The WW2 Podcast

The invasion of Sicily would be the largest Allied amphibious landing at that time undertaken. After just 38 days of bitter fighting the Allies conquered the Island, but thousands of Germans had escaped capture, evacuated over the Straits of Messina.

The Allied Air force had a crucial role to play, but it wasn’t just over Sicily they operated in support of the operation…

In this episode I'm joined by Alexander Fitzgerald-Black.

Alex gained his MA at the University of New Brunswick. His thesis “Eagles over Husky: The Allied Air Forces and the Sicilian Campaign” investigates the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

In this episode I talk to Douglas Waller about the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS.

The US entered the Second World War with no foreign intelligence service. Roosevelt selected William Donovan, WW1 Medal of Honor recipient, to create an agency based on the British MI6 and SOE.

A task he did with gusto.

Douglas is a veteran journalist and has work for Time Magazine and Newsweek. For twenty years as a Washington correspondent he has covered the Pentagon, Congress, the State Department, the White House and the CIA.

He has written two books looking at the American Office of Strategic Services, the OSS, which was America’s Intelligence service during WWII. His first book on the subject “Wild” Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage is a biography of William Donovan who ran the organisation up until it was disbanded in 1945.

His new book Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan takes a closer look at the activities of the OSS, through the careers of four future CIA directors who were active during the war.

In this episode I talk to Canadian historian Mark Zuehlke, and we look at Operation Jubilee, the Raid on Dieppe.

In August of 1942 a force of 6,000, predominantly Canadians, including the Calgary Tank Regiment, mounted a raid on the French port of Dieppe, now occupied by the Germans.

This would be the largest allied raid yet launched.

Almost all the objectives of the main raid failed to be met. Most of those troops who made it ashore struggled to get off the beach, and for hours were pinned down under withering fire.

At the same time the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force mounted a huge operation to provide the troops on shore and the fleet, support and cover for the duration of the Raid.

Casualties were high for the Allies, the mission judged a failure, yet it has since been justified as a vital precursor with lessons been learnt for D-Day, in 1944.

In this episode I talk to Andrew Panton of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage centre. Andrew is lucky enough to be one of the pilots for their Lancaster Bomber “Just Jane”.

The Lancaster is arguably, one of the most well known planes designed and built in Britain during the Second World War.

When it went into production it quickly became the mainstay of Bomber Command, with 7,377 being made, of which 3,249 would be lost.

125,000 aircrew served with bomber command, and 55,573 would be killed. Thats a 44% kill rate, higher than any other service during the war. A large proportion of which, would have been in Lancaster's.

This is perhaps one reason why the Lancaster is close to people’s hearts.

For more information on NX611 "Just Jane" and to book a taxi ride in her have a look at the Lincolnshire Aviation website lincsaviation.co.uk.

Omar Bradley commanded more Americans in combat than any other General before or since, at its peak his 12th Army Group numbered 1.7 million men! In the pantheon of World War II leaders he is over shadowed by bigger characters such as Patton or MacArthur. Yet in 1943 Patton was his commander, but by 1944 he commanded Patton.

The war reported Ernie Pyle dubbed him the "GI's General" and wrote:

"If I could pick any two men in the world for my father except my own dad, I would pick General Omar Bradley or General Ike Eisenhower.”

I'm joined by Jeffery Lavoie, his new book The Private Life of General Omar N. Bradley investigates the legend. Jeffrey is a PhD researcher at  the University of Exeter  (UK) where his studies concentrate on Modern Religious Movements and Victorian Studies. He is also a minister, lecturer, editor and a WW2 researcher .

The USS Neosho was a fleet oiler during WW2. She was delivering fuel at Pearl Harbour when it was attacked in December 1941. Laiden with fuel, if hit she would have caused and an enormous explosion.  The quick thinking Captain saved her on that day.

Dispatched with Task Force 17 to the Coral Sea, she was the only big oil tanker serving the fleet until the battle began, when she was ordered to leave the fleet for her own safety.

I'm joined by Don Keith to discuss the USS Neosho.

His book The Ship That Wouldn't Die is the story of the attack on the oiler by 78 Japanese planes, three quarters of the planes available to their Carriers. Its an incurable story of duty, determination and survival.

To find Don's other books have a look at his website donkeith.com. 

In this first episode of the WW2 podcast Angus talks to Paul Hilditch, of the Northern WW2 Association, about the iconic German halftrack, the Sd.Kfz 251.