Tales from the Battlefields

In this episode we follow the journey of Conscientious Objector Alfred Adams, who didn't want to fight but became a Stretcher Bearer. We discover his story through a narrative and a series of emotional letters that he sent to his wife Alice, at home in England. How did his strong religious belief help him deal with the awful conditions at Passchendaele? We find out how he used the letters to reassure Alice that he was safe and sound, sparing her the dreadful truth. Alfred's Grandson Geoff Allen reads his powerful words, and attempts to make sense of his Grandfather's thoughts from over 100 years ago.

In this episode we explore the story of the 3rd Battalion of the Monmouthshire Regiment during 7 days on the Ypres battlefield in May 1915. We discover what Ypres looked like before it was destroyed by shellfire. We learn of the tragic story of the father and son who died on the same day. And how almost the entire battalion was wiped out, mainly because of a terrific artillery bombardment on their shallow trenches. We discover how a young Officer saved the life of one of his men by using his body as a shield, and the Welshman who was captured but returned home and celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1969.

In this episode we visit the Somme battlefield and discuss what happened at Mouquet Farm in August and September 1916. But not through the history books. We drill down to the awful personal experiences of the soldiers who were there. An Australian explains how he was buried by a shell burst for an hour before being saved. How did that feel? And how the soldiers fought amongst the unburied bodies, and body parts, of friend and foe. We also hear from a British Officer who discovered a dead soldier still clinging to his Bible. And the Canadian soldier who wrote a letter to his Mother the day before he died, but it wasn't delivered until 1928.

In this episode we travel to the village of Zandvoorde and discover what happened to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on a single day during the 1st Battle of Ypres. Their story is made very personal as we find out how Nick Dooner, son of one of the Officers who died that day, found the grave of his ancestor in a cemetery at Hooge. Lt Alfred Dooner's Commanding Officer, Lt Col Henry Cadogan, was also killed trying to help him. We learn about these two men, and discover Cadogan's original grave marker in Buckinghamshire. We also have a discussion about the importance of remembrance and how these men impact on our lives today.

In this episode we discover the incredible story of Cecil Lewis, who lived a charmed and eventful life. We learn, through his own words, what it was like to take part in a dogfight with the Red Baron above the battlefields, and he describes how the Lochnagar and Y Sap mines were blown on the Somme battlefield, from his vantage point in the sky. He talks about the loss of good friends, including a Victoria Cross recipient, and how the airmen relaxed when out of the air. We then look into his eventful post war life, and how he helped create the BBC. And much more too.

In this episode we talk to the best selling author, historian and broadcaster, Richard Van Emden about his friend Harry Patch, the Somerset man who was the last soldier to die (aged 111)  who could recall the fighting in the Great War. We learn what a character Harry was, and how Richard persuaded him, at the age of 100, to discuss his wartime memories and feelings. We hear from Harry himself as he talks about going “over the top” at Passchendaele in 1917 and how he was seriously wounded a few weeks later. And we learn how Harry planted some acorns at his nursing home, to remember the Germans who sacrificed their lives in the war.

In this episode we look at the incredible story of a man who, after being given a white feather, served in the trenches during the Great War and masterminded the British Airborne operation on D Day during World War 2. A popular commander, known as a “soldier's soldier”, we learn how he gave up his career in the City of London to become a junior Officer on the Western Front and had several close encounters with death. We discover how he established the 6th Airborne Division and why he was decorated for his bravery in both conflicts. We hear a recording of him guiding a battlefield tour to Normandy and learn how he slept on the glider during the crossing to the battlefield on D Day.

In this episode we travel to the small town on Albert that became so familiar to the Allied soldiers of the Great War. A location just behind the 1916 Somme battlefields, we find out why it was so important to them and what happened there. We hear from a soldier who saw his first dead body on the way up to the line from Albert, and how the famous Basilica was destroyed by shell fire, and then rebuilt again. And we then move the clock forward to discover what the veterans discovered when they returned to Albert after the war, and how war came again to Albert in 1940. We also discover the strange story of the ghostly wagon and horses, still travelling up the Bapaume road years after it was destroyed by a shell.

In this episode we travel to Norfolk and follow the incredibly brave story of Edith Cavell, the Christian nurse who helped 200 Allied soldiers escape back home. We explore her home village of Swardeston and learn about how an American diplomat tried to save her life. We then go to Norwich and discover how she is remembered and we pay our respects at her final resting place in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral and reflect on your extraordinary life.

