Mentioned in Dispatches: Recent Episodes
Dr Tom Thorpe
A podcast hosted by Dr Tom Thorpe on all aspects of the Great War from the UK's leading First World War history society The Western Front Association (www.westernfrontassociation.com).
In this episode, Rebecca Clarke examines the sinking of HMS India in 1915 and the extraordinary stories of the survivors who were interned in Norway. Drawing on family archives and personal letters, she reconstructs the experiences of these sailors during and after the sinking. The interview highlights lesser-known aspects of naval warfare and the long-term consequences for those involved. Rebecca also reflects on the importance of preserving personal histories in understanding the wider impact of war.
In this podcast, Patrick Taylor discusses his research into the experiences of shell-shocked servicemen returning to civilian life after the First World War. Drawing on archival sources from Britain and Australia, he examines issues of rehabilitation, family relationships and the role of charities and the state. The interview highlights the long-term impact of psychological trauma and the challenges faced by veterans and their families. Patrick also reflects on how attitudes towards mental health have evolved since the early twentieth century.
In this episode, Aimée Fox, Mike Finch and David Morgan-Owen discuss their edited volume on how the First World War was perceived and interpreted by those who experienced it. They explore how different groups, including soldiers, commanders and politicians, framed the conflict and how those perspectives influenced decision-making. The interview highlights the diversity of viewpoints and the importance of perception in shaping military and political outcomes. The authors also reflect on the value of collaborative scholarship in developing new interpretations of the war.
In this podcast, Antony Bell discusses the historical background to his novel A Penny a Shell, focusing on the 1916 Barnbow munitions factory explosion. He explores the lives of the women workers, known as the Barnbow Lasses, who laboured under dangerous and secretive conditions. The interview highlights the scale of the disaster, its impact on the local community and the broader role of women on the home front. Antony also reflects on the process of blending historical fact with fiction to bring these stories to a wider audience.
In this episode, Andrew Lucas about hisi book with Jürgen Schmieschek that explores Saxon soldiers during the First World War. Using personal writings, they examine how German troops experienced combat on the Western Front, particularly in Flanders. The interview explores daily life, combat conditions and the emotional toll of prolonged warfare. Andi also reflects on the importance of presenting a balanced historical account that incorporates voices from both sides of the conflict.
In this episode, Charles Barrington re-examines the life and career of Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, focusing on his decisive actions during the early stages of the First World War. The interview explores his leadership at the Battle of Le Cateau and his role in stabilising the British Expeditionary Force during its retreat. Barrington challenges traditional narratives that have overlooked Smith-Dorrien’s contributions, highlighting his professionalism, independence of thought and willingness to take difficult decisions. The discussion also considers his later career and legacy within British military history.
In this edition of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, Hazel Strouts talks about her book Three Sons for the Kaiser: A German Family’s Sacrifice in the First World War, a moving account of Philipp Gercke and his three sons, all of whom served, in the Imperial German armed forces and only on returned.
In this episode, Nick Higham explores Britain’s extraordinary and often overlooked campaign in the Caucasus during the closing stages of the First World War. Drawing on his book Mavericks, he discusses the diverse group of soldiers, diplomats and intelligence officers sent to Baku to prevent Ottoman and Bolshevik control of critical oil resources. The interview highlights the strategic importance of oil, the chaotic political environment and the personalities involved in the mission. Nick also examines why this episode has been largely forgotten and what it reveals about the wider geopolitical stakes at the end of the war.
In this podcast interview, Linden MacIntyre discusses his exploration of Sir Hugh Tudor, a deeply controversial figure in the Irish War of Independence. He explains the motivations behind writing An Accidental Villain and examines Tudor’s transformation from a respected British Army officer into a central figure in Britain’s coercive policy in Ireland. The conversation explores Tudor’s relationship with Winston Churchill, his role in militarising the Royal Irish Constabulary and the creation of the Black and Tans. Linden also reflects on the complexity of Tudor’s character, questioning whether he was a willing architect of repression or a man caught in circumstances beyond his control.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, David Griffiths discusses his new book The Guards 1915–17: An Elite Division at War. The book is the first major history of the Guards Division in nearly a century, drawing on war diaries and memoirs to follow the unit through Loos, Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Pilckem Ridge. Griffiths also examines the culture, reputation and experiences of an elite force under the pressure of modern war. Published by Helion & Co.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Kelsey Moriarty examines the bureaucratic and cultural processes that reshaped grief during and after the First World War. Her thesis Kafka in the Trenches: Death, Bureaucracy, and the Written Record in Britain 1914–1920 explores how official letters, forms and memorials affected the experience of mourning. From government notices of death to the rise of street shrines, her research highlights how state systems collided with private grief and altered the citizen–state relationship.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, historian Dr Todd Gray discusses his award-winning book Lest Devon Forgets. The book explores the creation, meaning and controversies surrounding the county’s Great War memorials, shedding light on how communities in the wake of the conflict grappled with loss, identity and memory. Published by Stevens Books.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Mike Jackson tells the story of his great-uncle, Lance Corporal John Street, who fell in 1917 and whose sacrifice went unrecognised for more than a century. On 10th April 2025, Street will finally be laid to rest with full military honours near the battlefield where he died. Jackson, a retired training manager and military history researcher, describes his work with the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre to ensure that his relative’s story is remembered.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, acclaimed author Daniel Kraus discusses his novel Angel Down — a haunting, formally ambitious reimagining of the First World War told through a single, continuous sentence. The book explores themes of survival, selfishness, the supernatural and the staggering human cost of mechanised slaughter, immersing readers in the moral chaos of war. Published by Simon & Schuster
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, researcher Gary Guess shares his work on the 12th (Service) Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, known as the Teesside Pioneers. Recruited largely from Middlesbrough and surrounding towns, the battalion served with distinction in France, combining infantry courage with engineering labour under fire. Guess, who has spent six years uncovering their history and has a personal family connection, reveals the story of this remarkable unit.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Dr Richard Batten, Honorary Research Fellow in History at the University of Exeter, discusses his new book For King and Country: The Role of Patriotism in Mobilisation in the First World War, published by Pen & Sword in 2025. Focusing on Devon but addressing wider national and European themes, the book explores how local elites encouraged men to enlist, enforced wartime discipline and sought to define patriotism, while also showing how ordinary people – especially women and working-class communities – responded to or challenged these ideals.
In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches, Nick and Fiona Jenkins discuss their remarkable journey along the entire Western Front. In Walking the Line, they travelled over 1,000 kilometres from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border to discover what physical and emotional traces of the First World War still remain. With humour, resilience and a healthy dose of wine, they traversed former battlefields, forests, cemeteries and mountain passes, producing not only a travelogue but also a moving reflection on history, memory and the meaning of remembrance. Published by Wetsocks Books.
Cameron Telch, a doctoral candidate in Educational Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University, discusses the underrepresentation of shell shock in Canadian war museums. He shares two important archival discoveries—a 1919 Canadian film and a 1958 American play—that offer new perspectives on the cultural memory of psychological trauma in the First World War. His research challenges prevailing narratives and raises important questions about how shell shock is remembered in public history.
Professor Gary Sheffield compares and contrasts the experience of the London Territorial Force in the First and Second World Wars. He explores the evolution of its role, structure and public image across the two conflicts, offering fresh insights into the transformation of this key component of Britain’s military reserve. This talk was part of the London Pride Conference held in June 2024.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, Clive Harris explores the role of London Territorials in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915–16. While no full London territorial division served there, six battalions, five Yeomanry regiments and two support units contributed around 8,500 men, spread across multiple formations from Helles to Suvla. Their experiences, challenges and the lessons they carried forward are brought to life through figures such as bandleader Billy Cotton and William Wedgwood Benn. This talk was part of the London Pride Conference held in June 2024.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, historian Nick Jenkins discusses the British League of Help and its efforts to support the reconstruction of French towns devastated during the First World War. His research reveals how communities across Britain came together to aid their French counterparts, shedding light on a little-known chapter of post-war humanitarian work. Nick spoke from his home in West Yorkshire.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, Tim Halstead discusses the connections between London schools and the Territorial Force during the Great War. While the contribution of Public Schools to the Officer Corps is well known, this talk focuses on the less-explored role of Grammar Schools. Drawing on Rolls of Service from both school types in and around London, Halstead sheds light on their strong links to specific regiments and their wider wartime influence. This talk was part of the London Pride Conference held in June 2024.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, John Davy examines the London Regiment’s links with the Royal Flying Corps and RAF during the Great War. Using primary sources, he offers a statistical analysis of the men who joined the RFC via the London Regiment and considers the impact of their loss on their original battalions. This episode was recorded for the London Pride Conference in June 2024.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, Harry Potter delves into the life and service of prison reformer Alexander Paterson, drawing on his wartime diary and letters. From gentleman ranker to officer in the Bermondsey Battalion, Paterson served at Loos and later held various roles including lecturer, defence counsel, intelligence officer and Sports and Recreation Officer. He also contributed to the Division’s history and supported Talbot House alongside Tubby Clayton. Recorded as part of the London Pride Conference 2024.
On this week's Mentioned in Dispatches podcast, Stephen Sandford explores the early history of the 18th Battalion London Regiment (London Irish) during the First World War. He examines the battalion’s formation, recruitment, training and unique cultural identity, as well as its connections to Ireland and its first action at Loos. This talk was recorded at the London Pride Conference, held in June 2024.
Historian Michèl Admiraal joins Mentioned in Dispatches to discuss his research on the German U-boat campaign during the First World War. Admiraal, a recent MA graduate in Military History from Wolverhampton University, explores the relationship between technology, doctrine, and naval operations. His Stand To! article, Technology, Doctrine and the German U-boat Campaign, offers a detailed analysis of how technological advancements and strategic doctrine shaped each other throughout the war. This episode delves into the tactical and operational aspects of submarine warfare and its impact on naval strategy.
This episode of Mentioned in Dispatches features historian and author Steve R. Dunn, who discusses his latest book, Spectre of Invasion: The Royal Navy and the Defence of Britain’s Coast, 1900–1918. The book examines Britain's persistent fears of invasion in the early 20th century, the strategic debates between naval and military defence advocates, and the reality of coastal raids and naval engagements during the First World War. Dunn provides insights into how these concerns influenced British military planning and naval policy during the period.
In this episode of Mentioned in Dispatches, historian Simon Batten discusses his book Futile Exercise?: The British Army’s Preparations for War 1902-1914. Simon explores the British Army's pre-war manoeuvres, training exercises and attempts to learn from past conflicts in the lead-up to the First World War. Highlighting the challenges of adapting to modern warfare, he examines whether these efforts were effective in preparing for the unprecedented realities of trench warfare. His book is published by Helion.
