Above the Battlefield: Royal Flying Corps & RAF in WW1

Above the Battlefield: Royal Flying Corps & RAF in WW1

Author: Paul Reed July 19, 2025 Duration: 47:24
For the start of our War in the Air Month, we begin with a look at the real story of the 'Twenty Minuters', the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force in the First World War. We look at its history from formation in 1912, its role in the opening months of the conflict, and how the war on the Western Front changed military aviation forever. A good overview of the Air War from the Imperial War Museum: What impact did the First World War have on aircraft and aerial warfare? Photographs of some o...

Imagine standing on a quiet French field, the same earth that once shook with the fury of the First World War. The Old Front Line is your guide to that landscape, hosted by military historian Paul Reed. This isn't a dry lecture from a distant studio; it's an audio journey built on a lifetime of dedication. Paul draws from more than forty years of research, weaving together the poignant first-hand accounts of veterans he met with his own unique perspective gained from living for over a decade right in the heart of the Somme battlefields. Each episode of this podcast feels like walking alongside him, tracing the contours of history that are still etched into the land. You'll hear the human stories behind the maps and monuments, understanding the conflict through the very ground where it was fought. It’s a deeply personal and evocative exploration, connecting the peaceful present with the tumultuous past. For anyone fascinated by history, landscape, or the powerful echoes of the Great War, this series offers an unparalleled, grounded perspective that only someone with Paul Reed's intimate experience can provide.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

The Old Front Line
Podcast Episodes
London Pride: The London Territorials in WW1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:30
In this episode of the Old Front Line podcast, host Paul Reed is joined by military historians Charles Fair, Richard Hendry, and Dr. Tom Thorpe to delve into the often-overlooked history of the London Territorial Force d…
Questions and Answers Episode 46 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:10
In this latest First World War Q&A episode we tackle some of the most intriguing and overlooked questions about life, strategy and survival on the Western Front and after the guns fell silent. Why did the British Army so…
Winter in Flanders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:30
In this episode, we explore the four brutal wartime winters in Flanders during the First World War, focusing on the Western Front around Ypres from 1914 to 1918. Beginning with the establishment of the British front line…
Questions and Answers Episode 45 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:33
In this latest Questions & Answers episode, we tackle some intriguing, and often misunderstood, aspects of life and fighting on the Western Front during the First World War. Who actually decided what a battle was called?…
Demarcation Stones at Ypres [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:42
In this special episode, Paul Reed discusses the Ypres League's mission to preserve the history of the Ypres Salient and the significance of Demarcation Stones that mark the furthest advance of German forces during the F…
Questions and Answers Episode 44 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:33
In this episode, we explore the role of British Army Chaplains during the First World War, examining who they were, what duties they performed at the front, and how effective they were in the brutal conditions of the Gre…
Are We Forgetting The First World War? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:41
Is the First World War slowly fading from public memory, or has our relationship with the Great War simply changed? In this episode, Are We Forgetting The First World War?, we explore how interest in WW1 has grown, shift…
Questions and Answers Episode 43 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore how individual lives and institutions reveal the human realities of the First World War. We begin by asking why only three officers were Shot at Dawn during the war, and…
Forgotten Memoirs of the Great War Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:25
We return to the subject of Forgotten Memoirs of the First World War and discuss The Years of Remembrance by Harold Maybury which was published in 1924. Maybury served in the ranks of the 2/4th Battalion South Lancashire…
Questions and Answers Episode 42 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:26
In this episode, we delve into a lesser-known but essential aspect of First World War life: the use and organisation of latrines on the battlefield. Where did soldiers actually go to the toilet, how were these facilities…