41. The Gunners at Passchendale (1917) with Simon Shephard

On this episode, Mark welcomes back Simon Shephard to the syndicate to discuss 'The Gunners' aka the Royal Regiment of Artillery at the Battle of Passchendaele (1917) aka 3rd Ypres. Simon expertly leads on discussing the strategic context, to the ground and then into the nuances of the battle itself. Originally the most well known battles of the First World War, particularly by veterans, it become overshadowed from the 1950's onwards by The Battle of the Somme in the public memory. This episode catches the original reasons why this battle was the enduring memory for many of the First World War and re-evaluates its importance to both that memory and the development of artillery and combined arms tactics. One round every fifteen seconds by the British on the German frontline trenches puts the intensity of this battle into perspective.From the macro to the micro topics of history, The History Syndicate Podcast is the forum for all with a common interest in all things history.The views expressed are those of the author and guest. They do not necessarily represent any views of any other organisation or institution.Hosted by Mark Martin.With Simon Shephard.Edited and produced by Mark Martin.Music: Throughout History available via Podcastle.Audio: Mixed using Podcastle.Cover Art and images created using Canva and Canva DreamLab AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.