In this episode of Mentioned in Dispatches, Dr Margaret Ward, Honorary Senior Lecturer in History at Queen’s University Belfast, talks about her latest book Rebel Women: Cumann na mBan in Belfast and the Glens of Antrim, 1914–1924. In the interview, Dr Ward explores the remarkable contributions of Northern Irish women to the republican movement during one of Ireland’s most turbulent periods. Highlighting the pivotal role of Cumann na mBan in Belfast and the Glens of Antrim, she discusses the challenges these women faced, their resilience in a male-dominated political landscape and the lasting impact of their activism on Irish history. Her book is published by Beyond the Pale.
In this episode, we are honoured to speak with Dr Ian Isherwood, a historian, scholar, and author of the newly released book The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front. Dr Isherwood provides a deeply researched and heartfelt account of the 8th Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), during the First World War. Drawing from personal letters, memoirs, and diaries, this work sheds light on the emotional resilience, motivations, and lived experiences of these citizen soldiers as they faced some of the war’s most harrowing battles. Join us as we delve into the origins of this project, uncover the personal stories behind the battalion, and discuss the fresh perspectives this book offers on the Great War.
In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Gary Sheffield, President of the Western Front Association, to explore his latest research comparing the British retreats of 1914 and 1940. Drawing from his forthcoming book on the British Army in both World Wars, Professor Sheffield provides an in-depth analysis of these two critical moments in military history. He discusses the tactical, logistical and leadership challenges faced by the British Army in each retreat, offering a compelling comparison of the strategies and outcomes in these distinct periods.
Author David L. Preston discusses his debut novel "Unknown Soldier: World War 1". Published by Azalea City Publishing LLC in June 2024, this historical fiction book that follows the story of James Reynolds, a young man from Thomasville, Alabama, who embarks on a journey of adventure and ends up fighting in the trenches of World War I as part of the Alabama 167th National Guard unit.
Academic Dr Brian Hall talks to me about his research into the overlooked experiences of the 325th Field Signal Battalion, the first Black signal unit in the U.S. Army during the First World War. His work highlights the battalion's contributions and the challenges they faced within a racially prejudiced military environment, arguing that their technical proficiency and combat service challenged racial stereotypes and contributed to the broader struggle for civil rights. Dr Hall is a historian based at the University of Salford.
Author and former RAF navigator John Nichol talks about his latest book and theatre tour, The Unknown Warrior. This book is an exploration of the poignant history and enduring significance of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, uncovering stories of sacrifice, remembrance, and the personal and collective impact of war. It is published by Simon & Schuster UK. Further info is here: www.JohnNicholLive.com. If you’re listening to this after 7 November 2024, the tour has ended.
In this episode, we're joined by Marc Lassen, who shares the captivating story of The Liberty Car—Cadillac US1257X. Discovered in 2005, this Cadillac officer's car had its WWI military history lost to time until Marc's dedicated efforts to authenticate and preserve its legacy. Through collecting countless artifacts and meticulous research, Marc has brought to light the extraordinary service record of this unique vehicle. The Liberty Car was present in France throughout the entirety of the U.S. involvement in the Great War, from 1917 to 1919, making it a rare survivor with a verified record of service in WWI. It played a crucial role during the Second Battle of the Marne, providing support to French and American troops near the front line. Additionally, Eleanor Butler Roosevelt, wife of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., utilized the Cadillac for two months while scouting locations for soldiers' rest and recuperation leave, as documented in her autobiography. Despite the passage of time, the Liberty Car has survived remarkably intact, retaining many original materials, components, and evidence of its wartime service. Recognizing its historical significance, the car was added to the Historic Vehicle Association's National Historic Vehicle Register and the U.S. Department of the Interior Historic American Engineering Record in 2014.
In this episode, Timothy Halstead takes us on a journey through the involvement of public school boys in the Great War, challenging traditional perceptions and offering fresh insights into their role and experiences. Drawing from his ground-breaking work, "More Than Victims of Horace," Halstead unveils the complexities of this narrative, demonstrating that the reality was far more nuanced than previously believed.
Through meticulous research and analysis, Halstead explores the professionalization of the British Army in the years leading up to 1914 and its evolving relationship with public schools. He delves into the diverse educational approaches of these schools and how they prepared their boys for war, examining the range of skills needed for the army's rapid expansion and effectiveness on the battlefield.
Moreover, Halstead examines the contributions of public schools to the war effort on the home front, highlighting their role in supporting the nation in arms. Drawing from archival sources and the records of the Headmasters' Conference, "More Than Victims of Horace" offers the first scholarly analysis of public schools during 1914–1918, providing invaluable insights into this pivotal period of history.
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Jonathan Krause and Professor William Philpott illuminate the lives and leadership of the senior French generals who shaped the course of the First World War based on their recent book. Despite commanding the largest force on the Western Front and ultimately achieving victory, these generals remain largely obscured in historical accounts. Drawing from a wealth of primary source material housed in France's military archives, this episode offers fresh insights into their strategies, successes, and challenges. Dr. Krause's expertise in French colonial history during WWI and Professor Philpott's research in 20th-century warfare provide a comprehensive understanding of the political, strategic, and personal dimensions of these generals' roles. From international acclaim to internal mutinies, their stories reveal the complexities of wartime leadership and the enduring legacy of the Great War.
In this riveting episode, former GP and author Colin Hutchinson takes us on a compelling journey through the history of the Royal Field Artillery during World War I, as depicted in his book, "The Young Gunner." Drawing from the letters and journals of Second Lieutenant Colin Hutchinson, David’s relative, the narrative unfolds the gripping tales of front-line action across thirteen battles on the Western Front, including pivotal engagements such as Mons 1914, Ypres 1915, The Somme 1916, Passchendaele 1917, and Ypres 1918. Through Hutchinson's vivid accounts, listeners gain profound insights into the realities of life on the front line and the tactical intricacies of artillery deployment in battle. Moreover, Hutchinson's perspective offers valuable reflections on the reasons behind the staggering casualties of the war and the slow adoption of necessary tactical changes. With copious factual footnotes and detailed maps, "The Young Gunner" emerges as an indispensable resource for military history enthusiasts, shedding new light on the experiences of the 140,000 men who served in the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War.
Prof. John Bourne talks about the essential role, activities, and function of the Office of the Military Secretary during the Great War. John offers valuable insights into this often-overlooked aspect of wartime operations. Explore the inner workings of the military bureaucracy that played a crucial role in shaping the course of the Great War.
On this week’s, Dispatches Podcast we delve into the intricacies of the Great War and explore the question on everyone's mind: "Why did the Allies emerge victorious?" In this thought-provoking lecture, historian Prof. Mark Connelly takes us on a journey through the annals of history, offering insights into the strategic, political, and human factors that ultimately led to the Allies' triumph. Recorded live at the Cork Great War Conference in October 2023.
In the latest episode of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, Dr. John Borgonovo takes us on a captivating journey through the Irish Revolution with a particular focus on its impact in Cork. The discussion revolves around "The Atlas of the Irish Revolution," a landmark publication that offers a uniquely accessible perspective on this transformative period. With over 350 original maps and 700 images, this atlas features contributions from over 100 leading scholars, shedding light on the pivotal years from the 1912 Home Rule crisis to the conclusion of the Irish Civil War in 1923. Utilizing extensive original data, including newly-released archival material, the atlas maps social, demographic, political, and cultural changes, as well as the economic impacts of the revolution. It unravels the local and regional variations that played a crucial role in shaping the course of the Irish revolution, illustrating that while it was a 'national' event, it was deeply influenced by diverse local dynamics. The podcast also delves into the international dimensions of the revolution, set against the backdrop of the First World War and its aftermath, which brought global attention to Ireland's challenge to the British imperial project. The roles of women and workers, often overlooked, are brought to the forefront, while the legacies of the revolution, including collective memories and cultural representations, are examined. "The Atlas of the Irish Revolution" not only engages academics but also brings history to life for general readers and students, making it a groundbreaking contribution to the historical geography of these compelling years of conflict, continuity, and change. This book is published by Cork University Press.
In this episode of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, Dr. Dominiek Dendooven talks about his recent book, 'The British West Indies Regiment: Race and Colour on the Western Front,' published by Pen & Sword. This military-political history intertwines a thought-provoking cultural and social theme that shapes the narrative: the intricate dynamics of race, colour, and prejudice. Despite these challenges, a remarkable undercurrent of loyalty to the British empire emerges among serving soldiers, both NCOs and privates, along with a growing awareness of political ideas and liberal democracy. Surprisingly, the loyalty to the British crown as an agent of the abolition of slavery will astonish many readers. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
Tune in to the latest Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, where we engage in a compelling conversation with Professor Joost Augusteijn about his in-depth study of County Mayo, 1912-23. Delving into a period of unprecedented turmoil, this examination offers a comprehensive look at all facets of life in County Mayo during the revolutionary era. Joost draws from a diverse range of sources, including memoirs, interviews with former IRA members, newspaper reports, police records, and official documents from both British authorities and Sinn Féin-led governments. The narrative commences with an exploration of the pivotal role of the land question in Mayo's political landscape prior to World War I and reveals how Sinn Féin successfully challenged the entrenched Irish Party's influence post-1916. The book underscores the significance of notable nationalist figures such as Michael Davitt, William O'Brien, James Dillon, and John MacBride in local developments. It also delves into the impact of World War I on the shifting dynamics of various political groups and marginalized segments of Mayo's population, including unionists, suffragettes, and labour activists. A central theme is the gradual radicalization of activists and their growing confrontation with authorities, drawing increasing numbers of Mayo residents into the fold. The book's focus on how daily life was affected adds depth to the narrative, culminating in a comprehensive account of Mayo's experiences during the Civil War. Don't miss this engaging exploration of a pivotal period in County Mayo's history. Published by Four Courts Press Ltd.
Join us in the latest episode of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast as we delve into the life and career of Field Marshal Lord Cavan. In this enlightening conversation with Dr. Michael Senior, author of the recently published book 'Field Marshal the Earl of Cavan: Soldier and Fox Hunter,' we explore the multifaceted character of a distinguished British army commander. Cavan's legacy was a subject of debate among his contemporaries, with some dismissing him as ignorant and vain, while others lauded his calm self-confidence and leadership. Uncover the real qualities and achievements of this often-neglected officer, who served in the Boer War, World War I, and played a pivotal role in post-war army reductions. Michael Senior offers a comprehensive biography, assessing Cavan as a leader, corps commander, and administrator, positioning him among the foremost soldiers of his era. We also delve into Cavan's personal life, his aristocratic background, wealth, and his love for fox hunting, shedding light on how these factors influenced his actions in both war and peace. This episode is a fascinating exploration of a remarkable figure in British military history. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
In this episode of the Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, Michael Nugent delves into his book 'A Bad Day, I Fear,' shedding light on a little-known chapter of World War I history. Join us as we explore the tragic Battle of Langemarck on August 16, 1917, where the 16th (Irish) Division and 36th (Ulster) Division, after their previous success at Messines, faced an unmitigated disaster. Nugent unravels the causes behind the failure to capitalize on their previous victory, including a lack of urgency, tactical misunderstandings, and mismanagement of crucial assets. Discover how the delay between the Messines offensive and the Third Battle of Ypres allowed the Germans to fortify their defences, leading to a harrowing two weeks of constant shelling and adverse weather conditions. Through contemporary accounts and in-depth analysis, we gain a new perspective on the tragic events of that fateful day and the impact it had on Ireland and its divisions. This book is published by Helion & Company.
