The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2

This week Jack and Rob sit down with Levison Wood and Alex Bescoby about their brilliant new documentary: The Last Burma Star. Catch it on release day Sun 9 November at 9pm on Sky History, or on catch up afterwards.

This week Jack and Rob answer your questions that have built up over the last 20 weeks! At the end Jack and Rob also give a quick run down of the future of the pod.

This week Rob and Jack welcome the fascinating David Tanner - author of Burma 1942: Memories of a Retreat, the Diary of Ralph Tanner, KOYLI. David co-wrote the book with his father who was with 2 KOYLI in the retreat in 1942, but also worked in Japan in the 1970s and 80s, where his father visited. This is a fascinating chat reflecting on the retreat from Burma.

Rob hit gold when he was recently gifted an unpublished memoir/diary by Eric Lambert, who, among other things, played a fascinating role in helping get the Chinese 5 Army out of the Hukawng Valley - the Valley of Death. This week Rob and Jack discuss his chapter on this topic, and the retreat of Chinese 5 Army.

This week Rob and Jack welcome Hannah Watson, author of The Jungle War, to discuss the retreat from Burma and the challenges of presenting the subject in a book aimed at children and adults alike!

This week Jack and Rob interview historian Philip Davies, author of Lost Warriors, about Major Hugh Seagrim GC and also Ras Pagani. - two of the most courageous men of the Second World War.

This week Jack and Rob finish the narrative of the retreat from Burma, discussing the final retreat across the Chindwin, and into safety in India. The Burma Army's swansong, but fear not dear listener, for there are still some more episodes, interviews, and a Q+A to come!

This week Rob and Jack were joined by the brilliant journalist and novelist John Sweeney. Aside from his work all over the world and covering all sorts of topics, including Trump and Putin, John also wrote the novel Elephant Novel, set during the retreat from Burma in 1942, and partly inspired by 'Elephant Bill' Williams.