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PODCAST

Never Mind The Dambusters

Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies

Never Mind The Dambusters…It’s The Bomber Command Podcast!Join historians and authors Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies as they delve into the world of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. In this weekly podcast (episodes released every Wednesday), Jane and James explore strategy, policy, and the events which shaped one of the most controversial campaigns of the war. Despite their iconic status, Bomber Command"s history extends far beyond the famed Dambusters raid of 1943 and the

history aviation

All Episodes

46:59

Episode 77 - LANCASTER: 24 Hours on a Squadron, with...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/09/22

Send us a message or question! The Lancaster is probably the most recognisable aircraft associated with RAF Bomber Command. But what did an ordinary 24 hours actually look like on a Lancaster squadron? In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by military aviation historian and author Michael Napier to explore the Lancaster not simply as an aircraft, but as the centre of a vast organisation of people, preparation and expertise. Mike's new book, Lancaster: T...

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61:31

Episode 76 Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe, with Dan...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/09/08

Send us a message or question! Jane Gulliford Lowes welcomes author, editor, and aviation historian Dan Sharp to dig into the Luftwaffe’s bomber plans, from prewar requirements to late war jet concepts. The conversation focuses on how German bomber strategy was shaped by speed, range, and technological ambition, and why so many of the most advanced ideas never arrived in time. They also unpack the long standing myth around the Heinkel 177 dive bomber requirement, showing how the real story ...

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50:14

Episode 75 - Stanley Booker: Airman, Prisoner,...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/08/25

Send us a message or question! Ep. 75 – Stanley Booker: Airman, Prisoner, Saviour, Spy, with Sean Feast How does a young RAF observer go from flying operations with 10 Squadron to becoming one of the few Allied airmen imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp? In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies welcome back acclaimed aviation historian and author Sean Feast to discuss his compelling new book, Airman, Prisoner, Saviour, Spy: The Remarkab...

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42:29

Episode 74 – Easy Elsie: The Battle to Save a Lost...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/08/11

Send us a message or question! Ep. 74 – Easy Elsie: The Battle to Save a Lost Lancaster What happens when a wartime Lancaster disappears into a Swedish bog—and eight decades later, a dedicated team sets out to bring her home? In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by Dave King, a British adventurer and expedition leader based in Sweden, to discuss one of the most remarkable aviation recovery projects currently underway. Dave's latest mission centres on L...

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47:56

Episode 73 - "A Memory Owed": Bringing Bomber Command...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/07/28

Send us a message or question! Ep. 73 – A Memory Owed: Bringing Bomber Command to the Big Screen How do you tell the story of RAF Bomber Command in a way that resonates with modern audiences while remaining faithful to the experiences of those who served? In this special episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies are joined by Martin Hemingway-Moseley, writer and director of the new Bomber Command film A Memory Owed, and Zoe Lewin, the film's producer. Tog...

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45:46

Episode 72 Karlsruhe: Life Under the Bombs, with...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/07/14

Send us a message or question! Ep. 72 – Karlsruhe: Life Under the Bombs With Kathy Quinlan-Flatter What was it like to live beneath the bomber stream? In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies explore the air war from a perspective we don't often hear: that of the German civilians who endured RAF bombing raids firsthand. Joining us is journalist and historian Kathy Quinlan-Flatter, who has lived in and around the Karlsruhe region and spent years r...

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5:26

Series 5 Trailer

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/07/07

Send us a message or question! Welcome Back to Never Mind the Dambusters! We're delighted to tell all our listeners that series 5 will be launching on 15/16 July - paid subscribers can gain early access from 11 July. So much to look forward to ! Support the show Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https:...

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39:53

Episode 71 - Internment of Allied Airmen in Neutral...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/03/31

Send us a message or question! Episode available on general release on Wednesday 1st April. Episode Summary In the final episode of Series 4, Jane and James are joined by historian and former RAF intelligence officer Andrew White to explore a lesser-known aspect of the Second World War air war: the internment of Allied airmen in neutral countries. When aircraft came down in neutral territory, aircrew entered a complex legal and diplomatic grey area — neither prisoners of war nor free t...

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46:45

Ep.70 - Q and A Chat Part 2: More Questions Answered!

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/03/25

Send us a message or question! Join us for a deep dive into the nuanced and often overlooked areas of RAF Bomber Command during WWII. In this episode, we answer listener questions, discuss key incidents, and explore technological debates shaping strategic bombing. Main Topics Covered: Details of the July 1941 raid on Scharnhorst at La Palis and its significanceThe complexities of bombing accuracy: Norden vs. British bomb sightsGround crew allocations, tours, and their vital role in warti...

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42:10

Episode 69 - Q & A Chat Part 1: Your Questions Answered!