In this episode we try to gain a deeper understanding of what it was like to live, fight and die on the Western Front. Through the eyes of the soldiers who were there, we venture into an abandoned German dugout on the Somme and discover how a British soldier comforted a wounded German in his final moments. This story demonstrates the compassion and spirit between enemies. We compare the impact of shellfire in built up areas, on civilians and soldiers, compared to being in the shelter of the trenches and we also discover a young pilot from Australia who is buried in Norfolk. Who was he?

In this episode we travel to the Somme, Ypres and a forgotten battlefield to follow in the footsteps of a British soldier who enlisted under the “Derby Scheme” in December 1915. We discover how he arrived on the Somme battlefield during the final stages of this iconic battle, and was then awarded the Military Medal following an unknown attack in March 1917. We then follow his journey to the Passchendaele battlefield and onto the 1918 German Spring Offensive, where a “Blighty” wound ended his war. But what was the tragedy that Fred and his wife suffered during the 2nd World War?

In this episode we travel to Cambrai and tell the story of this tank attack through the eyes of the soldiers who were there, rather than the history books. We talk to historian Neal Russell about 2 soldiers he discovered in a military cemetery and discover a connection with the son of the British Prime Minister, Raymond Asquith. We follow the stories of 2 British soldiers who died in the battle and discover how a German spy allegedly tried to disrupt the BEF during the German counter offensive. We also discover a young German soldier whose body was found 90 years after his death.

In this episode we continue the story of the 6th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. We find them in flooded trenches at Fricourt during Christmas 1915, and discover what happened when the Germans carried out a raid on their positions and captured 20 of them. Who were these captured men? What happened to them and why were their trenches undefended? We also follow their preparations for the “Big Push” as they move to a new sector of the battlefield at Carnoy.

In this episode we talk to RAF veteran and writer John Nichol about his book “The Unknown Warrior”. After the hardback version of the book sold so well it has now been published in paperback. We discuss how remembrance has changed over the last 105 years and I read sections of his book following the final journey of the warrior from the battlefield to Westminster Abbey. We also listen to the words of a blinded soldier who was at the ceremony in November 1920. What did it mean to him?

In this episode we look at the struggles of the soldiers who suffered from shell shock.  Probably over 250,000 men suffered from ‘shell shock' as result of the First World War. At the time it was believed to result from a physical injury to the nervous system during a heavy bombardment or shell attack, later it became evident that men who had not been exposed directly to such fire were just as traumatised. We listen to the voices of men who had seen others suffer from this condition, and from some of the soldiers directly affected. And we discover the story of a shell shocked Canadian soldier who murdered a girl in Liverpool.

In this special episode we join The Army Benevolent Fund's “Frontline Walk” from the Somme to Ypres, via Vimy Ridge. As we follow the fundraisers' we visit a vast German Cemetery near Arras and hear from a walker whose relative is buried along the route. In Polygon Wood, we find an Australian grave with an emotional family inscription, and follow the route of the Canadians as they cross the Ravebeek in terrible conditions during the Battle of Passchendaele. We end with an emotional interview with Alix Hale, who father Mark was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009.

In this episode we continue the story of 6th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment as they spend their first few months on the “quiet sector” of the Somme in 1915. We discover who their first casualty was and how the soldiers suffered with the mud and rats of the trenches. And they encounter mine warfare for the first time and the horrors and fear that it created. We also discuss the story of a soldier who divorced his wife who was having an affair with another soldier and find evidence of the close bond that developed between the comrades in the trenches. We end the episode at Christmas 1915. Did another truce take place.

In this episode we look at the very powerful and emotive stories of the children of the men that went off to World War 1 and never returned. How did they cope as young children? What happened to them in their adult lives? We hear from Ellen Elston whose Mother turned the portrait of her Father around because it upset her so much. And who was the WW2 airman who visited his father's grave when he was 98 years old? How did it affect him? We also listen to the words of Gertrude Harris, who managed to get a pardon for her father who had been Shot at Dawn in 1916. And we discover the tragic story of father and son, mortally wounded just 5 miles apart from each other, 23 years apart and are buried in the same cemetery.

In this episode we commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Loos by talking to author Nigel Atter about the 8th Lincoln's experience on the second day of the battle. We discuss how the Germans attacked them before they could go into action and how all of their Officers became casualties. We find out how one Officer was shot in the head, taken prisoner and held in captivity for over 3 years before returning home and resuming his business career. And we look at the claim that the battalion “threw their rifles away and bolted”. And much more too including the tragic story of twin brothers who died on that day.

