The History Chap Podcast

Send me a message The  almost comical story of the last invasion of mainland Britain in 1797.  Other podcast that you might enjoy: Battle of Trafalgar The Barbary Pirates & England's White Slaves Support My Show: Become a Patron Buy Me aCoffee Support the show

Send me a message Amid the chaos of the British defeat at Isandlwana on January 22, 1879, 22-year-old Private Samuel Wassall of the 80th Regiment displayed extraordinary bravery.  As the Zulu warriors overran the British camp, Wassall, already escaping on horseback, spotted a fellow soldier struggling in the raging Buffalo River, desperately trying to flee the massacre.  Without hesitation, Wassal...

Send me a message Penda of Mercia, the last pagan king in Anglo-Saxon England. A warrior king who was largely written out of history by Christian monks. You might also enjoy the story of Raedwald: The Forgotten Warrior from Dark Ages Britain. Become a Patron Buy me a Coffee Support the show

Send me a message William Raynor VC is the oldest Victoria Cross recipient ever. He was 61 years and 10 months old when he was awarded his Victoria Cross during he 1857 Indian Mutiny (Revolt / Great Mutiny). Become a Patron Buy me a coffee Support the show

Send me a message The Battle of Gujrat - the final battle between the Sikhs and the British, The British victory brought to a close the 2nd Anglo Sikh War and resulted in the annexation of the Punjab. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. SUPPORT MY CHANNEL BY: Become A Patron  Make a one-off donation This is the last in my series on the Anglo-Sikh Wars. He...

Send me a message On the 15th February 1942, the British surrendered the island of Singapore to the Japanese. 85,000 British, Australian, Indian and local troops were taken prisoner. It was the largest ever surrender in the history of the British army and fatally undermined the British Empire in Asia and the Pacific region. Many thousands of those prisoners would die in camps before the war finish...

Send me a message The Long Lost Relative of William Shakespeare who played a key role in the Great Game between the British & Russian Empires in the 1840's. Support My Show By Becoming a Patron Make a one-off donation Support the show

Send me a message Would you swap a tiny island just 1 mile (or 3 kilometres) square for New York City? Crazy though that sounds, that is exactly what the British and the Dutch did in 1667. In a peculiar twist in history, the Dutch swapped their settlement of New Amsterdam on Manhattan island for the island of Run, in modern-day Indonesia. The Barbary Pirates & England's White Slaves Rule...

Send me a message The little known story of the Barbary pirates and England's White Slaves. Become A Patron Did you know that at the same time that the British were involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, white Britons were being sold into slavery in Africa? For over 200 years, from the reign of James I right up until George III,  Muslim pirates from the abducted thousands of British sail...

Send me a message Measuring less than one square mile, the island of Heligoland in the North Sea, just 30 miles off the north German coast, is an easily forgotten British colony. But, this Frisian (not German) peaking island of 3,000 inhabitants was part of the British Empire from 1814 to 1890. Support My Show Heligoland had its own British governor (or. Lt. governor), its own flag incorporating t...

Send me a message “Rule Britannia” is one of the most recognised songs that identifies Great Britain. But what is the history behind the song? In this episode you will discover: The little-known story of why it was actually written, The real person Britannia was modelled on, And why most people are singing the wrong words! Support my show by becoming a Patron Support the show

Send me a message Almost wiped out by the Zulus, Losing half their men charging Sikh cannon with bayonets, Surrendered twice, captured twice, losing their colours... Were the 24th Regiment of Foot the unluckiest regiment in the British army? You decide, as we explore their heroic, bloody and forgotten charge ta the battle of Chillianwala in 1849. Support my show by becoming a Patron My other episo...

Send me a message King Raedwald of East Anglia (reign 599-624 AD), an Anglo Saxon Bretwalda (sort of high king) is believed to be the man who was buried in the Sutton Hoo Ship.  The ship and its treasures  (many of which are on display in the British Museum)   were discovered in 1939. The centre piece is an amazing warrior helmet. This is the story of Raedwald, the forgotten warrior king from Dark...

Send me a message The battle of New Orleans fought between Great Britain and the USA on the 8th January 1815 resulted in a resounding American victory in which the British lost over 2,000 men killed, wounded or captured. And Whilst It was the last battle of the war of 1812, it was actually fought after the US and the British had already agreed a peace treaty. So, was this battle just pointless blo...

Send me a message The War of 1812, was fought between the United States of America and Great Britain and was a spin off from the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Support my channel by becoming a Patron Support the show

Send me a message Did you know that a real life Captain Blackadder went forth across no mans land during the First World War? As did a Lt. George, a Captain Darling and a Private Baldrick. This is their story. Support My Work, Become A Patron Support the show

Send me a message On Christmas Eve (24 December) 1914, Britain was bombed from the air for the first time. A lone German plane flew over the port of Dover and one bomb was dropped towards Dover Castle. It missed its target and landed in a civilian street. This is the story of that historic moment in Britain's history, when the first bomb was dropped on the island and what happened next. Suppo...

Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap, telling stories that bring history to life. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, has often be called the best King England (or Britain) never had. But who was Prince Albert and exactly what role did he play in British history? I recently told the story about how Prince Albert helped to prevent a war between the USA and Britain in the 1860’s....

Send me a message 48 hours after the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbour their aircraft delivered an equally devastating blow to the Royal Navy. On the 10th December 1941, the warships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by torpedoes launched by Japanese aircraft. It was the first time that warships defending themselves & sailing in open water had been sunk solel...

Send me a message In 1820, a group of radical revolutionaries plotted to overthrow the British government. Their plan? To assassinate the entire Cabinet whilst at a dinner and spark a nationwide uprising. It was bold. It was desperate. And it was doomed. This is the story of the Cato Street Conspiracy—a tale of revolution, betrayal, and tragedy in the heart of Georgian London. Become A Patron Supp...

Send me a message In an epic naval encounter on the 8th December 1914, the Royal Navy decisively defeated German admiral Maximilian von Spee. He along with 4 of his warships and 2,000 of his sailors were lost to the cold waters of the Atlantic. That’s over double the number of men killed in the Falklands War in 1982. Become A Patron Support the show

Send me a message On the 3rd December 1854 British redcoats fought rebelling gold miners in Australia. The Battle of the Eureka stockade was the bloody finale between industrial and political unrest amongst in the mining community and the British authorities, which became a defining moment in Australian history. Become A Patron Support the show

Send me a message On the night of the 26th November 1703 a storm hit southern Britain in which  over 10,000 were killed, 13 Royal Navy warships were destroyed in the middle of a war with France, windmills caught fire, cows ended up in trees, and even the Queen had to flee for her life! This is the story of the Great Storm of 1703. Support My Show; Become A Patron Support the show

Send me a message Just two years after the British victory in the First Anglo-Sikh war in India, the Sikhs squared up to the British all over again. This is the story about how the 2nd Anglo-Sikh War started and what happened when, on the 22nd November 1848, the two sides met at the Battle of Ramnagar Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Become a Patron Su...

Send me a message On the 29th April 1916, after 140 day, the besieged British & Indian garrison at Kut in modern-day Iraq surrendered to the Turks. It was the biggest surrender of british forces since Yorktown 130 years before we’re But, why were the British were there? how did the siege end in defeat? and what happened to the garrison after Kut? Support Me By Becoming A Patron Books used to p...