WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

388. Niklas Frank: In the Shadow of the Reich

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hans Frank ran Poland for the Nazis during the Second World War and was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity at Nuremberg. His son N...

387. Home Guard

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What was the real reason for the creation of the Home Guard and is the Dad’s Army image fair? James Holland and Al Murray look beyond Captain Mainwa...

386. What do the Germans think?

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For many British people the Second World War is the nation’s modern founding story. But in Germany it remains difficult to talk about and very rarel...

385. Black Allied Forces

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Black soldiers, airmen and sailors contributed hugely to the Allied war effort. Al Murray and James Holland are joined by John Concagh, who has extens...

384. Walking the Ground

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James Holland is a keen advocate of walking the ground to gain a deeper understanding of the events of the Second World War. In this special podcast J...

383. The Mind of a General

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following on from last week’s examination of US General George S Patton, Al Murray and James Holland dig deeper into his writings to gain a greater ...

382. The Sosabowskis

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are few stories more extraordinary than that of General Stanisław Sosabowski, commander of the Polish Parachute Brigade. After fighting fiercel...

381. Patton

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Few military leaders of the Second World War divide opinion quite so much as George S Patton. His decisive leadership drove the Third Army rapidly thr...

380. Stan Perry

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stan Perry was the last living troop commander of the legendary Sherwood Rangers. Injured in Normandy and again in Germany, he recently attended We Ha...

379. Nazis in the Air

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How politicised was the Luftwaffe? Second World War aviation expert Victoria Taylor joins Al Murray and James Holland to examine the history of German...

378. A Life In The Skies

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Colin Bell flew thirteen missions to Berlin in his beloved Mosquito as part of Bomber Command. The 100-year-old veteran pilot joined James Holland on ...

377. Doomed at Nijmegen

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the 82nd Airborne jumped into Nijmegen they had high hopes of being the final link in the chain for XXX Corps on the road to Arnhem. But things w...

376. Brothers in Arms

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It took a certain type of courage to serve in a tank in World War Two. Encased in steel, surrounded by highly explosive shells, a big and slow-moving ...

375. Preparing for Battle

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What can we learn from exploring original training manuals? Aviation historian Christoph Bergs and YouTube historian Bernhard Kast join James and Al t...

374. The Buffalo

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shortly after the war a Buffalo LVT (Landing Vehicle Tracked) was taken to Lincolnshire to help with food defences. The vehicle was swept away and san...

373. Baggy Trousers

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If Hugo Boss didn't design Nazi uniforms, who did? Al Murray and James Holland take a deep sartorial dive into what the Wermacht wore. Al and James al...

372. Spanish Fighters

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Although Spain remained neutral in the Second World War, a number of Spanish citizens volunteered to fight for the British Army. Al Murray and James H...

371. China - Part 2

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The conflict between China and Japan escalates as the Battle of Shanghai breaks out. James Holland and Al Murray explore a battle that is often consid...

370. China - Part 1

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two years before the start of the Second World War in the west China and Japan entered into a bloody military conflict which would result in millions ...

369. The Women of SOE

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Special Operations Executive was tasked by Winston Churchill to set Europe ablaze. More than 400 agents were sent into France, thirty-nine of them...

368. Exploring the Tank Museum

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Al Murray and James Holland return to Bovington Tank Museum for an exclusive tour of their new permanent exhibit ‘World War Two: War Stories’.  C...

367. Commandos in Canoes

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the Second World War, the Special Boat Service took part in daring assaults across Europe and Asia - usually in the dead of night and in sm...

366. Red Arrows

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While on a recent road trip north Al and James were offered the chance to watch the Red Arrows’ final training session before their summer season. S...

365. Potsdam and the looting of Berlin

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War as the situation in Germany deteriorated dangerously the Allies faced off in their attempt to divid...

364. Lancaster

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Inside a hangar on the old RAF airfield at East Kirkby sits one of the world’s last Lancaster bombers. Al Murray and James Holland head north for th...

