In this episode we travel back to April 1915 and discover, through the eyes of the Canadian soldiers who were there, what happened when the Germans released chlorine gas at what is now called "Vancouver Corner". We look at the work of the Canadian architect and war veteran Frederick Clemesha who designed the "Brooding Soldier" memorial. How did the veterans view the memorial when they saw it years later? How did they stop the Germans from breaking through? And was a Canadian soldier really...

In this episode we look at individual stories of soldiers who served during the Battle of the Somme. We discover how a man's life was saved by his water bottle and and awful coincidence of a soldier who died on the same day as his Mother. We find out about the Irishman who sat down in a shell hole, smoked his pipe and waited to die having lost both legs. And we uncover the stories of 2 brave doctors killed on the Somme trying to help wounded soldiers 

In this episode we examine the successful but costly action of the 6th Northamptonshire's as they attacked and cleared Trones Wood during the Battle of the Somme. We learn about the brave actions of William Boulter who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery and listen to the words of a veteran who was there. We learn about the fighting through the eyes of the veterans who won the day.

In this episode we look at the words written and spoken by British, French and German soldiers who then fell on the battlefield. We get inside their minds and discover their true feelings. And we hear a Victoria Cross recipient singing, a few months before he died on the Somme.

In this episode we talk to historian Beth Moore about the 46th Division attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13th October 1915. We discuss who these men were and what went wrong to cause such awful casualties in a single day. We also learn about the experiences of the soldiers who were there, in their own words.

In this episode we tell the awful story of how the Germans tricked the 1st Northamptonshire's into believing they were surrendering during the Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. But it was a trap and we discover how the Germans then machine gunned them in a rare example of this sort of incident. We also learn about the German born man in Northampton who was run out of town after this incident. And we have a report from Loos where 2 British soldiers were reburied in the new Cemetery...

 In this episode we continue our tour of Arnhem looking at what happened in and around the Hartenstein Hotel, the Oosterbeek Church, St Elisabeth Hospital and we look at some of the incredible stories of the casualties buried in the CWGC cemetery. We also examine the legacy of the battle through the eyes of the Dutch people and British veterans. 

In this episode we travel to Arnhem to mark the 80th anniversary of this battle in September 1944. In part 1 we look at the story of the parachute drops through the eyes of the men who were there. We then follow their route to the road bridge and discover, through the words of Major General John Frost and other veterans, what happened during those dramatic few days. 

In this episode we go on a stroll around Ypres. Along the way we walk to a member of the Last Post Association about the iconic ceremony at the Menin Gate. We discover the story of the "Wipers Times" and visit the beautiful Ramparts Cemetery. We also find out the story of the local Resistance who hid Allied airmen in a hotel during World War 2. And discuss opposing thoughts about the construction of the Menin Gate during the 1920's, including a controversial Siegfried Sassoon poem.

In this episode we talk to author and former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War prisoner-of-war John Nichol. Over one million British Empire soldiers were killed during the First World War. More than a century later, more than half a million still have no known grave.  The scale of the fighting, the destructive power of high explosive, and the combination of relentless military engagement and glutinous mud meant that many of the dead were never recovered or identified. Names were left...

In this episode we travel around the Ypres battlefield and discover the stories of 2 men who were awarded the Victoria Cross, several soldiers who were executed by the British Army, some professional footballers who gave up their careers and were killed in action and other incredible stories, including a dreadful gas attack in August 1916.

In this episode we walk the 1917 3rd Battle of Ypres battlefield from St Julien, along the Steenbeek, to Langemarck and onto Poelcapelle. We discover forgotten stories along the way and find out what is was like to be there in 1917, through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We come across the site of an old German war cemetery and the site of 2 Victoria Cross actions along the way, and a disastrous tank attack.

In this episode we return to High Wood on the Somme but not in 1916 but in August 1939 when a World War 1 veteran returns to the wood and explores the the scene of his nightmares from 20 years before. It is the eve of World War 2 and the veteran discovers what the French landowner thinks about the impending war with Germany. We also learn about a man whose parents claimed he was killed in France but had deserted and lived until 1972. And we have news from the Somme about the Butte de...

