Never Mind The Dambusters

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 grea...

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, air...

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 significance The complexities of bombing accuracy...

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? Wh...

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 c...

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 Ha...

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 asso...

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...

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. Schweinf...

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...

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...

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 conven...

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 ai...

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 t...

Send us a message or question! SERIES 4 OF NEVER MIND THE DAMBUSTERS IS ON THE WAY! Brand new episodes drop Wednesday January 7th 2026 (available from Saturday 3rd for our paid subscribers).  We're returning with our most ambitious series yet — filled with new interviews, untold stories, and in-depth explorations of RAF Bomber Command. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming up: ✈️ The Short Stirli...

Send us a message or question! Have we got a treat for you...Something different - U-boats instead of aircraft! In our final episode of this series, “The U-boat War - Wolfpack,” we explore the U-Boat War from the German perspective with historian and author Roger Moorhouse, whose new book Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War   will be published on 9 October 2025 . Hosts James Jefferies and Jane Gu...

Send us a message or question! In Episode 56 ( the penultimate episode of series 3), we delve into a chilling chapter of World War II history: the murders of Allied airmen in Germany. As the war raged on, downed airmen often found themselves at the mercy of their captors - military, civilian authorities and sometimes ordinary citizens. This episode uncovers the fate of one Allied airman, missing i...

Send us a message or question! This week, we're joined by Adam Hart, to discuss his new book about a downed Halifax pilot, who also happens to be his great-grandfather.  Operation Pimento   is a riveting story of courage, defiance, and survival.  Centered on his great-grandfather, Frank Griffiths, this extraordinary true account shines a light on the men and women of the French Resistance who...

Send us a message or question! (Available on general release on 10 September) In this episode James and Jane continue their chat about Jane's book, Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story. Jane continues the story of the Pennicott crew, through the summer and autumn of 1943, and into 1944 and discusses the emotional toll of writing about such a diff...

Send us a message or question! This week James interviews Jane about her first Bomber Command book, "Above Us the Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command  - The Wireless Operator's Story." We can't believe it's taken us 53 episodes to finally get around to discussing it!  Jane shares with listeners the background to the book, her motivation for writing it, and describes her rese...

Send us a message or question! This week on Never Mind the Dambusters, we answer YOUR  questions, on a whole host of issues, including:  Could a heavy bomber fly without a full crew? What was Operation Dodge? Mosquito v Lancaster, Lancaster v Halifax Gibson v Cheshire B17s in the RAF Do keep sending in your questions! Support the show Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get...

Send us a message or question! In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters , I take a deep dive into the fascinating and often overlooked world of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War—through the lens of the airmen's personal flying kit. I'm joined by Daniel Richards an RAF Living History enthusiast, and together we explore the evolution of aircrew equipment, from flying jacke...

Send us a message or question! This week, we celebrate our 50th episode by welcoming Dr Dan Ellin of the University of Lincoln and the International Bomber Command Centre, back to the show. Dan joins us to explore the legacy of the Dambusters , and in particular how the 1955 film has shaped the collective memory of Bomber Command. From Star Wars to adverts for Carling Black Label lager, it's...

Send us a message or question! ***Episode on general release Wednesday 13 August  This week, we celebrate our 50th episode by welcoming Dr Dan Ellin of the University of Lincoln and the International Bomber Command Centre, back to the show. Dan joins us to explore the legacy of the Dambusters , and in particular how the 1955 film has shaped the collective memory of Bomber Command. From Star Wars t...

Send us a message or question! (Apologies - no James this week due to technical issues!) This week, Jane is joined  by Adrian Bean, a writer and director with a passion for military history. They explore the complexities of RAF Bomber Command, the challenges of adapting  Len Deighton's 'Bomber' for BBC radio, and the human stories behind the bombing campaigns of WWII.  Adrian shares...