Shows
Curious Canadian HistoryS11E5 Canada at War with Angus WallaceRecently our very own David Borys had the pleasure of having a long chat with Angus Wallace of The WW2 Podcast to explore Canada's military legacy from confederation to the Second World War. Angus and David start at the very beginning with Canada’s military (or lack there-of) in 1867 and trace its development through the next near-century all the way to the start of the Second World War. They then cover the incredible expansion of the Canadian military from 1939-1943 and detail the unbelievable contribution the Canadian military made to that global conflict into 1945. Check out...
2025-11-181h 06
Beyond Barbarossa: The Eastern Front of World War 2Nuances of Lend-Lease with Angus Wallace: Episode 79Did the Lend-Lease program save the Soviet Union? For the Season 3 finale, Angus Wallace of the World War 2 podcast joins to offer a nuanced interpretation.
Angus Wallace, host and producer of The World War 2 podcast
The Lend-Lease Act
British Valentine tanks to be sent to USSR under Lend-Lease, 1942.
The Bell P-39 Aircobra, one of the fighters the U.S. sent to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease.
A Hawker Hurricane fighter sent for the Re...
2025-07-0755 min
The WW2 PodcastHG-76: Taking the Fight to Hitler's U-boatsThe convoy HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941. The Royal Navy commander in charge was 'Johnnie' Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Accompanying the escorts was HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy's first escort carrier - a new type of warship purpose-built to defend convoys from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Aware of the departure of HG-76, a wolfpack of U-boats was sent against it, and the Luftwaffe was heavily committed to, in a rare example of German inter-service cooperation. German intelligence agents in Gibraltar and Spain also knew every detail...
2023-12-1555 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Extraordinary Life of Journalist Wallace CarrollJournalist Wallace Carroll had a career that spanned 45 years as a journalist. His first foreign posting, in 1929, was to London with the United Press newswire service. Throughout the 1930s, he covered the major events in Europe and witnessed the Spanish Civil War first-hand. Posted back to London, he dictated his early reports of the Blitz from his office rood top. Carroll had a knack for being in places at the right time. His talents and connections got him noticed, and he finished the war working for the US government with the Office of War Information. Here, he...
2023-10-151h 01
Point of the Spear | Military HistoryHistory Expert Angus Wallace, Host of the WW2 PodcastJoin Robert Child for a conversation with Angus Wallace. Angus is a Post Graduate Researcher at the University of Leeds. He spent many years working in film and television He’s co-founder of the History Network in the UK and hosts one of the longest running WW2 podcasts on the the planet.
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2022-03-3026 min
The WW2 PodcastMechanisation of British Cavalry Units and Tank DoctrineIn episode 107, I talked to Ian Mitchell about the Battle of the Peaks and Longstop Hill in North Africa. Ian subsequently emailed me suggesting I talk to Sam Wallace, a post graduate researcher at Leeds University, who was working on some interesting stuff; Sam's PhD is titled The Allied Sandbox: The Tunisian Campaign and the Development of Allied Warfighting Methods, 1942-43. After chatting with Sam, we decided to look at his MA thesis which is titled Arme Blanche to Armoured Warfare: The Process of Mechanisation within the British Cavalry and the Construction of British Tank Doctrine, c.1925...
2020-09-151h 00
The WW2 PodcastKais: Downed airmen in New GuineaIn 1944, Ira Barnet took off from an airfield in New Guinea. Flying a B-25 Mitchell, from the 48th Tactical Fight Squadron, Ira and the crew were on a regular mission to harry any Japanese shipping they came across. Attacking a barge the Japanese managed to get some luck shots on Ira's plane. Attempting to nurse the Mitchell back to base it became obvious the plane wasn't going to make it. Ira was forced to make an emergency landing in a jungle swamp, miles behind enemy lines. In this episode we're looking at the ordeal the crew went...
2020-09-0135 min
The WW2 PodcastAdmiral Sir Bertram RamsayBertram Ramsey was the mastermind behind the evacuation of the BEF from France in those crucial weeks at the end of May and the start of June in 1940. It was his planning, determination and leadership which helped evacuate around 338,000 men from Dunkirk. But for this Royal Navy Officer, still officially retired, it was just one landmark operation he was involved with. Ramsey would go on to plan and take part in the invasion of North Africa, Sicily and Normandy; for Overlord he would be in overall command of the naval component of the D-Day landings, Neptune. But...
2020-08-1542 min
The WW2 PodcastFallout: The Hiroshima Cover-upOn 6th August 1945, Colonel Paul Tibbets, flying the 'Enola Gay' a B-29 Superfortress named after Tibbets's mother, dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb, 'little-boy', devastated the city; exploding with the energy of approximately 15 kilotons of TNT. The explosion instantly killed thousands of people and in the next few months tens of thousands more would die from the effects of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness and malnutrition. On the 9th August Nagasaki would be the next city to be hit by an atomic bomb.
2020-08-0147 min
The WW2 PodcastTo Defeat The Few: The Luftwaffe's Battle of BritainAfter the fall of France, Germany turned its attention to Britain. The Battle of Britain is the story of the hard pressed RAF struggling against an enemy, which up to that point hadn't been stopped. Immortalised on celluloid in the 1969 film, with a star studded cast, Guy Hamilton's Battle of Britain is very much an anglo centric view and even nearly 30 years after the war the narrative leans heavily on the wartime propaganda. The story of the Battle of Britain is much more complicated, that is not taking anything away from those men Churchill referred to as 'the 'few...
2020-07-1559 min
The WW2 PodcastThe People's Army in the Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish civil war has been highlighted as an important prelude to WWII with Germany, Italy and Russia providing men and materiel for the Republican and Nationalist forces. Augmenting this were other foreign fighters forming the international Brigades. In this episode we'll explore this conflict to see how much influence it had on the Second World War. I'm joined by Alex Clifford, author of The People's Army In the Spanish Civil War and co-host of the podcast History's Most, a podcast that delves into interesting, under-reported and controversial topics in history. In each episode they take a...
2020-07-0148 min
The WW2 PodcastThe British Army and the Anti-Locust CampaignAs you know I like to seek out lesser known topics of the Second World War. In this episode we'll be looking at the British army's Middle-East Anti-locust Unit (MEALU). Due to locust threatening local food crops in the middle east, and to prevent valuable shipping space being used to import food the unit was created, and tasked with waging war on locust. Joining me is Athol Yates. Athol is Assistant Professor at Institute for International and Civil Security, at the Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates. He has recently published the paper The...
