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PODCAST

The WW2 Podcast

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.

history

All Episodes

50:54

295 - Inside the Siege of Warsaw

The WW2 Podcast ·

2026/02/08

In September 1939, during the German invasion of Poland, American photographer and film-maker Julien Bryan became the only foreign journalist to remain inside Warsaw during the Nazi siege. While other correspondents fled, Bryan stayed in the city, documenting the Siege of Warsaw from the streets, hospitals and civilian shelters as German bombs fell. Bryan's photographs and film captured the impact of the Second World War on civilians, showing wounded men, women and children, devastated

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49:58

294 - Churchills Forgotten Generals: Slim, Auchinleck...

The WW2 Podcast ·

2026/02/01

Today, we are heading back to the Burma campaign, but through a slightly different lens. Rather than focusing on a single battle or operation, we examine three men who shaped how the war in Burma was fought and ultimately won. When people think of British commanders in the Far East, one name usually stands out: Bill Slim. His leadership of the Fourteenth Army and the victories at Imphal, Kohima and the advance into Burma rightly secure his place among Britain's most successful wartime commanders

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50:54

293 - Allied POWs in WWII

The WW2 Podcast ·

2026/01/15

This episode looks at a very different side of the Second World War. Not the battlefield, but captivity. It focuses on the experiences of Allied prisoners of war held in German camps and how they tried to survive, adapt, and maintain a sense of purpose behind barbed wire. I am joined by Midge Gillies, author of The Barbed Wire University. A newly revised edition was released in 2025. Her book explores the lives Allied POWs led in captivity, from the routines and hardships of camp life to the ways

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45:04

292 - The War Chest of Colonel Kreps

The WW2 Podcast ·

2026/01/11

In this episode, I talk with Erik Kreps about a remarkable family mystery. Erik's grandfather, Colonel Kenneth Ray Kreps, served in the Second World War, and after returning home, he sealed his wartime belongings in a chest with the instruction that it was not to be opened until after his death. For decades, the chest remained closed, and no one in the family knew what it contained. After Colonel Kreps died, the chest was put into storage and almost forgotten. At one point, it was nearly auctioned

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48:51

291 - Far East RAF Liberators

The WW2 Podcast ·

2026/01/01

RAF Liberator bombing operations in India, Burma, and Thailand remain one of the least explored air campaigns of the Second World War. Flying long-range missions from Bengal, RAF crews attacked Japanese targets across Southeast Asia, including the infamous Thailand-Burma Railway, under demanding and often dangerous conditions. In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I am talking to historian Matt Poole, author of Far East RAF Liberators: Attacking the Japanese: Roy Andrews and 215 Squadron. Together,

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01:16:56

290 - Your WWII Questions Answered

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/12/24

For this episode of the podcast, we are doing something a little different. Rather than focusing on a single subject, we open the floor to your questions. Over the past few weeks, podcast patrons were invited to submit questions they had always wanted to ask about the Second World War. These range from strategy and leadership to memory, myth and the smaller details that continue to provoke curiosity today. To help answer those questions, I am joined by two returning guests. John McManus is a

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01:03:35

289 - Charles De Gaulle

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/12/15

Charles de Gaulle remains one of the most distinctive figures to emerge from the Second World War. Soldier, writer, leader in exile, and later the creator of the Fifth Republic, he played a central role in reshaping modern France. His relationship with Winston Churchill, their shared struggle during the war, and the influence both men continued to wield long after the fighting ended make him a fascinating subject. In this episode, I speak with historian Richard Vinen, author of Last of the Titans:

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24:10

288 - Beyond Burma: The Forgotten Armies

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/12/08

The fighting in Burma during the Second World War was among the most demanding of the entire conflict. Soldiers faced dense jungle, monsoon rains, disease, and a determined enemy — conditions that made the campaign both brutal and complex. Yet for decades, Burma remained one of the least remembered theatres of the war. The men who fought there — British, Indian, African, and Burmese — became known as the "Forgotten Armies." A new exhibition at the National Army Museum in London, Beyond Burma:

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40:26

287 - Tunisgrad: The Battle for Tunisia and the Fall...