In this episode we continue the story of Charles Carrington and his memoirs from the Great War. We hear his description of the Somme battlefield in the bitterly cold winter of 1916/17 and the German retreat from the battlefield in the Spring of 1917. We discover what it was like to route march 15 miles in a day and listen to the songs they sang along the way. We visit the grave of Mary Jane Climpson, a Salvation Army volunteer who, along with her husband, served on the Western Front in World War 1 and was killed during the 1940 retreat to Dunkirk.

In this episode we feature one of the Great War's war most graphic books. We travel with Charles Carrington as he discovers the broken bodies of enemy dead on the Somme “bursting out of their clothes”. We hear his voice as he describes the first day of the Somme and learn how he felt under an artillery barrage. He describes the Y Sap crater at La Boisselle before being ordered to attack Ovillers in a night action. How did he overcome his fear and anxiety? What did he say to a frightened young boy soldier? And how did he describe the death of several comrades in close quarter fighting?

In this episode we look at the tragic stories of veterans and their families whose love and relationships were torn apart by the soldiers' experiences in the Great War. We discover the story of the French girl who took her own life after being jilted by a young British Officer. And, back home in Blighty, why did RAMC man Frank Copperwaite murder his wife and then attempt to take his own life? And how did he avoid being executed? We also discover how a British Airman was so traumatised he tried to shoot his sweetheart, and never recovered from his heartbreak.

In this episode we pick up the story of the 6th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment as they leave home and head to the South Coast of England to begin their basic training. Back home in Northampton, we describe what happened when a train load of Belgian refugees arrived. We also meet the Battalion's first CO, George Ripley, and discover how the men occupied themselves when “at rest”, but got themselves into trouble. And we discover the tragic stories of 2 soldiers who succumb to illness before they even leave the UK.

In this episode we go back to 1932 and discover the story of the people involved in the design and construction of the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission anywhere in the world. We discover what inspired the architect Edwin Lutyens after a battlefield visit in 1917. We also look at the stories of several soldiers commemorated on the memorial, including a dying Sherwood Forester who wrote a heartbreaking letter to his Mum, and the story of a Hampshire Officer who could not pluck up the courage to propose to his girlfriend, until it was too late.

In this episode we begin telling the story of one of “Kitchener's Army” New Army battalions – 6th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. During this series we will follow the story of this Battalion, from recruitment and training in 1914, to the Somme in the summer and winter of 1916/17, to Arras, the horrors of Ypres and the German Spring Offensive of 1918. And we will continue their journey on the 100 Day Offensive. In this first episode, we discover who these volunteers were, and visit the barracks where they enlisted and paraded. Their story is told using the soldiers' own words.

Daddy Dear – I did not see you but Mummy taught me to love you.” In this episode we travel to one of the largest military cemeteries to discover the stories of the men, and one woman, who are buried there. We look at a battlefield pilgrimage from 1923, and discover the story of a Mother who arranged for her own ashes to be buried with her son. We also experience the sounds of nature, as we listen to the birdsong and observe the wildlife living in this “Silent City”

In this episode we travel to the Somme and discover how a group of historians from Cheshire have restored 2 forgotten memorials at Bazentin. What is their story? We also discover a new memorial to 16 Submariners who drowned off the coast of Norfolk in 1941. And we pay tribute to a member of the Royal Marines band who died recently.

In this episode we visit the Anglican church in Ypres that was built when Ypres was redeveloped in the 1920's. Why did Ypres need a British church? Who were the worshippers? Why did they build a British school next door? And what happened in 1940 when the Germans occupied Ypres? How did the British people escape and what happened to the church? We go on a tour of the church and look at some of the hundreds of memorials displayed on the walls, and we have a chat with the Chaplain, Reverand Richard Clement.

In this week's episode we travel to the small village of Le Paradis in Northern France to discover the awful story of a group of BEF soldiers who were murdered by the SS during the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940. We listen to the words of the only 2 survivors and find out how another man escaped the shootings by going through a different door as the SS waited for them to surrender. We are joined by Peter McDonough, a relative of one of those who died that day at the hands of the Nazis. How did he feel when he visited the location of the massacre with me?

In this episode we once again travel to the Somme battlefield and discover the story of the 8th Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry on the first day of the battle. We discover their story in their own words, rather than the history books. We find out what it was like to be stranded in No Man's Land for several days, whilst being sniped at by German marksmen. And how a Mother, whose son had been killed, received his Military Medal from the King when he visited their home town of Hull in 1917.