2020-06-1536 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Codebreakers of Bletchley ParkIn this episode we're looking at the British decryption efforts centred around Bletchley Park. I'm sure to some extent you're all aware of the German cypher machine Enigma which proved so challenging to crack, but how much more do you know of British Government Code and Cypher School, which was housed at Bletchley Park during World War II. Joining me is Dermot Turing, if the name sounds familiar he is the nephew of the now well known Alan Turing whose name is now synonymous with the cracking of the enigma code. Dermot has served as a trustee...
2020-06-0156 min
The WW2 PodcastInformation HuntersThe old adage is 'information is power', and in this episode we're going to be looking at the US operations to initially obtain information that was in the public domain. Post D-Day the mission changed to both seizing books, documents and papers as the Allies advanced; then after the close of hostilities in May 1945 the operations morphed once more to collecting, seizing and sorting books. The men tasked with this job were an unlikely band of librarians, archivists, and scholars. It's a particularly less well known corner of the war that historian Kathy Peiss throws the spotlight...
2020-05-1531 min
The WW2 PodcastClementine ChurchillClementine Churchill supported her husband Winston through the ups and downs of his long career. She was his most trusted confidant, counsellor and companion. Indeed it could be arguable that without his wife Clementine, Winston might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been 'impossible without her'. I'm joined by Marie Benedict. Marie is the author of Lady Clementine: A Novel.
2020-05-1037 min
The WW2 PodcastTo VE Day Through German Eyes80 years ago this month (thats May 2020, if you're reading this from the future) the Germans finally surrendered to the Allies. While there were a number different surrender ceremonies the 8 May 1945 was declared by the Western Allies to be Victory in Europe Day, VE Day (the Russians celebrate it on the 9th May). In this episode we take a look at the closing period of the war, from September 1944 though to VE Day from the perspective of the Germans. Regular listeners will recall last year I talked to Jonathan Trigg about D-Day and the Normandy Campaign...
2020-05-011h 00
The WW2 PodcastAirborne Chaplains in the Second World WarIn this episode we're exploring the work of army Chaplains assigned to British Airborne units during the war. These men landed with the troops by parachute or glider, often behind enemy lines sharing the dangers and challenges of front line operations through North Africa, Sicily, Italy, D-Day and Arnhem to the crossing of the Rhine. I'm joined by Linda Parker. Linda has written a number of books exploring the work of British Army Chaplains, her latest is Nearer my God to Thee: Airborne Chaplains in the Second World War.
2020-04-1540 min
The WW2 PodcastSighted Sub, Sank SameWe've neglected the Battle of the Atlantic, so in this episode of the podcast we look at the how the US Navy tackled the U-Boat threat during WWII. To start with, flying long missions with just a pair of binoculars to spy an enemy sub, by the 1944 new technology was being applied to track, trace and destroy U-Boats. Joining me is Alan Cary. Alan is a historian specializing in military aviation and has written Sighted Sub, Sank Same: The United States Navy Air Campaign against the U-Boat.
2020-04-0133 min
The WW2 PodcastFour Hours of Fury: Operation VarsityOn the 24th of March 1945, 75 years ago this year, the largest ever airborne operation swung into action. Operation Varsity involved over 16,000 paratroopers and thousands of planes, the objective was to secure the west bank of the Rhine and the bridges over the Issel. Behind them was the Monty's 21st Army Group which was crossing the Rhine as part of Operation Plunder. A successful crossing of the Rhine would allow the allies access to the North German Plain and ultimately to advance upon Berlin. Joining me today is James Fenelon. James served in the...
2020-03-1551 min
The WW2 PodcastAn Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge"Richard Sorge was a man with two homelands. Born of a German father and a Russian mother in Baku in 1895, he moved in a world of shifting alliances and infinite possibility. A member of the angry and deluded generation who found new, radical faiths after their experiences on the battlefields of the First World War, Sorge became a fanatical communist - and the Soviet Union's most formidable spy." Joining me to discuss Sorge is Owen Matthews. Owen is the former Moscow and Istanbul Bureau Chief for Newsweek Magazine and has just has just released a...
2020-03-0147 min
The WW2 PodcastThe P-47 Thunderbolt and 362nd Fighter GroupIn this episode we're going to be looking at the P-47 Thunderbolt and the US 362nd Fighter Group. The P-47 was a fighter bomber and very much suited to a ground attack role, with it's eight .50 cal machine guns and it could carry a bomb load of 2,500lbs or rockets. On top of that, it could take a lot of punishment. I'm joined by Chris Bucholtz. Chris is an aviation historian with a number of books under his belt including Thunderbolts Triumphant: The 362nd Fighter Group vs Germany's Wehrmacht.
2020-02-1538 min
The WW2 PodcastThe British Commonwealth Air Training PlanAt the end of last year aviation historian Mathew Chapman sent me over his MA thesis, which is titled The Evolution of Professional Aviation Culture in Canada, 1939-45. In it he outlines the development of the British Commonwealth Air Training program in Canada, but the thesis goes on to discuss how veteran WWII pilots would dominate post war commercial airlines. If you were an air passenger in the 50's, 60's, 70s, and into the 1980s, there was a good chance your pilot was a WWII veteran. Take Concorde, the most famous passenger plane. The first man to f...
2020-02-0142 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Battle for Hong Kong, 1941We're all familiar with the events on that day of 'infamy', the 7th December 1941. The Japanese launch their typhoon in the pacific with the attack on Pearl Harbour. Hours later they would invade Malaya; an operation that would outflank the British 'fortress' singapore. Japanese units would land on the Philippines and the conquest of the Dutch-East Indies (modern day indonesia) would begin. Less well known is the Japanese attack on the British territory of Hong Kong The island had been ceded to the British in 1841, it served as a valuable harbour for ships trading with the Chinese...
2020-01-1555 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Battle of the Peaks and Long Stop HillWe're in North Africa for this episode of the podcast. In late 1942 the Allies landed in Morocco and Algeria, this was operation Torch. With them landed elements of what would become First Army, comprising of British, French and American troops. It was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Kenneth Anderson a dour capable, scotsman. First Army would be tasked with moving east pushing the Germans back into Tunisia, with the goal of capturing Tunis. After a 500 mile advance, the allies reached what would become known as Long Stop Hill with its surrounding peaks, a natural upland barrier. To...
2020-01-0157 min
The WW2 PodcastOperation SwallowIn this episode we're starting with the US 110th Infantry regiment in the Ardennes and following a small number of GI's who became POW and sent back to Germany, to ultimately work as slave labour on 'operation swallow'. Joining me once more is military historian Mark Felton. Mark is having a busy year, if you recall we chatted to him recently about the Bridge Busters, a raid on the Dortmund-Ems canal in episode 96. In episode 73 we discussed US troops undertaking Operation Cowboy as a rescue mission to save the world famous 'spanish riding school', and one of...
2019-12-1544 min
The WW2 PodcastCase White: The Invasion of Poland, 19392019 marked the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Poland by Germany and then a few weeks later, Russia. It was the event that forced Britain and France to finally declare war on Germany. In a five week campaign the Wehrmacht fought one of the largest armies in Europe to a point where it collapsed. But the Poles were not necessarily the backward force commiting cavalry to attack tanks as often the narrative of the campaign suggests. In 1939 the Polish army could put more tanks in the field than the US military, she was exporting arms, including the...
2019-12-0151 min
The WW2 PodcastAlarmstart: The Luftwaffe in the MediterraneanIf you cast your mind back to February 2018 I discussed the experience of German fighter pilots experience in Western Europe with Patrick Eriksson, that's episode 60. Later that same year, Patrick followed up with a second book Alarmstart East, focusing on the luftwaffe fighting over Russia (episode 85). Patrick has now finished his trilogy of Luftwaffe books with Alarmstart South and the final defeat, closing with the German experience flying in and around the Mediterean; so North Africa, Sicily, Malta etc and through to the end of the war. So I asked Patrick back for a chat…...
2019-11-1549 min
The WW2 Podcast'Chink' Eric Dorman-SmithIf you've ever read about the British experience in the Deserts of North Africa during WWII, one name usually gets a mention somewhere in the narrative, that of Eric Dorman-Smith, often refered to as 'chink'. He can be a divisive character, sometimes portrayed as a far thinking military genius whose ideas were ignored or misunderstood. To others he represents what was problematic with both the senior British commanders Wavell and Auchinleck, whose fortunes rose and fell; he was symptomatic of retreat, reorganisation, confusion and poor leadership. The curious thing about Dorman-Smith is so little is...
2019-11-011h 02
The WW2 PodcastD-Day Through German EyesJune 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we had a month of D-Day podcasts looking at the operation from the British, Canadian and American perspectives. The narrative of that day is the difficulty of the operation, doubts if the landings would succeed, but what if we turn the tables? How was it for the Germans? To answer that question I'm joined by WW2 podcast stalwart Jonathan Trigg. Jonathan has joined us in the past to discuss his work researching foreign recruits to the SS, you can find those in episodes 55 and 77. Earlier this year, he...
2019-10-151h 03
The WW2 PodcastOperation CHASTISE: The DambustersOn the night of May 16th, 1943, 19 Lancaster bombers took off from England heading toward the German industrial heartland of the Ruhr. They carried a new bomb, designed to skip across water avoiding any torpedo nets before hitting the target and sinking into the depths; then exploding.. The bomb was codenamed 'upkeep', we know it today as the 'bouncing bomb' designed by Barnes Wallis. Those Lancaster's of 617 squadron, commanded 24 year old Guy Gibsonwould become known as the 'Dam Busters', the operation was CHASTISE. The mission would be a success, as in two of the targeted dams were hit...
2019-10-0144 min
The WW2 PodcastLeft For Dead At NijmegenOn the 17th September 1944 Gene Metcalfe, of the 82 Airbourne, parachuted in to Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Approaching the bridge they were to capture Gene is injured in a firefight and left for dead. He would spend the rest of the war as a POW. I talk to Gene about his wartime experiences in the Airbourne, as a POW and what happened once he was liberated. Left for Dead in Nijmegen, by Marcus Nannini, is the story of Gene's war, it is a fantastic read and well worth picking up a copy.
2019-09-1541 min
The WW2 PodcastGeorge Mergenthaler - MERGOne thing I've learned from producing these podcasts is the research never ends, it only leads to new avenues of interest branching off from the original topic. And this is the case for Peter Lion. If you recall in episode 33, Peter told us how elements of the US 28nd infantry division, stationed in the Luxembourg town of Wiltz put on a christmas party for the local children, and this included GI Richard Brookins dressing as St Nicholas and arriving by jeep to hand out gifts. In researching that Peter bumped into the story of George...
2019-09-1049 min
The WW2 PodcastOperation Market GardenSeptember 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, the allied attempt to create a sixty mile corridor, and secure a crossing over the Rhine. The plan was to use the newly formed First Allied Airborne Army to seize and hold nine key bridges until relieved by the British Army's XXX Corp. The Airborne component was known as Market, and the ground attack was Garden. Joining me to talk about the background to airborne operations and Market Garden is Dr William Buckingham. William is the author or Arnhem: The Complete Story of Operation Market Garden 17...
2019-09-0159 min
The WW2 PodcastJapanese POW: Ray FitchettLast year I got an email from Cole Gill, his grandfather had made a number of tape recordings recounting his experiences during the war serving on the Royal Navy ship HMS Exeter, then as a POW at the Fukuoka camp,where he witnessed the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Who wouldn't be interested in that story? Cole sent them over and after listening to them they've been languishing in my virtual bottom draw on my computer, awaiting for me to have some inspiration. Well I've got them out, dusted them down a...
2019-08-1539 min
The WW2 PodcastBridge Busters: The Dortmund-Ems Canal RaidIn this episode we're looking at an RAF raid in 1940 against the Dortmund-Ems canal. The canal was a vital trade route with huge amounts of supplies and raw materials passing along it daily. With the fall of France and the build up to Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain, interrupting the traffic on the canal would aid in upsetting the German timetable. But to undertake the task a level of accuracy was needed from the RAF which was hitherto unheard of… It was very much a proto-dambusters raid. Joining me to discuss the raid is Dr...
2019-08-0141 min
The WW2 PodcastJimmy StewartFor a long time I've been fascinated by movie stars who chose to join the military and saw combat in World War Two. And one star in particular has always interested me, 'Jimmy Stewart'. A big star in the 1930's, in 1940 he would win the Oscar for best man in The Philadelphia Story' and was nominated for one for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, yet when war came he was insistent on not avoiding it and joined the United States Army Airforce flying combat missions over Europe. Joining me to discuss Jimmy Stewart's military career is Robert M...
2019-07-1539 min
The WW2 Podcast1941: The Year Germany Lost WWIIThe usual narrative for WWII is that turning points of the war are in 1942 with the battles of Midway, El Alamein and Stalingrad. While these are unquestionably major victories that signalled the 'end of the beginning', as Churchill would put it. Friend of the podcast Andrew Nagorski has suggested that actually 1941 was the pivotal year of the war. Andrew contends that the decisions made in 1941, by the major nations, would make an allied victory not just possible but inevitable. It's a compelling idea. As we've had Andrew on the podcast previously (in episode 18, when discussed N...
2019-07-0147 min
The WW2 PodcastD-Day: The British Beach LandingsIn the last episode we looked at the American experience of D-Day at Omaha beach, this time it's the turn of the British and Canadians at Sword, Juno and Gold on the 6th June 1944. In this episode we're going to concentrate on the British and Canadian landings on D-Day. I'm joined by John Sadler. Now we've talked to John before in episode 26, when we looked at Operation Agreement, a combined operations raid in the deserts of North Africa that included the Long Range Desert Group, the SAS and the Royal Navy. John is a...
2019-06-1540 min
The WW2 Podcast92 - D-Day: Omaha'Before the war, Normandy's Plage d'Or coast was best known for its sleepy villages and holiday destinations. Early in 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel took one look at the gentle, sloping sands and announced 'They will come here!' He was referring to Omaha Beach ‒ the primary American D-Day landing site. The beach was subsequently transformed into three miles of lethal, bunker-protected arcs of fire, with chalets converted into concrete strongpoints, fringed by layers of barbed wire and mines. The Germans called it 'the Devil's Garden'.' In this episode I'm joined by Robert Kershaw military historian, battlefield gu...
2019-06-0143 min
The WW2 PodcastUSS Arizona: Brothers DownIn this episode I'm joined by Walter Borneman, if you cast your mind back I talked to him in episode 25 about General Macarthur. That was nearly three years ago! How time flies! Since then Walter has been busy researching the history of the sinkingof the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 194 and the fate of the crew, including a remarkable 23 sets of siblings. He has a new WWII book out called Brothers Down, so I thought we'd get him back to discuss it.
2019-05-1556 min
The WW2 PodcastStorm On Our Shores: The Battle for AttuOn the 6th of June 1942 Japanese troops invaded the island of Attu which is part of Alaska, it was the first time since 1812 that continental America had been invaded. In this episode we're looking at the US attack to recapture the island, the fighting was bitter in a very hostile environment, and the discovery of a diary of a Japanese army surgeon who had been trained before the war in the USA. I'm joined by Mark Obmascik, author of The Storm on our Shoreswhich traces the story of the fighting on Attu, Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi...
2019-05-0147 min
The WW2 PodcastCork WarsA few months ago I got email from David Taylor asking if I'd ever considered looking at the cork industry in WWII? I'm sure like you, it had never crossed my mind. The more I looked into it the more I got enthused by the story of cork, it was a wonder product during the early 20th century, used in all manner of things - almost anything that needed a seal such as a gasket used cork, so it was crucial to the auto industry, aviation and munitions. The American government defined it a strategic industry along...
2019-04-1532 min
The WW2 PodcastDivision LeclercIn this episode we're going to be looking at the Free French and the Division Leclerc, commanded by Philippe de Hauteclocque. Raised in the French Colonies of Africa, they fought with distinction in the deserts of Libya and with the British 8th Army. They also took part in the fighting in North West Europe after D-Day, being one of the units that liberated Paris in 1944. This is not just a story of a unit, but is very much the story of the growth of the Free French. For this episode I'm joined by M.P...
2019-04-0155 min
The WW2 Podcast87 - Hitler's DeathWe've all see the film Downfallabout the Führerbunker in Berlin, in the closing days of the war. And we all know the story of how Adolf Hitler, with his new wife Eva Braun, committed suicide and the body was destroyed. Well, how much of that story do we actually know? Since the end of the war a series of newspaper reports, books and more recently the TV series Hunting Hitler have all put forward the idea that Hitler escaped at the end of the war and the official history, for want for a better phrase is no...
2019-03-1541 min
The WW2 PodcastThe SAS in Italy, 1943-45The SAS made their name in the North African desert, but less well known is after that they continued to fight in the mediterranean theatre. They carried out raiding missions in advance of the invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, and then operating behind enemy lines during the Italian Campaign. For this episode I'm joined by Malcolm Tudor. Malcolm's father actually fought in Italy during WWII, his Italian mother's family worked with the partisans and aided escaped allied POW's. Malcolm is also the author of SAS In Italy, 1943-1945
2019-03-0154 min
The WW2 PodcastAlarmstart East - The Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front"There are no more than a handful of Second World War Luftwaffe members alive today. Patrick Eriksson had the foresight to record these experiences first-hand before it was too late. Some witnesses ended up as senior fighter controllers. The recollections and views of the veterans are put within the context of the German aerial war history. By no means all the witnesses were from the ranks of the so-called 'aces'." Last year I discussed the experiences of German Luftwaffe pilots fighting in the West, against the Allies, I was joined by Patrick Eriksson. Patrick has completed the...
2019-02-1549 min
The WW2 PodcastShot DownIn this episode we're going to be looking at the story of Howard Snyder, a B-17 'Flying Fortress' pilot, flying with the US 8th air force from Britain. Through letters Howard wrote to his family, and exhaustive research, his son Steve Snyder has pieced together the remarkable story of his father, and what happened after he was shot down in Belgium. You can find more about Steve Snyder and his father, Howard, at stevesnyderauthor.com
2019-02-0147 min
The WW2 PodcastOperation CrossbowIn 1943 allied surveillance picked up the construction of V1 and V2 rocket sites in France. Without quite knowing the extent of the threat allied planners decided to embark upon a pre-emptive campaign to deny the Germans the use of these sites, the code name was Operation Crossbow. It would be an Anglo-American Operation with ran up until the end of WWII, in 1945. I'm joined by Steven Zaloga. Steven is a prolific military historian and analyst, he has also written a book on Crossbow published by Osprey, Operation Crossbow 1944; Hunting Hitlers V-Weapons.
2019-01-1536 min
The WW2 PodcastUS Navy vs IJN Fleet Submarine, 1941-42In this episode we're going to be looking a Japanese submarine operations in the Pacific in the early part of the war. While I'm sure we're all familiar with the Imperial Japanese surface fleets actions during 1941-42, especially if you've listened to my discussions with Jeff Cox in episode #14 and #63, but there seems to be very little mention of submarines. Which is interesting because if we look at the Battle for the North Atlantic it was all about the German U-Boats. Joining me today is Mark Stille. Mark is a retired US Navy commander, alumni...
