In this episode we mark the 107th anniversary of the opening day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres by discussing the horrific experiences of the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment on that day. We talk to author and historian Paul Johnson, who explains who these men were, what happened to them and the incredible bravery of them all. We also look at what happened through the eyes of the soldiers, both British and German.

In this episode we mark the beginning of the Paris Olympics by looking at the story of Frederick Kelly. Frederick, known as Cleg, was an Olympic gold medal winner at the 1908 London Olympics. He then became a composer before joining the Royal Naval Division at the beginning of the Great War. Find out how he became friends with poet Rupert Brooke and how he was killed in action during the Battle of the Ancre in November 1916. We look at this battle in detail, following Cleg's story, and through the eyes of the soldiers who were there.

Well known for being the only recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions on D-Day, Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis was a true leader of men and a superb soldier. However, that only just scratches the surface of a man who was recommended for not just the Victoria Cross twice, but also the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In this episode we talk to author Mark Green who tells the story of Stan, a man wounded five times, only to shun publicity and state "anyone would have done what I did.

In this episode we discuss the incredible story of Captain Gilbert Nobbs. He was shot through the head, blinded, but survived and captured during the Battle of the Somme. We use his memoirs “ On the Right of the British Line” to tell his story. Why does he describe the women at home as heroes, what was it like to be shot and blinded? How did he live a very successful life for 54 years after being so seriously wounded? And who was his upper class pal who surprised him with such personal bravery? 

In this episode we travel to the Somme and discover what happened over a period of 2 months in High Wood. Find out, through the eyes of the veterans, what happened in the summer of 1916. We hear from soldiers who encountered hell on earth. How did it make them feel? What were their thoughts? How did they survive? We find out as the veterans tell us in their own words.”

In this episode we continue our journey along the Normandy beaches and go inland to discover what happened on Hill 112 in dreadful scenes that resembled the static battles from the Great War. We also discover the heartbreaking stories of the 3 Westlake brothers from Toronto, Canada who all died in Normandy. What happened when I told their story at their graves? And the serviceman who, while the landings were happening, was executed for murder on D Day.

In this episode we travel along Juno and Gold Beaches and tell the story of the landings through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We hear from Bill Dunn whose tank “Charlie One” still sits close to the location where it broke down on Juno Beach. We find out what happened to his mates that day and how they sang to keep their spirits up as the German mortars rained down on them. We go to the British Normandy Memorial and see the “Standing with the Giants” exhibition and tell the story of the 2 nurses who saved 75 lives before perishing beneath the waves on the stricken hospital ship SS Amsterdam. We also visit Arromanches and talk about the Mulberry Harbour and I remember my old friend Harry Austin who landed on Gold Beach on his 19th birthday. 

In this first special episode, we travel to Normandy to tell the stories of the D Day landings on the 80th anniversary of this incredible historical achievement by the Allies. We tour the beaches and listen to the story of the Pegasus Bridge through the eyes of Major John Howard, and listen to Piper Bill Millin on Sword Beach. Why did he play his pipes? We visit the Montgomery memorial before going to Ranville to discover the story of the first casualty on D Day and find the stories of several soldiers (and a dog) buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, including a 16 year old casualty.

In this episode we discover the stories of men who died in the Great War but were not correctly remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until recently. We find out about the Officer whose named was added to the Thiepval Memorial just 20 years ago because his parents refused to accept his death during their lifetime. We also look at the tragic story of the young soldier who couldn’t face going to war and took his own life. And the victim of poison gas on the Somme, who died at home and was missed off the Commission’s records but last month had a brand new headstone placed on his final resting place.

In this episode we travel to the Western Front following the story of a typical British soldier between 1916 and 1918, when he was killed in action. We travel from the Somme, to Arras and Passchendaele, before finding the location of where he died during the Lys Offensive in April 1918. What did he experience? How horrific were the conditions at Passchendaele? How did they achieve their objectives at Arras and how was his battalion almost wiped out during the German 1918 Spring Offensive. We find out through the eyes of the soldiers who were there.