WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

In April 1942 Denis Barnham flew his Spitfire off the deck of an aircraft carrier and headed for Malta, where the air battle over the island was at its most intense. This brilliant account of his time on the island offers a compelling and honest account of the terror of the battle and of life on Malta under siege. Read by Al Murray. We Have Ways is running a weekend festival from September 17th to...

The Dams Raid - part 2 With Guy Gibson struggling through combat fatigue, the raid on the great Ruhr dams is launched. James Holland and Al Murray discuss the events of that May night in 1943 and ask the ultimate question: was it worth the cost? Recorded on site at RAF Scampton, home of the famous 617 Squadron. We Have Ways is running a weekend festival from September 17th to 19th. There will be f...

On May 16, 1943, one of the most daring raids of the war was launched. Operation Chastise, known in popular parlance as the Dam Busters Raid, saw 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers attack three targets in the German industrial heartland, led by Guy Gibson. Al Murray and James Holland recorded this episode in Wing Commander Gibson’s office at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. We Have Ways is runnin...

Al Murray and James Holland were granted a sneak preview of the collection at Bovington Tank Museum before the public finally gained access post lockdown. Like kids in a sweet shop, they got up close and personal with a Churchill and explored the fabulous Shermans. We Have Ways is running a weekend festival from September 17th to 19th. There will be fifty military vehicles and a host of top speake...

In the second part of our story of the Battle of Crete James and Al discuss the fighting retreat, the brilliant Cretan resistance and the accounts of the writer Evelyn Waugh, a veteran of the battle. We Have Ways Fest will take place September 17 to 19. Tickets are now on general sale:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/153466810361 A Goalhanger Films production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Produce...

More of your wartime Family Stories, including a timely tale from the Battle of Crete. With thanks to Luke Brannigan, Robert Blood, Betty Dullaghan and Christopher Szymanski,  A Goalhanger Films production Produced by Harry Lineker Script editor: Sarah Shannon Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: www.wehavewayspod.com Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Hosted on A...

Mildred Gillars, or Axis Sally as she was known, was an American broadcaster employed by Nazi Germany as a radio propagandist during The Second World War. Al Murray and James Holland are joined by Harvard professor Jill Lepore to discuss Nazi propaganda and the fate of Axis Sally. Jill Lepore is the host of a podcast called The Last Archive, which traces the history of evidence, proof, and knowled...

The assault on Crete led to a pyrrhic German victory and much finger pointing on the part of the Allies. Was Major-General Bernard Freyberg to blame or did a failure of communication lead to the defeat of British, New Zealand and Australian forces? Eighty years on from the dramatic fight for the island, Al Murray and James Holland explore the mistakes made and the price paid by both sides. We Have...

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including the incredible details of an Australian soldier’s experiences in a Japanese POW camp and the Sandakan death marches, hiding an illegal printing press as part of the Danish resistance; and scavenger hunts in the desert minefields of North Africa. With thanks to Alyssa Braithwaite, Tom Campbell, Jan Johansson, Patrick Lees and Mark Wr...

In this special edition of the podcast Al Murray reads an article written by his father, Ingram Murray, known to regular listeners as The Colonel. It tells the story of a group of men with a very specialised task in the days after D-Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While Argentina remained neutral throughout the Second World War, around 4,000 Argentinians volunteered to fight for the Allies. One of them was the extraordinary Ronny Scott. Now 103 years old, the veteran pilot joins Al Murray and James Holland to recount his incredible wartime story. There is also a short film about Ronny which you can watch here: Buena Onda: The Tale of Ronny Scott: https://vi...

British soldiers famously loved a night of entertainment in the field, as Spike Milligan’s books attest. But how were German troops entertained? James Holland and Al Murray discuss the Wehrmacht Propaganda Troops, who were not noted for their cross dressing and high jinx. The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the HMS Hood and the Ox & Bucks are all the subject of discussion. We Have Ways has a mem...

This week on our Family Stories episode we hear more wide-ranging tales including how a priest joined the Belgian resistance and was ultimately captured; a first-hand account of the first nocturnal “kill” made by a Spitfire; and the sad story of a fatal accident in a Tiger Moth. With thanks to Robin Braysher, Jack Ruffhead, Peter Smith, Richard Veys and Richard Walker for sharing their stories. We...

How did the Nazis come to power in 1933? German historian Katja Hoyer joins Al Murray and James Holland to talk about the fragmented German national identity and the how it still affects the country today. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Thursday evening. Join at Patreon.com/wehaveways A Goalhanger Films production Produ...

On the anniversary of the German tanks rolling into the Low Countries on their way to France, Al Murray and James Holland wonder if events could have taken a very different turn. Was the ultimate success of the campaign down to German brilliance or French incompetence? We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Thursday evening. Jo...

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including how a Belgian family survived in the basement of a bakery; a sailor who survived the Arctic Convoys and a fair few scuffles; and a ‘Tail End Charlie’ celebrating his 100th birthday. With thanks to Pete Coutts, Bram De Man, Guy Ferguson, Michael Hallinger and Oliver Nichols for sharing their stories. We Have Ways has a membership clu...

Author and publisher Vicky Unwin joins James Holland to discuss her extraordinary family story. While researching her parents’ war time experiences Vicky unearthed an intriguing narrative which travelled from Egypt to Germany, including the secret of her father’s hidden Jewish heritage. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Th...

Comedian and writer David Baddiel joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss his family’s experiences during the war, which included being interned on the Isle of Man. David also discusses his new book Jews Don’t Count and his documentary work surrounding Holocaust denial. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Thursday eveni...

This is the show written by our listeners. It includes five remarkable war time stories of hidden airmen in Holland, Germans on the Eastern Front, and the horrors of a U-boat attack in the mid Atlantic. With thanks to Andrew Gerrard, Peter McGrath, Alex Aitchison, Rianne Heida, Oliver Clixby and Ben Ross. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on t...

Betty Webb spent the war working as a code breaker at Bletchley Park, working on captured German and Japanese radio messages. After the war she moved to Washington DC to assist the Americans with their ongoing fight in the Pacific.  Betty joins Al and James to describe her extraordinary experiences. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the int...

The myth suggests Britain stood alone but the truth was different. In the week of Anzac Day Al Murray and James Holland discuss the roles of Australian and New Zealand soldiers in the war against the Axis Powers. A Goalhanger Films production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: www.wehavewayspod.com Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Hos...

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including an account of a daring air mission that ended in dramatic fashion; being commanded by Hollywood star David Niven; and a father and son that won the same award in two different wars. With thanks to Al Allen, James Bevan, Miles Dickson, Jonathan Hutt, Mark Palmer and Jerod Wright for sharing their stories. We Have Ways has a membershi...

Adrenaline junkie Guy Martin tells Al Murray and James Holland about his new series for Channel 4 in which he trains to fly a Hurricane and then takes part in a dogfight with a Messerschmitt. Guy discusses the complexities of flying war planes and his obsession with engines from the Second World War. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the in...

The Eastern Front is our focus as German historian Jens Wehner joins Al Murray and James Holland. Jens is curator of the Dresden Military History museum, but his focus in this podcast is further east and the desperate battle for the city of Stalingrad. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Thursday evening. Join at Patreon.com...

Britain’s war time intelligence operations are the subject of discussion as Al Murray and James Holland exchange notes on their latest reading matter, Behind the Enigma: The Authorised History of GCHQ. The boys also explore the escape attempts of British and Allied POWs in Italy. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live version of the podcast streamed on the internet each Thursday...