Discover the Battlefields of the First World War alongside military historian, Paul Reed.
Paul has spent a lifetime exploring the World War One battlefields, interviewing WW1 veterans, as well as writing and researching the history. Walk with him along The Old Front Line.
My great uncle(born 1897 Normandy,France🇫🇷)died in 1915 WWI aged 18 as a soldier..gassed to death by the ennemy in a muddy trench with other soldiers according to military officials. His body was NEVER found. His brief life was a hard one. His mother(my great grandmother)died aged 31 in 1906 from a flu leaving him aged 9 and his 6yrs.old sister(my grandmother) motherless. They were poor peasants. 😢💔🙏🏻⚘️ Thank you for sharing this historic video with us...helps me understand whatmy great uncle went through.
another great podcast. To help with one question, my great uncle Sydney John Thomas came from a family of Thames Lightermen in Bermondsey, South London. He joined the 7th Royal West Kents, in 1914 as a private, In March 1917 was recommended for a commission and was killed at 3rd Ypres 21 Sept 1917. He definitely wasn't from a well to do background
My great uncle died in Martinpuich and was never recovered. Sadly. I'm literally on my way there now to pay my respects and visit Thiepval, where he is remembered.
My british great grandfather what injured at gallipoli and died at lemnos, is buried in the cemetary there. Any information / podcast for this support island that greece gave, the hospital etc available?
Just come across this podcast. Fascinating and great to hear so much detail about Henry Williamson, such a decent and erudite man who deserves so much more recognition for his work concerning the Great War. Really informative and helpful with my reading list! All the best.
Yes I know what you mean about the changing season. I have been to Noel Chavasse grave a few times now. But by far the most lovely ( if I can used such a word) was last December on a cold a frosty morning. Lest we forget.
I went last year and discovered a family member in a cemetery in Vermelles. Can you tell me a bit more about the memorial plaques you mentioned? Thanks
I drove from the south ouest of france on my road trip with my dad visiting the somme and Flanders battlefields and museums( I'm 16 years old).@@OldFrontLine
Hi Paul, first a massive thank you to you and to Victoria for her poetry. I wanted to share with you if I may the subject of our remembrance at Ypres, it's the Great Grandfather of my wife Pte 2030 Richard Evans of 1/6th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters who was killed along with his brothers in arms as they returned from a trench detail at Sanctuary Wood on the night of 4th July 1915. It must have been a sizeable explosion as it killed 9 and injured 30 to 40. He lies in Bedford House Cemetery and when we visit him, we talk, we tell him about lives of today and in your livestream you talked of how old children of the fallen would have to be as we enter the 114th anniversary of the beginning of the war. It got me thinking of that last year when we visited his grave, because one day we would become too old or ill to visit and who would come stand by his grave and mourn his memory, I always read him a poem and this time I found the words of Thomas Hardy appropriate as Richard faces what is termed as the 2nd death, to fade from memory, I'd like to share it with you regards James and Tracy Search The To-be-forgotten By Thomas Hardy I I heard a small sad sound, And stood awhile among the tombs around: "Wherefore, old friends," said I, "are you distrest, Now, screened from life's unrest?" II -"O not at being here; But that our future second death is near; When, with the living, memory of us numbs, And blank oblivion comes! III "These, our sped ancestry, Lie here embraced by deeper death than we; Nor shape nor thought of theirs can you descry With keenest backward eye. IV "They count as quite forgot; They are as men who have existed not; Theirs is a loss past loss of fitful breath; It is the second death. V "We here, as yet, each day Are blest with dear recall; as yet, can say We hold in some soul loved continuance Of shape and voice and glance. VI "But what has been will be - First memory, then oblivion's swallowing sea; Like men foregone, shall we merge into those Whose story no one knows. VII "For which of us could hope To show in life that world-awakening scope Granted the few whose memory none lets die, But all men magnify? VIII "We were but Fortune's sport; Things true, things lovely, things of good report We neither shunned nor sought ... We see our bourne, And seeing it we mourn." "lest we forget"
