Fighting Through WW2 History

Six full years of an Australian soldier’s war, in what I think is one of the finest set of stories you could ever hope to come across - over 80 in …

Jean was a youngster when the second world war broke out.
She describes her first sinister sighting of a German airship – a Zeppelin
She tells of her …

THIS IS PART TWO - LISTEN TO PART ONE, EPISODE 61, FIRST

Damien Lewis is the author of new book CHURCHILL’S HELLRAISERS: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress.
It’s the TRUE story of a hodge-podge team …

PART ONE

Damien Lewis is the author of new book CHURCHILL’S HELLRAISERS: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress.
It’s the TRUE story of a hodge-podge team tasked with sneaking through enemy territory and …

LISTEN TO EPISODES 56 -59 BEFORE THIS ONE

The FIFTH and FINAL instalment in the memoir Overseas and Over the Top by Morris Prince. 

Omaha Beach to …

LISTEN TO EPISODES 56 -58 BEFORE THIS ONE

The FOURTH instalment in the memoir Overseas and Over the Top 

Omaha Beach to the Battle of the Bulge and …

LISTEN TO EPISODES 56 AND 57 BEFORE THIS ONE

The THIRD instalment in the memoir Overseas and Over the Top 

Omaha Beach to the Battle of the Bulge and …

LISTEN TO EPISODE 56 BEFORE THIS ONE

The second instalment in the memoir Overseas and Over the Top 

Omaha Beach to the Battle of the Bulge and beyond …

Omaha Beach to the Battle of the Bulge and beyond - in multiple episodes. One man's complete and personal memoir of the entire period from leaving …

Les Rutherford was part of the rear-guard defence of Dunkirk in 1940. He escaped to England in a most novel fashion and later volunteered for the …

When the battle of Okinawa was over, almost a quarter of a million people had lost their lives, making it by far the bloodiest US battle of the …

Some smashing tales to share. Top of the bill is a tale of a sniper, Harry Furness, from the 6th Green Howards which I’m using with kind permission …

For You the War is Over - special guest preview of the brand new podcast by Dave and Dave.

More great unpublished history!
World War Two

Part Two, Episode Fifty anniversary special

Celebrate Dunkirk 80 with this special episode. Take a trip down the Second World War memory lane of Dunkirk,
D-Day, Lancasters, tanks, the Blitz, POW’s, the WW1 battle of …

Celebrating Episode 50!!!

Take a trip down the Second World War memory lane of Dunkirk,
D-Day, Lancasters, tanks, the Blitz, POW’s, the WW1 battle of …

Another helping of soldierly stories wrapped up in rhyme.

We’ve got a poignant verse written to a soldier by his tank comrades whilst he was laid up …

"We went up the line in the trenches at Vimy Ridge. We prepared our emplacement for a raid by the Canadians, to capture prisoners to gain information for the big attack that was to come. We were to fire gas shells …

D-Day Through German Eyes, How the Wehrmacht Lost France by J Trigg.

A reflection on how the war was lost by the Germans and won by the Allies from D-Day onwards.

Please note that some of the narrative in this episode …

Stories about the German side of the Second World War.

"There was a vast number of ships, absolutely vast. I can tell you that my throat went dry …

Accounts of my trip to Normandy - including Gold beach and Omaha.

An exclusive preview of the new British Normandy Memorial which is dedicated to the …

Flt Lt Sidney Stevens was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) during WWII raids bombing industrial Germany in 1943.

"This thing was bumping …

HMS Exeter was sunk in Pacific waters during the second world war. Ray Fitchett made a recording of his tale of survival in Japan – abandoning ship …

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings with memoirs about the tough training for D-Day and stories about Landing Craft Tanks delivering their cargo of hardware and humans to the battle-strewn WWII …

A final dose of fun and adventure with war hero Wilf Shaw.

"We're done for" said Wilf's mate as a cloud of desert dust appeared on the horizon, signifying the approach of a very large force of enemy troops.

"One day, on …

The extraordinary turns of events that brought four Brits to the shores of Dunkirk at the same time as a Frenchman.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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A bonus episode with listener feedback on the Capt Stan Perry interviews, episodes 37-38 plus end of year WW2 history quiz!

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The dramatic WWII diary of a 5th Scottish Para in France, Italy and beyond. The secret story of a mutiny by British soldiers.

And what a great new …

Capt Stanley Perry was in the British tank regiment the Sherwood Rangers and saw a lot of action in Normandy and Germany. He survived battles, bombs and booby traps to tell of his amazing WWII exploits some 75 years …

PART TWO.

Continuing with Part two of Capt Stanley Perry's WW2 interview. Recommended you listen to Part one, episode 36, first. 

Stan was in the British tank regiment the Sherwood Rangers and saw a lot of action in …

Interview with Freddie Linacre, a British veteran of the North Africa campaign and POW in World War 2. 

Soldiers survived or were killed or captured. …

Hear the WWII diary Anne Cheall wrote on holiday in Wales in July 1943. A brief sojourn before returning to the bomb making factory.

Paul tries out …

A Wren's Story, by Audrey Johnson - the memoirs of a WREN in a signals team during WW2, based in N Ireland.

How Anne Cheall made the best of limited rations with her wartime recipes.

