The WW2 Podcast

Angus Wallace

A military history podcast that looks at all aspects of WWII. With WW2 slipping from living memory I aim to look at different historical aspects of the Second World War.

  1. Percy Herbert: From POW to Hollywood

    -16 H

    Percy Herbert: From POW to Hollywood

    Before he became a familiar face on screen, appearing in over 70 films like 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'The Cockleshell Heroes', 'The Guns of Navarone' and 'The Wild Geese', Percy Herbert survived one of the most brutal chapters of the Second World War. Captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942, he endured life as a prisoner of war, facing starvation, violence, and witnessing events like the Alexandra Hospital massacre. Those experiences would stay with him and later shape the performances that made his name. His story is told in his autobiography, Time Will Pass Johnny, a remarkable account that traces his journey from the camps of the Far East to a long and successful acting career. To talk about her father's life, I'm joined by Katrina Wood.   Patreon patreon.com/ww2podcast

    43 min
  2. The Battle for Berlin

    15 MAI

    The Battle for Berlin

    The final battle for Berlin in 1945 was not just the end of the war in Europe, it was the violent collapse of Nazi Germany, and the moment the shape of post-war Europe was decided. As the Red Army advanced from the River Oder, they faced one last major obstacle in the Seelow Heights. What followed was a brutal and costly assault that opened the road to Berlin, and then a savage fight through the city itself, street by street, building by building, until the German capital finally fell. To guide us through these final days, I'm joined once more by Prit Buttar, one of the leading historians of the Eastern Front, and author 'Berlin: Endgame 1945'. You can also find Berlin on Audible and Spotify.   Patreon patreon.com/ww2podcast

    42 min
  3. A Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army

    6 MAI

    A Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army

    In the final months of the Second World War, as the Third Reich collapsed in on itself, boys were sent to the front to hold back the Red Army. Among them was fourteen-year-old Willi Langbein. He had grown up under Nazism, saluting Hitler at school, joining the Jungvolk at ten, and the Hitler Youth soon after. By March 1945, he was fighting Soviet tanks at close range on the Eastern Front. He was wounded, decorated, and survived the war, though many of the boys he fought alongside did not. In this episode, I am joined by his daughter, Heidi Langbein Allen, to talk about her father's war and the long shadow it cast over his life. Heidi is the author of Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army.   Patreon patreon.com/ww2podcast

    1 h 4 min
  4. 304 - Eisenhower and Churchill

    1 MAI

    304 - Eisenhower and Churchill

    The partnership between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill was one of the defining relationships of the Second World War. At the heart of the Anglo American alliance, they worked closely to plan major operations, manage coalition warfare, and steer the Allies towards victory. In this episode, I am joined by Jonathan W. Jordan to explore how that relationship worked in practice, shaped by the pressures of global conflict and the demands of leadership at the highest level. The conversation also looks at how their connection continued beyond the war, as both men navigated the uncertain early years of the Cold War, drawing on insights from Jonathan's book Ike and Winston.   patreon.com/ww2podcast

    1 h 1 min
  5. 303 - The Link Trainer

    20 AVR.

    303 - The Link Trainer

    Before the Second World War, learning to fly by instruments was one of the most difficult and dangerous skills a pilot had to master. Training had to be done in real aircraft, often in poor weather, and accidents were common. In the late 1920s, an American inventor named Edwin Albert Link came up with an ingenious solution. His Link Trainer, sometimes called the "Blue Box," allowed pilots to practise instrument flying safely on the ground using a mechanical flight simulator. By the time the war began, these machines had become an essential part of pilot training, and hundreds of thousands of Allied airmen first learned instrument flying inside one. To explore the story of the Link Trainer, I am joined by Robby Houben from the Belgian Royal Military Museum, which holds several examples of these remarkable machines. Robby also has an excellent video on his youtube channel - Two Dudes Talking Tanks - which looks at the Link Trainer in the museum.   patreon.com/ww2podcast

    43 min
  6. Task Force Hogan

    15 AVR.

    Task Force Hogan

    My guest today is William Hogan, and we are going to be talking about the remarkable story of his father, Sam Hogan, and the men of Task Force Hogan. At just twenty-eight, Sam was one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the US Army, commanding a battalion of Sherman tanks in the Normandy Campaign only weeks after D-Day. From the hedgerows of France through to the Battle of the Bulge and on into Germany, his unit fought at the sharp end of some of the toughest fighting in north-west Europe. William has written about his father's experiences in 'Task Force Hogan: The World War II Tank Battalion That Spearheaded the Liberation of Europe'.   patreon.com/ww2podcast

    40 min
  7. A Canadian in Stalin's Army

    1 AVR.

    A Canadian in Stalin's Army

    How does a Canadian end up fighting in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War? My guest today is Scott Bury, and we're going to tell the remarkable story of his relative, Maurice Bury — a Canadian citizen who found himself caught in Eastern Europe when war broke out. Drafted into the Red Army in 1941, he fought against the German invasion, survived a brutal POW camp, escaped, joined the resistance in Nazi-occupied Ukraine, and was later forced back into the Soviet army for the final push into Germany. It's a story that takes us through some of the most complex and brutal parts of the Eastern Front. Scott has explored Maurice's experiences in three books: Army of Worn Soles, Under the Nazi Heel, and Walking Out of War. He's also the host of the podcast Beyond Barbarossa, which looks at the history of the Eastern Front in the Second World War.   patreon.com/ww2podcast

    38 min
  8. Exploding Rats and the Devices of SOE

    22 MARS

    Exploding Rats and the Devices of SOE

    James Bond may have Q Branch supplying him with ingenious gadgets, but during the Second World War the agents of the Special Operations Executive had something just as remarkable — the SOE Camouflage Section. This secret unit developed ingenious ways to hide weapons, radios, explosives and documents inside everyday objects, from oil cans and firewood to record players and tubes of toothpaste, helping agents operate behind enemy lines under the watchful eyes of the Gestapo. My guest today is Craig Moore, whose book Exploding Rats and Other Devious Devices of SOE: The Camouflage Section 1941–1945 explores the remarkable work of this little-known wartime unit and the ingenious devices they created to keep agents alive and operational in occupied Europe.   patreon.com/ww2podcast

    41 min
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À propos

A military history podcast that looks at all aspects of WWII. With WW2 slipping from living memory I aim to look at different historical aspects of the Second World War.

Informations

  • Créateur
    Angus Wallace
  • Années d’activité
    2015 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    310
  • Classement
    Tout public
  • Copyright
    © Angus Wallace
  • Site Web de l’émission
    The WW2 Podcast

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