What It Was Like to be a WW2 Paratrooper

In 533, a twenty-eight-year-old general named Belisarius sailed from Constantinople with 15,000 men to reconquer North Africa from the Vandals, a kingdom that had held it for nearly a century since the sack of Rome. The last time the Eastern Empire had attempted the crossing, the ... Show More

A coast guardsman named Earl Cunningham froze to death on Lake Michigan trying to rescue five fishermen trapped on a drifting ice sheet. His last words were "I wish I could see my wife and three children once more." That was February 1936. A few months later, the same country tha ... Show More

Humanity’s story from 10,000 BC to 3,000 BC (from the end of the ice age to the beginning of civilizations) follows this pattern: primitive hunter-gatherers slowly progressed to farmers, then to village-builders, then to city-dwellers and kings. With enough food surplus to free u ... Show More

When people think of the paratroopers of World War II, they tend to think of the European theater — the 101st Airborne Division and the Band of Brothers.But paratroopers were also deployed in the Pacific, and here to unpack their lesser-known but equally epic and heroic story is ... Show More

The largest ever surrender of American forces occurred in May 1942. The event resulted in medals of honour for two American military leaders - one who escaped, another who became the highest ranking prisoner of war of the Second World War.In this episode, Don is joined by Jonatha ... Show More

Former US Paratrooper and now historian, James Fenelon joins Jim and John McManus to discuss the extraordinary and little-known exploits of the 11th Airborne Division - a unit led by the brilliant Joe Swing and who excelled during the Battle for the Philippines. The term ‘forgott ... Show More

It was one of the defining battles of 1944, but what really happened at the Admin Box - and where was it? In this gripping series, they explore the extraordinary challenges faced by the British and Indian forces under the command of General Bill Slim as they confronted relentless ... Show More

<p>If somebody asked you to go on a dangerous mission, no other details, would you volunteer?</p><br><p>Well, in 1942, that's exactly what 120 crewmen of the US Army Air Force did. In this episode, find out how it went and who Jimmy Doolittle was. From an impossible take off, thr ... Show More

Americans and Nazis fought side-by-side in the ‘Battle For Castle Itter’ on 5th May, 1945 - an attempt to free high-profile French prisoners from a 13th century Austrian castle at the very end of the War. The prison - a sub-unit of Dachau concentration camp - housed former prime ... Show More

How did Slim and the Allies plan to deceive Japanese forces in Burma? What was the true worth of the Chindits under Orde Wingate? When did the Allies attack Mandalay? Join James Holland and Al Murray for Part 4 of this series, as they explore the forgotten victories of commander ... Show More

<p>Amidst the epic clashes of armies and navies that make war such a fascinating subject, lie the smaller human interest stories that prove just as compelling. One such story is that of World War II soldier Joe Johnson Jr., which is told by Marcus Brotherton in a newly published ... Show More

April 19, 1951. General Douglas MacArthur's plane touches down in DC just after midnight. He’s coming home from fighting the Korean War. Over twelve thousand people are there to greet this person who the American people consider to be a national war hero. It’s quite the welcome f ... Show More