Fighting Through WWII Stories & History

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26 The Zilken Letters. A veteran exposes the army's best kept WWII secrets! Feb 10, 2018

Show notes

WW2 veteran, Fred Zilken, reminisces in letters written 50 years after the war ended.

"In the hot desert, while on guard, some of us drank the rusty water from the radiators of the Bren Gun carriers. I would lie on my back - mouth under the drain plug of the carrier!

"I didn't get far before Jerry had me in range and dropped a few mortars all around me. I froze, as each bomb seem to get nearer. I could feel the heat off them as they exploded …".

"They were all court martialled and two or three were sentenced to be shot!".

Revealing highlights of letters Private Fred Zilken sent to comrade Wilf Shaw over a number of years after WWII.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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Please take my MOBILE survey! I'd be grateful for any feedback on the Fighting Through Podcast. Replies are completely anonymous. Only 9 simple questions, so do please take a shufty! https://form.jotform.com/202945895781067.

Link to feedback/reviews Thank you.

Full show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

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Below: Fred Zilken proudly wears the 50th Infantry Division TT badge, denoting the catchment areas of the battalion, the Rivers Tyne, Tees and Humber in Yorkshire. Drawn Sicily 1943.

Below: Signal platoon outside Marston House 1941, WW2. Fred top right.

So, a pic of Fed exists after all!

A WW2 history podcast on Bill Cheall's war diary and memoirs.

25 Sgt Rufty Hill meets Winston Churchill in WWII Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

Poignant tale of 5 brave WWII comrades. The story goes back to the start of the war, how these lads met, what special connection brought them together, and what tragedy was to befall some of them. Lance Sergeant William Allan 'Rufty' Hill and Bill Vickers are both honoured in this tragic but poignant tale.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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Please take my MOBILE survey! I'd be grateful for any feedback on the Fighting Through Podcast, or even early comments on the survey itself. Replies are completely anonymous. Only 9 simple questions, so do please take a shufty! https://form.jotform.com/202945895781067.

Link to feedback/reviews Thank you.

Full show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

A WW2 history podcast on Bill Cheall's war diary and memoirs.

Please note that photos below may or may not display depending on which listening platform you're using.

Below: Bill Vickers back left and Sgt Allan (Rufty) Hill back right.

Below: An early photo of the band, Rufty marked and Bill third from right - note the leather drum aprons - so Bill was a drummer aswell, not a trumpet player as I suggest in the show!

Below: Bill Vickers - "All the best in the world from Bill to Rufty"

24 Christmas at War Bill Cheall WW2 History Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

How the Dunkirk spirit of 1940 became the Christmas spirit of '45. Bill Cheall keeps the peace as a regimental policeman in war-torn and defeated Germany and experiences the most heart-warming end to his war.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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Link to feedback/reviews Thank you.

Full show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

A WWII military history podcast on Bill Cheall's war diary and memoirs.

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Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

23 Wilf Shaw - WWII army veteran interview 3 Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

More coffee with Wilf Shaw of 6th Battalion the Green Howards, 50th infantry division, in the British Army.

Wilf recounts many enchanting, funny and fearsome tales!

Also joining us is Wilf's friend, Lesley Littlewood, whose father was in WW2 as a Bren gunner.

Wilf was in many campaigns including fighting for Monty's 8th army at Alamein, Wadi Akarit in Tunisia, Sicily and of course Normandy. He was wounded twice and still returned to battle!

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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Link to feedback/reviews Thank you.

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Full show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

A WWII military history podcast on Wilf Shaw's diary and memoirs.

Recorded 2016 in Manchester, UK.

Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

22 Wilf Shaw - WWII army veteran interview 2 Nov 26, 2017

Show notes

A coffee with Wilf Shaw of 6th Battalion the Green Howards, 50th infantry division, in the British Army.

Also joining us is Wilf's friend, Lesley Littlewood, whose father was also in WW2 as a Bren gunner with 56 Reconnaisance battalion, part of 78th Division.

