The Bad Luck Battalion

The Bad Luck Battalion

Author: Paul Reed April 25, 2026 Duration: 1:03:39
With a special edition for ANZAC Day, in this insightful interview, playwright Arthur Meek discusses his project to bring to life the voices of Gallipoli veterans through oral histories and verbatim theatre. The conversation explores the power of personal stories, memory, remembrance, and the impact of war on individuals and collective memory. A bonus for TOFL pod listeners - 50% off for the first 50 TOFL listeners with coupon: TOFL50 The Bad Luck Battalion | A Verbatim Anzac War Story - get ...

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
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…
A Tale of Two Veterans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:23
In this episode we discuss the importance of oral history and what it tells us about the experience of conflict and the culture of the British military in the Great War, and we contrast two interviews I did with veterans…