363. Landing Craft Tank

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the 6th of June 1944, LCT 7074 delivered nine tanks onto the beach in Normandy.  Al Murray and James Holland head to Portsmouth to explore the UK’...

362. The Atlantic Charter

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Eighty years on from the US and Britain outlining their post war aims, Al and James explore the Atlantic Charter. Also up for discussion are the Berli...

361. Abandoned Operations

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James and Al are at the D-Day Story museum in Portsmouth. They talk to assistant curator James Daly, who’s spent 7 years researching airborne opera...

360. Britain's Greatest Victories and Blunders

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a special live edition of the pod from Chalke Valley History Festival, Al Murray and James Holland discuss the top five British blunders and succes...

359. The Arakan

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The final task of assaulting the Arakan Peninsula as part of the Burma campaign was given to the British 3rd Commando Brigade. Their challenge was to ...

358. Nazi Inconsistencies

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the lads look at a few examples of how the Nazi regime would pick and choose how they implemented some of their ideologies. Al also gives us...

357. Landing Craft

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James and Al are at the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, “Saving Private Ryan” by taking a trip on an F8 landing craft. They find out about the ...

356. Highballs and Bazookas

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Al and James discuss why Britain never used the Highball bouncing bomb, the impact of losing battleships, the PIAT versus the Bazooka and the perils o...

355. The Secret Horsepower Race

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Piston engines powered every significant Second World War air battle. Calum Douglas, who has written a brilliant book on the race for engineering supr...

354. Hunger Winter

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dutch civilians suffered horrifically during the final winter of the war as the Germans sought to punish them for assisting the allied forces attempti...

353. Italy

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the Italians in London ahead of the final of the European Championships, Al Murray and James Holland look at the Italian story in the Second Worl...

352. One Man’s Window - Chapter 18

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

351. The Mustang

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Few planes were more influential during the Second World War than the Mustang. Al and James visit Sywell aerodrome in Northamptonshire to enjoy the ra...

350. One Man’s Window - Chapter 17

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

349. Denmark at War

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Although occupied by the Nazis, the Danes refused to collaborate and have a proud record of helping the majority of their Jewish community avoid the H...

348. One Man’s Window - Chapter 16

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

347. One Man’s Window - Chapter 15

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

346. One Man’s Window - Chapter 14

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

345. One Man’s Window - Chapter 13

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

344. Walking the Normandy Ground

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Normandy battlefield expert Paul Woodadge joins Al and James to discuss the effect of films such as Saving Private Ryan on public perception of the ev...

343. One Man’s Window - Chapter 12

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

342. World War Wash Up

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a week of riding tanks and encountering historians at the Chalke Valley History Festival, Al Murray and James Holland have much to discuss. Incl...

341. One Man’s Window - Chapter 11

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

340. One Man’s Window - Chapter 10

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

339. One Man’s Window - Chapter 9

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

338. One Man’s Window - Chapter 8

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

337. The War in the Air

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Commonwealth’s contribution to the Allied war effort was enormous, in all branches of the military. Soldier and historian Ben Kite, author of Br...

336. One Man’s Window - Chapter 7

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

335. The Mosquito

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For many people it was the greatest aircraft of the Second World War. Built out of wood and capable of flying fast and over huge distances, the German...

334. One Man’s Window - Chapter 6

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

333. One Man’s Window - Chapter 5

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

332. One Man’s Window - Chapter 4

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

331. One Man’s Window - Chapter 3

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

330. Top War Planes

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you have any interest in Second World War aircraft you will not find a more engaging episode of the podcast all year. Aviation obsessive Joe Coles ...

329. One Man’s Window - Chapter 2

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

328. Time for Tea?

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How did the myth develop that British soldiers were always stopping for tea? And who were the first Allied troops back into Dunkirk in the final days ...

327. One Man’s Window - Chapter 1

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

326. The Dams Raid - part 2

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 dis...

325. Guy Gibson and the Dams Raid

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

324. Tank Talk

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Al Murray and James Holland were granted a sneak preview of the collection at Bovington Tank Museum before the public finally gained access post lockd...