Wilf was in many campaigns including fighting for Monty's 8th army at Alamein, Wadi Akarit in Tunisia, Sicily and of course Normandy. He was wounded twice and still returned to battle!

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

Links - Not supported by all podcast players:

Facebook page

Link to feedback/reviews Thank you.

Full show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk

A WWII military history podcast on Wilf Shaw's diary and memoirs.

Recorded 2016 in Manchester, UK.

Please note that photos below may or may not display depending on which listening platform you're using.

Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

21 Angus Wallace of the WW2 Podcast interviews Paul Cheall Nov 11, 2017

Show notes

Angus Wallace is the host of The WW2 Podcast and he interviews Paul Cheall about his Dad's WWII memoirs, Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, published by Pen and Sword.

Angus' show involves chats with people who've had books published on military history. He asks Paul all sorts of questions about his Dad and his memoirs. If you subscribe to The WW2 podcast you may have already heard this interview before.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.

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Show notes at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

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The WW2 Podcast can be found at www.WW2Podcast.com.

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Angus Wallace, host of The WW2 Podcast.

Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

20 Dunkirk Little Ship Bee memoir - UNABRIDGED EDITION WWII Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

The scary story of the part some British merchant sailors played in rescuing allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.

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"How welcome a sight as nine of our fighters arrived. Straight into the Huns they went and soon those Jerries were screaming towards the earth in flames, while the others streaked away as fast as their planes would carry them".

"A heavy bomb dropped near us and we shuddered badly. The next one I thought had us, for we went down with a wall of water towering above us on all sides" .

You may have already heard Episode 11, The Bee - this version is the much longer and complete version and is highly recommended.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Links - Not supported by all podcast players:

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Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

Link to feedback/reviews.

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Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

18 Best of the First 5 years Part 1 Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

Revisit the first five years' favourites from episodes 1-17.

The best, the bloopers, the funniest and scariest moments, plus loads of new material.

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Links - Not supported by all podcast players:

https://form.jotform.com/202945895781067.

Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

Link to feedback/reviews.

Summary:

The beaches of Dunkirk revisited.

Tales of North Africa and Monty's 8th army desert rats.

Interviews with army and airforce veterans, such as soldier Wilf Shaw who has been awarded France's Legion D'Honneur, Claude Reynolds who was rear gunner in a Lancaster.

Much more – including new tales never before heard anywhere.

Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

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19 Best of the First 5 years Part 2 Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

Revisit my first five years' favourites from episodes 1-17.

The best, the bloopers, the funniest and scariest moments, plus loads of new material.

Happy International Podcast Day 2017!

More great unpublished history - of the Second World War. Links - Not supported by all podcast players:

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Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

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Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk

Soldiers' WW2 poetry.

D-Day WWII memoirs from Bill Cheall, Sgt Brian Moss and CSM Doug Gray.

The last flight of Lancaster Lily Mars – very, very sad.

Danger UXB! A gripping WWII story of bomb disposal during the London Blitz – hold onto your seat!

An unbelievably scary account of the brutal battle of Gallipoli, WW1 – I dare you to listen!

Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

Link to feedback/reviews.

17 Gallipoli Part 2. WW1 Memoirs of Sgt Fred Reynard Sep 16, 2017

Show notes

The second instalment of the brutal, firsthand account of the savage WW1 battle of Gallipoli, written by Sergeant Fred Reynard of the Isle of Wight Rifles.

There's more vicious fighting, as the troops continue their struggle to cross the peninsula to get to the waters of the Dardanelles.

There's more trouble with snipers

We learn about a game of cat and mouse in no-man's land

And for a brief lull in the fighting, Fred describes a summer truce – but it's not to play football on the beach!

Finally, we hear three lessons which were brought home to Fred by the battle.

More great unpublished history - of the First World War. Links - Not supported by all podcast players:

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Full show notes including transcript, maps and photos at www.FightingThroughPodcast.co.uk.

Link to feedback/reviews.

Please note that photos below may or may not display depending on which listening platform you're using.

Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

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