Fighting Through WWII Stories & History

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 water from the radiators of the Bren Gun carriers.  I would lie on my back - mouth under the drain plug of the carrier!  "I didn't get far before Jerry had me in range and dropped a few mortars all around me.  I froze, as each bomb seem to get nearer...

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 Allan 'Rufty' Hill and Bill Vickers are both honoured in this tragic but poignant tale. More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Links - Not supported by all podca...

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 Germany and experiences the most heart-warming end to his war. More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Facebook page Please take my MOBILE survey! I'd be grateful for any feedback on the Fighting Through Podcast. Replies are completely...

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, whose father was in WW2 as a Bren gunner. Wilf was in many campaigns including fighting for Monty's 8th army at Alamein, Wadi Akarit in Tunisia, Sicily and of course Normandy. He wa...

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 Reconnaisance battalion, part of 78th Division. Wilf was in many campaigns including fighting for Monty's 8th army at Alamein, Wadi Akarit in Tunisia, Sicily and of course Normandy. He wa...

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, published by Pen and Sword. Angus' show involves chats with people who've had books published on military history. He asks Paul all sorts of questions about his Dad and his memoirs. If you subscribe to The WW2 podcast you may have already heard this int...

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 Huns they went and soon those Jerries were screaming towards the earth in flames, while the others streaked away as fast as their planes would carry them". "A heavy bomb dropped near...

Revisit the first five years' favourites from episodes 1-17. The best, the bloopers, the funniest and scariest moments, plus loads of new material. More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.   Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Please take my MOBILE survey! I'd be grateful for any feedback on the Fighting Through Podcast, or even early comments on the survey itself.  Repl...

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! More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.   Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Please take my MOBILE survey! I'd be grateful for any feedback on the Fighting Through Podcast, or even early...

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 Rifles.   There's more vicious fighting, as the troops continue their struggle to cross the peninsula to get to the waters of the Dardanelles. There's more trouble with snipers We learn about a game of cat and mouse in no-man's land And for a brief lul...

 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 Suvla Bay in August 1915.  The allied troops fought for the strategic waters of the Dardanelles, and the Turkish capital city of Constantinople, in the Ottoman empire.  Would the brave but over-confident allies find they'd bitten off more than they could...

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 comradeship, crafted during the London Blitz bombing!   More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.   Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Facebook page Link to full ep...

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 before they retired.  | And on a mission with almost too many cruel twists to bear, we hear the last poignant letter sent by the pilot to his family in an unwitting but foreboding p...

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 steel. You wonder if you have started the clock ticking. On your knees, you use a trowel to carefully uncover the bomb."  More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.  ...

A privileged opportunity to hear 95 year old Flight Sergeant Claude Reynolds' WW2 memories, sometimes frightening, often fascinating, frequently funny! More about Claude's WWII flying action plus the trouble he got into in the Home Guard. What Claude did after the war in his home town of Wymondham in Norfolk, England. This is the second interview with Claude - Recommended that you consider listeni...

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 Episodes 9 and 10 in this WWII series More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.   Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Facebook page Shownotes at www. Figh...

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 ship Lady of Mann, which had an heroic part to play at Dunkirk The ship was captained by civilian seaman, Tom Woods, who would later be honoured with an OBE for his gallant efforts....

"Champagne and scrambled eggs for supper!" A dramatic blow by blow account of the Major's writings. The personal war diary and letters home from Major Petch offer a unique glimpse into the lives of the British soldiers during Dunkirk in 1940 WW2. "It'll all be over when it gets hotter" was the prevailing opinion. This changed in a matter of days as the weather did get hotter but the soldiers began...

"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 across the English Channel and onwards through Normandy, ending with a letter home to Doug's mum and dad, telling them what a marvellous time he was having. Composed with a great sense o...

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 landed on Gold Beach on D-Day 6 June and advanced some distance into the dangerous French countryside . With many comrades already dead or wounded, CSM Gray must push on further into WWI...

Doug Gray was there on D-Day and beyond. He wrote his diary and 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 family. The entries start just before D-Day and finish several weeks after, so it's quite a rare historical record because soldiers were forbidden to keep diaries in case they got captured. Doug's WWII diary...

Lancaster Flight Sergeant Claude Reynolds' WW2 memories. Claude was rear gunner in a Lancaster during the 2nd world war and flew many sorties all over Europe. He experienced no end of scary moments during his time as a member of 49 Squadron in the much-regaled No 5 Group Bomber Command. So he's got plenty of WWII stories to tell.  More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Full show...

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 of WW2.  Wilf fought in many campaigns including fighting for Monty's 8th army in Alamein, Wadi Akarit in Tunisia, Sicily and of course Normandy. He was wounded twice and still returned to battle! This is the fourth episode in the WWII podcast series Figh...

Graphic accounts of the D-Day landings taken from two veteran memoirs. Startling accounts from two different perspectives - one from an infantryman, the other from a Royal Engineer, both landing on Gold Beach under heavy fire. Graphic accounts of the D-Day landings taken from two veteran memoirs. Startling accounts from two different perspectives - one from an infantryman, the other from a Royal E...

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 Brigade!  "A patrol went out that night. Lance Corporal Joe Ryder of Spennymoor went with them. He was a long-term member of 2 Platoon and told us afterwards how they had penetrated the enemy positions and, encountering an enemy patrol, had lain doggo. A m...