Living History with Mat McLachlan

It's the second episode in our new Q&A series. Today's topics include WW2 sites in Singapore; visiting the medieval battlefields of Crecy and Agincourt; the role of snipers in the First World War; and the attitude of Vietnamese people to Australian Vietnam veterans. Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/)Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiFind out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlanJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Mat sits down with producer Jess Stebnicki to answer your questions, including: Are there ghosts on the battlefields? How much time do I need to spend on the Australian battlefields? What happened to Australians captured at Gallipoli?, and how much unexploded ammunition is still on the battlefields?Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/)Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiFind out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlanJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Mat is in Paris, sharing his memories of a very special visit to the Western Front. Topics discussed include how young people engage with the Anzac legend; a German WW2 cemetery that provokes mixed emotions; the Last Post service at the newly-renovated Menin Gate; the Sunken Lane on the Somme battlefield; and a remarkable coincidence involving two Australians killed in 1918.Join Mat on his Signature Tour to the Western Front in 2025: https://battlefields.com.au/western-front-signature-tour-with-mat-mclachlan-2025/Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Damien Parer was one of Australia's greatest war photographers and cinematographers. His images and footage of Australians in the Second World War helped define the conflict, both for the people who were in it and for generations to come. His camera work on 'Kokoda Frontline' helped earn Australia its first Academy Award, and his work with American forces in the Pacific set new standards for combat photography. In this episode Mat is joined by Karl James from the Australian War Memorial to tell the story of the life and death of Damien Parer.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuests: Karl JamesProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Mat visits the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the artefacts and large items that are rarely on public display. During this special visit he is guided by Head of Military History Dr Karl James, and speaks to historian Dr Lachlan Grant about the new Australians in Bomber Command exhibition.Topics discussed: 'G for George', the AWM's famous Lancaster bomber; the German ME262 German aircraft; a Chinook helicopter that carried Australian troops into combat in Afghanistan; a smashed engine from a Hawker Hurricane that tells the story of an Australian airman who died over Europe; a caravan that was home to a famous WW2 general; a Japanese midget submarine that raided Sydney Harbour; a German V2 rocket on its original carrier; and a special preview of the future Australians in Bomber Command exhibition, which utilises aircraft, objects and technology to tell the story of the air war in WW2.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuests: Karl James and Lachlan GrantProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Join Mat to hear all about guidl, a new audio tour app that he is contributing to. guidl takes you on walking tours to the world's most historic sites, narrated by leading historians. Mat's first guidl tour is of wartime Ypres and, in this special episode, Mat shares the first chapter of his Ypres walking tour.Download the app and find out more about guidl: https://www.guidl.tours/Join Mat on a battlefield tour: https://battlefields.com.au/

The Somme region in northern France was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. Today, it is one of the most important and evocative battlefields for Australian visitors. In this special episode, Mat explores the Somme region and tells you where to go, where to stay and what you will see when you are there.Watch the video version of this podcast! https://youtu.be/vo1LDZI5UZg?si=ru4wT_lpT1JJkkOkPresenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

Live from Vietnam! In this very special episode of the podcast, Mat is joined by veteran of the Battle of Long Tan, Dave Sabben, MG. Mat and Dave have just walked the entire Long Tan battlefield on the 58th anniversary of the battle, and share their thoughts about this very special experience.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Dave Sabben, MGProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.

During the Second World War, the Allies were desperate to sink the two biggest battleships in the German fleet, Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz. Bismarck went to the bottom in 1941 but in 1944 Tirpitz was still threatening Allied shipping. In a series of daring raids over the icy waters of Norway, Royal Air Force bombers eventually sank the mighty warship. And Australian crews played there part. In his new book, Buckham's Bombers, Mark Baker tells the story of Australian captain Bruce Buckham and his fearless Lancaster crew, who not only participated in the mission that sank Tirpitz, but also in dozens of other daring raids across Europe.Buckham's Bombers: The Australian Airmen who Hunted Hitler's Deadliest Battleship is available now in bookshops Australia-wide.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Mark BakerProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.