2019-01-0141 min
The WW2 PodcastBritain's Blockade of Europe & the response of the ICRCAt the outbreak of WWII Britain put into motion the strategy of using the Royal Navy to blockade Germany, depriving her of essential goods. When Europe fell the blockade was widened to include all of Europe. This provided a dilemma for the British, the Ministry of Economic Warfare was in favour of depriving all occupied countries of goods, for the Foreign Office depriving occupied countries would mean negatively affecting countries that were allied with Britain. In Greece this would lead to famine, and a relief operation organised by the International Red Cross. I'm...
2018-12-1547 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Italian Army In North AfricaLong standing listeners will have heard me chat to Walter Zapotoczny before, in episode 57 we looked at Ardennes offensive, and in episode 63 we looked at German penal battalions. Patrons of the podcast might recall on both occasions after I'd finished recording we got to talking about the Italians in North Africa. Well, Walter's book on the topic was released a couple of months ago 'The Italian Army In North Africa: A Poor Fighting Force or Doomed by Circumstance' Hopefully we can answer the question a poor fighting force or doomed by circumstance in...
2018-12-0128 min
The WW2 PodcastLast Man Standing - Geoffrey Rothwell"'Stay low, stay on track, and stay alive' was the motto of the RAF's most secret Station, Tempsford. That's exactly what Geoffrey Rothwell did ‒ DFC & Bar, 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star with France/Germany Clasp, Defence Medal, Victory Medal, Order of Leopold II & Palme, Croix de Guerre 1940 & Palme, Bomber Command Medal, POW medal, La Légion d'honneur ‒ from Bomber Command via SOE to Stalag and back." In episode 53 I talked to Gabrielle McDonald-Rothwell about the SOE agent Diana Rowden. After we had stopped recording Gabrielle told me about her husband Geoffrey Rothwell, was the last surviving pilot for S...
2018-11-261h 10
The WW2 PodcastThe Forgotten Dead - Exercise Tiger'On a dark night in 1944, a beautiful stretch of the Devon coast became the scene of desperate horror. Tales began to leak out of night-time explosions and seaborne activity. This was practice for Exercise Tiger, the main rehearsal for the Utah Beach landings…' This is very much an episode in two halves, I start by looking at the disastrous Exercise Tigerwhich took place in April 1944, at Lyme Bay and Slapton Sands in Devon. Then move on to talk about a Sherman tank! I'm joined by Dean Small. Dean's father Ken did much to...
2018-11-1550 min
The WW2 PodcastBones of My GrandfatherUS Marine, Lt Alexander Bonnymanlanded on Tarawa in December 1942. He was mortally wounded leading an assault on a Japanese bunker, which was key to defense of the island, and act for which he would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. In this episode of the podcast I talk to his grandson, Clay Bonnyman Evansabout the events surrounding his death and about how his grandfather's remains, along with hundreds of others who had been hastily buried, were lost after the war.
2018-11-011h 01
The WW2 PodcastHitler's VikingsAt the beginning of WWII Germany invaded and occupied Denmark and Norway, but left neutral Sweden alone. Less than a year later citizens from all three of those Scandinavian nations were volunteering to join the Waffen-SS. By the end of the war in 1945 the number of Scandinavians who had fought in the Waffen-SS had reached the thousands. Casualties were high, but there were survivors and they returned home, often to face retribution and condemnation. In episode 55, I discussed the Flemish Waffen SS, with Jonathan Trigg. Since then he's been busy tracking down the few surviving veterans of...
2018-10-151h 02
The WW2 PodcastRAF Flight EngineersWay back in episode four of the podcast, I talked to Andrew Panton about the Lancaster Bomber; Andrew is the pilot of Lancaster 'Just Jane' here in the UK. Whilst chatting the role of flight engineer came up, I had no clue what they actually did, I wasn't aware they worked in tandem with the pilot to fly the plane. Ever since I've been on the lookout for someone to talk to about the role, if you do a search on Amazon you'll discover how overlooked the Flight Engineer has been in the historiography. Earlier...
2018-10-0146 min
The WW2 Podcast75 - The Rise of Hitler and National SocialismSeptember 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of the Munich agreement, where the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, flew to Germany to meet Hitler; in an attempt to avert war. He famously returned with an agreement which he believed would deliver 'peace in our time'. It got me thinking about Hitler's rise to power, in 1933 he joined the government one of only three Nazi's in it. Five years later he was dominating European foreign policy, as he pushes forward with his agenda. In this episode I thought we'd look at Hitler's rise to power, from the end of the...
2018-09-151h 04
The WW2 PodcastThe M3 'Grant' TankThe American built M3 tank was one of the first tanks purchased and supplied in large numbers to the British army in WWII, where it was known as the 'Grant' or the 'Lee'. It's the first American built tank I became aware of as a child, when I saw 'Monty's' at the Imperial War Museum. In this episode I'm joined by prolific tank writer and former employee of Bovington Tank museum, David Fletcher. With Steven Zaloga, David is the author of British Battle Tanks: American-Made World War II Tanks.
2018-09-0133 min
The WW2 PodcastGhost Riders: Operation CowboyLast year I talked to Mark Felton about the escape attempts of British VIP prisoners, held by the Italians. That was episode 49 Castle of Eagles, the book is possibly my favourite read of last year. Well Mark is back, with another cracking story he's managed to turn up in the archives, that of Operation Cowboy; the book is Ghost Riders. It recounts the activities of an American unit which raced into Czechoslovakia to accept the surrender of a group of Germans, in doing so they manage to rescue a number of Allied POW's, with the...
2018-08-1542 min
The WW2 PodcastMediterranean StrategyBack in episode 7, I talked to Alexander Fitzgerald-Black about his MA thesis which focused on the allied air campaign in support of Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Which if you're interested has now been released as a book 'Eagles over Husky: The Allied Aire Forces In The Sicilian Campaign, 14 May to 17 August 1943'. Alex and I have kept in touch and always said we should do another episode together discussing the Mediterranean campaign. I was struggling to pin down a topic, when Alex suggested I read Douglas Porch's book 'The Path To Victory: The...
2018-08-011h 00
The WW2 PodcastUSS IndianapolisIn this episode we're looking at the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Returning from delivering the atomic bomb to Tinian, in preparation for it to be dropped, the Indianapolis was hit twice by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. She sank in less than a quarter of an hour. 800-900 men went in the shark infested waters, and no one in the US Navy was aware of the unfolding tragedy. The men floated in small groups for five nights and four days before they were finally spotted by the passing US plane. And that...
