Tales from the Battlefields

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...

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 wh...

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...

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 “c...

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 abou...

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 ye...

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...

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...

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 Alex...

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 amputate...

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...

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 vi...

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...

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...

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 b...

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...

In this episode we talk to two of BBC Radio Northampton’s Presenters to discover the story of the Beasley brothers who both played sport for Northamptonshire before serving on the Western Front in the Great War. We look at how Joe Beasley’s path crossed with Ronald Poulton-Palmer, the England rugby captain who was killed at Ypres. And we discover the story of another soldier who played first class...

In this episode we tell the previously untold stories of a soldier who was wounded at Ypres in 1914 and died of his wounds 10 years later, and the man who succumbed to his wounds after suffering awfully in a Prisoner of War Camp. And the tank crew that got stuck in the mud at Thiepval but fought to the death. We also discover how an NCO was murdered by 2 of his men and how they ended up buried in...

In this episode we talk to author Scott Bennett about the missing Anzac soldiers. We discuss the circumstances of the disappearance of so many soldiers. Why did the Australian government fail in its solemn pledge to recover the missing? Why were so many families left without answers about the fate of their loved ones ― despite the dedicated efforts of Vera Deakin and her co-workers at the Australi...

In this episode we look at what happened when the sun went down on the first day of the Somme. How did the thousands of wounded lying in No Man’s Land survive? How did the stretcher bearers recover the wounded? What sounds could be heard on the battlefield that night? Their stories are told through the eyes of the soldiers, nurses, medics and stretcher bearers who were there.

In this episode we travel back to April 1915 and discover, through the eyes of the Canadian soldiers who were there, what happened when the Germans released chlorine gas at what is now called "Vancouver Corner". We look at the work of the Canadian architect and war veteran Frederick Clemesha who designed the "Brooding Soldier" memorial. How did the veterans view the memorial when they saw it years...

In this episode we look at individual stories of soldiers who served during the Battle of the Somme. We discover how a man's life was saved by his water bottle and and awful coincidence of a soldier who died on the same day as his Mother. We find out about the Irishman who sat down in a shell hole, smoked his pipe and waited to die having lost both legs. And we uncover the stories of 2 brave docto...

In this episode we examine the successful but costly action of the 6th Northamptonshire's as they attacked and cleared Trones Wood during the Battle of the Somme. We learn about the brave actions of William Boulter who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery and listen to the words of a veteran who was there. We learn about the fighting through the eyes of the veterans who won the day.

In this episode we look at the words written and spoken by British, French and German soldiers who then fell on the battlefield. We get inside their minds and discover their true feelings. And we hear a Victoria Cross recipient singing, a few months before he died on the Somme.

In this episode we talk to historian Beth Moore about the 46th Division attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13th October 1915. We discuss who these men were and what went wrong to cause such awful casualties in a single day. We also learn about the experiences of the soldiers who were there, in their own words.