The Old Front Line

In this special episode with Professor Mark Connelly we explore the profound connection between landscape, memory, and national identity during the Great War, focusing on the significance of chalk landscapes in Britain and their influence on cultural memory and battlefield symbolism.
We dive into how the beautiful, chalky terrains of England shaped the identity of soldiers during the Great War. Many of them carried an intimate knowledge of these landscapes, a connection forged through literature and culture. When they found themselves on the battlefields of France, the familiar terrain sparked powerful memories and emotions, making the destruction all the more poignant.
This narrative goes beyond military history; it’s about identity, memory, and how we connect with the land we call home. The chalk downlands were not just a backdrop but a symbol of what they were fighting for, and losing.
And we ask, what does this mean for how we remember the war today?
Professor Mark Connelly's Tours: Mark Connelly - Connelly Contours
The book mentioned was 'England in France' by Charles Vince, illustrations by Sydney R. Jones (London 1919)
Main Image: A Grave and a Mine Crater at La Boisselle, August 1917 by William Orpen (IWMART2378) 
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We are now 50 Q&As in, and the questions keep getting better, sharper, and more human! This milestone edition of The Old Front Line is built around four listener prompts that take us from the small, intimate scale of one soldier’s photograph to the vast, uneasy scale of a battlefield that never fully stops giving things back to the surface.

We start with the stories that first hooked me on First World War history: individual men whose faces, medals, and graves became “beacons” I return to again and again. From Ypres to Plugstreet to the Somme, we talk about why researching named soldiers and walking the Western Front still matters, and how personal connections can turn into serious historical work.

Then we shift into regimental identity and military tradition by unpacking what “Light Infantry” really means by 1914. Were these units deployed differently in the Great War, or is the name mainly heritage? We look at rifle regiments, status, old titles, and the sheer scale of their contribution across the war.

Finally, we zoom out to the landscape of memory itself: comparing American Civil War battlefields like Gettysburg with the old front line, touching on Franco-Prussian War commemoration, and finishing with the gritty reality of post-1918 farming, ordnance clearance, Graves Registration, iron harvest, and why reburials still happen today.

If you enjoyed this one, subscribe, share it with a fellow Great War traveller, and leave a review so more listeners can find the podcast.
Main Image: soldiers of the KRRC while in training c.1915 (Old Front Line Archives).
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In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the dramatic opening moments of the Battle of Verdun, focusing on the heroic stand of Lieutenant Colonel Émile Driant and his men in the Bois des Caures on 21st/22nd February 1916.
Commanding the 56th and 59th Battalions of Chasseurs à Pied, Driant faced the full force of the German offensive as it erupted with one of the most intense artillery bombardments of the First World War. Outnumbered and under relentless pressure, his lightly fortified positions in the Bois des Caures became a crucial early line of resistance. Their determined defence helped delay the German advance at a critical moment, buying precious time for French reinforcements to move towards Verdun.
We examine who Émile Driant was: soldier, politician, and writer. And ask why his leadership became symbolic of French resistance. Through on-the-ground exploration, we also walk the battlefield today, visiting the woods where his battalions fought and fell, uncovering traces of trenches, shell holes, and memorials that still mark this desperate struggle and visiting his symbolic command post.
Books on Verdun:
Alastair Horne - The Price of Glory
Christina Holstein - Walking in the Footsteps of the Fallen: Verdun 1916
Christina Holstein - Walking Verdun
Jacques Pericard - Verdun 1914-1918
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In this Old Front Line Q&A episode, we tackle a fascinating range of questions from listeners about life, death, and survival on the battlefields of the First World War. We begin by exploring whether veterans of the conflict were ever allowed to be buried within the official war cemeteries alongside the comrades who fell during the war, and look at the rules established by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission after the creation of the Imperial War Graves system. Did any veterans later return to the battlefields to be laid to rest where they once fought?
We also examine the shadowy world of sniping on the Western Front. How common were snipers, how were they selected, and what training did they receive as the war progressed? We discuss the evolution of sniping from the early dominance of German marksmen to the later development of organised British sniping schools.
From there we move to the mud of the Ypres Salient during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, asking how stretcher bearers managed to rescue wounded men across the shattered and waterlogged battlefield.
Finally, we recommend some essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand the fighting around Ypres and the wider story of the Third Ypres offensive.
Main Image: Battle of Pilckem Ridge. Stretcher bearers struggle in mud up to their knees to carry a wounded man to safety near Boesinghe, 1 August 1917. (IWM Q5935)
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In this special episode of the Podcast, Paul Reed speaks with archaeologist and wargamer Alex Sotheran about his journey in battlefield archaeology and the evolution of wargaming. They discuss the significance of battlefield archaeology in understanding the human experience of war, the challenges faced in recovering human remains, and the impact of television on the field. Transitioning to wargaming, they explore its historical roots, modern developments in rules, and its potential as a therapeutic tool for veterans. The discussion highlights the social aspects of wargaming and the importance of community in this hobby.
You can follow Alex on Storm of Steel YouTube Channel and Bluesky.
Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.
You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.
Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.
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