Send us a text

A famous saying asserts that an army marches on its stomach, and in this episode, we examine food and drink for men on the front line.

The challenge of feeding an army was immense, and the war office employed science to calculate the exact calorific intake needed by a soldier to survive.

Feeding the men was one thing; feeding them something palatable was something else. We look at trench rations, from the infamous Army Biscuits to cans of "dog vomit," and see that the culinary life of a soldier in the trenches was not a happy one. Occasionally, however, comfort came in mysterious ways, as men of the Hampshire Regiment found out when the Germans shelled the canal near Cuinchy and provided an unexpected and welcome treat.

Alcohol played an essential part in soldiers' lives from all sides, and we discover more about the daily rum ration, "Pinard", and celebratory German beer mugs. We learn the origin of the phrase "to be on the fiddle", and hear about how excessive alcohol consumption caused huge problems for the Germans advancing in March 1918.

Support the podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a text

In the early hours of the 30th July 1915, men of the Rifle Brigade and Kings Royal Rifle Corps were attacked near Hooge by German soldiers using a new and appalling weapon of war - liquid fire. The subsequent counter-attack that afternoon by the British was a military disaster that could have been avoided had the protests of senior commanders in the line been listened to.

We examine what happened that day, discover the story of the man who won the first VC for the new armies, and meet the enigmatic and eloquent "Student in Arms."

Support the podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

Send us a text

Welcome to this latest episode, in which we explore the history behind one of the world's great monuments, the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in the Belgian city of Ypres.

We hear the history of the Last Post, look at the famous lions and their connection to Australia, hear the stories of some of the dead, and contemplate what makes this an iconic place of remembrance.

Support the podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/footstepsofthefallen
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog