Tales from the Battlefields

In this episode we continue our journey along the Normandy beaches and go inland to discover what happened on Hill 112 in dreadful scenes that resembled the static battles from the Great War. We also discover the heartbreaking stories of the 3 Westlake brothers from Toronto, Canada who all died in Normandy. What happened when I told their story at their graves? And the serviceman who, while the la...

In this episode we travel along Juno and Gold Beaches and tell the story of the landings through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We hear from Bill Dunn whose tank “Charlie One” still sits close to the location where it broke down on Juno Beach. We find out what happened to his mates that day and how they sang to keep their spirits up as the German mortars rained down on them. We go to the...

In this first special episode, we travel to Normandy to tell the stories of the D Day landings on the 80th anniversary of this incredible historical achievement by the Allies. We tour the beaches and listen to the story of the Pegasus Bridge through the eyes of Major John Howard, and listen to Piper Bill Millin on Sword Beach. Why did he play his pipes? We visit the Montgomery memorial before goin...

In this episode we discover the stories of men who died in the Great War but were not correctly remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until recently. We find out about the Officer whose named was added to the Thiepval Memorial just 20 years ago because his parents refused to accept his death during their lifetime. We also look at the tragic story of the young soldier who couldn’t fa...

In this episode we travel to the Western Front following the story of a typical British soldier between 1916 and 1918, when he was killed in action. We travel from the Somme, to Arras and Passchendaele, before finding the location of where he died during the Lys Offensive in April 1918. What did he experience? How horrific were the conditions at Passchendaele? How did they achieve their objectives...

In this episode we feature the story of a young British infantry officer and his experiences on the Somme in July 1916. Jack Lidsey then became an Observer in the Royal Flying Corps. Through his words in his personal diary, we look at what happened to him in the skies above the Western Front. Jack’s story ends when he became the 29th victim of the Red Baron. The story is discussed with the author...

In this episode we talk to Mark Connolly about how battlefield tours evolved during and after World War 1. We discuss who these first pilgrims were and what they saw and emotionally experienced on the old Western Front battlefields? Who was the schoolteacher who went across to France on a battlefield tour in 1914 and how did charitable organisations arrange and fund the initial post war private to...

In this episode we continue the story of the Accrington Pals at Serre on 1st July 1916. We listen to the music that was inspired by those young men and discover more of the stories of the lads from that Northern town on the 1st day of the Somme. What is their story? We find out through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. 

In this episode we travel to the Somme and walk in the footsteps of the Accrington Pals. We tell their story through the eyes of the Pals who were there. Who were they? What happened to them? Who was their CO who survived the day but died in tragic circumstances decades later. And who was the underage Officer who lost his leg but refused to leave the army? And the story of the heartbroken girl Ame...

In this episode we talk to Rebecca Clarke about her husband’s Grandfather Arnold Clarke who was on board HMS India when it was torpedoed and sunk in August 1915. Arnold was one of the survivors and was interned in a camp in neutral Norway. How did he cope with being imprisoned for 3 years? How did they keep themselves occupied? We find out. We also discuss my tribute to 2 soldiers who died on the...

In this week’s podcast we travel to Lincolnshire for a very emotional ceremony at the site of a crashed Lancaster Bomber on the 80th anniversary of this awful incident. What happened on that day and who were those victims on board the Lancaster? We discover the answers by talking to the witnesses of the accident, including my own Mum who was 6 years old. We also talk to Megan Maltby from the Commo...

In this episode we travel to the Somme and follow in the footsteps of a Collingwood Aussie Rules Footballer, Percy Rowe. Percy went to France alongside his best mate Doc Seddon. He left behind his new wife Louie and newborn son. When Percy died of wounds Doc promised he would look after his widow and son. He fulfilled that promise and we tell this incredible love story whilst walking the ground wh...

In this episode we are taken on a guided walk from the Ulster Tower into the original trenches within Thiepval Woods where the 36th Ulster Division advanced from on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. We discover the stories of several soldiers who were awarded the Victoria Cross on that day and our guide Rocky explains what happened on 1st July 1916, whilst discussing some artefacts they ha...

In this episode we visit the Commission’s Headquarters in Arras and go on a guided tour of the Visitor Centre where we discover how the headstones are created and maintained. Lucie also talks about the work of the Commission’s craftsmen and gardeners who look after the cemeteries and create the features such as the entrance gates and boundary walls that we are familiar with. We also get an update...

In this episode we travel to the Somme village of Courcelette that was captured in a single day by the Canadians in September 1916. We look at the stories of the soldiers from both sides of the wire and discover the horror of hand to hand fighting. We also talk to local historian Poppy Mercier who explains what it is like to live on the battlefield and how it has established a connection between h...

In this episode we look at the personal stories of the ANZAC forces that landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. We hear from the soldiers themselves as they explain what happened on that fateful day and we examine the story of Lieutenant-Colonel Lancelot Fox Clarke who was killed leading his men into action. We also talk to historian and broadcaster Graham McKechnie who tells the story of Blair S...

In this episode we talk to historian and author Richard Van Emden about the underage “boy soldiers” who enlisted in the Great War. We discover what motivated them, how they got through the enlistment process and what happened to them when they fought on the Western Front.

As the names of the missing on the Menin Gate are currently out of sight, in this week's episode we look at some of the stories behind the canvas tarpaulin. We discuss the "teddy from the trenches" given to her father by his 10 year old daughter and the grief stricken mother who died on the anniversary of her son's demise. And the brothers who died together, on the same day.

In this episode we talk to an Australian amateur historian, Lambis Englezos, who discovered the remains of 250 Australian soldiers killed in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. Lambis talks passionately about how he proved that the men were buried at Pheasant Wood and how he then spent years convincing the authorities of the mass graves. He also reveals new information about the whereabouts of m...

In this bonus episode we talk to World War 2 veteran John Morris who is 101 years old and served in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans. With is crystal clear memory he talks about his service as an anti aircraft gunner, fighting with Partisans, escaping after being captured and being called a "D Day Dodger". He then talks about how he avoided death several times in his civilian life after the war...

In this episode we talk to New Zealand military historian Chris Pugsley. We discuss the battle of Le Quesnoy. In November 1918, the New Zealanders captured the German held fortified town without causing a single civilian casualty by climbing a ladder and forcing the surrender of the enemy garrison. How did they achieve this? What is their legacy in the town? We find out, and much more too.

In this special mini episode, we remember the famous military historian Martin Middlebrook who died last week. We look at how his book inspired so many people and the legacy that he has left behind.

In this episode we discover how 2 soldiers' have been discovered decades after they had been forgotten. Fred Smith died 3 years after he was badly wounded and was never commemorated until recently. John Butt was thought to be one of the missing but now has an identified grave at Ypres. We discover their stories by talking to the historians who uncovered their tragic stories. 

In this episode we follow in the footsteps of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Flers during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. We look at what happened in this successful operation through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We are joined, as we walk the battlefield, by the relatives of 2 Kiwis who died in the battle and get their thoughts on what their sacrifice means to them.

In this episode we look at the story of the German Zeppelin airships that caused so much devastation during the Great War. We explain how civilians were targeted for the first time in history and examine the personal stories of some of those casualties.