WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
Episodes
287. The War Beneath the Waves
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fascination with the threat of U-boats has deflected attention from the effectiveness of allied submariners. James Holland and Al Murray take a deep d...
286. Family Stories - Ep 9
14 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week in our Family Stories series we hear your tales of uncovering a staggering stash of champagne, finding yourself behind enemy lines and disco...
285. Hitler’s Henchman
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hans Globke was the civil servant responsible for framing the Nuremberg anti-Jewish race laws. Yet somehow he returned to post war government and beca...
284. Winter Mud
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The battles of late 1944 are examined as James Holland and Al Murray explore the front line post Market Garden. Also up for discussion are the Polish ...
283. Family Stories - Ep 8
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week in our Family Stories series we hear your tales of a daring mission to recover a V-2 missile, surviving the atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki an...
282. Spitfire!
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s most iconic aircraft is celebrating its 85th birthday. Not that we need an excuse to revel in the beauty and engineering brilliance of t...
281. Nightmare at Nijmegen
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why did General Jim Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, not prioritise the capture of the bridge at Nijmegen as part of Operation Market G...
280. Family Stories - Ep 7
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week in our Family Stories series we hear your tales of a friendship with Douglas Bader, the sinking of the Wallasea and a powerfully evocative p...
279. Civilian Soldiers
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The British Army in Normandy are the focus as Al Murray and James Holland are joined by historian and author Jonathan Ware. In Jonathan’s book 'Jock...
278. Big Week
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In February 1944 the combined air forces of Britain and the US launched a huge series of raids against Nazi Germany. What did they hope to achieve and...
277. Family Stories - Ep 6
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week in our Family Stories series we hear your tales of Russian convoys, the Dunkirk evacuation and a Yugoslav fighting for the Germans. With tha...
276. German Hardware
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking German hardware and army units with military YouTuber Bernhard Kast. Wehrmacht doctrine, machine guns and riflemen groups are all up f...
275. Western Approaches
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There was no more important field of conflict in the Second World War than the Battle of the Atlantic. On February 17th, 1941, Western Approaches HQ o...
274. Good for Morale
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Terrifying tank battles and entertaining the troops are two topics for discussion as Al Murray and James Holland delve into the experience of life in ...
273. Family Stories - Valentine’s Day
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Family Stories today to mark Valentine’s Day. While researching his new book James uncovered letters from Bill Wharton, who fou...
272. British Resistance
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Britain was the only country to prepare a resistance movement before it was needed. Andrew Chatterton joins Al and James to discuss the history of the...
271. Convoys and the Triple Nickels
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray and James Holland discuss the massive effort to move fighting men across the world. Plus the story of an American airborne battalion made up...
270. Family Stories - Ep 4
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week in our Family Stories series we hear your tales of German spies, runaway barrage balloons and a witness to the Hiroshima atom bomb. With tha...
269. Training for Battle
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Professor John Buckley joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss the Allies’ approach to training. Armoured operations and the Normandy campaign ...
268. Steel not Flesh
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray and James Holland discuss the Allies’ policy of using liberal amounts of ammunition as a way of conserving the lives of their men. We Have...
267. Family Stories - Ep 3
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of our Family Stories series we hear your tales of the first wedding after the war, surviving the Blitz and a harrowing visit...
266. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 19
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
265. Landing Craft
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Archeologist and historian Stephen Fisher joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss the organisational challenges faced by the Allies in the planni...
264. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 18
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
263. Inge Auerbacher
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Inge Auerbacher was born in Germany in 1934. She spent three years in the Terezin (Theresienstadt) concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, where she was...
262. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 17
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
260. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 16
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
261. The Germans are coming
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Was there ever any chance of the Germans successfully invading England? James Holland and Al Murray have always argued that Operation Sea Lion was a n...
259. The Wings Of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 15
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
258. Family Stories - Ep 2
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the second episode of our new Family Stories series we hear your tales of liberating Belgian breweries, battles at Iwo Jima and escapes from Nazi c...
257. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 14
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
256. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 13
23 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
255. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 12
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
253. The Wings Of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 11
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
254. Prisoners of the Empire
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author Sarah Kovner joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss the treatment of Allied Prisoners of War in the Far East. Listeners may be surprised ...
252. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 10
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
250. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 9
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
251. Gliders
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After reading George Chatterton’s autobiography Al Murray wonders if glider operations were ever really a good idea. Meanwhile James Holland discuss...
249. The Wings of Pegasus, By George Chatterton - Episode 8
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
248. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 7
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
247. Family Stories: Annabel Venning
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From today We Have Ways is bringing you a bonus weekend episode called Family Stories. We’re launching the series with Annabel Venning, who joins Al...
246. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 6
16 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
245. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 5
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 4
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
243. The War In The Shadows
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Patrick Marnham was sent a letter from an anonymous reader claiming to have inside knowledge about the French Resistance he was forced to re-exam...
242. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 3
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
241. The Washington Putsch
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As Donald Trump’s followers tried to seize control of Washington’s Capitol many writers and commentators sought historical parallels to explain ho...
240. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 2
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
239. The Wings of Pegasus, by George Chatterton - Episode 1
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brigadier George Chatterton's memoirs, read by Al Murray, tell the extraordinary story of his time as a soldier for the British Army who then went on ...
238. Sidney Cotton’s Private Airforce
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sidney Cotton played an important role in the development of photographic reconnaissance, taking pictures of Germany and Holland at the start of the w...
237. Robert Bowen - Fighting With Screaming Eagles
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
236. The Man Who Said Don’t Go
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
News that Sir Brian Urquhart has died at the age of 101 leads Al Murray and James Holland inexorably back to the intense days prior to the battle of A...
235. Vere Hodgson - Diary of the War
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
234. Cornelius Turner - Operation Bunghole
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
233. Stanley Christopherson - An Englishman At War
02 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
232. Jeffrey Quill - Spitfire
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
231. Heinz Knoke - I Flew For The Fuhrer
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
230. In Conversation with Richard Herring
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray joins Richard Herring to talk about his latest book ‘The Last 100 Years (give Or Take) and All That’. They discuss what it was like writ...
229. George Chatterton - The Wings of Pegasus
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
228. Cecil Beaton - Far East
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
227. Crimes of the Wehrmacht
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the enduring myths arising from the war is that the extreme violence in the east was carried out by the Waffen SS, not the Wehrmacht. Histori...
226. Louis Hagen - Arnhem Lift
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
225. Anthony Cotterell - After D-Day
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
224. Richard Rhodes James - Chindit
26 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
223. Anthony Cotterell - A Day At The Seaside
25 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about...
222. Photo Reconnaissance
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Intelligence expert Taylor Downing argues that photo reconnaissance of occupied Europe should be at the forefront of all discussions about intelligenc...
221. Confusion on Gold Beach
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Holland explains the challenges of researching the events of D Day for his new book about the Sherwood Rangers. Al Murray discusses the difficul...
220. A National Scandal
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray and James Holland discuss the plight and treatment of our nuclear test veterans of the 1940s and 50s. They are joined by campaigning journal...
219. Rudolph Hess
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why did Hess fly to Scotland and on whose authority? What was his role in the Reich and was his sentence fair? James Holland and Al Murray also discus...
218. Pathfinder and Master Bomber
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Between November 1943 and October 1944 Charles Owen DSO DFC flew 55 missions as part of Bomber Command. His extraordinary hand written diary describes...
217. Man for Man
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Holland and Al Murray reopen the debate about the relative merits of Allied and Axis soldiers. Plus was there ever the possibility of the Americ...
216. Falklands
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of our conversation with aviation writer Roland White, as he explains the challenges of flying off carriers in the South Atlantic. Roland tel...
215. Training Day
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did the German forces shape up when it came to training? James Holland and Al Murray explore both myth and reality. Plus the boys head to the west...
214. Joe Ricci
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Close friend of the podcast, historian Joe Ricci, joins Al and James during our Thanksgiving Specials to talk about the unsung heroes of the American ...
213. Nicholas Moran
28 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nicholas Moran is one of the world leading experts in tank warfare during the Second World War. He joins Al and James to reveal what he thinks to be ...
