Footsteps of the fallen

Bonus Bitesize - Pond Farm

August 21, 2022 Matt Dixon Season 4 Episode 15
Footsteps of the fallen
Bonus Bitesize - Pond Farm
Show Notes

In this special bonus episode, we visit the site of Pond Farm near Ypres, a non-descript farmstead between Wieltje and St Jean, that was to prove a real show-stopper for Allied infantry in both 1915 and 1917.

A masterpiece of German military engineering, the concrete blockhouses, and machine gun posts took a heavy toll on the attackers. Such was the skill in construction, that the bunkers remain to this day.

We look at the fighting of the London Rifle Brigade in 1915, where we look at the actions of three brave men whose perseverance and subterfuge delayed a German company assault, and saw the award of three gallantry medals.  We then hear the story of Lt Colonel Best-Dunckley's VC awarded during the fighting in 1917 in the area around Pond Farm.

The podcast will be back with a full episode on the 4th of September!

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