Author and historians Dr Derek Clayton talks about his book To Do the Work of Men : An Operational History of the 21st Division in the Great War. The 21st Division was formed in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third Army (K3), comprising units mostly from Yorkshire, Northumberland, Durham and Lincolnshire. It was destined to spend its entire period of active service on the Western Front, taking part in almost all the major engagements. Only two weeks after having arrived in France, and with no battlefield experience, they were thrown into action on the second day of the Battle of Loos. Badly misused by high command, it was not surprising that they underperformed.The division, from May 1916 under the command of Major-General David "Soarer" Campbell, managed to recover from this disastrous baptism of fire to achieve creditable success on three occasions during the Battle of the Somme, including the attack north of Fricourt on the first day. It was during this campaign that the original 63 Bde was exchanged for 110 Bde, the latter's four battalions of the Leicestershire Regiment performing admirably at the Battle of Bazentin on 14 July. The division then re-entered the fray with the newly-introduced tanks in September as the BEF captured the villages of Flers and Gueudecourt. In 1917, they experienced mixed fortunes both at Arras, coming up against the formidable Hindenburg Line defenses, and during the latter stages of Third Ypres as they defended Polygon Wood against German counter attacks before struggling forward through the October mud to assault the village of Reutel.Between March and June of 1918, the division faced all three major German Spring Offensives: they put up a stout defense of the village of Epéhy on 21 March before conducting a lengthy fighting retreat that reduced its battalions to barely 200 men each. In April, they halted the German advance near Ypres during the Battle of the Lys and then, having been sent to a quiet French sector to rest and reorganize, on 28 May they found themselves in the path of the Blücher offensive and were sent reeling as the Germans stormed across the Chemin des Dames Ridge.The division survived - barely - and recovered to play its part in the Hundred Days victories. It was involved in a dozen or so attacks through the summer and autumn, recapturing much of the ground ceded during the March retreat before extending their advance across the Selle and Sambre rivers. They fought their last engagement four days before the armistice when they captured the village of Limont-Fontaine.The 21st had a busy and costly war, losing more men killed, wounded or missing than any other New Army division. It is no wonder that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described the 21st Division as "that hard-bitten old scrapper". This is published by Helion.
In this podcast interview, Richard Farrimond discusses their motivation for writing a comprehensive biography of Field Marshal Lord Birdwood, highlighting their personal connection to Clifton College and Birdwood's autobiography, Khaki and Gown, as initial inspirations. Richard also explains that their academic journey, including a history Masters degree and a PhD, led them to explore Birdwood's life beyond his role at Gallipoli. The interview delves into lesser-known aspects of Birdwood's career, emphasizing his language skills, early military experiences in Tirah and South Africa, and his ability to excel in staff work. The author challenges the traditional characterization of Birdwood as an "easygoing and fortunate" officer, revealing his dedication, competence, and command abilities. They also discuss Birdwood's diplomatic challenges and achievements throughout his career, which involved interactions with various dignitaries and political leaders.
Doctoral candidate Glyn Taylor talks about his research into the response of the 5th British Army to the German Spring Offensive in 1918. Glyn is a former Army officer who has taken up an academic career following his retirement from the Services. He graduated with a MA in ‘The History of Britain and the First World War’ at the University of Wolverhampton in 2020 and is currently researching for a PhD at King’s College London on the performance of Fifth Army in 1918. He is a member of the Royal Engineers Historical Society and author of a chapter in the latest volume of the Corps History. He is also a member of the WFA and contributor to its journal, Stand To!
Author and historian Dr Derek Clayton talks about this book Decisive Victory: The Battle of the Sambre: 4 November 1918. This battle was a decisive British victory. The battle has, however, been largely neglected by historians: it was the last large-scale, set-piece battle fought by the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front: the Armistice was only one week away. Seven Victoria Crosses were won and the poet Wilfred Owen was killed in action. In scale it was similar to the first day of the Battle of the Somme: thirteen divisions of the BEF led the assault on a frontage of approximately twenty miles, supported by over a thousand guns, with initial plans presuming an involvement of up to seventy tanks and armoured cars. The German Army was determined to hold a defensive line incorporating the Mormal Forest and the Sambre-Oise Canal, hoping to buy time for a strategic withdrawal to as yet incomplete defensive positions between Antwerp and the Meuse river and thereby negotiate a compromise peace in the spring of 1919. This is the only book devoted solely to this battle and includes original, bespoke, colour maps covering every inch of the battlefield. The work analyses the battle at the operational and tactical levels: the BEF was no longer striving for a breakthrough – sequential ‘bite and hold’ was now the accepted method of advance. Drawing on information largely from unpublished archives, including over 300 formation or unit war diaries, Dr Clayton casts a critical eye over the day’s events, examining the difference between plan and reality; the tactical proficiency of units engaged; the competence of commanders, some of whom proved capable of pragmatic flexibility in the face of stubborn enemy resistance and were able to adapt or even abandon original plans in order to ensure ultimate success. The role of the Royal Engineers is also highlighted, their tasks including devising improvised bridging equipment to facilitate the crossing of the waterway. Other questions are raised and answered: to what extent was this an ‘all-arms’ battle? Where does this engagement fit in the context of the BEF’s ‘learning curve’? Was it necessary to fight the battle at all? Was it indeed decisive? Dr Clayton’s analysis places the battle into its wider strategic context and reaches important, new conclusions: that this victory, hard-won as it was by a British army hampered by logistical, geographical and meteorological constraints and worn down by the almost continuous hard fighting of the summer and autumn, irrevocably and finally crushed the will of the German defenders, leading to a pursuit of a demoralized, broken and beaten army, whose means of continued resistance had been destroyed, thus expediting the armistice.
Historian and writer Peter Welsh talks about Sir Hedworth Meux (Lambton) during the Great War. Meux was a distinguished Royal Navy officer whose legacy is marked by a lifetime of service and leadership. Born as Hedworth Lambton, he embarked on a remarkable career that spanned from 1870 to 1916. Notably, Meux played a pivotal role in significant historical events, including the Anglo-Egyptian War, the Second Boer War, and the First World War. Meux's early days in the Royal Navy saw him at the bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War, where his dedication and valiance were evident. His moment of heroism came during the Second Boer War in 1899 when he displayed remarkable initiative and courage. While stationed at Mauritius, Meux picked up a battalion of soldiers and led a naval brigade to aid British forces at Ladysmith. His quick thinking and leadership, along with the delivery of much-needed artillery, earned him widespread recognition and made him a celebrated figure back in Britain. His reputation continued to flourish as he assumed key command roles, including Commander of the Third Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet and ultimately rising to the prestigious position of Commander-in-Chief of the China Station. During the First World War, Meux, now recognized as a prominent leader, served as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth. In this capacity, he played a vital role in safeguarding cross-Channel communications and orchestrating a life-saving patrol service of small boats, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to his country and its security.
Author and historian Dr Frances Hurd talks about her research into gay officers, the law and their experiences in the British Army during the Great War. She discusses what happened to British officers arrested for homosexuality, their fate and the legacy of the treatment. Frances is based in Chichester, West Sussex, and has a PhD in history. For 19 years she was an Ofsted inspector.
Academic Dr Brian Hall talks about his research into the development of communications in the American Expeditionary Force during the Great War. Brian is the Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Contemporary Military & International History, University of Salford.
Dr Tony Garcia talks about the book he jointly authored with Ian van der Waag on the Great War roles of roles played by the South African prime minister, General Louis Botha, and his deputy, General Jan Smuts during the Great War. These were very different men and they appealed to different audiences. Botha’s nuance and emotional intelligence complemented Smuts’s intellectualism. Thrown into a world conflagration in August 1914, Botha and Smuts – facing internal rebellion and the threat posed by German troops on their borders – led South Africa’s Union Defence Force, and often commanded from the front. South Africa’s campaigns began badly. The campaigns in German South West and East Africa started with reverses at Sandfontein in September 1914 and Salaitia in January 1916. However, Springbok soldiers of all backgrounds proved resilient, and the later campaigns were marked by near uniform success. The “first-battle” experiences had reshaped thinking and led to better leadership and command at all levels. Both Botha and Smuts commanded in the field. Steadily, the South African army they commanded – benefiting from wartime training, sometimes in the field – gained resilience, experience, and battle-hardiness, adapting to the conditions of the campaigns and the demands of the tasks. South Africa’s campaigns were complex and divergent, starting with the invasion of neighbouring German South West Africa – to neutralise the radio stations and so aid security in the South Atlantic. Suddenly suspended following the outbreak of the Afrikaner Rebellion, the campaign recommenced in January 1915. Following its conclusion, an infantry brigade, raised for the Western Front, was diverted to Egypt before facing near annihilation at Delville Wood. Reconstructed more than once, the brigade was accompanied by a field ambulance and general hospital. The South African deployment in France included two brigades of heavy artillery, a signal company, a railway company, and Auxiliary Horse Transport Company, and several South African Native Labour Contingents. At the same time, a large South African force, fighting alongside troops from British Africa and India, broke German resistance in East Africa, and a brigade of field artillery and later the Cape Corps served in Egypt and Palestine. In addition, more than 6 500 South Africans served in the British Army, the Royal Flying Corps, later the Royal Air Force, and on ships of the Royal Navy. Although lionised during the war by a British public hungry for heroes, there is a different side to Botha and Smuts. Shunned by Afrikaner nationalists at the time, they have remained divisive figures. Responsible for the enactment of the Land Act of 1913, which shaped South Africa’s socio-economic and political landscape, Botha’s statue in Cape Town was vandalised in 2015 and 2016. Behind his charming, attractive façade, and Smuts’s stoic machine, were two very human, imperfect, and quite probably inconsiderate, men. Together they provide a wonderful lens through which to examine the potent forces of the early twentieth-century world and the country they hoped to forge. Myopic compatriots had constrained their plans; but it was the outbreak of war in 1914 that offered the most significant opportunities and brought the most adverse challenges. They fought insurmountable odds, and achieved great victories, at home and abroad, but also made startling errors, and, ultimately, in classical fashion risked being crushed by the weight of the world they tried to create. Ian van der Waag is a faculty member in Military History at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Tony Garcia is Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University. His latest book publication The First Campaign Victory of the Great War was published by Helion in 2019.
