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Living History with Mat McLachlan
Ep225: Sinking the Tirpitz
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 McLachlan
Guest: Mark Baker
Producer: Jess Stebnicki
Subscribe 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/MMHistory
Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.
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237. Ep237: HMAS Sydney, Victory at Kokoda and the Australians at Bougainville
01:00:44||Season 8, Ep. 237Mat is joined by regular co-host Karl James to discuss some important Second World War anniversaries.Topics include the sinking of HMAS Sydney and the opening of the Australian War Memorial in 1941, the end of the Kokoda campaign in 1942 and the Australians taking over from the Americans on Bougainville in 1944.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Karl JamesProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlanFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV236. Ep236: Q&A4 - Your Questions Answered!
26:34||Season 8, Ep. 236It's the latest episode in our Q&A series. This week's questions include: Was General Monash the greatest general of the First World War?; Where can I lay a wreath on the Western Front battlefields?; and What evidence of Hitler's V-Weapons campaign can you find today?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.235. Ep235: The History of Australian Military History
36:13||Season 8, Ep. 235Our guest this week is noted Australian historian Peter Stanley, formerly with the Australian War Memorial, the National Museum and the University of NSW. Peter's new book, Beyond the Broken Years, explores more than a century of military history publishing, via a thousand books. Topics discussed include the history of military history writing, the role of military history in telling the broader story of Australian history, the significance of 'storians' vs historians and the future of military history study. Peter also offers his shortlist of the best military history books to read.Beyond the Broken Years is available in bookshops now.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Peter StanleyProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlan234. Ep234: Your Questions Answered! Q&A with Mat 3
19:36||Season 8, Ep. 234It's the latest episode in our Q&A series. This week's questions include: Was the Brisbane Line in WW2 real?; Is Anzac Day the best time to visit Gallipoli?; and Did Australian troops only fight under the Red Ensign flag in WW1?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.233. Ep233: What Does Remembrance Day Mean in 2024?
40:38||Season 8, Ep. 233Mat is joined by special co-host Karl James to discuss the significance of Remembrance Day. How did it start, what does it mean to veterans and the general public, and will it continue to be important in the future?Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Karl JamesProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information.Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlan232. Ep232: Your Questions Answered! Q&A with Mat 2
21:09||Season 8, Ep. 232It'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.231. Ep231: Your Questions Answered! Q&A with Mat 1
19:08||Season 8, Ep. 231Mat 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.230. Ep230: Western Front Revisited
39:48||Season 8, Ep. 230Mat 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.229. Ep229: War Photographer Damien Parer
41:47||Season 8, Ep. 229Damien 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.