Show Notes
In this episode we look at the very powerful and emotive stories of the children of the men that went off to World War 1 and never returned. How did they cope as young children? What happened to them in their adult lives? We hear from Ellen Elston whose Mother turned the portrait of her Father around because it upset her so much. And who was the WW2 airman who visited his father’s grave when he was 98 years old? How did it affect him? We also listen to the words of Gertrude Harris, who managed to get a pardon for her father who had been Shot at Dawn in 1916. And we discover the tragic story of father and son, mortally wounded just 5 miles apart from each other, 23 years apart and are buried in the same cemetery.
More from Tales from the Battlefields
In this episode we follow the Army Benevolent “Frontline Walk” from the Somme to Ypres. Over 50 people walked 100K from the Lochnager Crater to the Menin Gate, via Vimy Ridge, to raise funds for this charity. Along the way, we discover stories of the men who served on the Western Front. We hear about the Heyworth brothers who are remembered at Arras, and discover an incredible coincidence that occurred when I visited the Thiepval Memorial. We talk to a fundraiser whose Great Uncle fought on the Somme and walk around a massive German cemetery. We also hear from several walkers and discover what the walk has meant to them.
In this episode Battlefield Archaeologist Simon Verdegem talks about how he discovered the remains of Captain Henry Walker on the Ypres battlefield, 101 years after his death. How did he find him? How was he identified? What did the discovery mean to Simon and Walker’s relatives? We also discuss lots of other World War 1 battlefield issues and the role that archaeology plays in our understanding of the Western Front.
In this episode we travel to Ypres and visit some of the mine craters on the Messines Ridge. What did we discover? We find out through my eyes and the eyes of the soldiers who were there in June 1917. We then visit Talbot House in Poperinge and discover news about a new research project that is being undertaken to discover the stories of the boys who visited the house. We listen to some of their stories and discover what happened to them on the battlefield. We also discover the original copies of the “Wipers Times” in the House archives, and listen to part of the stage play that was performed in Ypres on the eve of the Centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
In this episode we learn about the famous Chaplain Woodbine Willie and how he buried the 2 Crutchley brothers who had died together during a trench raid. Who was he and how did he provide comfort to the bereaved parents back home? And we also visit the home of Captain Thomas Colyer-Fergusson, who was awarded the Victoria Cross at Ypres in July 1917. What artefacts did we find and what is his story? We discover personal letters that reveals both stories.
In this episode we discover the tragic stories of 2 soldiers, one from London and one from Australia, who both died from the effects of German trench mortar fire. But not during a famous battle. These were incidents that happened during a quiet period in the trenches. What happened to them? Lance Corporal Thomas Stevenson from New South Wales had been wounded and buried by shellfire at Fromelles but survived, only to die near Messines a year later. And Alf Stevenson from London died of gas poisoning on the Somme. But how?