Episodios
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Liz McConaghy âamassed 10 Op Herricksâ, deployed three months at a time as part of the Chinook Force...
âWe were there at the beginning of Op HerrickâŠwhen Camp Bastion didnât even exist⊠and we were there, pretty much at the end, when we turned the lights off and walked away. Because of that, we saw the whole campaign grow and develop. Lots of mixed emotions throughout the entire journey.â
Liz joined the military to, â...have a purpose and do a job and itâs fair to say, Afghanistan gave me that in bucket loads. Every single dayâŠwe were making a difference to someone.â
Finally in 2020, PTSD, âCaught up with me in spectacular fashionâŠso much that I ended up taking a huge overdose to end my life.â
Liz is a real âovercomerâ. Sheâs written a book about her journey and itâs from the heart, told with real honesty and absolutely tons of humour.
âIt was my life, it wasnât even a job to me.â
Read Liz's book Chinook Crew 'Chick'.
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If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
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Ken Benbow Served in the 7th Escort Group in the Atlantic convoys. With no torpedoes, just guns and depth charges to protect Allied merchant ships from U-Boats, they sailed back and forth through âNo Manâs Landâ, 1,500 miles of ocean with no air cover, being âattacked every hour by the Germansâ. Age 17, Ken went from working on a farm to Serving in the Royal Navy and his story is at the very heart of The Battle of The Atlantic.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
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Catapult-Armed Merchant âCAMâ ship pilots flew highly secretive one-way missions. David Wright was one of only a handful and their stories are little known.
Using rockets and catapults mounted on merchant ships, Hurricane fighter planes were launched to shoot down German planes. With no flight deck to land on, pilots had to bail out seconds before the planes sank into the Atlantic.
Weâll hear two war time stories, Norma Wrightâs, who joined the National Fire Service; and Davidâs, her late husband.
You can also read David's book, Airborne by Rocket
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Atlantic and Arctic Convoy Veteran, Ron Syson, gives us a gritty account of life as a Merchant Seaman. Very early on, he sailed to Iceland, Greenland and New York, and was alongside when the Normandy caught fire and capsized. He was only 15.
As well as transporting vital supplies across the Atlantic to Britain, Ron braved the Arctic seas in what Churchill described as, âthe worst journey in the world.â Added to the Nazi threat were sub-zero temperatures, weeks of constant darkness in winter; snow, ice and for anyone overboard, little chance of rescue.
Ronâs experiences left him with what the doctors back then diagnosed as âsevere nervous disabilityâ. Thousands of men were lost, and for many who lived, the consequences lasted a lifetime.
Read the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Book
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Winston Churchill once wrote, â... the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-Boat perilâ. If The Allies had lost, Britain would have been starved into surrender.
99-year-old John Roberts gives us a fantastic insight into The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest running campaign of WWII.
John left the Royal Navy as a Rear Admiral, having joined-up aged 17 in 1938. When he first went to sea in 1941, The Allies were suffering terrible losses. John explains how the campaign evolved, tactics improved, escorts increased, equipment developed and The Allies gained a greater understanding of how to defeat the enemy.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Paulaâs story is about the loss of her husband, Paul Harding, who Served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets. He joined-up at 18 and was killed in action aged 47, in Basra 2007.
We hear about being under attack, fatality and bereavement. If you feel that you might be sensitive to this, you may prefer not to listen.
This emotional, difficult story âshows the tenacity and bravery of my two sons, and how we've recovered from the loss of their wonderful father.â
âPaul told me â...this is going to be the toughest of the tours of Op TelicâŠâ he really wanted to be thereâŠfor his men.â When they said goodbye, Paula felt, â...absolutely horrific...he hugged me and said it would be the last oneâŠâ
Paul called from Iraq â...He sounded absolutely exhausted. They'd been under siege for three daysâŠâ Having secured the site against insurgents â...the militia were trying to stop the handover to the Iraqi armyâŠAs a convoy was coming in bringing supplies, they came under attackâŠPaulâŠwas trying to spot the snipers and get the vehicles inâŠThey started to fire rocket propelled grenadesâŠa blast came through the opening where Paul was looking out so he could give the orders and he was killed instantly.â
Paula was woken at 2am â... I could see the black car and just knew why they were thereâŠand then the nightmare beganâŠWhen people talk about a broken heart, this is what it really is.â
Paulaâs written a book with her friend, about her experiences, âIt was cathartic but painful.â
â...Remember, freedom comes at a costâŠ.and not to forget the people who have to carry on with their lives every day who carry the mortgage of everyone's freedom.â
This is a story of courage and resilience. A Love Story.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Tip Cullen, former Royal Marines Commando tells us about losing 8 of his friends in the very first operation of Op Telic 1.