In this episode we mark the 107th anniversary of the opening day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres by discussing the horrific experiences of the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment on that day. We talk to author and historian Paul Johnson, who explains who these men were, what happened to them and the incredible bravery of them all. We also look at what happened through the eyes of the soldiers, both British and German.

In this episode we mark the beginning of the Paris Olympics by looking at the story of Frederick Kelly. Frederick, known as Cleg, was an Olympic gold medal winner at the 1908 London Olympics. He then became a composer before joining the Royal Naval Division at the beginning of the Great War. Find out how he became friends with poet Rupert Brooke and how he was killed in action during the Battle of the Ancre in November 1916. We look at this battle in detail, following Cleg's story, and...

Well known for being the only recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions on D-Day, Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis was a true leader of men and a superb soldier. However, that only just scratches the surface of a man who was recommended for not just the Victoria Cross twice, but also the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In this episode we talk to author Mark Green who tells the story of Stan, a man wounded five times, only to shun publicity and state "anyone would have...

In this episode we discuss the incredible story of Captain Gilbert Nobbs. He was shot through the head, blinded, but survived and captured during the Battle of the Somme. We use his memoirs “ On the Right of the British Line” to tell his story. Why does he describe the women at home as heroes, what was it like to be shot and blinded? How did he live a very successful life for 54 years after being so seriously wounded? And who was his upper class pal who surprised him with such personal bravery? 

In this episode we travel to the Somme and discover what happened over a period of 2 months in High Wood. Find out, through the eyes of the veterans, what happened in the summer of 1916. We hear from soldiers who encountered hell on earth. How did it make them feel? What were their thoughts? How did they survive? We find out as the veterans tell us in their own words.”

In this episode we continue our journey along the Normandy beaches and go inland to discover what happened on Hill 112 in dreadful scenes that resembled the static battles from the Great War. We also discover the heartbreaking stories of the 3 Westlake brothers from Toronto, Canada who all died in Normandy. What happened when I told their story at their graves? And the serviceman who, while the landings were happening, was executed for murder on D Day.

In this episode we travel along Juno and Gold Beaches and tell the story of the landings through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. We hear from Bill Dunn whose tank “Charlie One” still sits close to the location where it broke down on Juno Beach. We find out what happened to his mates that day and how they sang to keep their spirits up as the German mortars rained down on them. We go to the British Normandy Memorial and see the “Standing with the Giants” exhibition and tell the story...

In this first special episode, we travel to Normandy to tell the stories of the D Day landings on the 80th anniversary of this incredible historical achievement by the Allies. We tour the beaches and listen to the story of the Pegasus Bridge through the eyes of Major John Howard, and listen to Piper Bill Millin on Sword Beach. Why did he play his pipes? We visit the Montgomery memorial before going to Ranville to discover the story of the first casualty on D Day and find the stories of...

In this episode we discover the stories of men who died in the Great War but were not correctly remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until recently. We find out about the Officer whose named was added to the Thiepval Memorial just 20 years ago because his parents refused to accept his death during their lifetime. We also look at the tragic story of the young soldier who couldn’t face going to war and took his own life. And the victim of poison gas on the Somme, who died at...

In this episode we travel to the Western Front following the story of a typical British soldier between 1916 and 1918, when he was killed in action. We travel from the Somme, to Arras and Passchendaele, before finding the location of where he died during the Lys Offensive in April 1918. What did he experience? How horrific were the conditions at Passchendaele? How did they achieve their objectives at Arras and how was his battalion almost wiped out during the German 1918 Spring Offensive. We...

In this episode we feature the story of a young British infantry officer and his experiences on the Somme in July 1916. Jack Lidsey then became an Observer in the Royal Flying Corps. Through his words in his personal diary, we look at what happened to him in the skies above the Western Front. Jack’s story ends when he became the 29th victim of the Red Baron. The story is discussed with the author of a book about Jack, historian and battlefield guide Andrew White