Hi, thanks for that. I was there in Sept 1 2018, saw Last Post, tears streaming thinking of not only my Grandad, but the other poor guys. My Grandad was Royal Field Artillery, Driver; fought Flanders twice! Got gassed 2nd time and sent home, hence my dad; then sadly sent back to war KIA 1 Sept 1918 Richard George Green; he's buried at Achiet-le-Grand Communal Extension, Pas de Calais, France. My youngest Andrew George Green (Now a US Army Paratrooper, age 21 come Sept 15) was with me, we stood with Grandad 100 years to the day. My Dad Also Richard Green was called up 1 Sept 1939. A Desert Rat, captured 21 July 1942 sent to Italy then Dresden! Escaped Aril 45 got home June 16 1945. became a famous British Race Car mechanic at Aston Martin & MG, later ran Rover/BL service in western USA. My Oldest son Richard M Green is SSgt, US MARINE, Tank Comm, Retired. Me? I raced motorcycles! MY Mums family from Feltham, was in WWI as well, lost both her Uncles (one at the Gate you're at today! the other is in Scotland where he died of his wounds Nov 1918). Mums Grandad got home. I heard stories she would tell of the little towns nearby that had no children because all the men were sent and lost in the Great War. She grew up during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz... recently passed away at 91 in California where they came in 1956. God Save The King all those that fought. Almost forgot; My dad found his dads grave on the way home from LeMans 1954 driving the Aston Martin transporter on the old Caliais Road. Then took Mum there in the 1990s
PS we have family we didnt know about in 2018 but do now, Charles Jutsum; Leaving Ypres heading west is a huge British cemetery; I didnt know it then as I drove right past it on our way to Dunkirk (where Uncle Ted got evac from), Charlie is there, he has no grave, just a name on a wall, KIA March 7, 1917
Thank you both for a very interesting and informative look at the Menin Gate Memorial. Victoria’s poetry was lovely read and also the point she made about not being able to see the names at the top of the panels, also agree with maybe adding a marker of some kind when someone has a burial instead of removing the name. ….got to say tho seeing you both leaning over trying to read the msgs was hilarious 😂 nice T shirt by the way 👍
@@OldFrontLine thank you, we go twice a year on the May bank holiday and the august bank holiday. In may they did the last post and then blew Antione's bugle too, it was very moving. we have been going to Ypers since 2006.
I really enjoy myself following your videos. But in this episode you failed to tell many things. There are the remnants of a mine explosion directly behind the monument. And when you study the spot on google earth you can see even the outlines of the trenches.
Hi Rudy - the craters are discussed in another video on the Channel. I did a walk from Railway Wood to Bellewaarde and turned it into three separate videos.
I remember when I was a child. On Remembrance Day they had a programme about “ woodbine Willie” I was very moved and have never forgotten him. And we very moved that at his funeral some veterans through woodbines on to his coffin. It moved me then it moves me now. He actually died in Liverpool my home town. Lest we forget.
The war did not end in 1918, it ended until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919. IN 1918 the germans singed a armistice of 11 November 1918.
I met a father & son on the outskirts of Ypres. They were tracing the footsteps of WH Downing from his memoire "To The Last Ridge". It's rare this book is touched upon - at least in the UK. The prose, however, is exeptional; and an outstanding elitaph to his fallen comrades. The record of stoicism on those pages just leaves you in awe and I find myself thinking: when the most valiant in society have their lives cut short, does a country ever really recover from that loss.
This was like listening to a biography of my own experience with Charley's war. The first issue I came across was when Charlie was in hospital after the Somme. The Somme thus become etched in my consciousness, and in desperation to source and read the back issues, I wrote to Joe Colquhoun. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to acquire those previous issues, however, I did get a beautifully handwritten letter from Joe, which I've kept all these years.