Author and academic Dr Tony Cowan talks about his recent book, Holding Out. This book examines German operational command during a critical phase of the First World War from November 1916 to the eve of the third battle of Ypres. The situation faced by the German army on the Western Front in 1917 was very different from the one anticipated in pre-war doctrine and Holding Out examines how German commanders and staff officers adapted. Tony Cowan analyses key command tasks to get under the skin of the army's command culture, internal politics and battle management systems from co-ordinating the troops, matériel and different levels of command needed to fight a modern battle to continuously learning and applying lessons from the ever-changing Western Front. His detailed analysis of the German defeat of the 1917 Entente spring offensive sheds new light on how the army and Germany were able to hold out so long during the war against increasing odds. This is published by CUP. Tony is a retired diplomat and member of the British Commission for Military History, Society of Military History and Western Front Association. He co-edited a translation of the German official monograph on the battle of Amiens (2019).
Author Ian Hilder about talks his recent book Great War Barcombe News from a Sussex Village 1914 -1919. This book was published by Country Books in 2018.
Caroline Torode talks about her research into state teachers from Victoria, Australia during the Great War. Her talk is based on her MA thesis that looked at Victorian Government Teachers and their selection and promotion within the Australian Imperial Force.
Dr Jenny Macleod, Senior Lecturer in 20th Century History at the University of Hull, talks about the 1922 Chanak Crisis and the actions of Lloyd [...]
Peter Welsh about his research into the daughters of the aristocratic Lambton family, their lives and work during the Great War. They were Katherine, Eleanor, [...]
Former medical consultant, historian and author, Dr Ann Robertson, talks about her research into female doctors’ service and the Great War.
Dr Alan Jeffreys talks about his recent publication of collected essays on the Indian Army recently published by Helion. Alan is Head of Equipment and [...]
Dr Jane Flynn talks about the Army Remount Service and the Army Veterinary Corps during The Great War. The outbreak of war in 1914, found [...]
Ornithologist, author and historian Nicholas Milton talks about his recent book on the role of birds in the Great War. This book is published by [...]
Dr Diane Atkinson, historian and author, talks about her recent book about Elsie Knocker and Mairi Gooden-Chisholm and their service during the Great War. Diane [...]
Prof. John Bourne, Dr Alex Mayhew and Dr Jonathan Boff discuss the current state of academic research on the Great War. All three have connections with Birmingham [...]
Steve Hammond talks about his research and interest in the Queen Westminster Rifles during the Great War. The Queen’s Westminsters were an infantry regiment of [...]
Dr Michael Nutkiewicz talks about his new book, A Ukrainian Chapter. A Jewish Aid Worker’s Memoir of Sorrow. This is the translation of a memoir [...]
Dr Michael Hunzeker talks about his new book, Dying to Learn that looks at innovation and learning on the Western Front during the Great War. [...]
Dr Ann-Marie Einhaus, Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities at the University of Northumbria, talks about her research into heroism in literature during WW1.
Professor Richard Overy, Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter, talks about his recent book on the formation of the RAF in April 1918. He [...]
Professor John Bourne talks about his interest and research on the British 46th Division on the Western Front during the Great War. The 46th Division was [...]
Historian Rob Thompson talks about how the British army supplied logistics and material for the Messines/Third Ypres Campaign of 1917. This was originally broadcast in [...]
Authors and historians Simon Batten and Matthew Dixon talk about their recent book on Bloxham School and the Great War. Taking one small boarding school [...]
Historian, clinical psychologist and author Dr Peter Hodgkinson talks about his recent book A Complete Orchestra of War, that is a history of the 6th [...]
Historian Dr Michael Taylor talks about his new book that explores Brigadier General Frank Crozier’s command of the 119 Brigade during the Great War. Crozier [...]
Author, tour guide, doctoral candidate and historian Clive Harris talks about his research into the military contribution of London during the great War. In 1914, [...]
Author and historian Pauric Travers talks about his recent book ‘Donegal, The Irish Revolution, 1912-1923’, which looks at County Donegal through the Home Rule Crisis, the Great [...]
Author and historian Fraser Skirrow talks about raiding on the Western Front during the Great War. Once the frontline became static and dominated by trenches, [...]
Dr Michael Senior talks about his recent book Fromelles 1916. This explores the men from the Buckinghamshire village of Lee who fought and died in [...]
Dr Daithí Ó Corráin and Dr Gerard Hanley about their recent book on Irish revolutionary and republican leader Cathal Brugha. This book is titled Cathal [...]
Professor John Bourne talks about the role, impact and reputation of the British Expeditionary Force Commander in Chief, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. He challenges [...]
Professor Heather Jones talks about her recent book on King George V and the monarchy during the Great War. Her book examines how the First [...]
Art historian, curator, film producer and lecturer Libby Horner talks about her research into artist Frank Brangwyn and the Great War. Brangwyn (1867-1956) was born [...]
PhD candidate Harry Sanderson talks about his doctoral research into the roll and impact of drill on the training of soldiers. Harry contents that close [...]
Historian John Broom talks about his latest book that looks at cricket during the Great War. John discusses how the game at professional and amateur [...]
Author, historian and battlefield guide Tim Lynch talks about his research into conscript morale during the final year of the Great War. He challenges perceptions about the motivation of conscripts and argues they not shirkers, slackers or draught dodgers but fought as well as those men who had volunteered in 1914-1916. This interview is based […]
Professor Ian Beckett, Honorary Professor of Military History at the University of Kent, talks about the 1/1st Bucks Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, during the Great War. His talk is based on the ‘Casualty Books’ of the unit which is a unique source as it gives details of 3,000 servicemen who served enlisted and served in the unit. […]
Andrew Wood talks about his recent novel Hanham. It is based on the true story of three brothers who fought in the First World war and their family. Inspired by the purchase of a tobacco tin at auction, it tells the story of three brothers and their struggle to survive the turmoil of war and […]
Jonathan Vernon, Digital Editor for the WFA, talks about his research into Lewes during the opening months of the Great War. He focuses on the how the town coped with the deployment of the 22nd Division to the area and how it was billeted in local homes, public buildings and farm buildings. The research for […]
Author, historian and educationalist, Sir Anthony Seldon talks about his new book ‘The Path of Peace’ which is his memoir of walking the Western Front Way in 2021. This route stretches 1,000 kilometres from Switzerland to the Channel Coast. The idea was inspired by a young British soldier of the First World War, Alexander Douglas […]
Author, historian, Irish Times reporter and videographer, Ronan McGreevy, talks about his recent book Great Hatred. This book, published by Faber, explores the assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson that took place in 1922. Wilson was a prominent British Army officer and County Longford born MP who had a poor reputation amongst Irish nationalists. […]
Jake Gasson, a doctoral candidate at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, talks about his research into how British soldiers experienced and endured boredom as part of British forces deployed to Salonika. Soldiers endured long periods of little activity and suffered from non-combat hardships notably the harsh climate and endemic disease. Rather than fight, men spent […]
Dr Robb Robinson, Honorary Research Fellow at the Blaydes Maritime Centre at the University of Hull, talks about British fishermen and their involvement in the Great War. He discusses the nature of operations in which fishermen participated and their contribution to the British war effort. Robb has authored five books and contributed to a range […]
Historian and journalist Katherine Quinlan-Flatter talks about the German Army during the weeks of October 1918 before the Armistice in November. Katherine talks about how in September 1918, it is already clear for the German High Command of the Armed Forces that the Front can no longer be held. A ceasefire is requested by the […]
Dr Niamh Gallagher, University Associate Professor in Modern British and Irish History at the Faculty of History, St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge and Professor Richard Grayson, Professor of Twentieth Century History, Head of History at Goldsmiths, University of London discuss Niamh’s recent book Ireland and the Great War. This is a a new social […]
Author and historian Dr Viv Newman about her research into children and childhood during the Great War. She explores how the war affect children across Europe, how some children became combatants and what impact the war had on children in the 1920s and 1930s. Viv is a social historian with a particular interest in children […]
WFA European Officer Rocky Salmon talks about gas warfare during the Great War. Rocky talks about the types of chemical agents used, their efficacy and tactics used by combatant forces to deploy gas. He also talks about the effectiveness of counter measures, such as gas masks. Finally, he concludes with an analysis of the legacy […]
PhD student Pauline Onderwater talks about her doctoral research into the Netherlands during the Great War. In the interview, she talks about how the war affected the daily lives of Dutch citizens and how the country navigated neutrality between the Central Powers and the Entente. She also considers the social, political and economic impact of […]
Dr Viv Whelpton talks about the life and service of Great War poet Richard Aldington. Aldington (1892-1962) was an English writer and poet who is best known for a semi-autobiographical novel the Death of a Hero, published in 1929. Viv was formerly a teacher and is now a Great War historian and author. She has […]
Dr Alex Mayhew, a historian of the cultural, military, and social history of war and also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, talks about his research into the morale of the British soldier in the final 18 months of the Great War. He and the host, talk about their respective perspectives on morale and motivation […]
Jonathan Bratten talks about his history of the US 103rd Regiment during the Great War. The 103rd was a National Guard unit drawn from New England and saw action with the American Expeditionary Force in the US 26th Division. His book is titled To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, […]
Historian and teacher Dr Andrew T. Jarboe talks about his recent book Indian Soldiers in World War I: Race and Representation in an Imperial War, published by University of Nebraska Press in 2021. In this interview, Andrew argues that Indian soldiers contributed decisively to the British Empire’s final victory in the war. He suggests that […]
Dr Spencer Jones talks about The Darkest Year, a collection of essays he edited on the British Army fighting on the Western Front in 1917 during the Great War. The volume covers a wide range of subjects including grand strategy, tactical development and training, maintenance of morale and the importance of intelligence gathering. It also […]
Historian Professor Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University in Australia, talks about his research into the fate of two Imperial German colonial possessions, German Cameroon and German Samoa, in the opening months of the Great War. He discusses why Germany acquired them, how Germany administered them […]
Historian Dr Frances Hurd talks about her research into officers who fall foul of the law in the 1920s. She examines three officers who found themselves in the courts after the war. Charles Reid Wodehouse appeared in court on various charges, including passing dud cheques, impersonation, staying in fashionable hotels and restaurants under a false […]
In this special podcast, I talk to historian and photographer Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy about the launch of his book In the Centennial Footsteps of the Great War. The two-volume book chronicles and explains the historical events of the Great War through photos taken by the author one hundred years later, between 2014 and 2021, in each and every theatre […]
History teacher Gareth Williams and librarian Donna Saxby from Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire, talk about how they teach the Great War to their pupils. They outline how they encourage pupils to research former pupils from the school who served in the Great War using primary documents. They also have a regular programme of battlefield […]
Historian and modern conflict archaeologist Dr Matt Leonard talks about subterranean operations in WW1. Matt discusses how the extent, scope and nature of below ground activities, their purpose and tactical and strategic impact. He is a member of the Durand Group and he continues to conduct regular archaeological and anthropological research in France and Belgium, […]
Historian Craig Armstrong talks about his recent book The Boy Scouts in the Great War that looks at the movement during the First World War. The Boy Scouts Association was just seven years old when war broke out in 1914. With its members brought up with a strong ethos of duty and loyalty, it was […]
