Tales from the Battlefields

In this episode we tell the previously untold stories of a soldier who was wounded at Ypres in 1914 and died of his wounds 10 years later, and the man who succumbed to his wounds after suffering awfully in a Prisoner of War Camp. And the tank crew that got stuck in the mud at Thiepval but fought to the death. We also discover how an NCO was murdered by 2 of his men and how they ended up buried in the same cemetery. And much more too.

In this episode we talk to author Scott Bennett about the missing Anzac soldiers. We discuss the circumstances of the disappearance of so many soldiers. Why did the Australian government fail in its solemn pledge to recover the missing? Why were so many families left without answers about the fate of their loved ones ― despite the dedicated efforts of Vera Deakin and her co-workers at the Australian Red Cross inquiry bureau? We look at what happened to 3 sets of brothers whose stories are told in Scott’s book. 

In this episode we look at what happened when the sun went down on the first day of the Somme. How did the thousands of wounded lying in No Man’s Land survive? How did the stretcher bearers recover the wounded? What sounds could be heard on the battlefield that night? Their stories are told through the eyes of the soldiers, nurses, medics and stretcher bearers who were there.

In this episode we travel back to April 1915 and discover, through the eyes of the Canadian soldiers who were there, what happened when the Germans released chlorine gas at what is now called "Vancouver Corner". We look at the work of the Canadian architect and war veteran Frederick Clemesha who designed the "Brooding Soldier" memorial. How did the veterans view the memorial when they saw it years later? How did they stop the Germans from breaking through? And was a Canadian soldier really crucified during the battle?

In this episode we look at individual stories of soldiers who served during the Battle of the Somme. We discover how a man's life was saved by his water bottle and and awful coincidence of a soldier who died on the same day as his Mother. We find out about the Irishman who sat down in a shell hole, smoked his pipe and waited to die having lost both legs. And we uncover the stories of 2 brave doctors killed on the Somme trying to help wounded soldiers 

In this episode we examine the successful but costly action of the 6th Northamptonshire's as they attacked and cleared Trones Wood during the Battle of the Somme. We learn about the brave actions of William Boulter who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery and listen to the words of a veteran who was there. We learn about the fighting through the eyes of the veterans who won the day.

In this episode we look at the words written and spoken by British, French and German soldiers who then fell on the battlefield. We get inside their minds and discover their true feelings. And we hear a Victoria Cross recipient singing, a few months before he died on the Somme.

In this episode we talk to historian Beth Moore about the 46th Division attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13th October 1915. We discuss who these men were and what went wrong to cause such awful casualties in a single day. We also learn about the experiences of the soldiers who were there, in their own words.

In this episode we tell the awful story of how the Germans tricked the 1st Northamptonshire's into believing they were surrendering during the Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. But it was a trap and we discover how the Germans then machine gunned them in a rare example of this sort of incident. We also learn about the German born man in Northampton who was run out of town after this incident. And we have a report from Loos where 2 British soldiers were reburied in the new Cemetery Extension last week.

 In this episode we continue our tour of Arnhem looking at what happened in and around the Hartenstein Hotel, the Oosterbeek Church, St Elisabeth Hospital and we look at some of the incredible stories of the casualties buried in the CWGC cemetery. We also examine the legacy of the battle through the eyes of the Dutch people and British veterans.