Heâs telling this story â...to keep their memory aliveâ and â...for the families that had to deal with the consequencesâŠâ also for â...people to empathise with their sacrifice, or their will to protect what we call freedomâŠThose people were legendsâŠâ
âWe deployed as a Brigade Recce Force...mostly Royal Marines Commandos, main disciplines Mountain Leaders or specialists in reconnaissance and snipersâŠâ
âA couple of days before the invasion, everything racks up. We were rehearsing for an aviation assaultâŠThe helicopter that I was rehearsing on, and I was ordered to invade with, was a helicopter that would eventually crash.â
Orders were given ready for the invasion. âEveryone was chomping at the bit, this is what we're here for, to do our job as professionally as we can.â At the last minute, Tip was ordered to board a different helicopter and to this day, doesn't know why. He said goodbye to his mates, âBig hugsâŠSee you all when we link up againâŠâ
From Tipâs helicopter, he saw his friends,
â...dive in a straight line, completely vertical towards the ground and then gone in an instant blastâŠmassive fireballâŠthen we got âmission abortâ.â
âI lost such close friends and in a very short space of time, from chatting to them, to holding their hands, to giving them hugsâŠto disintegrating underneath you and forever that will never leave my memoryâŠthat will always leave me unsettled for the rest of my days.â
Many thought Tip had been on that helicopter.
This was the start of the invasion and these were our first casualties.
âWe were very lucky to have such quality people⊠to pick ourselves up and do all those guys who died justice.â
Follow Tip on Instagram
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Kirk Bowett Served in The Cheshire Regiment and his deployment to the Middle East began during Op Telic 4, 2004.
We hear about his personal experiences of the realities of war, which includes details of injury and loss of limb. If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.
âI was part of the recce elementâŠin Basra CityâŠthe infrastructure had failed, no sanitationâŠWe were initially met with open armsâŠâ
They tried to help â...hearts and mindsâŠâ But there were problems â...everything had stoppedâŠpolice had disappearedâŠâ
âWe were doing house assaults to try to capture the terrorists. Militias were beginning to form because of this power vacuumâŠorganisedâŠgood weaponsâŠplanting precision IEDs.â
Rumours, press and social media, â...created an anger and hatred towards usâŠa nationwide attack on coalition forcesâŠAll hell broke looseâŠit made me realise⊠itâs not a peace-keeping thingâŠitâs a start-stop warâŠâ
Another tour, â...Al Qaeda had started to rear their ugly headâŠâ After that, Afghanistan, âI lost 12 friends in a 3 month periodâŠburnout of post 9/11 wars had started to really hit the combat troopsâŠ.Having buried 6 or 7 of my friendsâŠputting them in the ground, that for me was closure enough on my time as an infantry soldier.â
Kirk returned to Iraq as a bodyguard, â...things started to take a turn for the worse. ISIS.â His vehicle was blown-up. He lost his arm and suffered brain trauma.
Life on Civvy Street unravelled, drinking, family separation, homelessness and considering ending his life.
