The Unknown Warrior Podcast

Among The Kings - The Play

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 09:34:07 GMT

For our latest episode we speak to playwright Dan Gordon and actor Michael Condron about a new play called Among The Kings based on the latest research carried out by historian Mark Scott who we spoke to in previous episodes of the podcast. We explore the background to the play and how both Dan and Michael are reimagining and bringing to life characters critical to the Unknown Warrior story. This is remarkable project and hopefully one which we'll all be able to see performed very soon!

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Known Unto God - The Missing of the First World War Part 2

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 09:00:08 GMT

Our latest episode is Part 2 of our fascinating chat with John Broom, author of Reported Missing in the Great War: 100 Years of Searching for the Truth. In this episode we explore the stories of missing soldiers Frank Mead and Gilbert Donnelly, and the harrowing impact that the gruesome work of body recovery had on the men working for the Directorate of Graves Registration and Enquiry. We also uncover the scandal behind the decision to scale back the work of the DGR&E by the British Government, and the long lasting impact that missing soldiers had on their families and communities right up to the present day.

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Known Unto God - The Missing of the First World War Part 1

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 17:56:15 GMT

It is estimated that around half of the men killed in action serving with British and Commonwealth forces during the First World War remain unidentified. This vast army of unknowns was one of the key motivating factors behind the creation of the Unknown Warrior. In part one of a special two part podcast, historian and author John Broom explores the factors that led to such a vast number of unidentifiable casualties, and the extraordinary efforts that officials, organisations, and ordinary family members went to in order to discover what happened to their loved ones. We also uncover the darker side of this work, and how charlatans and chancers prayed on those desperate for news.

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The Remarkable Work of the MOD War Detectives

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 08:00:40 GMT

Throughout the podcast we've highlighted the remarkable work carried out by the men of the Directorate of Graves Registration and Enquiry one hundred years ago. But as the bodies of fallen servicemen continue to be discovered the vital work of identifying and burying these men continues. We're delighted to welcome onto our latest episode Nicola Nash from the Ministry of Defence Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team - more commonly known as the War Detectives. We explore the remarkable detective work carried out by this small team attempting to identify and honour servicemen who have fallen on battlefields across the globe.

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To Us They Were Our World - The British Widows of World War One

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 11:10:08 GMT

For the majority of us interest in World War One is focused on the stories of the soldiers at the front. But what about the families left behind in Britain, and those for which the war brought a deep personal tragedy? In our latest episode we speak to author and historian Andrea Hetherington and uncover the story of those women left widows by the war. The societal pressures mourning widows faced, the deep financial consequences the loss of a main breadwinner could have, and also the very moving personal impact of the loss of a loved one killed a long way from his family and home.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in France and Italy

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:26:02 GMT

Throughout this podcast we have focused on the story of the British Unknown Warrior. But the idea to create a tomb to an unknown fallen servicemen has been taken up across the globe. In our latest podcast speak to academic and historian Laura Wittman about the creation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in both France and Italy. We explore how each country had their own unique inspiration behind the idea of recovering the body of an unknown soldier to represent the fallen, how the soldier was chosen, and the impact this had on his fellow countrymen. Creating a symbol of national mourning, but also being utilised by a war weary population to help create a better country for those left behind.

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In This Sign Conquer - The Role of Chaplains in the First World War

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:58 GMT

Chaplains play a critical role in the story of the Unknown Warrior. From the Reverend David Railton who first conceived of the idea to bring an unknown soldier back from France, to the Reverend George Standing who joined the ambulance crew that drove the unselected unknown's away from St. Pol and into the night. But what was a chaplain's role at the front, and how important were they to the soldiers they served alongside? In this fascinating new episode we speak to academic and researcher Kathryn White and explore the work and role of the padre in the First World War.

