Mentioned in Dispatches

By Dr Tom ThorpeSociety & Culture Education History

Mentioned in Dispatches episodes

May 15 Ep383 – Smith Dorien saving the British army – Charles Barrington
In this episode, Charles Barrington re-examines the life and career of Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, focusing on his decisive actions during the early stages of the First World War. The interview explores his leadership at the Battle of Le Cateau and his role in stabilising the British Expeditionary Force during its retreat. Barrington challenges traditional narratives that have overlooked Smith-Dorrien’s contributions, highlighting his professionalism, independence of thought and willingness to take difficult decisions. The discussion also considers his later career and legacy within British military history.
26 min
May 01 Ep382 – Three sons for the Kaiser – Hazel Strouts
In this edition of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, Hazel Strouts talks about her book Three Sons for the Kaiser: A German Family’s Sacrifice in the First World War, a moving account of Philipp Gercke and his three sons, all of whom served, in the Imperial German armed forces and only on returned.
1 hr 6 min
April 15 Ep381 – Britain, oil and Baku in 1918 – Nick Higham
In this episode, Nick Higham explores Britain’s extraordinary and often overlooked campaign in the Caucasus during the closing stages of the First World War. Drawing on his book Mavericks, he discusses the diverse group of soldiers, diplomats and intelligence officers sent to Baku to prevent Ottoman and Bolshevik control of critical oil resources. The interview highlights the strategic importance of oil, the chaotic political environment and the personalities involved in the mission. Nick also examines why this episode has been largely forgotten and what it reveals about the wider geopolitical stakes at the end of the war.
35 min
April 11 Ep380 – Henry Tudor in Ireland – Linden MacIntyre
In this podcast interview, Linden MacIntyre discusses his exploration of Sir Hugh Tudor, a deeply controversial figure in the Irish War of Independence. He explains the motivations behind writing An Accidental Villain and examines Tudor’s transformation from a respected British Army officer into a central figure in Britain’s coercive policy in Ireland. The conversation explores Tudor’s relationship with Winston Churchill, his role in militarising the Royal Irish Constabulary and the creation of the Black and Tans. Linden also reflects on the complexity of Tudor’s character, questioning whether he was a willing architect of repression or a man caught in circumstances beyond his control.
54 min
March 15 Ep379 – The memorial to the US 42nd Division – Dr Monique B. Seefried
39 min
March 01 Ep378 – Guards Division, 1915-17 – David Griffiths
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, David Griffiths discusses his new book The Guards 1915–17: An Elite Division at War. The book is the first major history of the Guards Division in nearly a century, drawing on war diaries and memoirs to follow the unit through Loos, Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Pilckem Ridge. Griffiths also examines the culture, reputation and experiences of an elite force under the pressure of modern war. Published by Helion & Co.
41 min
February 15 Ep377 – Administration of Death – Kelsey Moriarty
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Kelsey Moriarty examines the bureaucratic and cultural processes that reshaped grief during and after the First World War. Her thesis Kafka in the Trenches: Death, Bureaucracy, and the Written Record in Britain 1914–1920 explores how official letters, forms and memorials affected the experience of mourning. From government notices of death to the rise of street shrines, her research highlights how state systems collided with private grief and altered the citizen–state relationship.
28 min
February 01 Ep376 – War Memorials in Devon – Dr Todd Gray
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, historian Dr Todd Gray discusses his award-winning book Lest Devon Forgets. The book explores the creation, meaning and controversies surrounding the county’s Great War memorials, shedding light on how communities in the wake of the conflict grappled with loss, identity and memory. Published by Stevens Books.
26 min
January 15 Ep375 – Burial of L-Cpl John Street – Mike Jackson
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Mike Jackson tells the story of his great-uncle, Lance Corporal John Street, who fell in 1917 and whose sacrifice went unrecognised for more than a century. On 10th April 2025, Street will finally be laid to rest with full military honours near the battlefield where he died. Jackson, a retired training manager and military history researcher, describes his work with the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre to ensure that his relative’s story is remembered.
52 min
January 01 Ep374 – Angel Down – Daniel Kraus
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, acclaimed author Daniel Kraus discusses his novel Angel Down — a haunting, formally ambitious reimagining of the First World War told through a single, continuous sentence. The book explores themes of survival, selfishness, the supernatural and the staggering human cost of mechanised slaughter, immersing readers in the moral chaos of war. Published by Simon & Schuster
28 min

About Mentioned in Dispatches

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A podcast hosted by Dr Tom Thorpe on all aspects of the Great War from the UK's leading First World War history society The Western Front Association (www.westernfrontassociation.com).