Blesma helped with overcoming challenges. Kirk now draws upon his experiences as a survival instructor with the RAF, in his acting career and as a published author. Although he experiences loneliness, heâs found his sense of purpose, âMy children are my anchorâŠthey keep me goingâŠtheyâre my reason for being.â
Follow Kirk on Instagram and Twitter
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Piers Stacey, aged 17, joined The Corps, ââŠsix days after the Twin Towers were hitâŠâ
Joining 42 Commando late 2002, â...we all went into pre-deployment training for the build-up..it was pretty intense, pretty rapid for a fresh faced 18 year oldâŠâ
In Kuwait, â...we landed in the desertâŠnothing thereâŠover time, defences went up, sandbag wallsâŠâ and acclimatisation training, â...we kept our phys up and exercised out in the heat so we could condition ourselves to be able to fight in that wayâŠâ
âAs we went inâŠjumping out of the Sea KingâŠI remember just hearing the crack and thumpâŠAll of us were getting shot at and that was the start of itâŠâ
We hear how intense operations became, â...I was a real âops junkyâ, as terrifying as it wasâŠâ and how after Op Telic, Piers became a combat intelligence specialist working with the Special Boat Service.
After 19 years, Piers planned his exit from the Armed Forces,
â...the one thing I did not consider was that sense of belonging and that sense of being part of something biggerâŠIt was not an easy transitionâŠI didnât know what to say or who to say it to.â
Piersâ mental health deteriorated and he considered driving into a head-on collision.
This was the turning point for seeking therapy which helped, leading to today having set up âHollow Heartâ where supporters wear a pin to let others know you're open to talking about mental health.
ââŠEven to this day, if you asked me, âPiers, what are you?â There will be a massive part of me that would just want to say, âI'm a Royal Marine, or I'm an intelligence officerâŠ.â I think it's going to be really difficult to shake that part of me in terms of what my identity is.â
Please support Hollow Heart and The Royal Marines Charity
Follow Piers on Instagram
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Neville Johnson left South Africa and joined the British Army in 2003.
After basic training, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a cease-fire tour in Belfast, âThose first couple of weeks were a big eye opener for me, definitely paved the way for future operationsâŠâ
Neville deployed to Basra in 2005 and 2006, duties including night and daytime patrols, working with special forces units or the parachute regiment during raids, apprehending personnel of interest, long hours in the heat with threats of â...indirect fire on our baseâŠit was the start of the roadside bombs.â
He then deployed to Afghanistan, âAfghan was different. It was full-on war fighting.â
âWe got attacked every dayâŠnumerous times, all at the same time from different directions, small arms fire, sniper fire, RBG mortar rounds. We knew it was going to be hot, flying-in it was full-on.ââYou're always on alert. You're never fully relaxed. The feeling of knowing someone is there to attack you. The incoming rounds. The sound. The feeling is difficult to explain. The fear, it's horribleâŠEveryone trained together. We went through it together.â
It wasn't until many years later that Neville felt the impact on his mental health. He doesnât usually talk about his deployments, even with family, but he found a way through writing poems and putting them out on social media, â...for the world to see, to dissect, was way out of my comfort zoneâŠ.but getting that release, it's amazing.â
Soldiers from the Commonwealth play a vital role in the British Armed Forces and Neville is testament to this. His poems have now been published and despite being shy, he reads some of them out to us which is incredibly moving and powerful.
Follow Neville on Instagram
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
We meet Sarah Davis, Army Air Corps Ground Crew, one of the pioneering women deployed to the frontline during Op Telic 1.
Having joined-up in 1999, a time when the Armed Forces was going through changes - evolving in terms of equality and a time that would mark the start of several years of military campaigns.
We hear about getting ready to go, âI was kind of cravingâŠdoing my bit for Queen and CountryâŠâ
As well as operational duties in a combat zone, refuelling and rearming attack helicopters and underslung loads, âYou donât know how good or bad your unit is until you actually go to war.â
We also hear about the impact on loved ones back home, âI promised on this call, âMum, I promise Iâm never going to do this to you again.ââ
To top it all, Sarah spins a few cracking dits highlighting the critical role of morale, listen out for the Union Flag pants.
Sarah is now involved with several military charities to help Veterans who are struggling, âwe donât want to leave anyone behind.â
Follow Sarah on InstagramLinks to organisations mentioned in this episode:
BFBS
Homes for Veterans
Military Wives Choir
The Rawthey Project
Soldiers Arts Academy
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
This is Pat Pattersonâs story. A Royal Marine Aircrewman with 845 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea King helicopters aka âJungliesâ, and his wife also served during the war.
