The Old Front Line

By Paul Reed

Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he int

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FAQs about The Old Front Line:

How many episodes does The Old Front Line have?

The podcast currently has 245 episodes available.

The Old Front Line episodes:

June 21, 2025Questions and Answers Episode 32
Our latest questions from listeners range from could Britain have stood back from conflict in 1914 and not been part of the Great War, how accurate was the final dugout scene in the film 1917, what duties did Royal Field Artillery Drivers have on the battlefields of WW1 and what was the story of the Canadian soldiers who rioted in Britain in 1919 while awaiting demobilisation?
The Old Front Line Youtube Channel: Old Front Line on YouTube.
Recommended novel on 1914: Robert Harris - Precipice (Penguin 2024)
Books on The Canadian Riots:
The story of the Kinmel Park Camp Riots in 1919 by Julian Putkowski (1989)
Riots Death and Baseball - Robert H. Griffiths (2019)
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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37min
June 14, 2025 The MOD War Detectives
In a Trench Chat special we speak to the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team - otherwise known as 'The MOD War Detectives' - who work to recover and identify the dead on the former battlefields of the Great War. Thanks to the Ministry of Defence for their help in making this possible, and special thanks to Rosie Barron, Nichola Nash and Alexia Clark who all appear in this episode.
The images used are Crown Copyright.
Discover more about the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team and visit their Facebook page.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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1h 1min
June 07, 2025 Questions and Answers Episode 31
Our listeners have a few intriguing questions: Is there still live ordnance in the moat at the Ypres Ramparts? What exactly was the role of Inland Waterways Transport during the First World War? How would the French portrayal of the Last Hundred Days differ from the traditional British narrative? And finally, if you could take any piece of modern military technology back to the Great War, what would it be, and why?
You can watch the Old Front Line Youtube Channel here and remember to Like and Subscribe!
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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38min
May 31, 2025 Live from The Arras Memorial
In this episode we travel to the Arras Memorial to the Missing, where we explore the powerful story of over 35,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave. In this episode, we uncover the personal histories of men from the British Army, Royal Naval Division, and Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, whose names are etched into the stone. We then walk through the Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, visiting notable graves—including those of soldiers Shot at Dawn. Discover the human stories behind the statistics in this compelling look at remembrance, sacrifice, and the legacy of the First World War.
On the Old Front Line YouTube Channel: The Arras Memorial to the Missing.
Articles on Identity Discs are found here: A Guide to Identity Discs by Dave O'Mara and Military Identification: Identity Discs and the Identification of British War Dead, 1914-18 by Dr Sarah Ashbridge.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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1h 9min
May 24, 2025 Questions and Answers Episode 30
In this episode we discuss the improvised gas masks used by British and Commonwealth soldiers in 1915, the advancement in medical treatment during the Great War, whether soldiers were told in advance about the explosion of mines on the battlefield and the use of soldiers packs in WW1.
Our episode on Gas Warfare in WW1 is available here: Gas! Gas! Gas!
JD Hutt's YouTube Channel: The History Underground.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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38min
May 17, 2025 Forgotten Memoirs of the Great War Part 1
In this episode we start a look at some of the Forgotten Memoirs of the First World War, starting with Percy Croney's 'Soldiers Luck' published in the mid-1960s. Croney was a 1914 volunteer who served with the Essex Regiment and Scottish Rifles at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, being wounded several times and taken prisoner in March 1918. We ask what the value of memoirs like this are to our understanding of the Great War.
Percy Croney - Soldier's Luck on Open Library
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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55min
May 10, 2025 Questions and Answers Episode 29
In this episode of podcast listeners questions we ask: what Great War items would you take to a Desert Island, how was cause of death accurately reported or not by the military authorities, how did men on the front line get news of other fronts and their own, and were truces to bury the dead common on the Western Front?
Book Recommendation: Frederick Manning Her Privates We/Middle Parts of Fortune.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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39min
May 03, 2025 The Other Trench: with Philipp Cross
In a special Trench Chat we speak to Philipp Cross who has written a superb book about his great-great grandfather's war as an officer in the German Army. Alexander Pfeifer served from the very beginning until the very end of the conflict on three fronts, and we discover how Philipp researched and wrote the book, and what it tells us about the Great War.
Buy The Book on Amazon: The Other Trench.
The Other Trench website: The Other Trench.
The Other Trench on Facebook: The Other Trench.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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49min
April 26, 2025 Questions and Answers Episode 28
In this episode we ask were there any 'Thankful Villages' in France where everyone came home, what was 'Camp Elisabeth' at Verdun as visited by Professor Richard Holmes in the 1990s, did Great War soldiers experience any spiritual or paranormal activity on the battlefields and how did the presence of British and Commonwealth soldiers impinge on life behind the lines in France.
BBC Report: France's Thankful Village With No War Memorial.
The Richard Holmes Episode mentioned in the podcast: Western Front Verdun 1916.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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39min
April 19, 2025 Sambre Canal 1918: Lock No 1
In this episode we travel to the last major battlefield of the Great War on the Western Front - the Sambre Canal. Here we follow the story of the infantry and the engineers who attacked the Canal on 4th November 1918, including the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. We also see what remains of the battlefield today.
The interview with Josh Grover MM is on the IWM website here: Josh Grover MM interview.
Recommended Book: Decisive Victory by Derek Clayton.
Thread on the Great War Forum: Royal Sussex Regiment at Lock No 1.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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53min

FAQs about The Old Front Line:

How many episodes does The Old Front Line have?

The podcast currently has 245 episodes available.

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