Apparently, the series was never repeated on BBC. If true, that's odd: maybe the BBC accepted that the series was deeply politicised and profoundly misleading.
tthe most sincere honor of my life perhaps was being the 1st and only person that 2 ww2 veterans told me their storied experiences i humbley listened to every word and i promised them that as long as i drew breath on this earth their deeds and sacrifices would not die we must never forget the ww1 and ww2 generations lest we be doomed to repeat them
Thank you for this great episode. I've just read Jon Cooksey's book on the Barnsley Pals - I've been helping a friend work out his family tree, and discovered that one of his great great uncles was in the 2nd Barnsley Pals - George Henry Hawcroft. George survived and came home to his wife and children, though not unscathed. Your episode has helped me to place where the Pals were during the attack on Serre, and I'll forward the details to my friend.
Always enjoyed ww1 history since being a very young many years ago watching that brilliant documentary series the great war. I find your very informative and easy to follow with fantastic descriptions. But I've been looking for information regarding the clearing up process after the wars end eg body retrevel who did it materials tanks guns ect who dit that how long did it take ect . Can't seem to find anything in detail about the matter.
Was brought up right next to lord derbys estate in Liverpool/knowsley. Well in between the estates of the Stanley and derby families. As oblivious to the history in regards to the pals battalions until my interest in the Great War grew. Used to go pouching on the grounds when I was a kid. Was reading that some of the pals trained on the estate before departing to other depos around the country. Sort of struck home how close I was to a piece of history so close to my home. And from there my interest in the Great War grew. Recently come across this channel paul and it’s amazing, thank you the time and effort. I listen you and the western front association lectures on a daily basis. So thank you.
@@jasoreed that’s now, perhaps although the emphasis is on the Hoo - which always sounds more like ‘hoe’ than ‘haw’. But you have to remember that British soldiers in the Great War did not use those pronunciations.
@@OldFrontLine yes I know how the English and Australians pronounced the Flemish and French names . Maybe I should explain myself, I’m Australian and I lived here for a year on kortrijk bike racing when I was younger, so I learnt to speak Flemish and the proper pronunciation of the towns , the question is do we as war enthusiasts try to use the Flemish names or the French names or as the soldiers then used. I believe we should use the Flemish pronunciation as I have been reprimanded by Belgian friends when I used the French name Messiness rather than Mesen which sounds like May-zen. I love all your vids by the way and have watched them over a few times they are all the places I have been when I was there but exploring by bike. I also comment on Steven Uptons channel helping him with the proper sound. Here is a few out of interest if you’re wondering - Ieper - Eeperr with a roll of the tongue on the R, Pashendaele - Pussin- Dala. Zonnabeke -Zonabaker. Ghulavelt - hula velt. Wijschate - Way- Schaat. Menen- Maynen. Zillabeke- zillabaker. Poperinge- poper- ringha . Ploegteert - ploogstuurt. Just a few if you understand , I’m doing a tour next April with battlefield cycling tours, looking forward to your new vids , by the way not many ppl cover the Dodengang - Dowdenhang at Diksmuide - Diks- mooda. It’s seems a bit outside the salient .
@@jasoreed thanks, and I appreciate that and am aware of how those places are pronounced but I won’t be using those and don’t think anyone describing First World War history should either as it’s, in my view a-historical. Ypres was not known as Ieper in 1914 so there is no such thing as the ‘First Battle of Ieper’ for example. I love Flanders and its people, but this is a channel about WW1 history and the language of that period is what is important in my view.
Paul have visited the Zulu war fields ( Isandlwana,Rorkes drift,Holbane,,Ulundi, etc.) and found many Martini Henry cartridge cases,and would be interested to know what was the last year these would have been used in battle.
And now our government is hell bent on world war three. Who will remember them that are going to die in nuclear war. It’s all madness from incompetent politicians who can speak only in sound-bites.
I remember reading eons ago of an account of a British general moments before plunging the detonator down stating; "Gentlemen, while we may not make history today we will certainly be making geography!" (or words to that effect..)
It was General Sir Charles Harrington, of Second Army HQ, who said: "Gentlemen, I don't know whether we are going to make history tomorrow, but at any rate we shall change geography"