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/03/18

Send us a message or question! This week Jane and James have a good old chinwag and answer YOUR questions, on some very diverse topics: Why wasn't Harris replaced after Nuremberg or the Battle of Berlin?Which aircraft would've benefited from Merlin engines?What were Special Recognition Flights?Why weren't bomber streams supported by more night-fighter escorts or intruder ops?Why wasn't the transportation plan implemented earlier?How did Bomber Command get the enormous amounts of fuel, ...

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72:35

Episode 68 - Cold War Bombers, with Joe Wilding...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/03/11

Send us a message or question! Hosts: Jane Gulliford & James Jefferies (although Jane disappears after the intro due to tech issues!) Guest: Joe Wilding Episode Summary In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane and James are joined by aviation enthusiast and aircraft designer Joe Wilding to explore the evolution of the bomber during the Cold War — a period that lasted nearly half a century and transformed aerial warfare more dramatically than any era before it. Rather than treat...

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47:27

Episode 67 - After the Firestorm: Bomb Disposal in...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/03/04

Send us a message or question! After the Firestorm – Bomb Disposal in Wartime Hamburg With Thomas Rost Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 Content Note This episode includes discussion of forced labour, concentration camp inmates, and civilian casualties. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes turns to a largely hidden chapter of the bombing war: bomb disposal in Hamburg during and after the Second World War. While the Battle of Hamburg in mid-1943 — known t...

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48:37

Episode 66 - 2 Group and the Rotterdam Raid, with...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/02/25

Send us a message or question! 2 Group Bomber Command and the Rotterdam Raid With Erik Parker Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to a little-known Bomber Command raid on Rotterdam, carried out during the early years of the Second World War by the light bomber squadrons of 2 Group. While Rotterdam is most often associated with the devastating Luftwaffe attack of May 1940, this episode explores a lesser-know...

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50:50

Episode 65 : Hitting the Target: Bomb Aiming with...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/02/18

Send us a message or question! Hitting the Target – Bombing Accuracy, Altitude, and the Physics of Air Power With Matt Doncaster Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies are joined by Matt Doncaster, a former RAF Harrier pilot, for a deep dive into one of the most fundamental — and often misunderstood — challenges of the air war: how to hit a target from a bomber. Stepping away from individual aircraft and raids, this discussion fo...

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44:28

Episode 64 - USAAF and the Schweinfurt Raids, with...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/02/11

Send us a message or question! The Schweinfurt Raids With Mike Peters Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 Presented by Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to the USAAF bombing raids on Schweinfurt, among the most dramatic, costly, and consequential operations of the Allied strategic air campaign in 1943. Schweinfurt was a vital centre of Germany’s ball-bearing industry, making it a high-priority target for...

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52:40

Episode 63: "Advance Britannia" - Bomber Command &...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/02/04

Send us a message or question! (Buy tickets for Jane's talk at the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln, on 5 March 2026 here ) In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by historian Professor Alan Allport for a wide-ranging discussion of his new book, Advance Britannia, which re-examines Britain’s war effort from 1942 onwards — a period when the nation moved from survival to sustained, large-scale offensive operations. From the rapid expansion of RAF Bomber Command to th...

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55:43

Episode 62 Peenemunde: The Attack on Hitler's...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/01/28

Send us a message or question! In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by author and military historian Sean Feast to examine one of the most strategically important — and morally complex — operations of the bombing war: RAF Bomber Command’s attack on the German V-weapons research centre at Peenemünde in August 1943. Peenemünde was no ordinary target. As the heart of Germany’s V-1 and V-2 programme, it represented a direct threat to Britain and forced Allied planners to attempt an un...

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50:45

Episode 61: The Wooden Wonder - The De Havilland...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/01/21

Send us a message or question! Episode Description / Show Notes: In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by John Lilley from the People’s Mosquito Project to explore the extraordinary story of one of the Second World War’s most innovative and versatile aircraft: the de Havilland Mosquito. Often described as “the wooden wonder,” the Mosquito defied conventional thinking with its largely wooden construction, exceptional speed, and remarkable adaptabili...

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42:53

Episode 60: The Short Stirling, with Jonathan Falconer

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/01/14

Send us a message or question! In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by Jonathan Falconer, a leading authority on the RAF and the Second World War, to discuss the Short Stirling, Bomber Command's first four-engine heavy bomber. They explore its development, operational history, and the unique challenges it faced. Jonathan shares insights into the aircraft's design, its role in key operations, and its eventual transition to transport and special dut...

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44:53

Episode 59: Oh Canada! RCAF, 6 Group & 429 Bison Sqn,...

Never Mind The Dambusters ·

2026/01/07

Send us a message or question! Welcome back and a happy new year ! 🇨🇦 In this episode of "Never Mind the Dambusters," host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by Dr. Dan Ellin and Canadian historian Greg Kopchuk . The team explore the Canadian contribution to RAF Bomber Command, and the formation of 6 Group, from the perspective of 429 Bison Squadron. Greg explains how the Squadron got off to a fairly rocky start, with a CO who wouldn't fly and a very high casualty rate. Greg's book o...

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