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This week we discuss the role of RAF bomber aircraft as glider tugs in the Arnhem airlift and airborne operations. We're joined by Matt Yates, the Chief Operations Officer for the Vickers Machine Gun Collection and Research Association, and owner of the Chalk Glider Pilot Regiment Collection.
Matt provides insight into the formation of the Glider Pilot Regiment, highlighting the close collaboration between glider pilots, and their tug crews, who were normally seconded from Bomber Squadrons. We debate the challenges and successes of various airborne operations, including Operations Freshman,  Husky, and Tonga.
We go on to discuss Operation Market Garden - a complex and ambitious plan to secure a foothold in Germany by capturing key bridges in the Netherlands and paving the way for a rapid advance into Germany. However, the operation faced challenges, including the loss of the element of surprise, intelligence issues, overconfidence, and a shortage of aircraft. The glider pilot regiment and their bomber crew tugs played a crucial role in transporting troops and supplies, but faced heavy anti-aircraft fire and suffered significant casualties. We also discuss the supply role of transport command. The operation ultimately fell short of its objectives, highlighting the difficulties and risks of large-scale airborne operations.
Links:
Arnhem: Myth & Reality, by Sebastian Ritchie

Jane's article: Bring Up The Piat!

Matt's recommendations:

Glider Pilots at Arnhem by Mike Peters and Luuk Buist. 

Arnhem Lift by Louis Hagen (a German Jew who fled Germany and joined the British Army) 

The History of the Glider Pilot Regiment by Claude Smith. 

Arnhem by Martin Middlebrook. 

A Noble Pair of Brothers by Wing Commander DH Wood. Gives a full history of 3

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Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Subscriber-only episode

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* PUBLIC RELEASE ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2024

This week we discuss the role of RAF bomber aircraft as glider tugs in the Arnhem airlift and airborne operations. We're joined by Matt Yates, the Chief Operations Officer for the Vickers Machine Gun Collection and Research Association, and owner of the Chalk Glider Pilot Regiment Collection.
Matt provides insight into the formation of the Glider Pilot Regiment, highlighting the close collaboration between glider pilots, and their tug crews, who were normally seconded from Bomber Squadrons. We debate the challenges and successes of various airborne operations, including Operations Freshman,  Husky, and Tonga.
We go on to discuss Operation Market Garden - a complex and ambitious plan to secure a foothold in Germany by capturing key bridges in the Netherlands and paving the way for a rapid advance into Germany. However, the operation faced challenges, including the loss of the element of surprise, intelligence issues, overconfidence, and a shortage of aircraft. The glider pilot regiment and their bomber crew tugs played a crucial role in transporting troops and supplies, but faced heavy anti-aircraft fire and suffered significant casualties. We also discuss the supply role of transport command. The operation ultimately fell short of its objectives, highlighting the difficulties and risks of large-scale airborne operations.
Links:
Arnhem: Myth & Reality, by Sebastian Ritchie

Jane's article: Bring Up The Piat!

Matt's recommendations:

Glider Pilots at Arnhem by Mike Peters and Luuk Buist. 

Arnhem Lift by Louis Hagen (a German Jew who fled Germany and joined the British Army) 

The History of the Glider Pilot Regiment by Claude Smith. 

Arnhem by Martin Middlebrook. 

A Noble Pair of Brothers

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

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In this conversation, Jane and James chat to historian  and author Professor Alan Allport about the decision of the British cabinet to allow the RAF to start bombing Germany's Ruhr Valley. He explains that this decision, made in May 1940, was a watershed moment in the war and really marked the beginning of the bombing campaign 'proper'.  Allport also discusses the Butt Report, which revealed the ineffectiveness of the early bombing raids, and its impact on Bomber Command. He then explores the appointment of Arthur Harris as the head of Bomber Command in the Spring of 1942, and his role in shaping the strategic and operational policies of the bombing campaign.

The team explore the policies surrounding area bombing and Harris's interpretation of the rules. They also discuss Harris's place in the collective memory and post-war historiography of Bomber Command.

Finally, the conversation touches on the effectiveness of the Fairy Battle aircraft and the importance of operational circumstances in determining an aircraft's success. Overall, the conversation challenges conventional wisdom and offers a nuanced perspective on Harris and the bombing war.

Jane and James refer to Alan's books Britain at Bay and Browned Off and Bloody Minded, as well as Arthur Harris 1947 book, Bomber Offensive. 

Keywords : 

World War II, Churchill,  RAF, Butt Report,  Arthur Harris, strategic bombing, operational policy,  Bomber Command, area bombing, collective memory, post-war historiography, Fairy Battle aircraft, operational circumstances.

