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The Old Front Line

The Old Front Line

By: Paul Reed
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Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he interviewed, to when he spent more than a decade living on the Old Front Line in the heart of the Somme battlefields.

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Episodes
  • Somme North: Serre to Thiepval
    Jun 6 2026

    In the first of a three-part series marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, we explore the fighting in the northern sector of the battlefield on 1 July 1916.

    This episode examines the attacks at Serre, Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval, where some of the most dramatic and costly actions of the opening day unfolded. We look at the ground over which the soldiers advanced, the plans behind the attacks, the units involved, and how the battle developed. From the struggles of the Pals Battalions attacking Serre to the devastating losses suffered below the heights of Thiepval, we trace the story of the men who fought there and assess the outcomes of their efforts.

    Along the way, we examine the key commanders, the challenges posed by the terrain and German defences, and the human cost of the battle, exploring the casualties suffered and the legacy left behind on this iconic section of the Western Front.

    The episode concludes with a virtual walk across the modern battlefield, following the route of the attacks and contemplating that story, that legacy of 1 July 1916 today.

    Main Image: Troops waiting, some still asleep, in a support trench shortly before zero hour, Beaumont Hamel. (IWM Q64). Image by Royal Engineers No.1 Printing Company.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Questions and Answers Episode 54
    May 30 2026

    For this episode of the Old Front Line podcast, we open the virtual mailbag once again for another Questions & Answers special covering some fascinating and lesser-known aspects of the First World War. From observation balloons hanging silently over the trenches to trench foot, white feathers and booby traps in No Man’s Land, this episode explores the realities of life on the Western Front beyond the better-known battles.

    We begin by looking at the observation balloons - the so-called Balloonatics - that became such a familiar feature of the wartime landscape. Who manned these vulnerable aerial observation posts? What was life like for the crews suspended high above the battlefield? How many balloons lined the front by 1916, and were they more effective over the flat plains of Flanders than the broken ground of the Somme?

    We also examine the infamous White Feather campaign and the pressure placed on young men to enlist, alongside the Derby Scheme which allowed men to attest for service before being called up later. How widespread was the practice, and what impact did it have on those who experienced it?

    Inspired by an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, we then investigate whether anti-personnel minefields really existed in the trenches of the Great War, and explore the grim world of booby traps and explosive devices hidden one the battlefield.

    Finally, we answer a question from Australia concerning trench foot and the long-term effects suffered by soldiers who returned to duty after treatment. How badly could damaged feet affect a man’s ability to march, and what happened when he rejoined his battalion?

    Join us for another deep dive into the forgotten details and human stories of the First World War.

    The book mentioned in the introduction is Jon Woolcott's Tattooed Hills: Journeys to Chalk Figures published in 2026.

    Main Image: The Medical Officer of the 12th Battalion ,East Yorkshire Regiment conducts a foot inspection in a support trench near Roclincourt, 9 January 1918. (IWM Q10622). Image by Thomas Keith Aitken.

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Support the show

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    45 mins
  • Thunder in the Mountains with Tom Isitt
    May 23 2026

    In this special edition of the podcast we explore a lesser-known theatre of conflict from the First World War in Northern Italy with historian Tom Isitt. Tom's new book - Thunder in the Mountains - follows a journey he made across those battlefields and with him we discover the unique challenges of mountain warfare, the diverse nations involved, and personal stories from the battlefield.

    We examine the Battlefields on the Izonzo, discuss some of the highest points of the Great War in the Dolomites and move to the involvement of German troops in Italy, including Erwin Rommel at Caporetto in 1917, and the arrival of British forces who fought here until the end of the war.

    You visit Tom Isitt's website and order the book here: Thunder in the Mountains.

    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.

    Send us Fan Mail

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
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Paul Reed, a battlefield guide, makes learning about the First World War easy and interesting. His easy conversational style brings the battlefields, the events and the individual soldiers vividly to life in front of the listener, and his passion for the subject really shines through.

Fascinating and engaging

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