of the First World War.  A man whose life was a real "Boy's Own" tale of dangerous escapes and seizing every moment of every day - of course, we are talking about Adrian Ghislain Carton de Wiart VC KBE CB CMG DSO.  who, when asked about his experience of the Great War, famously replied, "The War? Oh, I rather enjoyed it!"Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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/footstepsblog

In 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

Welcome 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, nature's most effective gas detector. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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 cemeteries in this part of the Ypres salient, including Talana Farm, Bleuet Farm and Ferme Olivier cemeteries. The podcast will be back with Season 7 on Sunday 28th April 2024.Support us:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 of casualties.In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the fighting at Isonzo and Caporetto, the Asiago plateau, the problems of supply and fighting in the mountains, and meet a belligerent commander who dismissed no fewer than 270 Generals during the course of the War.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

With 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 surroundings during the Great War, including John Masefield, Siegfried Sassoon and Bernard Adams amongst others. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Many 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/AmNHLbK_rWk?si=TVvX8atZEBm5sSNF

In 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, what there is to see, the unpalatable history it played in the mindset of the Third Reich and debunk some of the myths.You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Studentenfriedhof-Soldatenfriedhof-Langemark-Cemetery-Self-guided/dp/1913491676/ref=sr_1_1?crid=372C8DU76FNP1&keywords=Langemark&qid=1707776314&sprefix=landmark%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1Interested in engaging Roger as a guide? https://www.ypresbattlefieldtours.be/SUPPORT THE PODCAST:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

In 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 Notre Dame de Lorrette where we discover the story behind how the Basilica got its name.  We hear about the death of a great French cyclist before we visit the remarkable Ring of Peace memorial.Heading down into the valley, we hear about General Barbot, and visit the massive cemetery at Caberet Rouge before visiting the Canadian memorial on top of Vimy Ridge.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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, memorials and monuments that commemorate the men from France, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Germany who fought and died on this part of the Western Front during the Great War. Supoort the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 casualties. If you have only one day to visit the battlefields, what should you see? We visit some of the cemeteries and memorials on the battlefield, discover the stories behind some VC winners who are commemorated here, hear the story of "Deborah", and conclude with a poignant poem written by one of Scotland's great war poets. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Welcome 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 memorials which cover this part of the battlefield. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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 catered to all creeds and nationalities.  We hear the incredible story of trench lighters, dispel some of the myths that surround the tins, and discover what receiving these gifts did for the men on that cold Christmas Day in 1914. You can buy Peter's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Sailor-Afloat-Soldier-Front/dp/1913491536Footsteps of the Fallen will be back in 2024, and I wish you all a very happy Christmas.Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 boxer, known as the "Widowmaker", as well as two officers whose indiscipline landed them in front of the Courts, one for assault and the other for running over a police officer while joyriding on an unlicensed motorbike.  No less than five VC winners are commemorated here, and we hear the stories of the deeds behind their medals. One of the finest poets of the Great War, Charles Sorley, is commemorated on the memorial. Found in his kit bag after his death was the least known of the great poems of WW1, and we hear the poem in full and consider why it is such a powerful piece of Great War literature.We hear the tragic story of the Mochrie family, who lost three sons in a single day and discovered how the showboating of a deaf rugby-playing Scottish officer sparked a near riot in the 1913 Scotland vs France game in Paris.  Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefall

The 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 fascinating insight into the life of a French infantry soldier who went through the hell of Verdun, was wounded and gassed, but ultimately survived the Great War. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 advance.We visit the Nieupoort Memorial to the Missing, and the Albert Memorial and then head inland to the German cemetery at Vladslo where we hear the story of the creation of poignant statues "The Grieving Parents".  We visit Dixsmuide and hear about the terrible fighting that destroyed the town, visit the Ijer Tower, and finish at the infamous Death Trenches adjacent to the Yser Canal.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

During 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 on the backbreaking work of lumberjacking. In this episode we look at a little-known aspect of the war, but one which was utterly vital to the wider war effort. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 finest poets.  Our journey continues taking in demarcation stones and memorials before we had back toward Ypres and pay a visit to Talana Farm cemetery.  We stop at Duhallow ADS cemetery and here the story of a tragic incident for men of the Labour Corps and discover the story of Private Seymour who was shot dawn for desertion. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefalle 

Our 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 Herbert.  A loose cannon with a volcanic temper, Herbert was almost blind, but despite this, he proved to be a capable officer.  Opinionated, argumentative, and dangerous to know, Herbert successfully delivered a vital message that allowed reinforcements to be rushed up into the forest to help rescue the beleaguered Guards Division.We also discover the story behind one of the most impressive private memorials anywhere on the Western Front, and the remarkable perseverance of a formidable woman, desperate to find out what happened to her only son.  Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblo 

In 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 lesser-known poets of the Great War, the idealistic Canadian Bernard Trotter.  We meet a man of the cloth who was awarded a Military Cross for bravery, hear the stories of some of the men who were shot at dawn and lie buried in the cemetery, and discover how the Mayor of Laventie and a parish priest ended up brawling in a British dugout, having tried to take on the Germans single-handed armed only with a bottle of eau de vie and stolen British rifle.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

In 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 to Hill 62 and examine the ebb and flow of the fighting in June 1916.  We hear the remarkable story of the Colour of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, hear about the unfortunate fate of the 3rd Canadian Divison commander, and meet Colonel Buller, whose foresight and determination helped prevent a German breakthrough.  We hear about the encounter between a Canadian heavyweight boxer and a German officer and look at the deserved reputation gained by Canada's soldiers during the fighting. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 went so wrong for the French Army.  We look at the mutinies and discover a story where fact and fiction are sometimes hard to separate, and hear about a vitriolic soldier's song deemed so inflammatory it was banned in France for over 50 years after the Great War ended. Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

During 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, the cultivation of land was a remarkable and very successful endeavor.We hear about the dangers of using tractors on former battlefields, an innovative approach to dealing with the vast quantities of food waste from the Etaples basecamp, and hear about the great Goat Riot of Rouen in 1917.Footsteps will be back on the 1st of October. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

In 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 dismiss him.  What happened that day? We look at the battle itself and then take a journey around the battlefield to visit some of the cemeteries and memorials commemorating the dead.  Our journey takes in the most famous tree on the battlefield, the grave of arguably the most famous war poet of the Great War, and finishes at the poignant vista of the Suffolk Memorial.Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Between 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 one of the lesser-known poets of the Great War before we look at the ebb and flow of the battle.  We hear stories of remarkable defence and resilience, and personal courage and discover the heavy price paid by the British in beating off the German attacks. Support the podcast:https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Standing 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 including the RA Memorial and his incredible piece which stands on Platform 1 at Paddington Station commemorating the dead of the Great Western Railway.  Jagger served as an officer in the Worcestershire Regiment and was awarded an MC for his actions at Neuve Eglise during the German offensive in Spring 1918 where he was severely wounded.  We look at the trials and tribulations that surrounded the creation of the Royal Artillery Memorial and look at his work on the magnificent "No Mans Land"Support the podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Our 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 cemetery.But it's the graves in Plots II and III that grab our attention.  The 457 men who lie buried in these two plots came from elsewhere.  Where did they come from? We discover a tale of obstinancy, political machinations, and a tale where the line between legality and morality becomes very blurred indeed. https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallenhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Welcome 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://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen

Welcome 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.We conclude with a visit to Tyne Cot, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, and contemplate why Ypres is such a special place to visit.Footsteps will be back on the 28th of July.Support the podcastLhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsbloghttps://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen