The Unconventional Soldier

CONTENT The guest today is Andrew Long  a Cold War historian and author whose book “The story of BRIXMIS and the secret Cold War:  Intelligence gathering operations behind East Germany” was released on 30 July 2024. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was a focal point during the Cold War, with Soviet and East German forces stationed along the 1,400 km Inner German Border. Due...

CONTENT The guest today is Andy McNab CBE DCM MM former special forces soldier, author and business man. On this episode we discuss his chaotic childhood, army service, functioning psychopaths, book writing, shooting Hollywood films and his latest project with WeServed a service for Veterans by Veterans - for more information visit www.we-served.com . Andy's book choice on Desert Islands Dits is "...

CONTENT The guest today is Dr Helen Fry. Helen has authored and edited over 25 books covering the social history of the Second World War, including British Intelligence and the secret war, espionage and spies, and MI9 escape and evasion. She is the foremost authority on the 'secret listeners' who worked at special eavesdropping sites operated by British Intelligence during WWII. Her groundbreaking...

CONTENT The guest today is Patrick Crowley author of "Rose Castle and Crown - Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Citizen Soldiers". On this podcast we will cover the history of the British Army's citizen soldiers going back to the raising of militias in the 16th century up to the Army Reserves of the present day. We discuss the challenge and sacrifice that all military volunteers, throughout history,...

CONTENT The subject of this pod is the Derryard action, a sustained IRA deliberate attack in December 1989 against an Army Permanent Check Point (PVCP) close to the border with the Republic Of Ireland a few miles north of Rosslea, County Fermanagh.  The checkpoint was manned by members of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers who fought off an Active Service Unit that considerably overmatched them...

CONTENT   The guest today is Neale Smiles a former Gunner now working in the defence industry. Neale often posts his thoughts on military matters on LinkedIn and was a guest on pod 51 where we discussed “Guns, Rockets & Training For War”. So if you have an interest in all things artillery it is worth a listen. Even if you don't check it out as Ukraine is proving, Gunners are sti...

CONTENT On this podcast we feature the British involvement in the Korean War which took place between 1950 - 1953. A war that is fairly unknown and overshadowed by WW2 and later the Vietnam war. It is considered forgotten but was as gruelling as any of the WW2 theatres of operations. We discuss the prelude to war, the opening engagements, the ferocious battle for Imjin against a determined an...

CONTENT The guest today is Chris Lincoln Jones. Chris is a retired Army Officer and worked for 17 years in the Defence Industry where he was an Intelligence Surveillance and Target Acquisition Specialist with a particular knowledge of Uncrewed Air Systems. He has been a visiting lecturer at the University of South Wales on an MSc course in Global Governance and  has contributed to the Bi...

CONTENT The guest today is Laurence Moore, known as Loz, who served in the Cheshire regiment and on this episode we discuss his time at Sandhurst and what it was like to deploy on operations as a young officer in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.  Loz also discusses the effect combat had on him personally and why he helped set up Cockleshell 22 with a group of serving and form...

CONTENT The guest today for our conversation on NATO Cold War "stay behind" operations is Tamir Sinai a political scientist and exercise professional. Tamir teaches Security Policy and develops Simulation Exercises for International Organisations, Governments, Private Industry and Universities with a focus on Security and Crisis Management. His customers have included US DoD, German MoD, Swedish M...

CONTENT The guest today is author Henry Hemming and on this podcast we will be discussing his book “4 Shots In The Night" a  true story of espionage, murder and justice during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.  It centres round the brutal killing on 26th May, 1986 of British agent Frank Hegarty who infiltrated PIRA and also involves Martin McGuinness, terrorist turned politician and the...

CONTENT The guest today is former Commando Gunner and member of 22 Special Air Service Mick Hawkes. On this podcast we discuss his army career including the Falklands war, volunteering for SAS selection, life and training in the Regiment, his deployment to Bosnia where he was captured by Serb forces alongside his mate Billy Billingham, the pace of operations for UKSF in Iraq and Afghanistan, susta...

CONTENT This week on our Cold War series the guest is Ian Sanders who presents the award winning Cold War Conversations podcast. On this episode we discuss how Germany and Berlin were divided up between the victorious allied armies at the end of World War 2, the Berlin airlift when the Soviet Union attempted to starve the population of Berlin into submission and the reasons why the Russians built...

CONTENT The guest today is former soldier Kev Brain who joined the Royal Artillery in 1975 completing 22 years service with the colours. He deployed on multiple operational tours to Northern Ireland and also on Operation GRANBY better known as the first Gulf War in 1991 as a Sergeant Gun number 1 in charge of a M110 203mm howitzer specifically built for general support and counter battery fire.&nb...

CONTENT This is a mini series covering parts of the Cold War we find interesting and will run in tandem with the Unconventional Soldier podcast. So why the title Seven Minutes to Midnight? The Doomsday Clock was a symbolic measurement that represented the likelihood of a human made global catastrophe in the form of a nuclear exchange between the global superpowers.  In 1947 at the start of th...

CONTENT The guest today is award winning author Mary Cronk Farrell. On this pod we will be discussing her book "Close Up On War" about the life of Catherine Leroy a French photographer who travelled to Vietnam at the height of the war where she made a name for herself in a male dominated environment. Bold, determined and cool under fire Catherine accompanied marines and soldiers into the dens...

CONTENT The guest today is the Cognitive Marine a serving USMC officer currently stationed in Okinawa who previously appeared on podcast #039. On this episode we discuss how past and present wars influence thought on the way battles may be fought in the future. Subjects include: Okinawa, Singapore and Menorca. Ukraine & Russia. Israel & Gaza. The influence and development of his Cognitive...

CONTENT The guest today is former Royal Marine and member of the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre Nige Devenish. Nige was my guest back on podcast # 046 when we discussed his career in the cadre and their part on Operation CORPORATE during the Falklands war in 1982.  On this podcast we talk about his recent visit to the Falklands, his first since his deployment, with other cadre veterans to lay a...

CONTENT The guest today is Tony Loughran a former Royal Navy Commando medic now a global risk specialist, with over 30 years international experience as a safety and security professional. On this episode we discuss: His time in the senior service, deployments and attachments with the Royal Marines Mountain & Arctic Warfare cadre. His 14 year stint as Head of International Risk at the BBC in L...

CONTENT The guest today is Neale Smiles, a former Gunner now working in the defence industry.  Neale often posts his thoughts on military matters on LinkedIn and it was one on the future of the Royal Artillery that got my attention. In it he stated that: “when you aren’t equipped or established to fight in the traditional combined arms manner you have to change”  In this episode Neale will set out...

CONTENT The guest today is David Montgomery who was born and raised in East Africa.  After graduating Exeter University he joined the Army and served for 28 years before retiring in 2000 after commanding 7th Armoured Brigade. David co founded Benchmark Search in 2002 where he is MD of a company which provides candidates for the defence, security and other markets.  On this episode we discuss his a...

CONTENT The guest today is Kim Read a former member of the "stay behind" Special OP Troop.  This unit was tasked with conducting operations against the Soviet Army if they had crossed the inner German border during the Cold War when they would engage the enemy with the long range guns of the British Army. We covered a bit about the school on pod #005 but a few listeners have requested more detail....

CONTENT Our guest today is Barrie Rice, former soldier, security contractor and author.  Barrie joined the New Zealand infantry in 1985 aged 22 where he spent 3 years before passing selection for the New Zealand SAS.  He went on to serve 7 years with the unit specialising in one of the squadron's boat troops.  On this episode we are going to be discussing his military career and time as a security...

CONTENT Our guest today is Ryan Yates a former soldier from 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery the British Army's Long Range surveillance and patrols unit.  On this pod we discuss Ryan's time in the military from passing the STA patrol's selection course in time for his 18th birthday to completing two tours of Afghanistan and his post military career as a security contractor working in hostile envir...

CONTENT Our guest today is Nige Devenish, a former Royal Marine and member of the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre. Nige served 22 years with the Marines, 8 of those in the Cadre and its successor the Brigade Patrol Troop.  He was also the last Cadre Sergeant Major and the first CSM when it became the Brigade Patrol Troop (BPT) in the early 90s.   On this episode we are going to be discussing the...