Is the First World War slowly fading from public memory, or has our relationship with the Great War simply changed? In this episode, Are We Forgetting The First World War?, we explore how interest in WW1 has grown, shifted, and adapted over the last forty years, and what the future may hold.

We begin in the 1980s, with the formation and growth of the Western Front Association, a turning point that helped revive serious public interest in the First World War. From there, we chart the expansion of family history research, as available records and personal archives encouraged millions to reconnect with relatives who served. We also reflect on the passing of the last surviving First World War veterans, a deeply symbolic moment that changed how the war is remembered and commemorated.

The episode then examines the rise of battlefield tourism, local history projects, and public engagement that laid the foundations for the First World War Centenary (2014–2018), a period of unprecedented books, documentaries, exhibitions, podcasts, and community remembrance.

But what happened after the centenary ended? We explore the unexpected “Covid bonus”, when lockdowns sparked a surge in WW1 podcasts, YouTube channels, online talks, and digital history projects, bringing the Great War to new audiences in new ways.

Finally, we ask where we are today. Is interest in the First World War declining, fragmenting, or evolving? And crucially, what can historians, educators, content creators, and enthusiasts do to ensure the First World War is not forgotten?

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In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore how individual lives and institutions reveal the human realities of the First World War.

We begin by asking why only three officers were Shot at Dawn during the war, and what this striking disparity tells us about military justice, discipline, and class within the British Army.

We then turn to the work of the Australian Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau, examining how its innovative and compassionate approach - under the leadership of Vera Deakin - sought to uncover the fate of the missing and bring answers to grieving families.

Next, we consider how the experience of war shaped the men who served in the First World War, and question whether their post-war identities and challenges were truly unique, or part of a broader historical pattern.

Finally, we analyse the Battle of Manchester Hill in March 1918, assessing its significance and discussing the possible fate of Lieutenant Colonel Wilfrith Elstob VC, who commanded the defence during the German Spring Offensive.

Shot at Dawn episode: Shot At Dawn - Old Front Line.

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We return to the subject of Forgotten Memoirs of the First World War and discuss The Years of Remembrance by Harold Maybury which was published in 1924. Maybury served in the ranks of the 2/4th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment in the 57th (2nd West Lancs) Division, on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918. We ask what the book tells us about the experience of the Great War and what value memoirs like these have to our understanding of the conflict.

Book: The Years of Remembrance by Harold Maybury (Published by John Walker & Co., Ltd.,, Warrington, UK, 1924)

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In this episode, we delve into a lesser-known but essential aspect of First World War life: the use and organisation of latrines on the battlefield. Where did soldiers actually go to the toilet, how were these facilities constructed, and did men really need permission to use them?

We then explore the history of the Military Police in WW1, from the Military Foot Police and Military Mounted Police to the Military Provost Staff Corps, looking at their varied roles — from traffic control and maintaining discipline to operating military prisons.

Next, we examine the long-standing question of German trenches on the Western Front. Were they truly deeper, stronger and more permanent compared to Allied positions, and what does the archaeology and evidence show?

Finally, we focus on the Boy Soldiers of the Great War — what happened when their real ages were uncovered, how the army dealt with them, and how to trace their stories in surviving military records.

A wide-ranging episode exploring the daily life, policing, engineering and human stories of the Great War.

Richard Van Emden's book: Boy Soldier's of the Great War (via Amazon).

Main image: Military traffic control signal post at Blendecques, 6 May 1918. Note signboard pointing way to No. 7 General Hospital. (IWM Q8802)

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In this episode we discuss the importance of oral history and what it tells us about the experience of conflict and the culture of the British military in the Great War, and we contrast two interviews I did with veterans in the 1980s: Jack Aston who served with 12th Squadron Royal Flying Corps and Aubrey Rose who was with the Queen's Westminster Rifles at Ypres and the Somme. 

The image for this episode shows Aubrey Rose in 1914. 

Aubrey Rose's officer killed at Gommecourt was: Captain Hugh Fenwick Mott. 

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In this episode, we unpack the meaning and origins of the term Downland, and explore how this distinctive landscape helps us better understand the geography and terrain of the First World War.

We take a closer look at the Lewis Machine Gun, examining how it worked, how a Lewis Gun section operated in battle, and its role on the Western Front.

We also consider the influence of the Franco-Prussian War on both the military thinking and physical landscape of WW1, before turning to the decorations and medals awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers, explaining how they differed and what they reveal about service and recognition in the Great War.

A wide-ranging episode connecting landscape, weaponry, military history, and remembrance across the First World War.

The Vickers Machine Gun Association: The Lewis Gun on the Western Front 1916-18.

Main image: German offensive on the Lys. A Lewis Gun-post in Marquois, 13 April 1918. (IWM Q6528)

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In this special edition, we’re joined by Jon Gedling, Director of Estates for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to discuss the challenges and responsibilities involved in caring for First World War cemeteries in Belgium and France. We explore the history behind making these cemeteries permanent after the Great War, how maintenance practices have evolved, and the background to the so-called “black spot” issue. Jon explains what recent investigations have revealed, how the CWGC is addressing the problem, what the future might hold, and how visitors to the Western Front battlefields can support the Commission’s work.

If you want to report an issue in a cemetery you have visited you can contact the CWGC.

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In this 40th Questions and Answers episode, we explore some of the lesser-known battlefields of the Western Front, uncovering places where traces of the First World War fighting can still be seen today. We examine what really happened to trenches after they were captured in battle, discuss whether WW1 historians face a new challenge from Artificial Intelligence, and debate the nature of First World War generalship — were those in high command truly butchers and bunglers, or more capable than history has allowed?

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We travel to the area Behind the Lines of West of Arras, visiting cemeteries where Casualty Clearing Stations were moved back to in 1918, discuss a small village where WW1 meets WW2, discover some original Great War graffiti on a farm building wall and visit on the of the most important Arras cemeteries covering all four years of the fighting and seeing the grave of Canada's most decorated ordinary soldier.

Pte Claude Nunney VC DCM MM: Claude Nunney website.

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In this episode we ask what is the current size of the 'Zone Rouge' and are there plans to clear it? We then look at the use of morphine to treat pain and was this misused? We then look at when Steel Helmets were first issued to British and Canadian troops, and end by asking what WW1 slang words are still in use today?

The Old Front Line on YouTube: Old Front Line Channel.

The OFL episode about the Zone Rouge: The Myth of the Zone Rouge.

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