Hidden places on French battlefields

Many viewers may be familiar with the unique photographic exhibition 'Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace' created by photographer Mike St Maur Sheil for the 2014-18 centenary period. In capturing more than 16,000 images of the WW1 battlefields Mike covered all of the western front and visited many places which are seldom visited, some of which are, even to this day, known only to a few.

Whilst many who visit the battlefields limit themselves to the British battlefields of Ypres, Artois and the Somme, in this presentation, which was delivered to a live audience, Mike hopes to encourage a wider appreciation as to how the well preserved state of French battlefields of eastern France provide valuable insights into the nature of First World War combat.

Ranging along the western front, from the Somme to Point Zero on the Swiss border, this talk introduces you to some of the most extraordinary remains of the war, including a unique Schlieffen plan railway station, intricately carved underground chapels, the closely guarded last remaining battlefield grave on the Western Front and even a largely forgotten British battlefield.