Dr Adam Prime talks about his research into dissent and indiscipline in the Indian Army during the Great War. Adam outlines the number of incidents of dissent, ill-discipline and mutiny by Indian Army units, the reasons for this discontent and the actions taken by the military authorities to manage the problem. Adam is an independent […]
Author, teacher and historian Tom Strickland talks about his recent book, Following in the Footsteps of Heroes, which is a new guide to the battlefield sites of France and Belgium. Tom talks about the book, its target audience and some of the sites he covers. This book is published by Sabrestorm Publishing. Tom is a […]
Jos Hoebe, talks about the new Great War computer game Isonzo, that he helped develop with Netherlands game developers Game Drive. Isonzo is the third Great War game he has worked on, the other two being Tannenberg and Verdun. Isonzo is a first person shooter game set on the Italian Front as Italy clashes with […]
Dr Alexander Jackson talks about his recent book Football’s Great War, Association Football on the English Home Front. Alex talks about the so-called ‘anti-football debate’ that took place in 1914/5 and how amateur and professional players, clubs and the Football Association responded to this debate. He also talks about how football clubs, local amateur leagues […]
Historical researcher Giles Penman, studying at the University of Warwick, talks about his research into the use of Roman and Ancient Greek imagery on the 1919 Peace Day mugs and medals. To celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, that ended the Great War, a Peace Day was held in the UK […]
Historian Professor Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University in Australia, talks about his research into the role of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany during the Great War. Wilhelm II was c controversial figure and Matt discusses his life, his political and military role during the Great war […]
Historian and author Professor Joy Porter, Professor of Indigenous & Environmental History and Leverhulme Major Research Fellow at the University of Hull, talks about her recent book looking at the life of Canadian war poet Frank Prewett. Prewett is a relatively unknown poet, he served on the Western Front ans suffered from shellshock. While recovering […]
Historian Dr Neil Lanctot talks about his recent book, The Approaching Storm, that explores the domestic debates and discussions that informed America’s response to the outbreak of the Great War and its eventual declaration of war in April 1917. The book explores the perspectives of three prominent US newsmakers – President Woodrow Wilson, former President […]
Historian and author Professor Nick Lloyd, Professor of Modern Warfare at King’s College London, talks about his recent book The Western Front. He considers the impact of the learning process/curve, why the Allies won, the importance of the allied blockade of German trade and the contribution of the Americans in 1917/8. His book is published […]
Historian and author Professor Robin Prior, talks about the Great War career of British general Sir Henry Rawlinson who served in the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. Rawlinson held a number of command roles including commander of IV Corps, 4th Army and 5th Army. He planned a number of operations including Nerve Chapelle […]
Historian Peter Welsh talks about his research into the daily Northumbrian newspaper, the Illustrated Chronicle, and the coverage before, during and after the Great War. This paper ran from 1910 to 1925 and Peter has compiled a database of all 29,402 images of soldiers that appeared in the publication. He discusses the role of the […]
Author and historian Dr Bill Mitchinson talks about his latest book ‘Of No Earthly Use’ that explores the role, contribution and effectiveness of 2nd line Territorial Force divisions on the Western Front during the Great War. Raised late in the war and deployed from 1917, Bill talks about the role, effectiveness and legacy of these […]
Historian Dr Gavin Rand, Principal Lecturer at the University of Greenwich talks about the recent discovery and digitisation of 320k records of troops from the Punjab who fought for the British Empire during the Great War. These files were found in the depths of the Lahore Museum in Pakistan have been digitised http://punjabww1.com/ In this interview, […]
Archaeologist, historian and author Andy Robertshaw talks about his work with the Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology (CEMA) at the Kent Event Centre in Detling. CEMA is the home of pan-historical experimentation concerning methods of military attack and defence, and of soldiers’ day-to-day lives, from the Roman period to the Second World War. Andy outlines […]
Journalist and historian, Dr Brian Feeney talks about his recent book exploring the impact of the Great War and Irish War of Independence on the County of Antrim in Ulster. Antrim in the early 20th century contained most of Belfast – the largest city in Ireland – which dominated the economy of the north-east. Belfast […]
Swedish heavy metal front man for the band Sabaton Joakim Brodén talks about their 10th album that takes inspiration from the Great War. A War to End All Wars is the second album to use the First World War as its theme. Their first album was The Great War and the podcast interviewed bass player […]
Historian and author Alex Clifford talks about his recent book on Hindenburg and Ludendorff and how their Great War experience assisted in the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. He explores two of twentieth-century history’s most significant figures who have been largely forgotten – Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, Germany’s First World War leaders, […]
Prof. Peter Stanley talks about the discipline and dissent in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the Great War. This interview is based on Peter’s 2011 book, ‘Bad Characters’, that examines the nature, extent and scope of ill-discipline, military crime and protest within units of the AIF. The AIF reported rates of desertion, absence without […]
Historian Frances Hurd talks about her research into how the traumatic impact of the Great War affected former veterans and their families. Frances quotes the author Hugh McManners (a Falklands veteran) who said that ‘war is the most traumatic life event that any human can experience, a damaging combination of danger, uncertainty and horror.’ Her […]
Belgian battlefield archaeologist Simon Verdegem talks about his work recovering First World War casualties in Belgium. The former battlefields of Belgium still harbour their mortal remains. It is estimated that around 55,000 British war dead have never been recovered. Every year the remains of Great War soldiers are recovered each year through archaeological digs that […]
Military medical historian Dr Emily Mayhew talks about the role of stretcher bearers during the Great War. Stretcher bearers played a major role in extracting and saving wounded men from the battlefield and Emily talks about who they were, what they did and what difference they made. She works as a Visiting Researcher and historian […]
Historian and author Dr John Burke talks about the history of Roscommon in the 1912–23 during the Irish revolutionary period which covers the Great War, Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War. Roscommon was an agricultural area which had been solid political territory of the Irish Parliamentary Party. However, during the war, the area […]
Author Frances Wood talks about her recent book, Betrayed Ally, China in the Great War, that she wrote jointly with Christopher Ardnander. Frances tells how in 1912 the Qing Dynasty had ended thousands of years of Imperial autocratic rule. President Yuan Shikai, who seized power in 1914, offered the British 50,000 troops to recover the […]
Ken Linge talks about the work he and his wife Pam have done on researching the stories of the ‘missing’ on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme. It is located near the French village of Thiepval and is a war memorial to 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of […]
Independent scholar Richard Hendry talks about his research into the 47th Division at High Wood during the Battle of the Somme in Sept 1916.
Independent writer and researcher Dr Barry Blades talks to me about his books looking at schools, teachers and the Great War. These are ‘Roll of Honour’ (2015) and ‘Teachers at the Front’ (2021) and both published by Pen & Sword Books.
Dr Jiří Hutečka, Associate Professor at the University of Hradec Králové, talks about his recent book on the motivation and morale of Czech soldiers during the Great War. This book is published by Berghahn Books.
Dr Michael LoCicero, an independent scholar and the Commissioning Editor at Helion & Co., talks about his recent book, A Midnight Massacre, that explores the final operation at Third Ypres, in December 1917.
Dr George Hay, the Official Historian at Commonwealth War Graves Commission, talks about the recent Commission report on Non-Commemoration report that explores the inequalities in the way the organisation commemorated the dead of the British Empire from the Great War.
Dr Samuel Foster, Visiting Fellow in the School of History, University of East Anglia, talks about his new book on Yugoslavia in the British Imagination. This book explores how the South Slavic Balkans, or the area that became Yugoslavia after 1918, was perceived in the British press, policy makers, travel writers and opinion leaders before, during and after […]
Dr Ida Milne, Lecturer in European History at Carlow College, Ireland, talks about her recent book, Stacking the Coffins, that looks at the impact of 1918 Spanish Flu in Ireland at the end of the Great War and early 1920s. Her book is published by Manchester University Press.
Doctoral candidate David Katz, studying at Stellenbosch University, talks about his PhD research into Jan Smuts and his conduct of operations in German East Africa during the Great War. This will be released as a book in 2022.
Teacher Dan Mclean talks about his book on the Royal Marines on the Western Front during the Great War. This book is published by Pen and Sword.
Retired orthopaedic surgeon and military medical historian Tom Scotland talks about surgery during the Great War.
Professor Tim Grady, Professor of History at the University of Chester, talks about his research into German Jews and their response to the Great War.
Historian and author Christina Holstein about her research into the 1917 battle of Verdun and the battlefield today.
Jaime Jiménez Fernández talks about his research into British pacifist women during WW1. Jaime is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Seville.
Author Andy Friend about his biography of British artist John Nash and his military service and painting during the Great War.
Giles Penman talks about his research into the use of Britannia’s image during the Great War He is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Warwick.
Megan Kelleher talks about her research into public awareness of Commonwealth War Graves Commission sites in England. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kent.
Amateur historian Ross Beadle talks about his research into the ten critical decisions of French, German and British commanders that shaped the failure of German Schlieffen plan in 1914. This is the second episode.
Amateur historian Ross Beadle talks about his research into the ten critical decisions of French, German and British commanders that shaped the failure of German Schlieffen plan in 1914. This is the first episode.
Historian and author Christina Holstein about her research into the 1916 battle of Verdun during the Great War.
Doctoral candidate David Spruce talks to me about his research into Recruiting and Training the Royal Flying Corps during the Great War.
Barrister and author Harry Potter talks about his research into the life and military career of prison reformer Sir Alexander Paterson.
Historian Dan Hill and Paul Johnson talk about their book that looks at the stories and experience of Hertfordshire residents and soldiers during the Great War. This book is published by Frontline Books.
Author Richard Merry talks about his latest book on the Great War in the Argonne Forest. This book is published by Pen and Sword.
Author and pilot Mark Hillier about talks his latest book on the equipment and clothes of the RFC Great War. This book is published by Pen and Sword.
Historian Pratap Chettri talks about his research into the Assam Rifles in the Great War.
Historian Dr Edward Madigan, Senior Lecturer in Public History, Royal Holloway, University of London, talks about his research into the experience of British Jewish communities during the Great War.
Historian Dr Paul Harris about his recent book on the life and career of General Sir Herbert Lawrence. This book is published by Helion and Co.
Author Philip Bujak talks about his latest book on John Sherwood Kelly DSO VC and his career and action-filled life during and after the Great War. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
Dr John Spencer talks about his recent work on the influence and career of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson during the Great War. This book is published by Helion and Co.
Historian Nick Perry about talks about his recent book on the life and Great War career of Major General Oliver Nugent. This book is published by the Ulster History Forum.
Dr Fionnuala Walsh, lecturer in Modern Irish History at University College Dublin, talks about her recent book Irish women during the Great War. This is published by CUP.
Dr Anne Samson talks about her recent book on Field Marshall Lord Kitchener. This is published by Helion.
Extra edition: Simon Bendry of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission talks about the Commission’s War Graves Week that takes place between 21-28 May 2021. More information is https://www.cwgc.org/our-war-graves-your-history/war-graves-week/
Historian Dr Paul Harris about his work on the British General Staff during the Great War.
Historian Phillip Tardif talks about his recent book on the North Irish Horse during the Great War. This is published by Pen & Sword.
