Podcast telling the unheard stories of men who served on the Western Front during World War 1. Listen to the stories of soldiers told by Terry Whenham, battlefi...
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.
--------
1:08:05
123: The Poets and the Welsh Division at Pilckem Ridge
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.
--------
1:09:07
122: The Other Trench – The Diary of Alexander Pfeifer with Phil Cross
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.
--------
1:09:02
121: Wounded on the Western Front
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.
--------
1:09:46
120: Trench Raids on the Somme with Neal Russell
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?
Podcast telling the unheard stories of men who served on the Western Front during World War 1. Listen to the stories of soldiers told by Terry Whenham, battlefield guide and researcher. I have been researching these stories for over 20 years and can now share incredible experiences of ordinary men and women. Who were these soldiers? How did they die? What is their legacy? How do we remember them?
Ireland