Uncategorized – Page 10 – Battles of the First World War Podcast

Champagne – Blanc Mont, Pt 3 (featuring Steven Girard)

Having seized part of Blanc Mont and ground beyond, the Marines and Doughboys of the 2nd Division AEF sought to continue to push back the ruptured German lines. They faced days of unimaginable bloodletting as the Germans fought doggedly for every meter of ground.

Be sure to check out “Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast,” where I have teamed up with Nicole Chicarelli of The War Project on Instagram and Cullen Burke of the Cauldron Podcast (A History of the World Battle by Battle) to tell the story of WW1 from three views: strategic, tactical, and most importantly…human.

Fix Bayonets! First World War Podcast: https://feeds.simplecast.com/7FISmQ37

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 FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

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An Interview with Dr. Jeff Gusky on the Smithsonian’s “We Return Fighting” Exhibit and the American 93rd Division in WW1

Returning to the Battles of the First World War Podcast is Dr. Jeff Gusky, an emergency physician, artist, photographer for National Geographic, and explorer. I’m grateful that with the ongoing epidemic Dr. Gusky is able to come on the show and share his latest work with us, which is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting” exhibit.

Dr. Gusky is the photographer and talent behind the fascinating Hidden World of WW1, an exploration of the many unknown underground cities inhabited by soldiers of both sides of the Western Front during the Great War. His photographs have been seen worldwide through National Geographic, Smithsonian museum exhibitions, and featured in several newspaper and television articles worldwide. His work truly is remarkable, and brings a world silent and in darkness for over a century back into the light. I urge you to follow his work if you haven’t already done so.

In this interview we discuss Dr. Gusky’s contribution to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting” exhibit, as well as his discovery of the only remaining command post of the 370th Infantry under the old battlefields of France. The 370th Infantry Regiment was a segregated African-American unit during WW1; however it also had the distinction of being the only regiment also led by Black American officers. The men of the 370th were called the “Black Devils” by the Germans due to their fierceness in combat.

Jeff’s discovery has been called “I Have a Dream…before I Have a Dream.”

In the course of the conversation I made an error in the first time Jeff Gusky came on the podcast; it wasn’t two years ago but three. Just goes to show you how the years pass by without you knowing it sometimes.

Dr. Jeff Gusky’s work: https://jeffgusky.com/

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “We Return Fighting:” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/we-return-fighting

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

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Champagne – “Les Enfants Perdus:” 93rd Division Operations on the Champagne Front

Assigned to the French 4th Army, the 369th, 371st, and 372nd Infantry Regiments of the A.E.F.’s 93rd Division (Provisional) fought well in the Champagne offensive of September 1918 that supported the American drive through the Meuse-Argonne. Once again, African Americans proved themselves able fighters, capable leaders, and patriots more than willing to serve their country.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

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Somme – At the Hawthorn Ridge Crater with Associate Professor Fiona Graham and Mr. Colin Winn

In a wonderful way to help commemorate the 1st of July anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, the BFWWP has received this great interview between Associate Professor Fiona Graham and Mr. Colin Winn of the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association. Conducted last year, Associate Professor Graham and Mr. Winn take a tour of the massive crater at Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme battlefield to discuss the latest developments of the archeological dig there.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and its related closures, commemoration events for the 1st of July on the Somme in France are likely to be severely reduced or canceled. The 1st of July of course, is the first day of the Battle of the Somme and the day the Hawthorn Ridge mine was blown for the first time. To help broadcast this year’s commemoration efforts and continue to live up to the well-known phrase “Lest We Forget,” Ms. Graham and Mr. Winn have graciously provided the BFWWP with an interview conducted on site at the Hawthorn Ridge Crater. I am deeply grateful and thankful for the opportunity to share this interview here with all of you.

…It’s not often you are invited to be part of a military history and archaeology team examining the very beginnings of the Battle of the Somme, but this is what happened to Associate Professor and Radio and Television Producer Fiona Graham as part of a new research team at Hawthorn Crater near Beaumont Hamel in France.

Fiona is a producer and writer who works on historical projects using film at Staffordshire University with colleague cinematographer Paul Ottey. She works hand in hand with history and archaeology teams and communities to research and capture the stories of the battlefields and sites across Europe, including Auschwitz and the First World War. Their recent work includes working on a film about Tank Deborah D51 and the Battle of Cambrai which they have exhibited in Northern Ireland and public talks in the UK and shown to help educate new generations of schoolchildren in Britain and France about the battle.