In this episode we talk to historian and battlefield guide Beth Moore about her local battalion on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Why were they ordered to carry out a diversionary attack? What did they experience on that awful day? What happened to them in No Man's Land? And Beth's passionately defends their Commanding Officer who was blamed for the disaster that occurred.

In this episode we travel to the town of Bethune in Northern France to discover the stories of the men that died in a Casualty Clearing Station and are now at rest here. We find the final resting place of an NCO who was murdered by 2 of his men, who were executed for their crime and then buried a few hundred yards away from their victim. And who was the Indian soldier buried in Bethune who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1914. We also find out why a medic's original grave marker remains in place today, rather than a Portland headstone. And much more too.

In this episode we travel from the Yorkshire Moors to the Somme battlefield at Serre to discover the story of the Leeds Pals. Who were these men? Why is their training ground now a special place for them? We look at the extraordinary bravery of their young Officers and Other Ranks on the first day of this infamous battle, and read a letter written by the sister of a 16 year old Boy Soldier, begging him to return home. In amongst the Officers who fell that die, we tell the story of 2 successful sportsmen. And we discover what happened when the Pals returned to Serre in 1935.

In this episode we travel to a small village near the French/Belgium border to discover some forgotten stories. We discover the tragic stories of 2 Australians buried here and how a Northampton man foretold his own death, leaving his 2 young daughters orphaned. And discover the incredible action of a Yorkshireman who was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving the lives of many comrades here. We also find a memorial to Military Chaplain David Railton, as it was in Erquinghem that he had the idea of the “Unknown Warrior.

In this episode we discover the stories of the Commonwealth soldiers buried in Dochy Farm Cemetery on the Ypres battlefield. Who were they? What was their story? And how was one Officer identified decades after he was buried in the cemetery? Who was the footballer buried there who scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final? And we discover how I felt when I walked Hill 60 at dusk. And we listen to the voices of a male voice Choir singing beneath the names of the missing at the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme.

In this episode we look at the concept of distance and time in relation to the fallen of the Great War. And how the act of remembrance affects our emotions today. To do this we look at the fortunes of Ilston Stevenson's parents after he disappeared whilst on patrol and was never seen again. We discover what it was like for a German soldier to be subjected to terrible artillery bombardment and how it killed a young man from Stuttgart. And we listen to the testimony of a Prisoner of War who returned home with both feet amputated and later died. And how did the parents of an fallen Australian soldier continue to remember their son who is on the Menin Gate, a long way from home in both “time and distance”? And we discover the ruins of a long forgotten Chateau on the Somme that was a German medical facility.

In this episode we travel to the Western Front following in the footsteps of 3 “ordinary” soldiers. We discover how a Welshman carried out a brave action that saw him awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and how another 2 men were killed in action, one in the mud of Passchendaele and the other during the last few days of the war. And we also follow the story of the parents of a young soldier who visited his grave in 1919 and how they secured his original wooden grave marker 5 years later. What did it mean to them? We reveal the emotional feelings and experiences of these people from the past. 

In this episode we tour the Passchendaele battlefield with local guide Leen Van Meerbeek. We discover how the tanks floundered in the mud and slime. Leen explains the incredible action of Clement Robertson who was awarded the Victoria Cross and the story of the successful “Cockcroft” action. We also visit Pond Farm and discover a replica tank and also the graves of several “tankies” and tell their stories of bravery and sacrifice. And we listen to a tank poem written by the famous author A A Milne. 

In this episode we hear the words of several German soldiers who fought in the horrors of Passchendaele in 1917. We discover what it was like to face the British attack on the first day of the battle, and how the artillery shells tore off the limbs of men who continued to live on. We learn how they dealt with the fear and loss of friends in battle, and the terrifying experience of being under a “creeping barrage”. And we hear from 2 brothers who met on the battlefield when they didn't know each other was there.

In this episode we travel to Crete and learn about the 1941 invasion of the island by German paratroopers. We hear from former Coldstream Guard, Will Tower, who explains how the British and Anzac troops tried to defend the airfields on the island in bitter fighting. We discover the story of New Zealander Leslie Andrew who had been awarded the Victoria Cross at Messines in World War 1 and hear about his leadership skills on Crete 24 years later. And we listen to the words of British Artilleryman John Clayton, who was one of those bombed and strafed by the Lutwaffe and saw German paratroopers being killed as they landed. And we discuss the Army Benevolent Fund “Frontline Walk” that Will is leading later this year.

