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The Old Front Line

The Old Front Line

By: Paul Reed
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Summary

Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he interviewed, to when he spent more than a decade living on the Old Front Line in the heart of the Somme battlefields.

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Episodes
  • St Eloi Craters 1916
    May 9 2026

    Step into one of the most chaotic and little-known battles of the First World War in 1916 with this episode of The Old Front Line, as we explore the Battle of the St Eloi Craters (March–April 1916).

    Fought in the shattered landscape south of Ypres, this battle saw the devastating use of underground mines transform the battlefield into a nightmarish maze of mud-filled craters. We examine how British tunnelling companies detonated massive charges beneath German lines, and how the newly arrived Canadian Corps struggled to hold and understand the ground they had inherited.

    At the heart of this episode are powerful first-hand accounts. We hear the experiences of Donald Fraser, whose vivid testimony captures the confusion and brutality of crater fighting, and Harold McGill, medical officer with the 31st Battalion, who provides a harrowing insight into the challenges of treating the wounded in such extreme conditions.

    Main Image: Actions of St. Eloi Craters. Troops of the Northumberland Fusiliers, 3rd Division, wearing German helmets and gas masks captured at St. Eloi, 27th March 1916. Image taken by Ernest Brooks (IWM Q494)

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    35 mins
  • Questions and Answers Episode 52
    May 2 2026

    Step back from the battlefield and into the questions that bring the Great War to life in this special Q&A episode. Drawing on years of battlefield exploration and historical research, we tackle four fascinating listener questions centred on the Battle of the Somme and beyond.

    We begin on the heights above the battlefield, exploring the idea of Bouzincourt Ridge as a “grandstand view” on 1 July 1916. What could be seen at 7:30am as the attack began? While no direct veteran testimony from that exact vantage point survives, we examine contemporary accounts, artillery observation points, and how the opening moments of the Somme were witnessed from the rear areas.

    From there, we address a powerful and sobering question about the dead of the Somme. With so many soldiers listed as unidentifiied, how were remains recovered, identified, and buried? Could parts of the same individual have ended up in different graves, and how did organisations like the Imperial War Graves Commission ensure accuracy and dignity in commemoration?

    Next, we break down the sheer scale of the Somme fighting. Was it a continuous daily offensive, or a series of smaller battles? We explain how the campaign unfolded between July and November 1916, highlighting key phases such as the Battle of Bazentin Ridge and the Battle of Flers-Courcelette to give clarity to one of history’s most complex battles.

    Finally, we turn to literature, examining Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. How accurate is its depiction of trench life and tunnelling warfare? We compare fiction with historical reality, exploring where the novel captures the truth, and where it takes creative licence.

    Main Image: Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery during the Centenary in 2018 (Old Front Line Archives)

    Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.

    You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.

    Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Support the show

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    42 mins
  • The Bad Luck Battalion
    Apr 25 2026

    With a special edition for ANZAC Day, in this insightful interview, playwright Arthur Meek discusses his project to bring to life the voices of Gallipoli veterans through oral histories and verbatim theatre. The conversation explores the power of personal stories, memory, remembrance, and the impact of war on individuals and collective memory.

    A bonus for TOFL pod listeners - 50% off for the first 50 TOFL listeners with coupon: TOFL50

    The Bad Luck Battalion | A Verbatim Anzac War Story - get the full story in audio + ebook formats here https://payhip.com/b/C9B6s

    Website where folks can keep up to date about the project
    www.vog.care

    www.facebook.com/voicesofgallipoli

    Main Image: The Otago Regiment landing at Gallipoli 1915.

    Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.

    You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.

    Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
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Paul Reed, a battlefield guide, makes learning about the First World War easy and interesting. His easy conversational style brings the battlefields, the events and the individual soldiers vividly to life in front of the listener, and his passion for the subject really shines through.

Fascinating and engaging

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