212. Bob Persichitti
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Persichitti was a radio operator on the USS El Dorado during the Second World War. He was present at Okinawa and the invasion of Iwo Jima. James H...
211. Michel Paradis
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Human Rights Lawyer and historian Michel Paradis talks to Al and James about his book 'Last Mission To Tokyo'. The thrilling war story-meets-courtroo...
210. Paul Dickson
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Holland speaks to US historian Paul Dickson, writer of 'The Rise of the G.I. Army', about how the American Army was mobilized from scattered out...
209. Tom Lacey
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al and James interview Battle of the Bulge veteran Tom Lacey as part of We Have Ways' Thanksgiving Specials. Tom Lacey was fascinated with aeronautics...
208. Marty Morgan
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of our Thanksgiving Specials, Al and James are joined by historian and weapons expert Marty Morgan. Marty talks about his experiences lea...
207. Harrier
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this rare foray away from the Second World War Al Murray and James Holland are joined by aviation writer Rowland White to discuss the role of the H...
206. Dermot O'Leary
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TV presenter and radio host Dermot O’Leary joins Al and James to discuss his passion for Second World War history. The Battle of Britain and the Bat...
205. A Message from the Cook Islands
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We Have Ways of Making You Talk receives a fabulous array of messages via email, Twitter and on our members’ site. None more extraordinary than the ...
204. From El Alamein to the Heroes of Telemark
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How great a contribution did Monty make in North Africa? And were the actions of the Heroes of Telemark vital to the effort to deny Hitler the atomic ...
203. Remembrance
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Small cemeteries in faraway lands, individual stories of heartbreaking tenderness, parents paying for inscriptions on graves they will never see. Al M...
202. Matt Mackinnon-Pattison - Part 3
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After growing up in a Scottish orphanage Matt Mackinnon-Pattison volunteered for the army at the first opportunity and found himself fighting with a H...
201. Resistance
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray and James Holland discuss Patrick Marnham’s book on the French Resistance. Plus, how influential was signals intelligence? Other subjects ...
200. The Last 100 Years (Give or Take) And All That
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An awful lot has happened in the last 100 years or so. In fact, when you look at how much went on in the 20th century, it's amazing it didn't take lon...
199. The Messerschmitt 109
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al and James clamber around on the Messerschmitt 109 once flown by the legendary Hans-Joachim Marseille and now housed at the Heritage Hangar, Biggin ...
198. Matt Mackinnon-Pattison - part 2
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After growing up in a Scottish orphanage Matt Mackinnon-Pattison volunteered for the army at the first opportunity and found himself fighting with a H...
197. Spitfires at Biggin Hill
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al and James visit the Heritage Hangar at Biggin Hill, the largest collection of air worthy Spitfires in the world. They discover a newly restored Spi...
196. Matt Mackinnon-Pattison - Part 1
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Mackinnon-Pattison served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during the war and later joined the SAS where he was parachuted behind enemy...
195. From Iceland to Africa
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James and Al get their podcast passports out as they explore stories from Iceland to Africa, via Germany. James describes his recent adventures in Ger...
194. Tiger Tank
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray heads to Bovington Tank Museum to talk to resident expert David Willey about the Tiger tank. Why did Nazi Germany build only 1,200 of this...
193. Making Maps and Propaganda
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and academic Jeremy Black joins James Holland and Al Murray in a wide-ranging discussion encompassing the propagandist use of maps and the chal...
192. Tank Trilogy
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Al Murray and James Holland explore a Second World War British ambulance as well as a vehicle kitted out as a mobile listening centre which reported f...
191. Robert Harris and V2
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The German V2 rocket programme brought fear to the streets of London in the last months of the war. Author Robert Harris joins Al Murray and James Hol...
190. AC/DC’s Brian Johnson PART 2
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson is back with more stories from his extraordinary family history. This time we hear about his dad’s time fighting in Ita...
189. AC/DC’s Brian Johnson
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The legendary lead singer of AC/DC Brian Johnson is fascinated by the Second World War. His dad fought in North Africa and Italy with the Durham Light...
188. What went wrong at Arnhem
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On September 17th, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden in an attempt to create an invasion route across the Rhine and into Germany. The ...