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/12/01

By late 1942, after the success of Operation Torch, the Allies had finally gained a foothold in North Africa. What followed was a hard-fought and often overlooked campaign in Tunisia. For six months, British, American, and French forces battled determined Axis troops for control of the last corner of Africa held by Germany and Italy. It was a campaign marked by tough lessons, uneasy cooperation, and moments of heroism — one that would shape how the Allies fought together for the rest of the war. In

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53:45

286 - Rhineland, 1944-45

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/11/24

By the autumn of 1944, the Allies had driven across France and Belgium and reached the borders of Germany. Ahead of them lay the Rhine — a vast natural barrier and the last line of defence protecting the heart of the Reich. What followed was some of the most intense and costly fighting of the war in Western Europe. From the bitter battles around Aachen and the Hürtgen Forest, through the crossing operations of Plunder and Varsity, to the dramatic capture of the bridge at Remagen, the campaign for

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36:14

285 - The Nuremberg Psychiatrist

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/11/15

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Allies brought twenty-four of Hitler's most senior figures to justice at Nuremberg. Among them was Hermann Göring — once Hitler's designated heir and still a commanding presence, even in defeat. Before the trial began, the U.S. Army assigned a young psychiatrist, Captain Douglas Kelley, to assess whether these men were mentally fit to stand trial. For Kelley, it was the professional opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to explore the minds of the Nazi

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01:01:39

284 - Renault FT Tank

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/11/07

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I'm joined by Robby Houben from the Belgian Royal Military Museum to discuss the Renault FT. This small but revolutionary French tank changed armoured warfare. Designed during the First World War, the FT introduced the fully rotating turret and tracked layout that became the blueprint for every tank that followed. We talk about its design, its service life between the wars, and how it was still seeing action when the Second World War began. You can see an original

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42:28

283 - General Lucian Truscott

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/11/01

General Lucian K. Truscott was one of the United States Army's most capable commanders of the Second World War. Known for his aggressive leadership and determination, Truscott led American forces in North Africa, Sicily, at Anzio, and later in southern France and Germany. Despite his impressive record, he remains one of the lesser-known U.S. generals of World War Two. In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I'm joined by military historian Glyn Harper, emeritus professor of war studies at Massey

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36:53

282 - The Battle for Arakan, Burma 1945

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/10/22

In early 1945, the Allies were advancing in Burma after their hard-won victories at Kohima and Imphal. The focus shifted to the Arakan, a region of dense jungle, mangrove swamps, and unforgiving terrain. For the men sent there, disease, supply difficulties, and the monsoon were as formidable as the Japanese defenders. Among the formations deployed was Britain’s 3 Commando Brigade, working alongside Indian and West African divisions of XV Corps in a campaign that tested endurance as much as combat

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01:07:00

281 - Canada at War

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/10/15

When we think of the Second World War, the story is so often told through an Anglo-American lens: Britain holding out alone in 1940, the United States joining the fight in 1941, and the combined Allied effort that followed. But this perspective tends to overshadow the contributions of other nations, particularly Canada. Canada was not usually regarded as a global military power, yet its role in the war was both significant and far-reaching. From the skies over Europe to the convoys crossing the

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47:37

280 - MacArthur and the Philippines

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/10/06

Douglas MacArthur was one of the most prominent — and controversial — generals of the Second World War. As Field Marshal of the Philippines, he withdrew to Australia in 1942, famously declaring, “I shall return.” That promise became central to his reputation and shaped the rest of his war. How far did MacArthur’s vow influence his actions? Was he an effective commander, strategist, and leader in the Pacific campaign? These questions continue to divide historians. In this episode of the WW2 Podcast,

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48:44

279 - The Vistula-Oder Offensive 1945

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/10/01

By January 1945, the war in Europe neared its final phase. In the west, the Allies had repelled the Ardennes offensive. In the east, the Red Army prepared the Vistula–Oder offensive, a huge strike that pushed German forces out of Poland. The Soviet advance carried them to the very gates of Berlin. The Vistula–Oder offensive in 1945 liberated vast areas, including Auschwitz. It also created the springboard for the final assault on Germany. Stalin wanted more than battlefield victory. He pushed Soviet

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50:20

278 - The Maginot Line

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/09/22

The Maginot Line was one of the most ambitious defensive projects of the 1930s. Built along France’s eastern border, this vast system of underground forts, tunnels, and bunkers included hospitals, kitchens, telephone exchanges, electric railways, and turrets that could rise from the ground to strike at attackers. Designed to withstand artillery and even chemical weapons, it represented the cutting edge of military engineering. Yet when Germany invaded in May 1940, France fell in just six weeks. The

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32:44

277 - The People's War

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/09/15

In 2005, the BBC launched an ambitious public history project called The People’s War. It aimed to collect and preserve the memories of those who lived through the Second World War, inviting the public to share their experiences online. This was long before today’s social media platforms, and the scale of the response was remarkable. By the time the project closed in 2006, over 650,000 contributions had been submitted. Although the site is now frozen in time, it remains a wonderful resource filled

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01:02:25

276 - The Malay Regiment

The WW2 Podcast ·

2025/09/08

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, we explore the remarkable history of the Malay Regiment during the Second World War. Formed in the 1930s as an experiment with just 25 local recruits, the regiment quickly grew into a respected fighting force. By the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya in late 1941, it had expanded to two full battalions. These soldiers would be thrown into the heart of the fighting during the desperate defence of Singapore in early 1942. To help tell this story, I am joined

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