2018-07-1546 min
The WW2 PodcastAerial WarfareIn the last episode we looked at the development of the world's navies during the interwar period. To compliment that I thought we'd do something similar with aerial warfare. It is easy to forget in 1939 aviation was still very much in its infancy, and especially aerial warfare. Theorist such as Giulio Douhethad highlighted the importance of controlling airspace, Douhet also advocated that idea that a nation could bomb its way to victory. Other countries such as Germany envisaged the plane in tactical roles, supporting the army. So at the outbreak of WWII each air force was prepared...
2018-07-0151 min
The WW2 PodcastInterwar International Naval PolicyToday what I thought we'd investigate the interwar naval treaties which aimed to prevent conflict, but at the same time, what they did was help shape the navies of the world, in the run up to WWII. In this episode I'm talking to Craig Symonds. Craig is the Enest J King Distinguished Professor of Maritime History a the US Naval War College and Professor Emeritus at the US Naval College.
2018-06-1537 min
The WW2 PodcastGo Betweens for HitlerHitler when he came to power, had few international connections, and he distrusted elements of his civil service. What he needed was people he could trust, who were connected to the highest echelons of power throughout Europe. These emissaries would be used to sound out opinion, and smooth over incidents when they happened. And that is what we're looking at in this episode, those 'back channels', the aristocratic go betweens that Hitler employed. Joining me is Karina Urbach. Karina is currently working at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, her book Go...
2018-06-0135 min
The WW2 PodcastLuftwaffe Night Fighter 'Ace', Wolfgang ThimmigJoining me today is Max Thimmig, Max's grandfather was the German WWII night fighter ace, Wolfgang Thimmig. Wolfgang joined the German Army, the Reichswehr, in 1934, and was one of the early pilots in Hitler's newly created Luftwaffe, in 1935. Incredibly Wolfgang flew with the Luftwaffe throughout the second world war, from Poland right to the end in 1945. Max's book is Nattens jägare: Ett tyskt nattjaktess under andra världskriget.
2018-05-1543 min
The WW2 PodcastNorthrop P-61 Black WidowThe P-61 was built in response to the Blitz on Great Britain, in 1940. The RAF were in need of a night fighter and they confirmed with their US counterparts on the specifications. The result was a twin tail plane with a crew of three, it was specifically designed to house a radar to zero the aircraft in, at night on their target. Only four now survive. Joining me is Russell Strine from the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, who are currently restoring one, the intention is to get it in the air once more. ...
2018-05-0146 min
The WW2 PodcastLt Col William Edwin DyessThis episode, is released just after the 75th anniversary of the escape of ten American prisoners of war, and two Filipino convicts, from the Davao Penal Colony. The following year when the story broke, the US War Department would call it the 'greatest story of the war'. The man made famous at the time for escaping, and recounting the story, was Lt. Col. William Edwin Dyess. A fighter pilot who not only fought in the air, but during the defence of Bataan led and amphibious assault as an infantryman. Joining me to tell us the story of...
2018-04-151h 07
The WW2 PodcastThe Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign 1942One of my first guests was Jeffrey Cox, we discussed in length the Java Sea campaign in episode 14. Jeff has been busy for the last couple of years writing his follow up book Morning Star, Midnight Sun – The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War Two. So I asked Jeff back to discuss the campaign. Jeff and I talked for nearly three hours, so whilst the podcast is trimmed to keep us on message if you want some more why not become a patron and have another 30min of us talking what he's unto next and to...
2018-04-011h 18
The WW2 PodcastStrafbattalion: Hitler's Penal BattalionsIn episode 57 I talked to Walter Zapotoczny about Ardennes Offensive, chatting with him it told me had had a new book out in 2018 looking at German Penal Battalions. That sounded like a topic right up my street so I got him back to talk with us. When war broke out in 1939, Hitler created `Strafbattalion' (Penal Battalion) units to deal with incarcerated members of the Wehrmacht as well as `subversives'. His order stated that any first-time convicted soldier could return to his unit after he had served a portion of his sentence in `a special probation corps before...
2018-03-1538 min
The WW2 PodcastBetrayed: The Buchenwald AirmenIn this episode we're going to be discussing the plight of 168 Allied Airmen who found themselves imprisoned in Buchenwald concentration camp. It's something that even to this day governments seem unwilling to admit to. "As we got close to the camp and saw what was inside... a terrible, terrible fear and horror entered our hearts. We thought, what is this? Where are we going? Why are we here? And as you got closer to the camp and started to enter [it] and saw these human skeletons walking around; old men, young men, boys, just skin and bone...
2018-03-011h 13
The WW2 PodcastRAF Liberators Over Burma - Flying with 159 SquadronIf Slim's 14th army was the 'Forgotten Army' the RAF bombing campaign in the Far East is even more forgotten! In this episode I'm talking to Matt Poole. Matt's mother is from Liverpool, her first husband was in the RAF serving in Burma when he was shot down over Rangoon. In trying to find out what happened that night Matt was introduced to Bill Kirkness who served in the same squadron. Bill had written a memoir of his wartime experience, though he's sadly now passed away Matt has edited the manuscript into RAF...
2018-02-1551 min
The WW2 PodcastAlarmstart - German Fighter Pilots in EuropeWhen I plan the podcast episodes I don't usually sit down and look at the subject and how it relates to those episodes around it, hence we've often found ourselves in the pacific in quick succession. In this instance it seems serendipitous that we're going from looking at the fall of France, in the last episode, to looking at the experiences of German fighter pilots in Europe. The two topics compliment one another rather well. Joining me is Patrick Eriksson. Patrick is the author of Alarmstart: The German Fighter Pilot's Experience in the...
2018-02-0149 min
The WW2 PodcastCase Red: The Collapse of FranceIn this episode I'm looking at 'Case Red' the German attack on France post Dunkirk. Often when we talk about the Battle of France the history seems to stop at Dunkirk, in actual fact the fight carried on for a few more weeks. There was still British 100,000+ troops in France, Churchill was keen to keep the French fighting… Joining in me is Robert Forczyk, if you recall last year we discussed Operation Sealion with Bob. He's been beavering away and has a new book out, 'Case Red: The collapse of France'. Its a real eye opener…
2018-01-1556 min
The WW2 PodcastLost Warriors: Seagrim and Pagani of BurmaIn this episode we'll be looking at two British soldiers in occupied Burma. Major Hugh Seagrim operated for two years behind the Japanese lines, organising Karen resistance before he was eventually forced to surrender. Seagrim crosses paths with Roy Pagani, trying to make his way back to British army in India, after escaping as a POW working on the Burma railway. Pagani is a remarkable man he had already escaped from Dunkirk in 1940, and Singapore when it fell in 1942. Joining me today is Phillip Davis. Phillip is the author of Lost Warriors, Seagrim...