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

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Jane and James interview Dr. Sarah Louise Miller about her new book on the Avro Lancaster, The Lancaster Story. They discuss the significance of the Lancaster in RAF Bomber Command during World War II and its cultural impact. They also explore the personal stories and experiences of those involved with the Lancaster, including ground crew and WAAFs. Sarah shares her research process and the new perspectives she brings to the history of the Lancaster. 
The team discuss some of the lesser-known life-saving missions of the Lancaster, such as the MANNA and EXODUS operations, which are often overshadowed by the aircraft's destructive capabilities. They also highlight the vital role of the WAAF in supporting the Royal Air Force (RAF) and challenge the narrative that women were merely support workers. The conversation touches on the importance of representing women's contributions in historical narratives and the need for more accurate and inclusive storytelling. The guests also discuss the challenges and emotional impact of researching and writing about these topics, and Sarah talks about her new project, telling the story of Hawaiian women in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. 

Keywords

Avro Lancaster, RAF Bomber Command, World War II, cultural impact, personal stories, ground crew, WAAF, research process, new perspectives,  Women's Auxiliary Air Force, MANNA, EXODUS, , support workers, representation, historical narratives, challenges, emotional impact

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

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 In this episode, Jane and James discuss RAF Bomber Command's role in Operations Neptune and Overlord,  initially focusing on the preparations for the invasion, particularly the mine-laying element known as MAPLE. They explore the complexities, challenges, and successes of the mine-laying operations, highlighting the inter-service cooperation and the strategic significance of the campaign, which has been so often overlooked. ( You'll be able to learn more about Bomber Command minelaying/gardening operations in Jane's forthcoming book, Invisible Campaign - Bomber Command Minelaying 1940-1945,  due to be published by Tempest Aviation at the back end of 2024).

The team then go on to discuss the wide range of bombing operations Bomber Command carried out before, during and after D-Day in support of the invasion. Jane and James delve into the success and significance of these operations, the challenges faced, and the impact on the war effort.

Dr Joseph Quinn   (@ww2research on X/twitter) joins the conversation to discuss the University of Oxford's  'Their Finest Hour' project, a digitization initiative to preserve and share personal stories and materials related to the Second World War. The conversation covers the democratization of a public history project, the preservation of wartime stories, and the challenges of memory and oral history. It also delves into the stories of RAF aircrew involved in operations supporting Overlord.  You can access the Their Finest Hour Website here, and the archive opens to the public at 6am on 6 June.

You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support .

Keywords

D-Day, RAF Bomber Command, Operation Overlord, Operation Neptune, Maple Minelaying Plan, mine-laying, inter-service cooperation, strategic significance,  World War II,  bombing,  Their Finest Hour, digitization project, personal stories, war materials, public history, wartime stories, memory, oral history, veteran accounts. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview of Operation Overlord
11:55 The Complexity of Mine-Laying Operations: Strategic and Tactical Aspects
27:48 The Crucial Role of Mine-Laying and Bombing in World War II
43:12 Preserving Personal Stories: The 'Their Finest Hour' Project
55:22 Democratizing Public History: Crowdsourcing and Volunteer Efforts
57:18 Challenges of Memory: Oral History and Story Preservation
01:00:00 RAF Missions: Operational Details and Significance of Bomber Command

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

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WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of war, death and injury which some listeners may find distressing.

In this episode, Jane and James  continue their discussion about the Wuppertal raid of May 1943, focusing on the experiences of two crews from 10 Squadron, Penny's Prangers and the Clarke crew, each taking part in their first operation.  The concept of 'the Bomber Stream' is explored, and the team then embark upon a minute by minute account of the operation, both from the point of view of the aircrew, and three citizens from Wuppertal caught up in the raid.

The devastating impact upon the city is analysed, together with the traumatic experiences of the members of the Clarke and Pennicott crews.

Two of the German accounts appear in a book entitled Vor Funfzig Jahren: Bomben Auf Wuppertal, by Herbert Pogt (Born-Verlag, 1993), and were translated by Ian MacNee for Jane's book 'Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command -The Wireless Operator's Story', which also includes a much more detailed account of the raid.  The interview with Heilgard Hacker was also given for Above Us The Stars.

Additional information came from 10 Squadron ORB and diary,  the log books of Jack Clyde and Bill Bradshaw,  from 10 Squadron Association, and from an interview with Bill Bradshaw conducted in 2019.

The team also refer to the Bomber Command War Diaries, by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Ward (1985, 2014 - Pen & Sword). 


