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
Remembering the Forgotten Front [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:11
What was the “Forgotten Front” of Northern France? In this episode, we explore the stretch of battlefield from Armentières on the Belgian border through La Bassée to the ground near Loos, scene of the Big Push of Septemb…
Questions and Answers Episode 36 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:59
In our first QnA Episode for Season 9 we look at what happened to the German forces when the guns went silent on 11th November 1918, discuss the use of poison gas and it's legacy on the battlefields today, examine if Bri…
Walking the Somme: Gommecourt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:55
In our first episode of Season 9, we walk the northern part of the Somme battlefield from Foncquevillers out to the ground before Gommecourt, and examine the attack here by the 46th (North Midland) Division on 1st July 1…
Bonus Episode: The Menin Gate at Night [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:13
In our third and final Bonus Episode that brings Season 8 to a close, we have a live recording from the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, recorded while out leading a battlefield tour a few weeks ago. We reflect on the subje…
Bonus Episode: A Siege Battery Gunner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:40
In this second Bonus Episode to end Season 8 of the podcast we look at the subject of Great War veterans and in particular Malcolm Vyvyan who served as a Siege Battery officer in the Royal Garrison Artillery on the Somme…
Bonus Episode: A Divisional Memorial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:10
In the first of three Bonus Episodes of the podcast to end Season 8, we travel to Fricourt on the Somme and examine the journey to unveil a memorial to the 17th (Northern) Division in the church there in July 1938, just…
RFC/RAF: Where They Flew & Fell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:44
In the final episode of our Air War series we travel across the landscape of the First World War and discover what we can find that connects us to the story of the Royal Flying Corps and RAF in WW1, from memorials to cem…
Questions & Answers: RFC/RAF Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
In this special and extended QnA Episode we look at Parachutes in the Air Services in WW1, the Ground Crew who kept the planes in the air, what are the best RFC/RAF memoirs of WW1, how the filming of the Red Baron's fune…
The Air War in WW1 - with Josh Levine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:28
In the second of our special interviews for the War in the Air series, we are joined by historian and broadcaster Josh Levine to discuss the war in the air in WW1, based on his best-selling book On A Wing and A Prayer. J…
The Search for Mick Mannock with Andy Saunders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
For our 250th episode of the podcast, and as part of our continuing Air War series, we are joined by aviation historian and author Andy Saunders to look at the life, and death, of Edward 'Mick' Mannock VC DSO & Two Bars,…