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Welcome to the latest podcast!

In today's episode, we look at the work and perils of the Balloon Corps. Vital for observation and artillery support, balloon work was one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, with a shockingly short life expectancy.

We begin at Couin Military Cemetery, where a top hat and cane marked the grave of one of Edwardian theatre's most celebrated dandies (and also a balloon corps observer), Basil Radford, aka Gilbert the Filbert. We hear about the role of balloons, their design, and question whether the so-called "Guardian Angel" lived up to its name.

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Welcome to the latest podcast!

In the first of a new themed series, we take a deep dive into some of the great questions of the First World War. Each episode is carefully researched, drawing on both primary and secondary sources to explore the truth — or the uncertainty — behind some of the conflict’s most important issues.

In this episode, we examine the burial of the Unknown Warrior: the story behind the selection of the body, the confusion surrounding the process, the pomp and ceremony of the interment, and why the grave in Westminster Abbey remains so significant to this day.

Support the podcast:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

https:/www.patreon.com/footstepspod

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Welcome to the latest episode!

Today we walk the battlefield from Ypres to Poelkappelle and discover the personal stories of some of the men who lie in the cemeteries in this part of the Salient, including that of the greatest French air ace, Georges Guynemer.

Support the podcast:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/footstepsblog

https:/www.patreon.com/footstepspod