Tales from the Battlefields

In this bonus episode we talk to World War 2 veteran John Morris who is 101 years old and served in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans. With is crystal clear memory he talks about his service as an anti aircraft gunner, fighting with Partisans, escaping after being captured and being called a "D Day Dodger". He then talks about how he avoided death several times in his civilian life after the war.

In this episode we talk to New Zealand military historian Chris Pugsley. We discuss the battle of Le Quesnoy. In November 1918, the New Zealanders captured the German held fortified town without causing a single civilian casualty by climbing a ladder and forcing the surrender of the enemy garrison. How did they achieve this? What is their legacy in the town? We find out, and much more too.

In this special mini episode, we remember the famous military historian Martin Middlebrook who died last week. We look at how his book inspired so many people and the legacy that he has left behind.

In this episode we discover how 2 soldiers' have been discovered decades after they had been forgotten. Fred Smith died 3 years after he was badly wounded and was never commemorated until recently. John Butt was thought to be one of the missing but now has an identified grave at Ypres. We discover their stories by talking to the historians who uncovered their tragic stories. 

In this episode we follow in the footsteps of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Flers during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. We look at what happened in this successful operation through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We are joined, as we walk the battlefield, by the relatives of 2 Kiwis who died in the battle and get their thoughts on what their sacrifice means to them.

In this episode we look at the story of the German Zeppelin airships that caused so much devastation during the Great War. We explain how civilians were targeted for the first time in history and examine the personal stories of some of those casualties.

In this episode we travel to Greece with Chris Loader, who goes on a pilgrimage to visit the location where his relative, Private Henry Loader 10th Hampshire's, was mortally wounded in September 1918. We follow in the footsteps of the men who fought in this forgotten campaign and discover what happened in this battlefield on the other side of Europe.

Christmas 1914 saw the famous truce on the frozen Western Front when soldiers from both sides put down their guns and met in No Man's Land. In this podcast we tell the story through the eyes of the men who were there. What did they see? How did they feel? Find out as we listen to their words and experiences.

In 1928, the British Legion organised for 11,000 veterans and war widows to visit the battlefields, before marching to the Menin Gate in Ypres. 90 years later, the Great Pilgrimage 90 saw 1,150 branches, and thousands of members and representatives from the UK and abroad, help The Legion recreate their original pilgrimage. In this podcast, we tell the story of these 2 famous tours." 

In this episode we discover how the bereaved families from the Great War coped with, not just the loss, but dealing with the double tragedy of having no known grave for their fallen loved ones. We also look at how it still affects their descendants today - the ripple through time.