More great unpublished history - of …

Anne Cheall describes her life as a civilian in WW2, as a 17 year old. How she staved off the threat of hunger, the dangers of working in a bomb …

Volker, born 1944, tells some fascinating tales about the dangers his Dad faced in returning to his home country ahead of the advancing Russians, as …

Two WW2 servicemen. Two accounts of the same very special voyage upon the iconic Queen Mary in 1943, taking allied troops from Scotland to Egypt.

• …

The story of Brian Asquith, who was a Rifleman in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and was captured at Dunkirk in 1940, WWII.
A dangerous but …

28 Wilf Shaw RIP Tribute

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of WWII veteran Wilf Shaw in hospital on 21 March 2018. His family …

92 year-old Royal Marine Roy Bennett remembers his WWII Juno beach landing and more:
"There was a horrendous noise as we landed, people were dying …

WW2 veteran, Fred Zilken, reminisces in letters written 50 years after the war ended.

"In the hot desert, while on guard, some of us drank the rusty …

Poignant tale of 5 brave WWII comrades. The story goes back to the start of the war, how these lads met, what special connection brought them together, and what tragedy was to befall some of them. Lance Sergeant William …

How the Dunkirk spirit of 1940 became the Christmas spirit of ‘45. Bill Cheall keeps the peace as a regimental policeman in war-torn and defeated …

More coffee with Wilf Shaw of 6th Battalion the Green Howards, 50th infantry division, in the British Army. 

Wilf recounts many enchanting, funny and fearsome tales!

Also joining us is Wilf’s friend, Lesley Littlewood, …

A coffee with Wilf Shaw of 6th Battalion the Green Howards, 50th infantry division, in the British Army. 

Also joining us is Wilf’s friend, Lesley Littlewood, whose father was also in WW2 as a Bren gunner with 56 …

Angus 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, …

The scary story of the part some British merchant sailors played in rescuing allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.

Link to feedback/reviews

"How welcome a sight as nine of our fighters arrived. Straight into the …

Revisit the first five years' favourites from episodes 1-17.

The best, the bloopers, the funniest and scariest moments, plus loads of new material.

Revisit my first five years' favourites from episodes 1-17.

The best, the bloopers, the funniest and scariest moments, plus loads of new material.

Happy International Podcast Day 2017!

The second instalment of the brutal, firsthand account of the savage WW1 battle of Gallipoli, written by Sergeant Fred Reynard of the Isle of Wight …

 A brutal, firsthand account of the savage WW1 battle of Gallipoli, written by Sergeant Fred Reynard of the Isle of Wight Rifles.  

He landed at …

In April 1940 John went to France with the British Expeditionary Force as a sapper in the Royal Engineers.   And he took his weapons of choice with him - gun, pencil and paper! 

Poignant poetry of loyalty and …

The story of WW2 Lancaster bomber LL678 together with its courageous crew during WW2 in 1944  |  The Lancaster’s veteran RAF crew of Canadian, Australian and English airmen had been on what was to be their last mission …

The story of one man’s brave war against unexploded bombs in wartime London, during the 1940 Blitz: Brian Moss, Platoon Sergeant in 233 Field Company, Royal Engineers. 

"Imagine the shock when your pick clangs against …

A privileged opportunity to hear 95 year old Flight Sergeant Claude Reynolds' WW2 memories, sometimes frightening, often fascinating, frequently …

The part some Isle of Wight British merchant sailors played in rescuing allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk – in Operation Dynamo.

The third in a special Dunkirk series. Recommended that you also listen to Podcast …

The personal WWII diary and letters home from Capt Wood of the Lady of Mann offer a unique glimpse into the happenings of the Dunkirk evacuation during WW2 in 1940

Bill Cheall was plucked off the Dunkirk beaches by the …

"Champagne and scrambled eggs for supper!"

The personal war diary and letters home from Major Petch offer a unique glimpse into the lives of the …

"We're having a marvellous time!" 

When Company Sergeant Major Gray wasn't fighting for the Green Howards, sometime in 1944 he found time to compose some war poetry. Six linked poems paint a picture of the journey …

War memoirs of a WW2 military medal hero.

"Cognac, Calvados and kisses!".

The previous episode of the diary ended with Company Sergeant Major Gray winning the Military Medal. His battalion, the 7 Green Howards, had …

Doug Gray was there on D-Day and beyond. He wrote his diary and fascinating it is too. He even wrote a diary entry on the day he won his military medal, before he knew he'd won it!

The diary’s been supplied by Doug’s …

Lancaster Flight Sergeant Claude Reynolds' WW2 memories.

Claude was rear gunner in a Lancaster during the 2nd world war and flew many sorties all …

The memories of a Legion D'Honneur veteran

A chat with Wilf Shaw of 6th Battalion the Green Howards, 50th infantry division, in the British Army. 

Wilf fought in many campaigns including fighting for Monty’s 8th army in …

Graphic accounts of the D-Day landings taken from two veteran memoirs.

Startling accounts from two different perspectives - one from an infantryman, …

Veteran accounts of the key battle which led to victory in North Africa, Second World War

Wadi Akarit - World War Two's own Charge of the Light …

Gripping veteran account of the Beaches at Dunkirk, 1940, WWII.  

Bill Cheall’s dramatic experience on the beaches at Bray-Dunes, France, 1940, trying to get back to England in WWII. 

Great unpublished history! 

Links …