323. The Evacuation of Crete

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

322. Family Stories - Episode 20

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More of your wartime Family Stories, including a timely tale from the Battle of Crete. With thanks to Luke Brannigan, Robert Blood, Betty Dullaghan an...

321. Axis Sally

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

320. The Battle for Crete

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

319. Family Stories - Ep 19

23 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ca...

318. The Sappers in the D-Day Gliders

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

317. Ronny Scott

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While Argentina remained neutral throughout the Second World War, around 4,000 Argentinians volunteered to fight for the Allies. One of them was the e...

316. Propaganda Troops

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

British soldiers famously loved a night of entertainment in the field, as Spike Milligan’s books attest. But how were German troops entertained? Jam...

315. Family Stories - Ep 18

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week on our Family Stories episode we hear more wide-ranging tales including how a priest joined the Belgian resistance and was ultimately captur...

314. Electing Hitler

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

313. Fall Gelb

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

312. Family Stories - Ep 17

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

311. Family Secrets

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and publisher Vicky Unwin joins James Holland to discuss her extraordinary family story. While researching her parents’ war time experiences ...

310. David Baddiel

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian and writer David Baddiel joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss his family’s experiences during the war, which included being interne...

309. Family Stories - Ep 16

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

308. Bletchley Girls

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

307. Anzac Day

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Australia...

306. Family Stories - Ep 15

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 b...

305. Guy Martin - Battle of Britain

24 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

304. Stalingrad and The Wehrmacht

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 muse...

303. Enigma and Escapees

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s war time intelligence operations are the subject of discussion as Al Murray and James Holland exchange notes on their latest reading matte...

302. Family Stories - Ep 14

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including the story of an alarming experience in a London hospital’s labour ward during an a...

301. The Remains of War

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Ballinger MBE removes ordnance from former sites of conflict. He has spent the last decade removing 60,000+ mines, shrapnel and ordnance from th...

300. Prince Philip

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of his death, Al Murray and James Holland discuss the Duke of Edinburgh's war record and his role in the Royal Navy.  They also answer qu...

299. Family Stories - ep 13

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Al Murray and James Holland read family stories sent in by listeners to We Have Ways of Making You Talk. These wartime experiences took place in the s...

298. Small Arms

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What makes the best gun and how complicated is the development of small arms? Al Murray and James Holland are joined by Dr Matthew Ford from the Unive...

297. Lack of Moral Fibre

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You could volunteer to fly but you couldn’t volunteer to stop. Dr Dan Ellin, of the International Bomber Command Centre, talks to Al and James about...

296. Jewish Resistance: Selma van de Perre, Part 2

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of our extraordinary interview with Selma van de Perre, a Dutch resistance fighter who was 17 years old when the Second World War began. Usin...

295. Family Stories - Ep 12

04 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Second World War touched everyone’s lives, with many of our listeners’ families witnessing extraordinary events. In this edition of We Have Wa...

294. Jewish Resistance: Selma van de Perre, Part 1

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Selma van de Perre was a Dutch resistance fighter who was just 17 years old when the Second World War began. Using an alias and fake ID she risked her...

293. Mutiny

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A listener’s recent discovery that his uncle may have been one of the 258 British soldiers accused of mutiny in Malaya sends the podcast down an int...

292. Family Stories - Ep 11

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners to We Have Ways of Making You Talk write the scripts for our Sunday morning podcasts, as Al Murray and James Holland read out their family s...

291. Irish Fighters

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Although Ireland remained neutral during the war it didn’t stop Irish men joining the British Armed Forces. Joseph Quinn joins Al Murray and James H...

290. Veritable, Trombones and The Chindits

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James Holland and Al Murray get their hands on the post-operation report of Veritable, review the success of the Chindits and dig deeper into the extr...

289. Family Stories - Ep 10

21 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we hear more of your war time family stories. Including the story of a ship on an undercover mission; a German woman working in the UK durin...