2018-01-011h 01
The WW2 PodcastThe 110th Holds In The Ardennes, 1944This episode is being released on the 15th of December, the eve of the Battle of the Bulge. It was the 16th of December 1944 that Hitler launched Operation Watch on the Rhine, the last great offensive in the West. Joining me today is Walter Zapotoczny, author of The 110th Hold In The Ardennes: The Blunting of Hitler's Last Gamble and the Invasion of the Reich.The 110th Infantry Regiment were part of the 28th Division which bore the brunt of the German offensive in the first few days. The Battle of the Bulge has...
2017-12-1534 min
The WW2 PodcastHaile Selassie's Mongrel Foreign Legion.In the classic narrative, the second world war starts with the invasion of Poland in 1939, though for the Chinese it started with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931. I notice wikipedia solves the start date by stating 'relate conflicts started earlier', and that is what we'll be looking at today the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and those foreigners who volunteered to fight for Haile Selassie. I'm joined by Christopher Othen Christopher is the author of the Lost Lions of Judah: Haile Selassie's Mongrel Foreign Legion.
2017-12-0152 min
The WW2 PodcastDarkest HourI've been promising you an extra episode since September... Well it never came off, I was all prepared to discuss the end of the war in the Pacific but I struggled to pin down the guest so I gave up! But good things come to those that wait! I was asked if I might be interested in having a chat with the writer of the new WW2 film Darkest Hour, Anthony McCarten. How could I say no? If you would like some background listening I looked at Churchill during this period in episode 8, C...
2017-11-2223 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Flemish Waffen SSWithin a year of Belgium falling to the Germans in 1940, Belgian citizens were volunteering to join the Waffen SS to fight communism on the newly formed Eastern Front. Thousands volunteered, and the suffered heavy casualties. I'm joined by Jonathan Trigg author of Voices of the Flemish Waffen SS. He has been gathering the stories of these men and women. What remarkable stories they are, I devoured the book in just two evenings…
2017-11-1558 min
Fighting Through WWII Stories & History21 Angus Wallace of the WW2 Podcast interviews Paul CheallAngus Wallace is the host of The WW2 Podcast and he interviews Paul Cheall about his Dad's WWII memoirs, Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, published by Pen and Sword. Angus' show involves chats with people who've had books published on military history. He asks Paul all sorts of questions about his Dad and his memoirs. If you subscribe to The WW2 podcast you may have already heard this interview before. More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Facebook page
2017-11-1154 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Bataan Death MarchWe've spent quite a bit of time in the Pacific this year, I didn't intend to but as its a theatre of the war I'm not very familiar with I've been happy to be pulled down that route. One topic we've skirted round in a number of episodes is the Bataan Death March, its been a topic I've been keen to look at as we've mentioned it a few times. Plus it's seems like an obvious gap in my knowledge I needed to fill. I'm joined by Jay Wertz. Jay has authored a n...
2017-11-0144 min
The WW2 PodcastHer Finest Hour: Diana Rowden, SOE AgentLast year I talked to Greg Lewis about the female agents in the British Special Operations Executive, SOE, who Churchill had tasked with "setting Europe ablaze". In this episode we'll be looking specifically at Diana Rowden who was flown into France in 1943. Diana spent her early years in the South of France before being sent to Public School in England. At the outbreak of war Diana was living in Paris with her mother. When Paris fell they fled south, but once her mother was safely on a boat back to England, Diana decided to remain in France...
2017-10-151h 12
The WW2 PodcastShadow Over the AtlanticBetween 1943-45 Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5 "Atlantik" would fly missions of up to 18 hours at a time over the Atlantic. They acted as the eyes for the U-Boats. Equipped with big, four-engined Junkers Ju 290s fitted out with advanced search radar and other maritime 'ELINT' (electronic intelligence) devices, Fernaufklärungsgruppe (FAGr) 5 'Atlantik' undertook a distant, isolated campaign far out into the Atlantic and thousands of miles away from its home base in western France. I'm joined by Robert Forsyth author of Shadow over the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe and the U-boats: 1943–45. Robert is an author, editor and publisher, specia...
2017-10-0145 min
The WW2 PodcastThe German Airborne Threat to Britain & the Psychological ImpactI was reading the British Journal for Military History and an article caught my eye titled The Psychological Impact of Airborne Warfare & the British Response to the Airborne Threat by Dr Tim Jenkins. In 1940 the Germans achieved stunning successes with the use of airborne troops, the Fallschirmjäger. The first recorded attack by parachutists was in Denmark against the fortress at Masnedø. The reputed impregnable fortress at Eben Emael in Belgium would surrender to just 78 German airborne troops who had landed on top in Gliders. Traditionally Britain was safe beyond the English Channel, protected by the R...
2017-09-1547 min
The WW2 PodcastOperation Tonga: The British Airborne on D-DayIn this episode I'm looking at Operation Tonga, the British airborne element that led the way during the D-Day landings in 1944. I'm joined by Stephen Wright. Stephen is keenly interested in the operation, an operation his uncle was killed taking part in. For the last twenty years he's been researching the airborne, and particularly the use of Gliders during the closing years of the war. His book, co-authored with Bill Shannon, Operation Tonga brings to the reader first hand accounts of that night. Stephen is also involved with a new feature film True...
2017-09-0148 min
The WW2 PodcastCastle of EaglesIn this episode we're looking at high ranking British POWs held by the Italians and their attempts at escape. The middle east was considered an Italian theatre, rather than prisoners be shipped to Germany high ranking officers such as Generals Richard O'Connor, Phillip Neame, Adrian Carton de Wiart or Air Marshal Owen Boyd were placed into Italian custody as POWs. Neither rank or age deterred their determination to escape It's arguably a story to rival that of the Great Escape or Colditz. Joining me is Dr Mark Felton. Mark is the author of numerous military history books one...
2017-08-151h 05
The WW2 PodcastFallen Giants: The Russian T-35 TankIn this episode I'm looking at the giant soviet T-35 tank with Francis Pulham. As you will discover the T-35 was a peculiar vehicle with five turrets, very few were ever produced and almost all were knocked out very early in the war. Francis is the author of Fallen Giants, The Combat Debut of the T-35a tank. "The T-35 was a Soviet multi-turreted heavy tank of the interwar period and early Second World War that saw limited production and service with the Red Army. It was the only five-turreted heavy tank in the world...