In this conversation on location in France she introduces us to her friend and colleague Colin Winn from the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association as they take us on a journey around the World War One iconic crater and explain the work they are doing together today from the sights on, around and inside this massive hole in the ground with a circumference of over half a mile.

Colin is a retired weapons engineer for the Royal Ordnance and BAE Systems and his grandfather was killed near Arras in 1917, he’s worked on the BBC documentary “Secret Tunnel Wars of The Somme” with historian Peter Barton and made short films and podcasts in America.

It’s the first time anyone has been granted access to uncover the secrets of this time capsule which has laid dormant for over 100 years and Fiona and Colin are the team bringing this new story to light for the next generation.

Join them here on a tour on foot on a sunny but sometimes windy day as they explain what’s happening on the battlefields of Northern France today….

Follow the HRCA on Twitter!: https://twitter.com/HawthornRidgeCA

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Episode SA10: Vauquois – “A Heap of Ruins Stuffed with Dead Men’s Bones.”

The story of the First World War in the Meuse-Argonne region of France cannot be told without talking about the Butte de Vauquois. So here, in an attempt to do a part-travelogue, part-history episode, I retell the story of this tortured and murdered hill. This scene of terrible mine warfare–where an ancient village and six meters of height were erased from the crest during the war–remains today a stark reminder of the brutal nature of the Great War.

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

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Episode SA17: BFWWP Tactical Pause

The BFWWP has to be put on pause until mid-May or end of May 2020, despite the great momentum we’ve been gaining recently. It’s for a good reason. Listen in and you’ll see why.

The BFWWP is now 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. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

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Episode SA16: “Insert Laugh Track Here:” A Cross-Cultural Conversation on Visiting France

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of visiting France, or felt it was something too foreign and too out of reach?

In this episode, I speak with Carol Kieffer and Randy Gaulke, two experienced residents and tourists of France. Carol, author of “Living and Working in France: Thriving through Understanding” and cross-cultural training coach, and Randy, seasoned tourist of the Meuse-Argonne region of France and battlefield tour leader, come on the show to strip away some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings many Americans may have about France and visiting it.

What follows is a nearly hour-long conversation where we discuss traveling through France, proper social etiquette, what to expect from French restaurants, shops, and supermarkets, how to prepare, and how to set yourself up to make the most of your experience. We even bring up squat toilets…really, it’s worth the listen.

Ultimate credit for the realization of this podcast goes to Mrs. Laurie Gaulke, whose connections created the conditions that allowed everyone to come together. Thank you so much!

Links to Carol Kieffer and her book, “Living and Working in France: Thriving through Understanding”

amazon.com/author/carolkieffer

For cross-cultural coaching contact Carol at kiefferculture@gmail.com

Carol is on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carol-kieffer-trainer/

For Randy Gaulke’s excellent website on the Meuse-Argonne

https://meuse-argonne.com, and his new tour company website, https://kneedeepintohistory.com.

For an overview of Randy’s travel tips: http://meuse-argonne.com/?page_id=278

“La Vie en France” blog entries: http://meuse-argonne.com/?cat=275

Mike and Rob Laplander are also offering WW1 battlefield tours through Lost Battalion Tours.

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Episode 61: Meuse Argonne – Shot to Pieces

The expected breakthrough after Montfaucon doesn’t happen. The 79th and 37th Divisions continue grinding their way north, facing ever-hardening German resistance.

Purchase Andrew Capets’ book “Good War, Great Men” here:

https://goodwargreatmen.com/313/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Lost Battalion Tours Contact Information – Join Us on the Battlefield!

Mike’s contact info: verdunpodcast@gmail.com

Robert’s contact info: 308infantry@gmail.com

Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/

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Episode SA14 – An Interview with the National WW1 Museum’s Ms. Lora Vogt

In this episode we have a very special guest: Ms. Lora Vogt, is the Curator of Education at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Founded in 1926, the Museum holds the most comprehensive collection of Great War artifacts in the world and has been ranked one of the top 25 museums in the country. Under Ms. Vogt’s guidance, the Museum has consistently broken records for public program attendance, educational participations and developed internationally recognized curriculum and online exhibitions.

Ms. Vogt will give the BFWWP community a virtual tour of the National World War I Museum and Memorial and some of its exhibits. If you have never visited the National World War I Museum and Memorial and are on the fence about it for any reason, I am quite sure this episode will end any such doubts.

National WW1 Museum and Memorial Links:

https://www.theworldwar.org/

The Panthéon de la Guerre

https://www.theworldwar.org/explore/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/panth%C3%A9on-de-la-guerre

Museum Shop:

https://shop.theworldwar.org/

The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Check out this episode!