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The Name Beneath the Stone

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 09:00:14 GMT

The story of the Unknown Warrior has fascinated generations with its mystery and intrigue. Author Robert Newcome is no exception, his own interest and research into the story led to the creation of his novel The Name Beneath the Stone: Secret of the Unknown Warrior. Although a work of fiction, the novel explores many parts of the story, whilst linking its mystery right up to the present day. In our latest episode we speak to Robert and explore his own interest in the story, the research process into the Unknown Warrior, and how his own personal connections have influenced his writing.

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Recovery, Burial and Commemoration - The Work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 12:17:41 GMT

The First World War created a unique situation for the recovery of the dead in war. For the first time the public demanded that the mass casualties received by a citizens army should be marked and respected. But how was this vast operation to be mounted, and how were the cemeteries in France and Belgium created? In our latest episode we are joined by Peter Francis from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who discusses body recovery and burial, the organisation that made this huge task possible, and how bodies were identified both in the past and today.

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The Journey of the Unknown Warrior

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 21:40:44 GMT

In many of our previous episodes we've focused on the secret operation that enabled one unknown soldier to be selected as the Unknown Warrior. Historian and writer Andrew Richards explores how the Unknown Warrior made his final journey from the hut at St. Pol to Boulogne, Dover and eventually to Westminster Abbey. The journey was the very first of it's kind filled with symbolism designed to honour the body and the sacrifice of all those who fell on the Western Front.

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What Happened to the Bodies Not Selected as the Unknown Warrior?

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 08:16:25 GMT

It is well known that four bodies were brought to the military headquarters at St Pol, of which one body was selected to become the Unknown Warrior that now lies in Westminster Abbey. But what happened to the other bodies that were not selected? In our latest episode Mark Scott seeks to find out what happened, and can a newly discovered top secret order finally shed light onto their final resting place?

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Brigadier General Wyatt and the Unknown Warrior

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 19:25:32 GMT

Brigadier General L. J. Wyatt played a critical role in the Unknown Warrior operation. Not only did he choose the body that now lies in Westminster Abbey, recently discovered documents confirm that he was given a free hand in planning the operation that would see bodies exhumed and taken to St. Pol. Historian and author Mark Scott explores Brigadier General Wyatt's role in the operation, and also why a newly discovered document could change the accepted date that the body of the Unknown Warrior was chosen.

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The Unknown Men Behind the Unknown Warrior - Major Ernest Fitz-Simon

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 12:12:54 GMT

In our latest episode we explore one of the previously unknown men who played an important role in the Unknown Warrior story - Major Ernest Fitz-Simon. Historian and author Mark Scott explains how a name scribbled in his great grandfathers diary led him to the Fitz-Simon family and the incredible archive of photographs and material kept by Ernest from his time serving at St. Pol where the Unknown Warrior was chosen. We also explore the story of how disinformation may have played a part in keeping the Unknown Warrior operation secret.

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The Reverend David Railton and the Unknown Warrior

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 12:15:40 GMT

In our latest episode we speak to writer and historian Andrew Richards about the man who's inspirational idea to bring back an unknown British soldier led to the creation of the Unknown Warrior - the Reverend David Railton MC. We explore David's early life, and how his traumatic experiences on the Western Front provided a catalyst for his thoughts on commemoration and how the creation of a symbol of remembrance could help heal a broken nation. We also explore the famous flag that David carried with him in the trenches, and did King George V really disagree with the creation of the Unknown Warrior?

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Jimmy Scott's Diary

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 09:29:47 GMT

In this episode historian and author Mark Scott tells the amazing story of the discovery of his great grandfather's diary. This incredible survivor of World War One would not only become a gateway to Mark's research into the Unknown Warrior, but also provide an insight into the tragic loss felt across Britain and confirm why the Unknown Warrior was so important to the families of missing servicemen.

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An Introduction to the Unknown Warrior

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:21:49 GMT

In this episode Pete and Jason seek to set the scene by providing a brief explanation into the Unknown Warrior story and also what fascinating mysteries will be uncovered in future episodes. Join us as we learn more about a truly unique symbol of peace and remembrance.

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Trailer: The Unknown Warrior Podcast

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 21:27:37 GMT

Coming Soon: The Unknown Warrior Podcast

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