American historian and author Stephen L. Harris talks about his book Harlem’s Hell Fighters which examines the service of the American 369th Infantry Regiment in the Great War. This book is published by Potomac Books.
Historian Wendy Moore about her recent book Endell Street on the hospital of that name established and run in Convent Garden, London, by pioneering doctors Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson. This book is released in the US under the name NO MAN’S LAND in the US; both US and UK versions are published by […]
Professor Roger Reese, Professor of History at Texas A&M University in the USA talks about his research into the Russian Army before and during the Great War.
Dr Spencer Jones, Senior Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton, talks about the wartime letters of General Edward Pereira which he recently edited with Michael Locicero and Edward Pereria. This book is published by Helion and Co.
Professor Ian Van Der Waag, Professor and Head of Department of Military History at Stellenbosch University, and Dr Tony Garcia, Research Fellow History at Stellenbosch University, talk about their research into the life and career of South African statesman, soldier and politician Jan Smuts, before and during the Great War.
Historian Rob Thompson talks about how the British army supplied logistics and material for the Messines/Third Ypres Campaign of 1917.
Historian Rob Thompson talks about how the British army supplied logistics and material for the Messines/Third Ypres Campaign of 1917.
American historian and author Stephen L. Harris talks about his book recent book Duty, Honor, Privilege that looks at the New York’s Silk Stocking Regiment and how it ‘broke’ the Hindenburg Line in 1918. This book is published by Potomac Books.
Canadian historian Professor Christopher Bell, Professor of History at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, talks about his recent book Churchill and the Dardanelles that examines the role Winston Churchill in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. This book is published by Oxford University Press.
Historian Professor Robert Gerwarth, Professor of Modern History at University College Dublin and Director of the Centre for War Studies, talks about his recent book on the German 1918 Revolution. This book is published by Oxford University Press.
Historian and writer Professor Edward G Lengel talks about his book, Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion. This book investigates the action in which men from four different infantry battalions of the 77th Division of the American Expeditionary Force, were isolated by German forces during an American attack in […]
Historian Dr Seamus Cullen talks about his recent book Kildare, The Irish Revolution, 1912-1923, that looks at County Kildare through the Home Rule Crisis, the Great War, the War of Irish Independence and the Irish Civil War. This book is published by Four Courts Press.
Freelance historian Simon Jones about his research into chemical weapons during the Great War.
PhD candidate Kieran Taylor, studying at the University of Stirling, talks about his research into Belgian refugees in Glasgow during the Great War.
American historian and author Stephen L. Harris talks about his recent book Duffy’s War that looks at the wartime service of the US 69th Infantry Regiment, their padre Fr. Francis Duffy and commander ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan during their deployment in France. This book is published by Potomac Books.
Historian Dr James Connolly, Lecturer in Modern French History at University College London about his research into the French experience of military occupation by German forces during WW1. James has written ‘The experience of occupation in the Nord, 1914– 18’. This is published by Manchester University Press.
Author Dr Aaron Pegram, Senior Historian at the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial, on the life, career and reputation of General Sir John Monash.
Historian Louise Bell talks about her research into the rehabilitation and treatment of limbless service personnel after the Great War.
Doctoral candidate Joshua Bilton talks about his research into the military identities of British soldier conscripts during the Great War. Joshua is a student at King’s College London.
Social historian Dr Mary Fraser, talks about her research into police and policing in Britain during WW1.
Historian and author Dr Meleah Hampton, a historian in the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial, talks about her research into the Anzacs on the Western Front.
Historian Dr Barbara Walsh about her recent book on Irish servicewomen during the Great War. This is published by Pen & Sword.
Mark Scott talks about his new book, Among the Kings, that gives a new story on the Unknown Warrior. This is published Blacstaff.
Historian George Morton Jack talks about his recent book on India and the Great War, entitled The Indian Empire at War: The Untold Story of the Indian Army in the First World War. This is published by Abacus in a new, updated paperback edition (2020)
Author Dr David Murphy, a lecturer in military history and strategic studies at Maynooth University in Ireland, talks about his recent book, Breaking Point of the French Army, that looks at the failed Nivelle Offensive of 1917. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
Author Neill Gilhooley talks about his recent book on the service of the 9th Battalion, Royal Scots, during the Great War. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
Richard Pursehouse talks about on his recent book on German POWs held at Brocton Camp on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, during the Great War. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
Dr Timothy Bowman, a Reader in modern British military history, University of Kent, Dr William Butler, the Head of Military Records, The National Archives, UK and Dr Michael Wheatley, an independent researcher and writes on early twentieth-century Irish politics, talk about their latest book, The Disparity of Sacrifice. This book examines the military recruitment in […]
Lawyer and lecturer Dr Catherine Bond, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales, talks about her recent book on law in Australia during the Great War. This is published by NewSouth Books (UNSW Press).
Dr Rich Willis and Richard Fisher, Founder and Director of the Vickers Machine Gun Research Association, talk about their research into the legend that ten guns of the 100th Machine Gun Company in August 1916 fired off 1,000,000 rounds in a twelve-hour period throughout fighting at High Wood during the Battle of the Somme.
Dr Aaron Pegram, Senior Historian at the Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial, talks about his recent book on Australian POWs on the Western Front during WW1. This book is published by CUP.
Professor Mark Connelly, Professor of Modern British History, University of Kent and Dr Stefan Goebel, Reader and Director of the Centre for the History of War, Media and Society, University of Kent, talk about their recent book on Ypres. This is published by OUP.
Dr Michael Freemantle, a freelance Science Writer, talks about his book the Chemists’ War 1914-1918 that looks at the role of chemists and chemistry during the Great War.
Author David Martin talks about his recent book on the 58th Division (London) during WW1. This is published by Pen & Sword.
Professor Ian Van Der Waag, Professor and Head of Department of Military History at Stellenbosch University, and Dr Tony Garcia, an independent scholar talk about their research into life and career of Louis Botha, Boer military commander and South African Prime Minister before and during the Great War.
Neil Story talks about his book on the service of the Territorial Battalions of the Norfolk Regiment during the Great War, and in particular, the famous Sandringham Company. This book is published by Pen & Sword.
David Tattersfield, Development Trustee of the WFA, talks about Operation Alias, a project by the WFA to identify men who fell in the Great War and served under an alias or ‘false’ name.
Professor Alison Fell, Professor of French Cultural History at the University of Leeds, talks about her recent book on women as veterans in post-Great War France and Britain. Alison’s book examines the cultural and social identity some women adopted, or were given, as war veterans in the 1920s and how this was received by the […]
Peter Welsh talks about his research into the community of Washington during the Great War.
Simon Bendry, the former Programme Director of the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Programme based at University College London, talks about the programme that completed its work in April 2020.
Pratap Chhetri talks about his research into Rana Jodha Jung Bahadur, the first Gurkha officer in the British Army during the Great War.
Gerry White, Chair of the Cork branch of the WFA, talks about his research into Tom Barry, who was a British soldier in WW1 and became a leading IRA commander during the Anglo-Irish War.
Kate Imy, Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas, talks about her recent book Faithful Fighters. Her book explores the Indian Army’s attempts to racialize and militarize the South Asian identities of its multi-racial, multi-linguistic, and multi-faith soldiery to secure their loyalty, cooperation. Her book is published by Standford University Press.
Professor Matthew Stibbe, Professor of Modern European History at Sheffield Hallam University about his book on civilian internment during the Great War. This is published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Historian Nigel Atter about his book on the Great War service of the 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. This is published by Helion.
Michael Nugent talks about his recent book into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at the 1915 Battle of Festubert. This is published by Reveille Press.
David Marks about his recent book on the German Zeppelin Offensive as documented in propaganda, postcards and pictures. This has been published by Pen & Sword.
Damien Burke, archivist at the Irish Jesuit Archives, talks about his research into the responses of Irish Jesuits to the end of WW1.
Dr Adam Prime, lecturer in the Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Salford, talks about his research into the Indian Army during the Great War.
Professor Jerry White, Professor in History at Birkbeck, University of London, talks about his social history about London during the Great War. This is published by Vintage.
Author Dan Mclean about his book on Rugbeians in the Great War, published by Pen and Sword.
David Martin talks about his recent book on the 66th Division (East Lancs) during the German Spring Offensive. This is published by Pen & Sword.
Dr Rory Sweetman talks about his recent book on the defence of Trinity College Dublin during the Easter Rising in 1916. This is published by Four Courts Press.
Andrea Hetherington talks about her research into soldiers who deserted in Britain during the Great War.
Professor Sir Hew Strachan, Patron of The Western Front Association and Professor at University of St Andrews, talks about the social, political and economic consequences of the Great War for the major combatants immediately after the Armistice.
Journalist and writer Vanessa Holburn talks about her recent book on the 1919 Amritsar Massacre. This is published by Pen & Sword.
John Cornwell talks about his book on the first recruit and last survivor of the 12th Battalion, Yorks and Lancs Regiment (Sheffield City Battalion). This is published by Pen & Sword.
Charles Fair talks about his research into Officer Cadet Battalions during the Great War.
Kathryn White, a PhD history student at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, talks about her doctoral research into religion and the YMCA in WW1.
Alan Gow and Robert Jardine about their book (written with Richard Hannah) on the lives and war serviceof the men who commemorated on the Bo’ness War Memorial, West Lothian.
Dr Anne-Marie Foster, Lecturer, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, talks about her research investigating the ethical, legal and policy questions around families donating WW1 items of former veterans to museums.
Dr Toby Haggith, Senior Curator, Department of Second World War and Mid-20th Century Conflict, Imperial War Museum, talks about his research into the 1916 Battle of the Somme Film.
Diane Stephens, Manager of the Heugh Battery Museum (http://www.heughbattery.co.uk/) about the battery and its role in WW1.
Former cabinet minister and MP, David Laws about his latest book, Who Killed Kitchener?, examining the life and death of Field Marshal Lord Kitchener. This is published by Biteback publishing.
Sue Laffey talks about the research she and Ida Atkinson did into the community of Bilsdale, North Yorkshire, during the First World War and the Great War service of its residents. For more information contact Sue on bilsdalefields@virginmedia.com.
Pratap Chhetri talks about his research into companies of the Indian Labour Corps during the Great War.
Professor Gary Sheffield, Professor of War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, talks about a collection of papers, In Haig’s Shadow, that he has recently edited and has been published by Greenhill Books. This volume features private papers from the De Pree family that include unseen correspondence from Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and Haig’s […]
Dr Rachel Duffett, Research Officer, Department of Sociology at the University of Essex, talks about on her recent book the Stomach for Fighting that looks at food and the British Tommy during WW1.
Dr Michael Reeve, Academic Skills Tutor and History Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, talks about his doctoral research into coastal communities in the NE of England during the War.
On this week’s Dispatches podcast, Dr Helen Brooks, Reader in Theatre and Cultural History, School of Arts, and Dr Philippa Gregory, History HPL Tutor, both from the University of Kent, talk about Bruce Bairnsfather’s famous ‘Other ‘Ole’ cartoon and its impact and resonance during the Great War and after.
