PODCAST

Footsteps of the fallen

Matt Dixon

A journey through the Great War

history

All Episodes

60:52

The beginning of the end

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2026/01/11

Send us a text Happy New Year! By July 1918, the German offensive was running out of steam; heavy losses, combined with overstretched supply lines, put the Germans in a perilous position. The German Commander, Ludendorff, gambled everything on one final push, the so-called Friedenstrum, or Peace Offensive. The offensive failed and the door was opened to Allied Victory. In this episode, we look at the events of July 1917, discover the conflict between Ludendorff and his military planners...

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63:25

Questions and answers - episode 2

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/12/28

Send us a text Welcome to the final podcast of 2025! In our second question-and-answer episode, we answer some listeners' questions, covering topics including Home Front recruitment, the evolution of gas masks, rum jars, and the Carlisle Programme. Got a question you'd like answered? Please email me at chocolatemenier1915@gmail.com. Happy New Year! The podcast will be back in 2026!! Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog https:/www.patreon.com/footstepspod

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58:46

A walk near Ypres - Polygon Wood to Hill 60

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/12/14

Send us a text In our latest podcast, we meander across the battlefield to the east of Ypres, starting at Polygon Wood and heading south to Hill 60. We look at the cemeteries and memorials and find out some of the personal stories of men who fought and died on this part of the salient. I wish every one of you a very Happy Christmas and thanks for your support in 2025. Support the podcast: https:/www.patreon.com/footstepspod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

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56:52

The Battle of the Bees

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/11/23

Send us a text In November 1914, the British attempted to capture the strategically vital port of Tanga in German East Africa. Poor planning, an indecisive commander, poorly trained troops and the fanatical idealism of brilliantly trained Askari troops combined to turn the operation into a disaster for the British. In this episode, we look at Germany's colonial history in East Africa, the skill and excellence of the remarkable German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, and meet an enigmati...

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69:35

Trench Talk - Walking the Western Front with Briana...

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/11/02

Send us a text Welcome to this latest episode of Trench Talk! Today I sit and talk with Briana Gervat, an author and photographer who, in the aftermath of the COVID lockdown, decided to connect with history and walk the length of the Western Front. She documented her journey in a book, There Will Come Soft Rains, and in this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about her deeply spiritual journey across all 450 miles of the old front line. You can buy a copy of the book here https://amzn.eu/d/4B8N...

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45:13

The rose and the thistle

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/10/19

Send us a text Welcome to the latest episode! In a slightly shorter episode than usual, we travel to Belgium and discover the story of two lieutenants, Lt Ronald Poulton Palmer and Lt Frederick "Tanky" Turner, rugby captains of England and Scotland respectively. Rivals on the rugby pitch and comrades in the military, we look at the lives and careers of these two great characters, their deaths and the remarkable ceremony that brought a little piece of London to Belgium. Support the podcast: ht...

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72:40

Questions and answers - episode 1

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/10/05

Send us a text Welcome to our first-ever questions and answers episode! In today's episode, we address questions posed by listeners and delve into a range of topics. If you have a question you'd like answered, please email me at chocolatemenier1915@gmail.com, and we will see if we can get it into a future Q&A episode. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

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61:23

The Pool of Peace

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/09/21

Send us a text Welcome to this latest episode! Today we are in Belgium and walk the battlefield to the south of Ypres, beginning at Bedford House Cemetery and finishing at the Spanbroekmolen mine crater, the "Pool of Peace", created by the largest mine explosion from the Battle of Messines. We visit the cemeteries and memorials on this part of the battlefield to learn what happened, and what can still be seen. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog https://foo...

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66:46

Trench Talk - Sussex to the Somme with Martin Barry

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/08/31

Send us a text In this latest episode of Trench Talk, it's a pleasure to be joined by international cricketer, battlefield guide and WW1 fanatic Martin Barry. Martin works as a battlefield guide and volunteer for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, overseeing the vast military plot at Hastings Cemetery. In today's episode, he shares some of the personal and tragic stories of the men who lie buried in this small corner of Sussex. We hear tales of murder most foul, tragic accid...

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61:47

Hill 70 - a listener's request

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/08/03

Send us a text Welcome to today's episode! For the first time, we have created a listener's request podcast; I was contacted by a listener who discovered his Grandfather had been killed at Hill 70 while serving with the Cameron Highlanders at the Battle of Loos in 1915. The listener is planning his first-ever trip to the Western Front and wants to walk the battlefield where his Grandfather was killed. He asked if I could do a podcast about that area - your wish is my command! We begin w...

