In this episode we discover the stories of the Commonwealth soldiers buried in Dochy Farm Cemetery on the Ypres battlefield. Who were they? What was their story? And how was one Officer identified decades after he was buried in the cemetery? Who was the footballer buried there who scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final? And we discover how I felt when I walked Hill 60 at dusk. And we listen to the voices of a male voice Choir singing beneath the names of the missing at the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme.

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 it killed a young man from Stuttgart. And we listen to the testimony of a Prisoner of War who returned home with both feet amputated and later died. And how did the parents of an fallen Australian soldier continue to remember their son who is on the Menin Gate, a long way from home in both “time and distance”? And we discover the ruins of a long forgotten Chateau on the Somme that was a German medical facility.

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 who visited his grave in 1919 and how they secured his original wooden grave marker 5 years later. What did it mean to them? We reveal the emotional feelings and experiences of these people from the past. 

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 stories of bravery and sacrifice. And we listen to a tank poem written by the famous author A A Milne. 

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 “creeping barrage”. And we hear from 2 brothers who met on the battlefield when they didn’t know each other was there.

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 about his leadership skills on Crete 24 years later. And we listen to the words of British Artilleryman John Clayton, who was one of those bombed and strafed by the Lutwaffe and saw German paratroopers being killed as they landed. And we discuss the Army Benevolent Fund “Frontline Walk” that Will is leading later this year.

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 year after the Armistice but cannot be commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. We also examine the story of a father and son who died in different wars and are buried just a few yards away from each other, with the same family inscription on their headstone.

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.

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.

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.