Dr Amanda Nagel, Assistant Professor of Military History at the School of Advanced Military Studies, US Army Command and General Staff College, talks about African-American Servicemen during the Great War.
Dr Richard Batten, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, talks about a collection of papers relating to the wartime experience of Hugh Fortescue, the Fourth Earl Fortescue, who was Lord Lieutenant for Devon during the Great War, that he has recently edited. These papers are collected in a volume produced by the Devon […]
Colin Campbell about his book on the 51st Highland Division during the Great War that has been reprinted by Pen and Sword.
Dr Bruce Cherry talks about his book on the sex life of the Tommy on the Western Front, They Didn’t Want to Die Virgins: Sex and Morale in the British Army on the Western Front 1914-1918, which was published by Helion and Co in 2016.
Pär Sundström, bass player in the Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton, talks about their new album, the Great War, inspired by the First World War, and the fundraising the band has done for the Heugh Battery Museum (http://www.heughbattery.co.uk/) in Hartlepool.
Dr Samuel Foster, Visiting Academic in the School of History, University of East Anglia, talks about Serbia in the Great War.
Emile Coetzee, from North West University in South Africa, talks about the 1914 Afrikaner Rebellion.
Dr Chris Kempshall, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Army Leadership, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, talks about his book on The First World War in Computer Games. This was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015. Use the following token on palgrave.com (qj9JE7Czmn4DJFq) to get a 20% discount. Valid 2.9.19 to 30.9.19.
Antonio Garcia talks about his recent book on the South African campaign against German South West Africa in 1914/5 (published by Helion).
Mike Hally, PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh, discusses his research into veterans’ response to Peace Day that was held on 19 July 1919.
Marietta Crichton Stuart talks about Percy Shuttlewood, who served in her grandfather’s battalion during the Great War and she describes as the ‘Welsh Walter Mitty’.
Dr Brian Hall, Programme Leader at the University of Salford, talks about his book on communications and operations on the Western Front during the Great War (published by CUP).
Prof Catriona Pennell, from the University of Exeter, talks about her book on the popular responses to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 (published by OUP).
Wenlan Peng, from the Meridian Society (www.themeridiansociety.org.uk), talks about the Chinese Labour Corps on the Western Front during the Great War.
Dr Chris Kempshall, Teaching Fellow in European History at the University of Sussex, talks about his book on the relationships between soldiers in the British, French and American armies on the Western Front during the Great War. This is the subject of his first book published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Dr William Butler, Outreach Officer and Associate Lecturer at the University of Kent, talks about the post-war mutinies in the British Army. This lecture was given as part of the Antrim and Down WFA branch’s spring conference on the Consequences of War held on the 9 May 2019.
Dr Mario Draper, Lecturer in Modern British and European History at the University of Kent, discusses the mutiny of the Connaught Rangers in India in 1920. This lecture was given as part of the Antrim and Down WFA branch’s spring conference on the Consequences of War held on the 9 May 2019.
Dr Alex Mayhew discusses his PhD that looked at the English infantryman’s morale and perception of crisis on the Western Front.
Dr Martin Purdy talks about chaplains and religion on the Western Front during the Great War.
Michael Nugent talks about his book on the 36th Ulster Division during the German 1918 Spring Offensive, published by Helion.
Dr Emily Anderson, from Newcastle University, talks about her PhD research into humour in British literature during the Great War.
Emile Coetzee, from North West University in South Africa, talks about L/Cpl L/Cpl Wijnand “Vic” Hamman, who served in South African 2nd Regt during the Great War.
Prof. Peter Stanley, from the University of New South Wales, talks about his latest book on British Territorials in India during the Great War, published by Helion.
Dr Bill Stewart talks about the Canadian Corp’s Operation Delta and how it shaped operations during the 100 Days in 1918.
Phil Sutcliffe talks about his father’s account of being an infantryman during the Great War.
Doctoral student Percy Leung at the University of St Andrews’ talks about his research into the Berlin Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras during the Great War.
Dr Jack Davies, Assistant Curator at the Science Museum, talks abou the impact of WW1 on Australian-British relations. This talk was given as part of the The End of the War & The Reshaping of a Century International Conference held at the University of Wolverhampton in September last year.
Emeritus Professor Michael Durey, from Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, talks about his research project that explores the lives of British officers killed on the Western Front during the Great War.
Alan Wakefield, Head of First World War & Early 20th Century Conflict at the Imperial War Museum and Chairman of the Salonika Campaign Society, talks about the Salonika campaign during the Great War.
Doctoral candidate Jane Clarke, studying at the University of Manchester, discusses her research into the impact of military service for women who served in the First World War.
Doctoral candidate Harry Sanderson, from the University of Leeds, discusses his research into the training of British infantry soldiers during the Great War.
Medical historian Dr Michael Robinson, from the University of Liverpool, talks about the treatment of mentally-ill Irish ex-serviceman after the Great War.
For the 100th edition, outgoing WFA President, Prof. Peter Simkins, gives his reflections on the Great War Centenary and his life as a First World War historian.
Historian Jack Sheldon talks about the performance and collapse of the German Army during the Hundred Days in 1918.
Richard Stobo talks about, ‘The Australian Victories in France in 1918? An Examination of Australian Corps Operations during the Hundred Days’. This talk was given as part of the ‘End of the War & the Reshaping of a Century’ conference held at the University of Wolverhampton in September last year.
Professor Tammy Proctor from Utah State University gives a talk on the end of the German occupation of Brussels between the dates of October to December 1918. This talk was given as part of the ‘End of the War & the Reshaping of a Century’ conference held at the University of Wolverhampton in September last […]
Historian Ross Beadle talks about the rise of Sir William Robertson who was appointed to the role of Chief of the Imperial General Staff in December 1915.
WFA Trustee David Tattersfield talks about the First World War Pension Record Cards that the WFA acquired from the Ministry of Defence in 2012 and how these records are to be made publicly accessible online in the near future.
John Green talks about his relative Irish nationalist politician Major Willie Redmond MP, who was killed at the Battle of Messines in June 1917.
School archivist Sarah Wearne talks about her new book that looks at Great War memorials in public schools, This is published by Helion.
Historian Dr Vanda Wilcox, Adjunct Assistant Professor of History at John Cabot University, talks about her recent book on the morale of the Italian Army during the Great War which has just been published in paperback by Cambridge University Press (from 20.12.2018).
Portuguese Army officer Miguel Freire talks about the role of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force on the Western Front during WW1.
Dr Sally White talks about her new book Ordinary Heroes on civilian volunteers during the Great War, published by Amberly.
Historian Dr. Stephen Sandford talks about his 2014 book, Neither Unionist Nor Nationalist, about the history of the 10th (Irish) Division during the Great War.
Gerry Barton talks about his new book, jointly written with John Babb, on conscientious objectors in Mid-Staffordshire and the Black Country during the Great War.
Professor Richard Grayson, Professor of Twentieth-Century History at Goldsmiths, University of London, talks about his new book charting Dublin’s Great Wars, 1912-1923, that covers the role of Dubliners in the Great War, Easter Rising and Irish Revolution. His book is published by Cambridge University Press.
Professor Ingrid Sharp, Professor of German Cultural and Gender History at the University of Leeds, talks about her research into female political activists during the German 1918 revolution.
Scholar and author Dr Spencer Jones from the University of Wolverhampton talks about his new book, At All Costs, which looks at the British Army on the Western Front in 1916. This is published by Helion and Co.
Scholar and author Dr Kate Kennedy, from the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing (OCLW), based at Wolfson College University of Oxford, talks about Wilfred Owen and his poetry during the Great War.
Former Brigadier Jim Tanner, current Chairman of Trustees at the Staffordshire Regimental Museum, talks about the capture of Riqueval Bridge over the St Quentin Canal by the 46th Midland Division, the centenary of which is being commemorated on Saturday 29 September 2018 at a ceremony on the bridge. At this ceremony, the memorial placed there […]
Medical historian and curator Dr Ian Miller, Lecturer at Ulster University, talks about force-feeding during the Great War.
Former Brigadier and author John Powell talks about his biography of General Sir Edward Bulfin, an Irish Catholic general officer in the British Army during the Great War. This has been published by Pen & Sword.
Dr James Hurst talks about his latest book (published by Helion & Co.) which reappraises the landing by the ANZAC forces on the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915.
Historian Tim Halstead talks about his recent book on Uppingham public school during the Great War that has been published by Helion and Co.
Historian Dr Dennis Williams talks about his latest book on the British Second Army and its role in the Liberation of Flanders during the 100 days. This book is published by Helion and Co.
Historian David Blanchard talks about his latest book on the Third Battle of the Asine that took place in May 1918. This book is published by Pen and Sword.
Dr. Andrea McKenzie, Associate Professor at York University, Toronto, Canada, talks about her research into Canadian nurses’ war narratives of the Great War.
Dr. Linda Parker talks about her book on the Rev. Philip ‘Tubby’ Clayton during the Great War, published by Helion & Co.
Historian and First World War expert Taff Gillingham delivers a lecture on the British soldier in 1918. This talk was given at the WFA’s York Conference on 7th July 2018.
Dr. Aimee Fox, Lecturer in Defence Studies at King·s College London, talks about her new book Learning to Fight. This looks at military innovation in the British Army during the First World War and is published by Cambridge University Press.
Dr Oliver Wilkinson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Wolverhampton, talks about his recent book titled British Prisoners of War in First World War Germany published by Cambridge University Press.
Dr Adrian Gregson talks about his recent book, From Docks and Sand, Southport and Bottle·s Battalion, the 7th King·s Liverpool Regiment, in the First World War, published by Helion and Co.
Historian Peter Hart about his new book The Last Battle – Endgame on the Western Front 1918, published by Profile books.
Dr Jonathan Boff, University of Birmingham, gives a lecture on the German Spring Offensives which happened from March to July in 1918; this talk was given at the WFA’s 7th President’s Conference in Birmingham on 2 June 2018.
Dr Alison Hines, gives a lecture on the British Manpower Crisis of 1918; this talk was given at the WFA’s 7th President’s Conference in Birmingham on 2 June 2018.
Anne Buckley (@skiptonpow), Lecturer in Translation Studies and German at Leeds University, talks about translating memoirs of a group of German officers imprisoned in Skipton in World War I.
Author Kenneth C. Davis (@kennethcdavis) talks about his latest book on the hidden history of the Spanish Flu during World War 1, published by Henry Holt.
WFA trustee David Tattersfield talks about his detective work in France to determine the identities of two majors buried in graves marked unknown, who were both killed in the German Spring offensive on the River Aisne in May 1918.
Richard O’Sullivan, Assistant Curator at the London Irish Rifles Association, talks about the London Irish battalions of the London Regiment during the Great War.
