Footsteps of the fallen
A journey through the Great War
Episodes
160 episodes since 2020
A potato and a propellor - Amiens at war
In today's podcast, we journey through Amiens and its surrounding areas, uncovering the deep connections to the Great War.We start in the village of Naours, exploring caves that hold a remarkable record of soldiers from the conflict. Nex...
September 07, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 10
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1:12:46
Here we fight, and here we die!
In this latest episode, we answer a couple of listener questions and then tour the battlefield near St. Quentin. We hear the story of the tragic death of two British soldiers shot for spying by the Germans, stand on the very trenches from...
August 24, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 9
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1:03:53
The black day of the German army
In this episode we look at the Kaiserschlact, or Kaiser's Battle which was launched by the Germans in March 1918, a final roll of the dice to win the war before American superiority in arms and men came to the fore.Logistical problems t...
August 10, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 8
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1:04:02
All roads lead to Ypres
Why do we always do the same thing? This question was posed during a work call last week, and it got me thinking about travelling around the battlefields and why I always seem to take the easy route to Ypres.In this episode, we meander ...
July 27, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 7
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1:05:06
A mile and a half of history - White House to Kitchener's Wood
Welcome to this latest episode.We find ourselves in Ypres, on a part of the salient that offers real bang for the buck regarding military history. Our journey today covers just over a mile and a half from White House Cemetery to Kitchen...
July 13, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 6
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1:06:09
Unseen and unwanted - a colonial soldier's war
In this latest episode, we look at colonial soldiers' experiences in the Great War. Britain and France made full use of the human capital of their global empires to provide extra manpower for their armed forces.Our journey begins in an ...
June 29, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 5
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1:18:03
The man they couldn't kill.
In this episode, we travel to the Somme and begin our journey at one of the most iconic sites on the battlefield, the Basilica at Albert. We hear about its founding and discover more about the legend of the Golden Virgin.We leave ...
June 15, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 4
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1:07:41
Palestine
In this episode, we visit one of the forgotten fronts of the Great War and look at the fighting in Palestine in 1917-1918. This was an unforgiving landscape that saw numerous battles, the removal of a Corps Commander and one of the most i...
May 25, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 3
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1:16:01
Festubert - a walk round a battlefield
In this episode, recorded live on the battlefields, we are at Festubert, the forgotten battle of 1915, and we visit some of the cemeteries around the battlefield to hear the personal stories of the men buried within them. Support t...
May 11, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 2
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1:07:47
The Devil's breath
Welcome to Season 7!In our first episode, we look at poison gas, its development and use on the battlefield, and how the science of chemical weapons saw the militarisation of academia in the pursuit of developing more lethal and deadly ...
April 27, 2024
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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1:07:58
The farm cemeteries - Ypres
Welcome to the final episode of Season 6 and our 150th podcast!In this episode, we look back at the podcast since it began 3 1/2 years ago, examine some of the statistics about the pod, and contemplate some of my favourite episodes that...
March 30, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 25
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1:14:17
Trench Talk - Tom Isitt and the Italian Front
In this latest podcast, historian and author Tom Isitt joins us. Tom has a passion (or, he might say, obsession) with the Italian Front in the Great War. An inhospitable battlefield with appalling weather conditions and treacherous terrain, the...
March 16, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 24
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1:12:49
Fricourt
With the sad news of the passing of Martin Middlebrooke, this podcast heads to the Somme battlefield where we walk across the battlefield at the village of Fricourt.Our journey takes in some of the cemeteries and memorials that cover th...
March 02, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 23
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1:09:02
Special podcast update
Many of you who listen to the podcast aren't on social media and are not followers of me on Twitter so please find attached a very brief update on what's happening with the podcast going forward.I posted a video on Twitter on Sunday 18t...
February 19, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 22
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8:09
Trench Talk - Roger Steward in conversation about Langemarck German Cemetery
In this latest episode of Trench Talk, it's a real pleasure to be joined by military historian, battlefield guide and author Roger Steward.Lockdown allowed Roger to write the book he always wanted to write about the German Cemetery at L...
February 17, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 21
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1:11:35
Where it all began - Vimy
In this latest episode, we visit the battlefield where my journey through the Great War began some 35 years ago - Vimy Ridge.We look at what happened in this part of the front and have a brief look at the battle of the 9th April 1917, b...
February 11, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 20
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1:12:15
Beyond the front - Kemmel
Welcome to this latest episode of Footsteps of the Fallen.In this episode we travel to Flanders and visit one of the lesser-visited corners of the Great War in this part of Belgium, the area around the mighty Kemmelberg.Our jour...
February 03, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 19
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1:02:48
Cambrai - one day on the battlefield
In our latest podcast, we visit the battlefield around Cambrai, where, on the 20th of November 1917, the first mass tank battle in military history took place. The Allies smashed a 5-mile hole in the German's lines. Still, poor communicat...
January 13, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 18
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1:06:52
Cobbers - Australia on the Somme
Welcome to our first podcast of 2024!In this episode, we visit the battlefields around Villers Brettoneux on the Somme, an area of Picardy that will be forever associated with the Australian Army.We tour the battlefield and disc...
January 06, 2024
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Season 6
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Episode 17
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1:11:57
Trench talk - Peter Doyle and the Princess Mary Christmas Box
Welcome to our Christmas episode of Footsteps of the Fallen!In this special Trench Talk I'm joined by Professor Peter Doyle who tells us all about the history behind one of the most iconic of all Great War artefacts, The Princess Mary T...
December 23, 2023
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1:22:08
Dud Corner - a journey through a cemetery
In our latest podcast, we travel to Dud Corner Cemetery and the Loos Memorial in Artois to discover the stories of some of the men who lie here. The podcast begins with an overview of the Battle of Loos, and we look at what went wrong wit...
December 17, 2023
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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1:16:01
Trench Talk: Jules the Poilu - in conversation with Alexandre Lyons
The discovery of a huge collection of letters, postcards and writings of his great-great-grandfather has taken Alex on a fascinating journey through the wartime experiences of his ancestor, Jules Destrigniville. A Parisian police ...
December 10, 2023
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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1:05:21
The end of the line
In our latest podcast, we visit the end of the Western Front and take a whistlestop tour around the Lys battlefield near the North Sea coast of Belgium.We look at the military actions that took place in this part of the battlefield incl...
November 26, 2023
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1:04:14
The Foresters of Flanders
During the Great War the demand for timber for the front line exceeded at one stage 50,000 tonnes a month. But where on earth could this amount of timber be sourced and who would be capable of felling that many trees?In WW1 over 3...
November 19, 2023
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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1:05:05
Bunkers and bards - Boesinghe to Ypres
In today's episode, we travel the Ypres salient from Boesinghe to Ypres and visit some of the many cemeteries and memorials that dot this part of the battlefield. We begin at the Ziegler Bunker and one of the finest bunkers left on the ...
November 12, 2023
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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1:03:46