The Old Front Line

Questions and Answers Episode 42

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 [https://amzn.to/4pcDTG1] (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) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin [https://mailchi.mp/cf62f401e843/old-front-line-podcast-bulletin]. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop [https://old-front-line-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all]. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server [https://discord.gg/GVvCKSy29n] or email the podcast [oldfrontlinepodcast@gmail.com]. Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/942766/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline]

A Tale of Two Veterans

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 [https://dorkingmuseum.org.uk/captain-hugh-fenwick-mott/].  Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin [https://mailchi.mp/cf62f401e843/old-front-line-podcast-bulletin]. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop [https://old-front-line-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all]. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server [https://discord.gg/GVvCKSy29n] or email the podcast [oldfrontlinepodcast@gmail.com]. Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/942766/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline]

Questions and Answers Episode 41

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 [https://vickersmg.blog/product/lewisgun1/]. Main image: German offensive on the Lys. A Lewis Gun-post in Marquois, 13 April 1918. (IWM Q6528) Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin [https://mailchi.mp/cf62f401e843/old-front-line-podcast-bulletin]. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop [https://old-front-line-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all]. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server [https://discord.gg/GVvCKSy29n] or email the podcast [oldfrontlinepodcast@gmail.com]. Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/942766/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline]

Caring For The Silent Cities

In this special edition, we’re joined by Jon Gedling, Director of Estates for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission [http://www.cwgc.org/], 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 [enquiries@cwgc.org]. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin [https://mailchi.mp/cf62f401e843/old-front-line-podcast-bulletin]. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop [https://old-front-line-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all]. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server [https://discord.gg/GVvCKSy29n] or email the podcast [oldfrontlinepodcast@gmail.com]. Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/942766/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline]

Questions and Answers Episode 40

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? Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin [https://mailchi.mp/cf62f401e843/old-front-line-podcast-bulletin]. You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop [https://old-front-line-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all]. Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server [https://discord.gg/GVvCKSy29n] or email the podcast [oldfrontlinepodcast@gmail.com]. Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/942766/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline]