True Blue Conversations Podcast

A special podcast shared with True Blue History by Fallen Diggers Incorporated. Dennis Frank talks with former Rat of Tobruk, Private Don Simpson, about his experiences in the 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion during the siege of Tobruk during the Western Desert Campaign and his service throughout the Second World War. Thank you to Fallen Diggers Incorporated for their generosity in sharing Don...

Former Australian Army Major General Jim Molan AO, DSC, now serves his country as a Senator for New South Wales. During his military career, Major General Molan was the Chief of Operations Coalition Forces in Iraq between 2004-2005, where he commanded a force of 300,000 troops. The Coalition force included 155,000 American troops. Following his retirement from the Army and return to civilian life,...

World War 2 veteran Corporal David Trist (Ret.) was eighteen years old when he enlisted in the Army in 1943. During his service, David was deployed to New Guinea and Bougainville and assisted with the collection of Japanese Prisoners of War after the end of the war. Now aged 95, David shares his fascinating memories of his service both at home and abroad in a war that pushed nations to their limit...

During the majority of her twenty-two-year career in the Australian Army, former Major Kellie Dadds (Ret.) served as an Intelligence Officer. Some of her multiple deployments included Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and the Solomon Islands. Kellie also completed the grueling Army Commando selection process. Following her service, Kellie has been actively involved in voluntary work in a variety of commun...

The roles played by the generals during The Great War have been the source of much scrutiny by historians and the public for over one hundred years. Some were remembered with fondness and respect by the men who served under them; others were despised. Debates have often centred on whether or not the leadership of the generals was either incompetent or inspired. Military historians Peter Hart and G...

Following a thirty-four-year career in the Australian Army, former Warrant Officer Donna Bourke reflects on the highlights and challenges of life in the military and adjusting to civilian life. Donna's service included numerous deployments included peacekeeping operations in East Timor and also serving in the Australian Intelligence Corps. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Donna relat...

Episode 5 goes beyond Kokoda as we look at the 7 th  Division's next campaign. This week David is joined by best selling author and historian Philip Bradley as they discuss the battle of Shaggy Ridge.   Presenter: David Howell Guest: Philip Bradley - Author and Historian Editor: Kyle Watkins

Genocidal massacres and human suffering cost the lives of an estimated one million barely describe the terror endured by Rwandans in the mid-1990s. Australian peacekeepers were sent to help as part of United Nations peacekeeping efforts. However, constrained by the UN peacekeeping rules-of-engagement, Australian peacekeepers watched in horror as the Rwandan Patriotic Army brazenly murdered over 4,...

An army marches on their stomachs, so what did Australian soldiers eat during the Kokoda Campaign? Join David Howell as he discusses rations with archaeologist Owen Budd, President of the 2/25 Battalion living history group. Presenter: David Howell Guest: Owen Budd, President of the 2/25 Battalion living history group. Editor: Kyle Watkins

Regarded by many historians as one of Australia's finest feats on the Western Front, the Battle of Mont St Quentin was part of the Allied counter-offensive against the Germans during the last months of the war. In a fierce struggle of attack and counter-attack, the Australian achieved an important strategic victory that stunned the Allied leaders. Battlefield historian Mat McLachlan shares his uni...

This week on Kokoda Kast David speaks with historian and best selling author of Jungle Warriors -Adrian Threlfal. The two discuss Australian soldiers moving from First World War tactics and fighting in the desert to being introduced to Jungle fighting. Where the Australians as prepared as the Japanese? Where did we first fight in the jungle?   Presenter: David Howell Guest: Adrian Threlfal author...

A fearsome Allied onslaught of 75,000 men, approximately 500 tanks , almost 2,000 aircraft, armoured cars and artillery on 8 August 1918 signalled the start of what has become known as the One Hundred Days Offensive. The Battle of Amiens raised the morale of the Allied troops while simultaneously demoralising the Germans. Ultimately, the success of the Allied strategies convinced the German High C...

In this episode David speaks with Gary Traynor from Medals Gone Missing about the uniform and equipment Australian soldiers used during the Kokoda Campaign. From Khaki uniforms and leather leggings of the militia to the dyed green jungle greens of the AIF. This episode details everything from what the soldiers carried in the packs to what they wore on their feet. Presenter: David Howell Guest: Gar...

The role of Army Chaplains is not limited to the religious or spiritual requirements of Defence personnel. During World War 1, Army chaplains enlisted to serve in the Australian Imperial Force. Since then, they have played a role in Australia's Defence Services that is often little understood outside of military circles. Former Australian Army Chaplain, Stephen Neuhaus shares his perspectives abou...

David Howell on Anzac Day 2020 is reflecting on Kokoda. He is interviewed by the grandson of a 39th Battalion Veteran, Dan Jones from Dan Jones Backstage. David will be covering some of the little known aspects of the service and sacrifice of the 39th Battalion and the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels roles in the Campaign.

By November 1916, the Somme battlefield was in a condition that is almost incomprehensible to 21 st century perceptions of war. Men and animals drowned and disappeared in mud. The men fought not only their opponents but also the muddy conditions reputed to be even worse than those of Ypres and Flanders. Fought near the small French village of Flers, The Battle of Flers, a part of the Somme Campaig...

In April 1918, determined to stop the German Army from breaking through, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig famously urged the British and Commonwealth troops to fight grimly with their 'backs to the wall' and 'to the end'. Included in the troops was the Australian 1 st Division. The German Army was intent on dislodging the Allies from the strategic French town of Hazebrouck as it supplied the Allies...

The Rats of Tobruk hold a special place in Australian military history for the role they played in the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. Besieged by General Erwin Rommel's undefeated Afrika Korps, the Rats relied upon ingenuity and dogged determination to provide the Allies with a morale-boosting victory.  pproximately 14,000 Australian and 12,000 British and Indian troops were involved. Dr Karl Ja...

World War 1 saw husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, cousins, uncles and nephews enlist for a war that would shatter families in Australia and in every country affected by the war. For the men, the bonds of family were strong. Some served together. Some died together. The stories of their service and heartbreak have been left behind in diaries, letters and other memorabilia. Author Adam Holloway has...

The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 was the Australian Imperial Force's brutal introduction to the realities of war. Suffering alongside them were soldiers from other Commonwealth countries. In this podcast, Adam discusses with oral historian Peter Hart, the British Army's experience of Gallipoli. Peter provides a British perspective of what occurred and the campaign's significance in British military...

Battlefield historian Pete Smith joins Adam to discuss 1918 as victory was not apparent for the Allies as the beginning of 1918. The fierce fighting of previous years had cost the AIF dearly in the numbers of men killed, wounded or permanently injured. Harsh lessons had been learned as both sides of the War came to terms with the new technologies and strategies being used. The German Spring Offens...

The Western Front in 1917 was a place of grim statistics and bitter fighting for the AIF. The Allie d and the German armies   were locked in a fierce struggle for supremacy which saw both sides suffer heavy casualty losses. While some of the battles that occurred during this year are well known by Australians, others have been slower to achieve widespread recognition. At home, the true cost of the...

In just under seven weeks, from 23 July – 9 September 1916, the Australian Imperial Force suffered almost as many casualties as they had in the torturous Gallipoli campaign. The Battle of Pozières was one of the AIF's bitter introductions to fighting in the Somme Offensive on the Western Front. The goal was to break the German Army defences along the Somme River, capture the high ground and break...

For the survivors of the fierce fighting which characterised the Battles of Bullecourt, the sheer waste of approximately 10,000 lives as a result of questionable leadership from those in command, the trauma of what they experience haunted them for the remainder of their lives. The false belief in an early victory and the failure of the new technology of tanks were a fatal combination. The heavy to...

For many families who suffered the loss of a family member in either the First and Second World Wars, the heartache of not knowing their loved one's final resting place deepened their grief and sense of helplessness. For these families, they had to endure the torment of mourning with questions that could not be answered. Since 2013, Fallen Diggers Incorporated, a non-for-profit organisation, has m...