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76:38

Trench talk - Uniforms of the Great War with Taff...

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/07/20

Send us a text Welcome to the first Trench Talk of the season, where Taff Gillingham joins me. Taff is a military historian and specialist historical advisor for the film, TV and theatre industries and has worked as an advisor on many well-known productions from Downton Abbey to the film 1917. Taff is an expert on WW1 uniforms and kit, and in this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, he shares his encyclopedic knowledge. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/foot...

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66:53

Bois Grenier

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/07/06

Send us a text Welcome to the first episode of Season 8! Today, we travel to the forgotten front and the village of Bois Grenier. The fields in this sleepy corner of agricultural France contain dozens of German bunkers and blockhouses from the time of World War I. The sector was a nursery sector - a relatively quiet location where new battalions could learn the regimes of trench warfare. The peace was shattered on the afternoon of the 25th September 1915 when a diversionary attack for the Bat...

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59:45

Faithful unto death - the story of the Chinese Labour...

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/06/01

Send us a text Welcome to the final episode of Season 7! In today's episode, we look at the little-studied role played by the Chinese Labour Corps during the Great War. Over 90,000 Chinese labourers served in France and Belgium, engaged in manual labour and the dangerous work of clearing munitions and bodies from the battlefields. Who were these men, and how did they end up so far from home? The podcast will be back for Season 8 on Sunday July 6th 2025. Supoort the podcast: https://www....

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68:04

In the shadow of the Springboks - Delville Wood to...

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/05/18

Send us a text Welcome to the penultimate episode of Season 7! Today we are on the Somme and walk the battlefield from Delville Wood to Courcelette via High Wood and Martinpuich. We begin we looking at "The Turning Point" a remarkable but little-known narrative of the Somme battle written by the eccentric Harold Perry-Robinson. We visit Delville Wood cemetery and memorial and hear the history of the site, as well visiting the only remaining tree from the Great War. We walk to High Wood ...

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63:24

The Brickstacks

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/04/27

Send us a text Welcome to the latest episode! Today, we walk the canal at Cuinchy, one of the forgotten battlefields of the Great War. Cuinchy was the site of the infamous brickstacks and the scene of bitter fighting throughout the entire war. We walk the battlefield to discover the military history of what happened here, and hear the personal stories of the dead as we visit some of the nearby cemeteries. Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog https://www....

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66:27

Fromelles

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/04/13

Send us a text Welcome to this latest episode in which we walk the battlefield of Fromelles. On the evening of the 19th July 1916, men of the newly arrived Australian 5th Division were thrown into battle against the heavily fortified village of Fromelles in Artois. In one night, over 5000 men were killed, wounded or missing and the line remained staunchly in German hands. We begin at Pheasant Wood and meander across the battlefield, visiting some key sites and hearing the stories ...

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55:24

We don't take umbrellas to war.

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/03/23

Send us a text The weather played its part in the Great War, perhaps in more ways than first imagined. The Great War lasted over 1500 days, and over 600 saw rain on the Western Front. The winter of 1914 saw torrential rain and temperatures drop to -10 in France, and the autumn of 1917 in Flanders saw four months' worth of rainfall in just 33 days. London's Met Office offered to help at the outbreak of war, but a terse telegram from GHQ rebuffed this offer. However, the...

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68:41

Neuve Chapelle

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/03/09

Send us a text On the 110th anniversary, we travel to France and walk around the battlefield of the first major offensive launched by the British on the Western Front at Neuve Chappelle. Initial successes were tempered by poor decision-making and poor communications between divisional commanders and the offensive ground to a halt in the face of heavy German resistance. Casualties were 11,000 killed, wounded and missing in three days, but no fewer than nine VCs were awarded for the fight...

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61:11

Hohenzollern

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/02/23

Send us a text Welcome to this latest episode of the podcast. Today, we walk the battlefield around the area of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, the formidable German strongpoint located on the battlefield at Loos, which was attacked by the 9th Scottish Division on the opening day of the battle of 25th September 1915. Fighting continued until the middle of October when men of the 46th Midland Division tried and failed to retake the redoubt. What happened here, and what can be seen when you wal...

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63:02

Trench Talk - Chris Sams and the Battle of Jutland

Footsteps of the fallen ·

2025/02/09

Send us a text Welcome to the first Trench Talk of Season 7! It's a real pleasure to be joined by naval historian and writer Chris Sams as we talk about the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The long-awaited showdown between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine turned into an unexpectedly bad day for the British. We look at what happened that afternoon off the coast of Denmark and talk about other naval matters in this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation. Chris' book on the German n...

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