The poets of Pilkem

Footsteps of the fallen

In this latest episode we head back to Flanders for another walk around the battlefield near the canal at Boesinghe.
Starting at Little Swan Farm we look at a wonderful project aiming to restore the ancient elms of Flanders. Our journey takes in many of the tiny battlefield cemeteries that litter this part of the battlefield, including Colne Valley, where two mysterious epitaphs catch our imagination. We hear about the perils of building trenches on farmland, visit Dragoon Camp Cemetery to hear about a disastrous trench raid, discover how Caesar's Nose got its name, and follow in the footsteps of two literary heavyweights who both served in this sector of the line.
Our podcast concludes with reflections on thirty years of visiting the battlefields, and contemplates why remembrance still matters.
Recommended reading:
Storm of Steel - Ernst Junger
In Parenthesis - David Jones
Francis Ledwidge; a life of the poet - Alice Curtayne
Boesinghe (Battleground Ypres) - Stephen McGreal
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