The Pool of Peace
Send us a text Welcome to this latest episode! Today we are in Belgium and walk the battlefield to the south of Ypres, beginning at Bedford House Cemetery and finishing at the Spanbroekmolen mine crater, the "Pool of Peace", created by the largest mine explosion from the Battle of Messines. We visit the cemeteries and memorials on this part of the battlefield to learn what happened, and what can still be seen. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog https://foo...
21 Syys 20251h 1min
Trench Talk - Sussex to the Somme with Martin Barry
Send us a text In this latest episode of Trench Talk, it's a pleasure to be joined by international cricketer, battlefield guide and WW1 fanatic Martin Barry. Martin works as a battlefield guide and volunteer for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, overseeing the vast military plot at Hastings Cemetery. In today's episode, he shares some of the personal and tragic stories of the men who lie buried in this small corner of Sussex. We hear tales of murder most foul, tragic accid...
31 Elo 20251h 6min
Hill 70 - a listener's request
Send us a text Welcome to today's episode! For the first time, we have created a listener's request podcast; I was contacted by a listener who discovered his Grandfather had been killed at Hill 70 while serving with the Cameron Highlanders at the Battle of Loos in 1915. The listener is planning his first-ever trip to the Western Front and wants to walk the battlefield where his Grandfather was killed. He asked if I could do a podcast about that area - your wish is my command! We begin w...
3 Elo 20251h 1min
Trench talk - Uniforms of the Great War with Taff Gillingham
Send us a text Welcome to the first Trench Talk of the season, where Taff Gillingham joins me. Taff is a military historian and specialist historical advisor for the film, TV and theatre industries and has worked as an advisor on many well-known productions from Downton Abbey to the film 1917. Taff is an expert on WW1 uniforms and kit, and in this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, he shares his encyclopedic knowledge. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/foot...
20 Heinä 20251h 16min
Bois Grenier
Send us a text Welcome to the first episode of Season 8! Today, we travel to the forgotten front and the village of Bois Grenier. The fields in this sleepy corner of agricultural France contain dozens of German bunkers and blockhouses from the time of World War I. The sector was a nursery sector - a relatively quiet location where new battalions could learn the regimes of trench warfare. The peace was shattered on the afternoon of the 25th September 1915 when a diversionary attack for the Bat...
6 Heinä 20251h 6min
Faithful unto death - the story of the Chinese Labour Corps
Send us a text Welcome 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....
1 Kesä 202559min
In the shadow of the Springboks - Delville Wood to Courcelette
Send us a text Welcome 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 ...
18 Touko 20251h 8min
The Brickstacks
Send us a text Welcome 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/footstepsblog https://www....
27 Huhti 20251h 3min
