Artist Ian Alderman spent seven years photographing the Belgian army’s bomb disposal team as they recovered ammunition from land that was once the battlefields of Passchendaele.

Once a shell was identified, he had just two minutes to capture the moment before the team moved on to their next call. 

This intricate work culminated in Recovering the Past—a unique photographic exhibition that connects these Belgian men with men of the Australian Imperial Force who fought during the First World War. The two groups are united through the art of photomontage, which results in a fascinating reflection on the enduring repercussions of human conflict.

Listen as Ian unpacks Recovering the Past, including how he combined 100-year-old photographs with modern ones, and what he hopes people take away from his exhibition. 

The Great Escape has gone down in history as one of the most crafty, yet ultimately tragic, escapes from a prisoner of war camp (listen to our other episode, 'Shrine Stories: The Great Escape', to hear the full story!).

But what happened in the camp after the escape? Were the remaining planned escapees punished? And how did the men cope with the news that 50 of their own had been killed?

Flight Lieutenant James Anthony Cathcart 'Tony' Gordon was 180^th in line to escape, and his son Drew Gordon joins us for this episode to share his father’s story, and what life was like after the Great Escape in Stalag Luft III. 

Music:  Across the Line - Lone Canyon

The Shrine Stories podcast takes you on a deep dive behind the objects on our gallery floor.

In this episode, we explore the story behind a Norwegian language certificate that sheds light on the lengths some prisoners of war went to to escape captivity during the Second World War.

The certificate belonged to Squadron Leader James Catanach, and for fans of the movie ‘The Great Escape’, this episode is sure to interest you.

Music: Across the Line - Lone Canyon