St Eloi Craters 1916

St Eloi Craters 1916

Author: Paul Reed May 9, 2026 Duration: 34:56
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 ...

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
Ypres: A Walk on The Bluff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:49
Step onto the Western Front in Flanders as we explore the area near to Ypres known as The Bluff. In this episode we uncover the story of the fighting here in February-March 1916, when British and German forces struggled…
QnA Special: On The Battlefields [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:30
In this special Q&A episode of the Old Front Line podcast, recorded on location at Hooge, near Ypres, we answer questions about the battlefields of the Western Front and the legacy of the First World War. We begin by exp…
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…