An Interview with the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association
Battles of the First World War Podcast
Release Date: 09/01/2018
“The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front” A Discussion with Dr. Ian Isherwood
Battles of the First World War Podcast
Dr. Isherwood returns to the podcast to talk about his new book “The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front.” From Casemate Publishers: “How did ordinary citizens become soldiers during the First World War, and how did they cope with the extraordinary challenges they confronted on the Western Front? These are questions Ian Isherwood seeks to answer in this absorbing and deeply researched study of the actions and experiences of an infantry battalion throughout the conflict. His work gives us a vivid impression of the reality of war for these volunteers...
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Battles of the First World War Podcast
Before the First World War officially began, the killing was already underway. In the small French village of Joncherey, two men would meet for a brief but violent moment on August 2nd, 1914, the day before war was officially declared. The moment would turn them into eternal brothers, transformed by their explosive meeting. French Corporal Jules André Peugeot and German Lieutenant Albert Otto Walther Mayer would soon be the first military deaths of their nations. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any...
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Battles of the First World War Podcast
The group is back! Part 5 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1916, the first of a two- or three-part series on this crucial year of WW1. This episode will focus on the French Army’s experience in its most trying battlefield crucible: the Battle of Verdun. Joining us for this discussion are: Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other published works and articles, Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter, The BFWWP is on Patreon:...
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Jake’s Pilgrimage & Lost Battalion Tours
Battles of the First World War Podcast
This is a recording of our monthly talks on Patreon. Jake is a great friend of mine whom I’ve known for years, thanks to the podcast! Jake joined us to go on the 2024 Meuse-Argonne tour with Lost Battalion Tours, as well as a pilgrimage to where his dad fought during the Second World War. Dr. Clint Heacock, another great friend, joined us for Jake’s very moving day. Hope you enjoy this one. Lost Battalion Tours: [email protected] The BFWWP is on Patreon: . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website,...
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“Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867” with David Borys
Battles of the First World War Podcast
Author David Borys comes on the podcast to discuss his book “Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867,” which takes readers on a riveting exploration spanning one hundred and fifty years of Canadian forces. “Punching Above Our Weight" is a photograph-rich history of 150 years of the Canadian military traces the evolution of the country’s armed forces from a small, underfunded, poorly trained militia to the modern, effective military it is today. From the Red River Resistance and the Boer War through the world wars to modern peacekeeping and the long war...
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“Serpents of War:” A Discussion with Drs. Steven Trout & Ian Isherwood
Battles of the First World War Podcast
From University Press of Kansas: “Serpents of War” is the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army—a rare experience among American soldiers in...
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Ors Communal Cemetery - Wilfred Owen’s Grave
Battles of the First World War Podcast
An homage to Wilfred Owen, based on a visit to his grave in Ors, France in July 2024. The BFWWP is on Patreon: . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.
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Jake’s Pilgrimage & Lost Battalion Tours
Battles of the First World War Podcast
This is a recording of our monthly talks on Patreon. Jake is a great friend of mine whom I’ve known for years, thanks to the podcast! Jake joined us to go on the 2024 Meuse-Argonne tour with Lost Battalion Tours, as well as a pilgrimage to where his dad fought during the Second World War. Dr. Clint Heacock, another great friend, joined us for Jake’s very moving day. Hope you enjoy this one. Lost Battalion Tours: [email protected] The BFWWP is on Patreon: . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website,...
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“The Other Trench: The WW1 Diary and Photos of a German Officer” with Philipp Cross
Battles of the First World War Podcast
Author Philipp Cross comes on the podcast to discuss his book “The Other Trench: The WW1 Diary and Photos of a German Officer,” which contains the diary of his great-great-grandfather Alexander Pfeiffer. “The Other Trench” website: Where to buy “The Other Trench:” The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on...
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“Never Home - Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned” with Richard Sherman
Battles of the First World War Podcast
Author Richard Sherman comes on the podcast to discuss his book and homage "Never Home - Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned.” In 2017, professional photographer and Navy veteran Richard Sherman embarked on a journey to visit and photograph all 23 American overseas World War I and World War II cemeteries. After six years and eight trips to three continents, he published “Never Home: Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned.” The book features dramatic imagery of all 23 cemeteries—from Normandy to Manila—and more that 50 biographies of individuals who,...
info_outlineDuring my recent trip to France, my crew and I had the most wonderful experience when we visited Mr. Andy Robertshaw and Mr. Colin Winn and their archeological dig team out at the Hawthorn Crater on the Somme. How we met the people of the Hawthorn Crater Association will be told in the interview that follows--it was just a stunningly amazing day amongst so many amazing days out there on the Somme and previously in the Argonne.
For many years the Hawthorn Crater has sat in relative obscurity on the Somme battlefield. It has been overgrown with trees and brush, and it has remained enough off the beaten path that most tourists have bypassed it altogether. The Hawthorn Crater Association is changing that. Through limited clearance of diseased trees and careful archeological digs conducted with the enthusiastic support of the people of nearby Beaumont-Hamel village, Mr. Robertshaw, Mr. Winn, and several others are bringing the story of the crater and the men who lived in it, fought in it, and died in it, back to life.
As I will say at the end of the interview, this is not just digging in the earth looking for pieces of metal from the Battle of the Somme. It is so much more than that, as you will hear. And to be clear: no archeological dig is just digging in the dirt, it’s really important and fascinating stuff!
Due to some technical difficulties, Mr. Robertshaw was unable to join us. The VOIP connection also tended to be a bit wobbly at times, but I think overall you’ll be able to understand things fairly clearly.
Please follow the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association on Twitter to stay up to date: @HawthornRidgeCA
The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.
Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.