Sir Hew Strachan, patron of the WFA and Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, delivers a lecture on blockade, economic warfare and the use of starvation during the Great War. This lecture was recorded at the WFA’s AGM in London last month.
Dr Andrew Humphries, Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, talks on D.H. Lawrence during the Great War and his recent book D. H. Lawrence, Transport and Cultural Transition: ‘A Great Sense of Journeying’ (published by Palgrave Macmillan).
Irish Times Journalist Ronan McGreevy about his book Wherever the Firing line Extends, published by the History Press Ireland. This book examines the legacy of the 23 Irish memorials to fallen men on the Western Front. In the podcast, Ronan talks about documentary he made that looks at the Irish involvement in the 1917 campaign. […]
Andrea Hetherington talks about her new book British Widows of the First World War (published Pen and Sword).
Dr Linda Parker talks about her new book (published by Helion and Co) on Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, better known as Woodbine Willie, during his service as an Army Chaplain in the Great War.
GP Dr Irfan Malik talks about his research into the Great War contribution of his ancestral village of Dulmial, which is located in the Punjab area of Pakistan.
Doctoral candidate Carol Henderson talks about her research into the military appeals tribunals in Middlesex where men sought to gain exemption from conscription and military service during the Great War.
Dr Jonathan Boff, University of Birmingham, discusses his latest book Haig’s Enemy on Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria during the Great War on the Western Front (published by OUP).
Military historian and guide Clive Harris talks about his 20 years of experiences as a battlefield tour guide taking parties of people around sites in France and Flanders.
Author and historian Louise Heren talks about her book on Nannies and the Great War (published by Pen and Sword).
PhD candidate Joanna Costin talks about her research into the Cambridgeshire communities in the Great War. Joanna was one of six doctoral students who were recipients of the WFA PhD scholarship grant scheme that is designed to further academic research and understanding into the First World War.
Historian Charles fair and host Tom Thorpe survey the character, traditions and quirks of the 28 infantry battalions of the London Regiment prior to the Great War.
Dr Bill Mitchinson talks about his latest book on the 48th (South Midland) Division from 1908 to 1919 (published by Helion & Co.)
Military historian and battlefield guide Clive Harris, Director of Battle Honours, discusses the Hindenburg Line during the First World War.
Dr. Spencer Jones, Senior Lecturer in Armed Forces and War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton talks about the Chinese Labour Corps in the Great War.
Jeremy Gordon-Smith talks about his new book Photographing the Fallen (published by Pen & Sword) on his great uncle Ivan Bawtree, who was a photographer with the Graves Registration Unit on the Western Front during the Great War.
Professor Richard Grayson, Goldsmith’s London, talks about his forthcoming book on Dublin between 1912-1923. He gave this lecture on 10 November last year (2017) to the Antrim and Down branch of the WFA.
John Lee talks about the American Expeditionary Force and how the adapted to combat conditions on the Western Front in 1918. This lecture was given on the 9 November 2017 at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.
Sarah Reay (http://www.halfshillingcurate.com/) talks about her latest book The Half Shilling Curate which details her Grandfather Herbert Cowl’s military service as an army chaplain in the 23rd Division on the Western Front during the Great War (published by Helion and Co.).
Charles Barrington talks about his new book (published by Helion and Co.) What did you do in the Great War, Grandfather? about his grandfather’s service in the Great War as a regular artillery officer serving with the BEF in 1914 and then with the 61st Division.
Dr William Stewart talks about his latest book, published by Helion and Co, that examines the Canadian forces contribution, experience and performance during the Battle of the Somme.
Charles Fairs talks about a collection of letters and diaries written by his grandparents and their immediate social circle during the Great War that he published in 2012. The central character is his grandmother Marjorie Secretan and Charles talks about how the war affected her as she lost her brother, fiancé and other close family […]
Nigel Atter talks about the role and experience of his grandfather’s battalion, the 8th Lincolns at the Battle of Loos in September 1915, this is based on his latest book published by Helion and Co.
Dr Vivien Newman talks about her new book (with David Alexander Scott Semeraro) on female agent Regina Diana who spied for the Germans in France during the Great War. Her book is titled Seductress, Siren, Spy: The Undercover World of Agent Regina Diana 1914-1918, and is published by Pen and Sword.
Dr Andrew Bamji talks about New Zealand surgeon Dr Harold Gillies and his pioneering work in plastic surgery to treat and manage facial injuries at the Queen’s Hospital, Sidcup during WW1. This talk is based around his recent book Faces from the Front, published by Helion and Co.
John Rigby Jones talks about his new book on the experience and service of his teenage grandfather, Captain Eric Rigby Jones, on the Western Front during the Great War with the Liverpool Pals (published by Helion and Co).
Photographer and historian Michael St Maur Sheil talks on the role of the Doughboys and US forces in France during 1917 and 1918. This talk was given in Belfast on 11 September 2017.
Psychiatrist and medical historian Dr Stefanie Linden discusses her new book on the diagnosis and treatment of shellshock by doctors in Britain and Germany (published by Helion and Co.).
Medical doctor and historian Dr Jane Orr talks to the podcast about the “Spanish Flu” pandemic which killed up to 100 million people across the world between 1917 and 1919.
Historian Charles Messenger discusses his biography of controversial solider Franck Crozier; Brigadier in the Great War, Inspector General of the Lithuanian Army and Commander of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Irish Independence.
Historian and author Dr Vivien Newman (http://firstworldwarwomen.co.uk/about.html) talks about the role and experience of women in Europe and Britain during the First World War.
Military historian Andy Robertshaw talks about the amazing account of Private Joseph John Steward’s military service in the 1/13 Battalion London Regiment during the Great War he edited (published by Pen & Sword, 2011).
Dr Chris Manson talks on ‘Commemoration of WW1 in Ireland’. This talk was given to Antrim and Down branch of the WFA in 2016. The normal routine of interviews will begin after the summer break.
Dr William Butler (University of Kent) talks on ‘Can you any longer resist the call?’ Military Recruiting in Ireland, 1916. This was part of the branch’s Somme Conference held in October 2016. The normal routine of interviews will begin after the summer break.
Ian Montgomery, Co-chair, Antrim and Down WFA branch, talks on ‘Thoroughbred Irishmen: Black Watch volunteers in Dublin before the First World War’. This lecture was given at conference between the WFA and the Public Record Office for Northern Ireland on military traditions in Ireland.
Professor Richard Grayson (Goldsmiths, University of London) talks on ‘Beyond the Somme: West Belfast’s Somme service in context’. This was a lecture given at the 2016 Somme conference held by the Antrim and Down WFA branch in October 2016.
Nicholas Perry talks on ‘After the battle: Nugent, the Ulster Division and their Army commanders in 1916’. This was a lecture given at the 2016 Somme conference held by the Antrim and Down WFA branch in October 2016.
Jim Smithson discusses his latest book A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe April 9-14 1917 (Solihull: Helion 2017 (Wolverhampton Military Studies)) which examines the opening phase of the Battle Arras.
Military historian Paul O’Brien discusses his new book Havoc on the role and impact of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary during the Irish War of Independence, 1920-21.
Ron McMurray from the Donegall Pass Heroes of the Great War Project explains the community based initiative that has been used to discover the stories of men from South Belfast who fought in the First World War.
This recording is of a talk given by Professor Andrew Lambert, King’s College London, to the Antrim and Down WFA branch Somme Conference last October (2016) on the outcomes of the 1916 naval battle at Jutland.
Martin Pegler, former Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries, discusses sniping and field-craft in the First World War (his book, Sniping in the Great War, has been re-published by Pen & Sword).
Lucinda Moore, a picture researcher at the Mary Evans Picture Library, discusses her new book Animals in the Great War (published by Pen & Sword).
Dr Nick Lloyd, from King’s College London, discusses the Battle of Third Ypres and his new book Passchendaele, A New History (published by Viking Penguin).
Clinical psychologist Dr Peter Hodgkinson discusses his latest book Glum Heroes (published by Helion & Co.) on how soldiers coped with the psychological stress and strain of trench warfare during the Great War.
Dr Tim Bowman, University of Kent, gives a guest lecture at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast to mark the centenary of the Battle of Messines (7 June) which involved the Irish raised divisions, 16th Irish and 36th Ulster. His talk addresses the myths which have grown up around the battle.
Piet Chielens, the Coordinator of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, gives a guest lecture at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast on Thursday, 1st June, titled ‘The Island of Ireland and the Great War in Flanders’.
Steven Rabalais talks about his biography of General Fox Conner (published by Casemate) who was the American Expeditionary Force during the Great War and was a mentor to Dwight Eisenhower in the 1920’s. Further information can be found at www.generalfoxconner.com.
Beverly Jones, from Peterborough Archives Service, talks about the research into two visitors’ books from a tea stall run by the Women’s United Total Abstinence Council on Peterborough East Railway Station during 1916 and 1917.
Dominiek Dendooven, from the In Flanders Fields museum, discusses the recently published 1917 diary of Belgian priest Achiel Van Walleghem, who was based near Ypres behind the British lines (Edward Everett Root Publishers Co. Ltd).
Luci Gosling, from the Mary Evans Picture Library, discusses a talk she gave to the WFA’s AGM in Newcastle on cartoons, cartoonists and the Great War.
Dr Stephen Miles discusses battlefield tourism on the Western Front based on his new book The Western Front : Landscape, Tourism and Heritage, published by Pen & Sword.
Dr Samantha Philo-Gill discusses her new book on the formation, role and legacy of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (published by Pen & Sword).
Dr Peter Grant discusses how the Great War has shaped and provided inspiration for modern pop bands, heavy metal and contemporary classical music.
Philip Pratley talks about ‘Irish Soldiers One Year On: The Changes of 1917 ’, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History conference ‘The Armies of 1917’, held in April 2017.
Dr Paul Harris talks about ‘The British Army Staff System in 1917′, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History conference ‘The Armies of 1917’, held in April 2017.
Dr Tim Gale talks about ‘The development of French armoured warfare doctrine in 1917 ’, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History conference ‘The Armies of 1917’, held in April 2017.
Michael Orr talks about ‘Bunny & his artillery company: Command and Morale in 2nd Battalion Honourable Artillery Company in 1917’, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History conference ‘The Armies of 1917’, held in April 2017.
This episode looks at the new research on the Great War from the University of Kent. PhD students Jack Davies tells about his research into stately homes as hospitals and Philippa Gregory discusses her doctoral study into cartoon humour during the war.
This episode comes from HMS Caroline, the last remaining warship that fought at the 1916 Battle of Jutland. We also interview historian Gavin Hughes on his new book Fighting Irish, talk to Beverly Jones about Peterborough’s tea stall visitors book stories and speak to PhD student Michael Woods about tactical learning in 1915.
We hear from historians Steven Barker and Jack Sheldon on how combatants learnt lessons from the Battle of the Somme. We also discuss with psychologist Peter Hodgkinson his latest book Glum Heroes on psychological survival in the trenches and interview Rob Newman about his PhD on the importance of wood in trench warfare.