Tales from the Battlefields

In this episode we travel to La Boisselle and follow the fortunes of the Tyneside Scottish volunteers on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. Who were these men? What happened to them as they went “over the top” at 7.30am on this disastrous day? Who was the 16 year old “Boy Soldier”?  And what happened to their Commanding Officers in No Man’s Land? This episode was recorded on the battlefield, as we walk through the village and discuss their brave actions with Newcastle City historian Martin Talbot.

In this episode we discover the story of Lt Charles Potts, Tunnelling Officer at the Birr Cross Roads beneath the Menin Road near Ypres. Wounded in both legs, awful shell shock. What is his story? And we follow the trail of 2 brothers who joined the Royal Flying Corps and died within a few days of each other. And the incredible story of a decorated Officer who had to supervise the execution of a deserter, and was wounded 4 times whilst serving on the Western Front for 4 years. What is his story? We also visit the Greek Island of Rhodes and discover the grave of soldier who served in the Great War as a 14 year old, was evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 but died in a tragic accident after the fighting had stopped.

In this episode we travel to the Somme battlefield of 1st July 1916 and follow in the footsteps of the 36th Ulster Division on that day. We learn, through the eyes of the soldiers who were there, what happened as they charged into the Schwaben Redoubt. We discover what the veteran’s thoughts were when they returned in 1930 and what happened when war returned to the area in 1940. What became of the caretaker of the Ulster Tower? And we walk across No Man’s Land and discover 2 battlefield cemeteries. What did we find along the way?

In this episode we explore the incredible story of Machine Gunner Robert Hynd, whose dead body was identified during the Battle of Arras and buried by his comrades. But it wasn’t him…he had been taken Prisoner of War and was in Germany. For 3 long months his parents thought he was dead until they received a post card from him. How did this happen? What was the impact on the family? We find out through the words of Robert himself. We also meet the sister of a casualty who describes, and draws, the battlefield in 1919. Helen McKie later became the only woman, in 1931, to sketch the future Fuhrer. We also discover some other incredible stories on the Arras battlefields.

In this episode we travel to the 1917 Arras battlefield following in the footsteps of Sgt Fred Height, 9th Royal Fusiliers. Fred was killed on the first day of the battle and has no known grave. We follow his journey from his home in Northamptonshire to France, and walk the battlefield where his battalion advanced. We discover a possible grave for Fred in a nearby cemetery. We also talk to 15 year old Harry, who reads a poem he wrote after visiting the mine craters on the Somme battlefield.