In this episode we look at the stories of the families left behind by the casualties of the Great War. How did they cope? What happened to their sons in World War 2? We hear from writer Vera Brittain about how she felt when her fiancée died and what happened when she opened the parcel that contained his bloodstained kit. And we look at the story of Philip Wooding who died from shrapnel wounds a year after the Armistice but cannot be commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. We also examine the story of a father and son who died in different wars and are buried just a few yards away from each other, with the same family inscription on their headstone.

In this episode we travel to the Somme and look at the battle for Bazentin Ridge, through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We hear from war poet and author Robert Graves, who was reported as being dead but lived until he was over 80. We discover the awful artillery bombardment a signaller experienced at an old Windmill opposite High Wood. And we hear the words of several soldiers who took part in this successful operation in July 1916.

In this episode, some of which was recorded on the battlefield, we travel from Boesinghe to Pilckem, following the Welsh Division that fought here on 31st July 1917. We discover 2 poets that died that day, and soldiers and airmen that died in the same area during World War 2. We find a German trench mortar on top of a bunker, and the soldier who was left on the battlefield for 6 days before being found alive. We travel to Dozinghem Military Cemetery where we find his grave, as well as several other emotional stories of loss and grief.

In this episode we talk to author Phil Cross about his book “The Other Trench”. Phil's Great Great Grandfather served with the German Army throughout the Great War and kept a detailed diary of his experiences on the Western Front, and also the Russian and Italian battlefields. We hear how Phil discovered the diary and what it means to him. We discuss his German heritage and how he feels about Alexander. We discover how Alexander picked up postcards belonging to British soldiers and how Phil tracked down these men and visited their final resting places, as well as learning about the hell of Loos in 1915 from a German perspective. And we uncover a forgotten truce between German and Russian soldiers.

In this episode we hear the stories of men, and the nurses who treated them, who were wounded on the Western Front. We learn how the evacuation process operated and how advances in medical science saved so many lives. We look at new inventions such as blood transfusion, X Ray and the “Thomas” Splint. We also hear from Horace “Jock” Graffon, who was badly wounded on the Somme, had his foot amputated but lived a successful and extraordinary life until the age of 103.

In this episode we travel to the Somme to discover the story of 2 disastrous trench raids that took place in the Spring of 1916 before the “Big Push”. Why did they carry out raids and how did the soldiers feel about them? What happened on a raid and what became to the soldiers that were killed during these raids? And why was a German raid on British trenches at Fricourt such a disaster for the 6th Northampton's?

In this episode we follow the story of Private Walter Cox from his home in Australia to Gallipoli to where he was badly wounded on the Somme. We discover how he was treated in the medical facilities before reaching a hospital in England where he died. We hear from the nurses who worked in the hospitals and Casualty Clearing Stations. And we talk to an Englishman who “adopted” Walter's grave and visited his family in Victoria, Australia. It is a highly emotional journey.

This is a “live” episode, recorded on the Bellewaarde Ridge near Ypres. We discover, through the eyes of the soldiers on both sides of the wire, what happened here in June 1915 in a small, often forgotten action. We hear about the German medic who wrote to a dead British soldier's family long after the war, and the photographer who took a famous photo in the German front line. And we discover the German soldier who was to become a leading player in the Holocaust a generation later.

In this episode we travel to Ypres and meet up with local historian Johan De Jonghe who takes us on a tour of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. We find out the link between a stately home in Yorkshire, a man remembered on the memorial and the famous Dam Busters raid in World War 2. Johan also explains the brave actions of 3 Victoria Cross recipients and the Northumberland Fusiliers whose names are still on the memorial but are buried in the cemetery. We also discover the tragic story of 3 brothers from New Zealand who never returned home.

In this episode we discover more untold stories from the Great War. We discover soldiers who died from their wounds long after the fighting had stopped. And we follow a family pilgrimage to Ypres following a soldier whose is now reunited with his wife Gertrude, who died 40 years after him. We also discover the story of 2 best friends. One was killed in 1918 and the other survived only to be told by his wife, on the eve of battle, that she didn't love him.

In this special episode we look at Christmas 1914 from a different perspective. We look at the individual stories of several men who died on Christmas Day. William Pentelow took part in the Truce and exchanged personal details with a German. But what happened to him just after Christmas? And Harold Watts who was killed by the only bullet fired in his area on Christmas Day? And we hear the voice of a veteran who was there.