 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

In this episode, Jane and James discuss the  planning of the raid on Wuppertal on 29/30 May 1943. They explore the reasons why Bomber Command targeted the Ruhr Valley and how targets were selected and operations were planned. They also focus on two rookie crews from 10 Squadron who took part in the raid, the Pennicott and Clarke crews. The episode highlights the constant activity and preparation involved in carrying out a bombing raid, as well as the young age of the crew members and the responsibilities they carried. The  role of various trades on the ground is also discussed.
Jane and James  take us right into the briefing hall, and consider the reactions of the crews when yet another raid on the Ruhr Valley is announced. What was it like,  anticipating your first bombing operation?
The team also answer listeners' questions on cooperation between the RAF and USAAF. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the reality of strategic bombing and the impact on civilians.

More details of the Wuppertal raid  and the crews involved can be found in Jane's book (Chapters 12 and 13) https://www.justcuriousjane.com/store-buy-books/ABOVE-US-THE-STARS-p191664106

For more reading on the Battle of the Ruhr, try Alan Cooper's excellent 'Air Battle of the Ruhr', and the novel 'The Happy Valley' by Jules Roy. The greatest (fictional ) work on Bomber Command is still Len Deighton's 'Bomber' ( also available on BBC Sounds)

To see the work involved in preparing and implementing a bombing raid, try Night Bombers



Key words
Bomber Command, Second World W

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

100 year old  RAF veteran Tom Davidson shares his experiences of flying on a Halifax in 1944-1945.

In this episode of Never Mind the Dam Busters, Jane and James discuss the Handley Page Halifax, an unsung hero of Bomber Command. They delve into the evolution of the Halifax, from the 'death-trap' early Marks to the magnificent Mk III, and its role in strategic bombing, mine laying, and other operations during World War II.

They also interview Tom Davidson, a flight engineer with 466 Squadron, who shares his experiences of flying in the Halifax and the strong bond he had with his crew. Funny, moving, and tragic - this is an episode you won't want to miss - and how can you not love that Geordie accent?
Watch out for photos of Tom, his pilot Pat and the rest of the crew on our social media.

You can read more of Tom's story, and about the Halifax and the men who flew it,  in Jane's book, Above Us The Stars.

If you'd like to see a real Halifax (well, a reconstructed one), visit Yorkshire Air Museum and Friday the 13th. You can even go on a tour of the inside (well worth it!) Details here
There's also S-Sugar at the RAF Museum in Hendon, still in the same state as when it was fished out of a Norwegian fjord...a very thought-provoking sight. 
 
Keywords
Handley Page Halifax, Bomber Command, strategic bombing, mine laying, World War II, flight engineer, air crew, sacrifice, Royal Air Force , Arthur Harris

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

In this episode, the James and Jane are joined by Dr. Dan Ellin to discuss the role of ground crew, ground personnel (there's a difference!) and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War II.

The conversation touches on the concept of the 'chop girl' and the superstitions surrounding dating aircrew. The hosts also explore the relationships between ground crew and aircrew, the risks and dangers faced by ground personnel, and the traumatic experiences they had to deal with, such as handling the remains of  deceased aircrew members.

The discussion also delves into the concept of gremlins and their significance to the RAF, as well as the belief in 'scarecrow' as a psychological weapon. 

Look out on our social media channels for photographs to accompany this episode.  You can find us on X/twitter at @RAFBomber_Pod and on Instagram at @NeverMindTheDambusters

Further reading:
You can read Dr Dan Ellin's PhD thesis here https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/73976/

To find out what James has been up to, click here ; Jane's website can be found at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/

If you'd like to know more about Jane's uncles (Jack -aircrew, Leo - groundcrew) their stories are told in Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story

 
Thanks for listening! 

TRIGGER WARNING: This episodes contains references to death and injury which some listeners may find distressing. It also contains discussion of 1940s attitudes to women, gender and class. 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!

Welcome to the first episode of Never Mind The Dambusters! In this episode James and Jane discuss the origins of their mutual interest in RAF Bomber Command, and talk about the evolution of Strategic Bombing Theory from the Great War to the late 1930s.
What did it take to build a strategic bomber force and why was it necessary?  How do you build a bomber base?
James waxes lyrical about the Bristol Blenheim, and the team answer your questions, on parachutes and training ops.
Buckle up!

For further reading on air power theory, we recommend:
Professor John Buckley's Air Power in the Age of Total War (quoted by Jane in this episode)
Tami Davis Biddle's Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare - The evolution of British and American Ideas About Strategic Bombing 1914-1945
Richard Overy's The Air War 1939-1945, and his The Bombing War. 
Thank you for listening! 

Support the show

Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here