Ep 312: Family Stories – Ep 17

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including how a Belgian family survived in the basement of a bakery; a sailor who survived the Arctic Convoys and a fair few scuffles; and a ‘Tail End Charlie’ celebrating his 100th birthday.

With thanks to Pete Coutts, Bram De Man, Guy Ferguson, Michael Hallinger and Oliver Nichols for sharing their stories.

Ep 313: Fall Gelb

On the anniversary of the German tanks rolling into the Low Countries on their way to France, Al Murray and James Holland wonder if events could have taken a very different turn. Was the ultimate success of the campaign down to German brilliance or French incompetence?

Ep 311: Family Secrets

Author and publisher Vicky Unwin joins James Holland to discuss her extraordinary family story.

While researching her parents’ war time experiences Vicky unearthed an intriguing narrative which travelled from Egypt to Germany, including the secret of her father’s hidden Jewish heritage.

Ep 310: David Baddiel

Comedian and writer David Baddiel joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss his family’s experiences during the war, which included being interned on the Isle of Man. David also discusses his new book Jews Don’t Count and his documentary work surrounding Holocaust denial.

Ep 308: Bletchley Girls

Betty Webb spent the war working as a code breaker at Bletchley Park, working on captured German and Japanese radio messages.

After the war she moved to Washington DC to assist the Americans with their ongoing fight in the Pacific. 

Betty joins Al and James to describe her extraordinary experiences.

Ep 305: Guy Martin – Battle of Britain

Adrenaline junkie Guy Martin tells Al Murray and James Holland about his new series for Channel 4 in which he trains to fly a Hurricane and then takes part in a dogfight with a Messerschmitt.

Guy discusses the complexities of flying war planes and his obsession with engines from the Second World War.

Ep 304: Stalingrad and The Wehrmacht

The Eastern Front is our focus as German historian Jens Wehner joins Al Murray and James Holland.

Jens is curator of the Dresden Military History museum, but his focus in this podcast is further east and the desperate battle for the city of Stalingrad.

Ep 303: Enigma and Escapees

Britain’s war time intelligence operations are the subject of discussion as Al Murray and James Holland exchange notes on their latest reading matter, Behind the Enigma: The Authorised History of GCHQ.

The boys also explore the escape attempts of British and Allied POWs in Italy.

Ep 302: Family Stories – Ep 14

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including the story of an alarming experience in a London hospital’s labour ward during an air raid; how a prisoner in a labour camp in Nagasaki didn’t even notice the atom bomb falling; and how numerous close escapes eventually led to being reunited with her family for one Polish lady.

With thanks to Tyler Anderson, Mark Dagenais, Konrad “Radders” H, Bruce Mair, Clare Meachin and John Nye for sharing their stories.

Ep 301: The Remains of War

Steve Ballinger MBE removes ordnance from former sites of conflict. He has spent the last decade removing 60,000+ mines, shrapnel and ordnance from the tiny island of Peleliu. He talks to James and Al about the complicated role, the history of the battle between the US and Japanese and the importance of preserving these sites.