2017-08-0142 min
The WW2 PodcastFlying to Victory: The Western Desert Campaign 1940-41In this episode we're in the Western Desert in 1940-41 looking at the air campaign fought by Raymond Collishaw and his RAF crews. Collishaw was a WW1 fighter ace. When the war broke out in 1939 now Air Commodore Collishaw he commanded an RAF Group in Egypt. The fighting in the western desert in 1940 and early 41 is often overlooked yet with his army counterpart, Richard O'Connor they scored some stunning successes. Collishaws ideas on tactical air support would become the blue print for allied air operations later in the war. Joining me is Mike Bechthold.
2017-07-1547 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Covenanter TankAs many of you know I bang on about supporting me via Patreon at the start of each episode. These small donations pay for hosting, software and help me to find the time to dedicate to the show. After two years of plugging away I've finally reached my first funding goal on Patreon, $250 per month! Now I've reached this goal I'm going to upgrade my hosting package allowing me to potentially post more and longer podcasts. As a thank you to everyone for their support, and a very big thank you to all the Patrons...
2017-07-0643 min
The WW2 PodcastFighting Through From Dunkirk to HamburgIn this episode we're going to be discussing Bill Cheall. Bill joined the Green Howard's in 1939, a regiment in the British army, and fought throughout the whole war. He was evacuated through Dunkirk, fought in the Desert, took part in the invasion of Sicily and in 1944 landed on Gold beach on D-Day… Bill wrote his memoirs which have been edited by his son Paul and publish as "Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg: A Green Howard's Wartime Memoir". [asa2 tplid="14" align="center" associate_id_set="WW2"]B00BM4SLO0[/asa2] For mor...
2017-07-0152 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Jersey BrothersIn this episode we're looking at three brothers all in the US Navy at the start of the war, and their remarkable story. Today I'm joined by Sally Mott Freeman, her book "The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home" follows her father and his two brothers through the war. Bill Mott would start the war in FDR's Whitehouse Map room, his brother Benny would be on the Carrier USS Enterprise and Barton was a supply officer based in the Philippines… Their experience br...
2017-06-1544 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Winter War: The British Reaction to the Invasion of FinlandLast year I talked to Irish Historian Bernard Kelly about his book "Military Internees, Prisoners of War and the Irish State during the Second World War", thats episode 23 for those who haven't listened. We discussed how the Republic of Ireland walked the tightrope of neutrality and how it treated troops of belligerent nations who found themselves within its borders.. Chatting with Bernard after that recording I discovered his MA thesis looked at the Russia's Winter War with Finland. Yet another interesting WW2 topic and that's what we'll be discussing in this episode. In November 1939 Russia attacked...
2017-06-0141 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Red Cross: Humanitarians at WarThe role of the International Committee of the Red Cross during WWII is complicated. Closely bound to Switzerland the ICRC tried to remain neutral whilst at the same time operating with in the boundaries of the Geneva Conventions. Criticised for its failure to speak out during the holocaust as the war came to a close it went into overdrive to remain relevant in a post war world. I'm joined by Gerald Steinacher. Gerald is Associate Professor of History and Hymen Rosenberg Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, his latest book i...
2017-05-1557 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Battle of the Coral SeaIn January I had an email from Bob Drury, if that name sounds familiar it's because I chatted to Bob in episode 30 talking about Old 666. He wondered what I had planned for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. As it happens I'd not actually thought about the Battle of the Coral Sea! Bob suggested that he and his writing partner of Lucky 666 Tom Calvin come on the podcast and have a chat. The naval clash at in the Coral sea was pivotal in the war against Japan. Since the attack on P...
2017-05-0144 min
The WW2 PodcastAmphibious Operations in WWIIWe're looking at amphibious operations during the war in this episode. Until I started researching I hadn't realised how many there were. We're all pretty familiar with the handful in the European Theatre but in the Pacific the list is long… In this episode I'm talking to Mike Walling. Mikes is the author of Bloodstained Sands, US amphibious operations in WWII, he is a veteran of the US navy coast guard and has spent the last forty years collecting stories from veterans.
2017-04-1539 min
The WW2 PodcastHomefront to BattlefrontI've been planning to look at some individual soldiers stories for some time, the first was going to be the story of a Green Howard who fought through from D-Day until the end of the war. As his story is similar to my great uncles everyone in my family was interested and the book has gone on it's travels passed from my mother to my sister to my brother… As of typing I haven't got it back... In the meantime when I was given the opportunity to talk to Frank Lavin about his father's war time experience I j...
2017-04-0158 min
The WW2 PodcastAllen Dulles and the German ResistanceIn this episode we're looking at a topic we touched up on in way back in episode 06 when we looked at the OSS. We're looking at the OSS station chief in Bern, Switzerland, Allen Dulles and his connections with the German resistance during the WWII. Dulles incredibly was approached by a number of Germans unhappy with the Nazi regime who fed him information from 1943 onward. I'm joined by Scott Miller. Scott's book Agent 110: An American Spymaster and the German Resistance in WWII, looks at Dulles operation in Switzerland and pieces together his connections w...
2017-03-1554 min
The WW2 PodcastThe Race for the RhineOnce the Allies had crossed the English Channel on D-Day the next large natural barrier would be the crossing of the Rhine into Germany. Toward the end of 1944 the fighting had been hard, the Americans had slogged through the Hürtgen Forest, everyone had reeled against the German counter attack in the Ardennes. The Rhine is a perfect natural border, the crossing of which would be symbolically crossing the last line of defence in to Germany from the West. The task was given to Montgomery's 21st Army. As ever Monty put together an enormous set p...
2017-03-0148 min
The WW2 Podcast82nd Airborne at Operation HuskyIn 1943 the Allies made their first mass use of Airborne troops in support of the landings on Sicily. By this time the Germans had already ruled out any further mass use of the airborne Fallschirmjäger after Crete, though a huge success the price paid was costly. I'm joined by Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino of the 82nd Airborne, to discuss how those initial landings went. Joe is a currently serving officer and can be heard on the excellent All American Legacy Podcast.
2017-02-1551 min
The WW2 PodcastVolunteers and Pressed MenIn this episode we'll looking at how Britain found the manpower to fight the war. By the end at least four and a half million had served from Britain, if we add to that figure Empire and Commonwealth forces we're looking it perhaps upwards of ten million. Its an astounding figure…. I'm joined by Roger Broad. Rogers New book Volunteers and Pressed Men looks at recruitment during both the First and second World War in both Britain and its Empire.
2017-02-0138 min
The WW2 PodcastThe German Halftrack - SdKfz 251In this first episode of the WW2 podcast Angus talks to Paul Hilditch, of the Northern WW2 Association, about the iconic German halftrack, the Sd.Kfz 251.
2015-05-0100 min