Tales from the Battlefields

Through the eyes of the soldiers who were there we tell the story of how the German fortress finally fell to the 18th Division on 26th September 1916. This hill top bastion had been attacked several times but discover how the the BEF finally overcame Thiepval.

In this episode we follow the story of the tanks from their design and manufacture in Lincoln, to the testing fields in Suffolk where a mock battle was held. We then go to the Somme and discover, through the eyes of the soldiers on both sides of the wire, what happened on 15th September 1916 when tanks were used for the first time. 

After weeks of horrendous and brutal fighting, what was left of the village of Guillemont fell on 3rd September 1916. The terrible story of the Guillemont is told through the eyes of the soldiers from both sides of the wire and we also look at what you can discover when you visit the battlefield. 

Walter Tull was one of Britain's first black army officers and was killed in action in March 1918. He was also one of the first black professional footballers, appearing for Tottenham and Northampton Town. His incredible story, from orphan to war hero, is told in this podcast by BBC Radio Northampton's Graham McKechnie, who has discovered a connection between Tull and another black sportsman who p...

In this episode we look at the story of the opening day of the 100 Day Offensive that saw the Allies put into practice the lessons they had learned in earlier battles. We tell the story of 8th August 1918 through the eyes of the soldiers who were there, including the German General Erich Ludendorff.

In the 2nd part of this episode we return to the Somme and the interview with historian Steve Roberts. We continue our chat with Steve and reveal how the famous battle was filmed by Geoffrey Malins. We take a closer look at the men featured in the film. And we also discuss the "fake footage" 

In the 50th episode we talk to historian and author Steve Roberts about how the famous film "The Battle of the Somme" was filmed in 1916. Who were the cameramen? What did they see? How did they film the footage in the Sunken Lane? And who were the soldiers in the film?

In this week's episode we visit the key sites around Pozieres and look at the battle for the village through the eyes of the Australian soldiers who were there, including 2 Victoria Cross recipients. We also look at the story of composer George Butterworth.

In this episode we travel to Fromelles to tell the story of this tragic 24 hour battle through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We walk the battlefield and visit the Australian Memorial Park on the old German front line and several cemeteries where the casualties are now at rest. We also attend the Menin Gate Ceremony in Ypres and talk to students and their teacher who participated in the...

In this episode we travel to Germany and walk around a WW1 Prisoner of War camp in Mainz Citadel and also look at the stories of the soldiers who are buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, many of whom died in captivity.

In this episode, we travel back to Ypres and discover the very emotional story of the "Brothers in Arms" memorial at Polygon Wood. We talk to the cafe owner who discovered the body of Jack Hunter who was buried by his brother Jim in 1917 and his grave lost until 2006. We also visit the St George's Church in Ypres and talk to the CWGC guides at Tyne Cot, as well as the new "Moments" exhibition at t...

In this episode we travel to the Somme to tell the story of what happened on this infamous day through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. Ginger Byrne was wounded in No Man's Land and he tells his story with extracts from his book "I Survived Didn't I?". We also walk the battlefield to see what we can discover about that day and the feelings and emotions that we experienced. And a heartbreak...

In this episode we tell the stories of several World War 1 soldiers who were not heroes. Such as Frederick Cherry who tried to kill his girlfriend and then died himself on the Somme. And the famous "burning car" murderer Alfred Rouse who was wounded in action in 1915. We also discuss the incredible story of Digger Pugh and the tale of a man who claimed, wrongly, to have been awarded the Victoria C...

In this episode we talk to historian Simon Jones about the "Myths of Messines". Were 10,000 Germans really killed by the explosions? Did the Prime Minister hear the explosions in London? Were Irishmen killed by the falling debris? All of these mysteries are explained, and much more too.

In this episode we travel to the Western Front with the relatives of the 2 brothers from Lancashire who died a year apart but in the same circumstances - trying to save wounded comrades in No Man's Land. How did the family discover their stories? What does it mean to them? Could we find a grave for one of them who is still missing?  And what artefacts did we discover on the battlefields where they...

In this week's episode we commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Aubers Ridge through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We use previously untold accounts of this disastrous single day battle in May 1915. We learn how the men were cut down as soon as they went "over the top" and how they spent all day avoiding German fire up to their necks in ditch water. We also have news from the Com...

In this episode we tell the story of this successful battle through the eyes of the Australian and German soldiers who fought against each other in April 1918. We visit the Sir John Monash Centre and also a school in Villers-Bretonneux that was rebuilt from funds raised by the veterans of Australia. 

In this episode we commemorate the anniversary of the gas attack at Ypres in April 1915, through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We hear from the Canadian and British defenders and how they plugged the gap in the line, and also the terrible scenes that the German attackers witnessed as they attacked. There is also the tragic story of a entire family of civilians killed by shellfire.

In this week's episode, we travel to Ypres Reservoir Cemetery to discover the stories of the men buried here. We find a Victoria Cross recipient, 3 men "shot at dawn", 2 brothers exhumed from far off graves and now buried together, what happened to a group of men who were killed in St Martin's Cathedral, and the story of the victims of a terrible fire in the ramparts. 

In this week's episode we follow the story of an 18 year old German soldier, Edwin Kuhns, who was conscripted in 1917 and kept a diary through the 1917 Battle of Cambrai and the 1918 campaigns. He graphically explains how he narrowly missed death, the terrible sights he saw and how he felt during the conflict. There is an emotional account of how he met his Father behind the lines. He then sees ac...

This episode was recorded on a Somme battlefield walk where we tell the stories behind the headstones. We travel to several cemeteries and discover what happened to the men buried there. We also find some private memorials at Guillemont and look at the story of Charles Dickens' Grandson near Ginchy. We then walk up to Lochnager Crater and discover some of the stories played out there. 

In this week's episode we travel to the famous Sunken Lane on the Somme and view the battlefield from the German side of the wide. We  listen to the words of a Lancashire Fusilier who was there on that day and we speak to Terry Berry from the The Hawthorn Crater Association, who gives us a guided tour of the area. 

In this episode we talk to author Jeremy Gordon-Smith about his relative Ivan Bawtree and we discover the story of his work on the Western Front as a photographer. His task was to take photographs of the original wooden grave markers, and he also explains what Ypres was like in 1917 and the gruesome work of finding and exhuming the dead after the Armistice.

In February 1917 the Battle of Boom Ravine was fought on the Somme. We tell the story of this awful single day battle through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. What did they see? How did the sudden change in the weather prove disastrous? Was the battle plan given away by British deserters? And the story of the German man whose life was saved by a Tommy and they became friends after the war....

In this episode, BBC Northampton's Graham McKechnie tells the story of Edgar Mobbs, the Northampton Saints and England captain who formed his own company that became known as "Mobbs' Own". How did he he turn his rugby leadership skills into becoming a fearless commanding officer? What happened to him at 3rd Ypres? Why is he still a hero today?