Having looked back through his helicopter logbook, he shares with us his experiences of Op Telic 1, as well as his subsequent tours.
We hear about the scale of the operation as well as operational complexities specific to helicopter crews that fly into particularly challenging environments,
âIt was a bit more dangerous going the second or third time to IraqâŠâ
Being an incidence response team, the crew were involved in insurgency situations as well as casualty evacuation.
They encountered the hazards of flying at night, âbrown outsâ flying in desert conditions and the helicopters became âbullet magnetsâ for small arms, RPG rocket launchers and surface to air missiles.
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
We hear from Andy Merry, 40 Commando, who Served during Op Telic and whose mum marched in the anti-war protests.
Andy was first in to the Al-Faw Peninsula with the US Navy SEALs to capture strategic targets.
This is his personal account of his experiences and he talks about the realities of war, which includes details of injury and death.
If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.
We also hear about Andyâs life after war. Heâs now a âBeefeaterâ at the Tower of London and has Multiple Sclerosis.
Andy embraces the spirit of The Corps, acceptance of challenge and positivity in the face of adversity.
Watch this short film to see how the RMA â The Royal Marines Charity were able to support Andy.
Please support the MS Trust and The Royal Marines Charity
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
âTheyâŠtook my husband through our house at gunpoint searching for 'the enemy', as they called them.â Falkland Islander, Carol Phillips, had 3 small children in 1982, âMy first thought wasâŠ'Are they going toâŠmachine gun us all down?ââ The task force had 8,000 miles to sail, âPerhaps we would all be dead by the time they got here?âŠMy DadâŠkept saying, 'Don't let them see you're scaredâŠThe British Bulldogs are on their way.'â
Fighting started, ââŠto lose all those young menâŠit really was a nightmare.â But locals were courageous, ââŠwe made a list of places around usâŠnamed them afterâŠplaces in Britain like Cardiff, LiverpoolâŠput our little antenna onto my broomstick and set up the CBâŠwe were threatened we'd be imprisoned if we used radiosâŠif we saw Argentine helicoptersâŠweâd poke the broom out the window and say, 'Visitors at Liverpool.ââ
Liberation was bitter-sweet, âWe were relievedâŠlost too many people for celebrationsâ and danger remained, ââŠammunitionâŠno water, electricityâŠOn the radio, ââŠArgentines left upturned cups on top of saucersâŠcall the EOD some have hand grenades under, some human excrementâŠ'â
255 British Servicemen and 3 female Falkland Islanders died, âThat's what I can't forgive. Never willâŠI feel so guilty for all the people who died for usâŠWe'll be forever grateful for what theyâve doneâŠI just cannot thank them enough.â
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Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
â'I'm not going to lose my lifeâŠhere'âŠI could just see a picture of my wife and my two boys in my mind thinking, 'No, I'm gonna get out.' That was my motivation.â
Chris Howe was deep down inside HMS Coventry, D118, ââŠa dull thudâŠfollowed by extreme heatâŠa flash and a fireball whipping around the Operations RoomâŠwe'd been hitâŠnext thing I knewâŠI'm coming roundâŠmy right arm was on fireâŠwater was coming inâŠfires all aroundâŠthick black smokeâŠIâŠmanaged to get upâŠvery badly burnedâŠin a lot of painâŠâ
Eventually struggling to the upper deck, ââŠI remember looking out and seeing thisâŠflotilla of orange life raftsâŠI slid down the ship's side and into the cold, salty South Atlantic waterâŠpicked a life raft and swamâŠâ
Chris was finally rescued, ââŠthe winch was coming downâŠfinally managed to pull me in to the Sea KingâŠI still hadn't had any pain reliefâŠI remember laying there in this stretcherâŠthinking, 'What are they going to do with me now?'â
Chris suffered 27% burns, ââŠnothing compared to others that sadly lost their lives...there's not a day goes by I don't think about what happened 40 years ago, on 25th of MayâŠabout 19 shipmates, that didn't make it. Why didn't they make it? Why did I make it?âŠthat's a sad thingâŠvery sad thing.â
Donât forget to sign-up to our newsletter and weâll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.
Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
âI would happily go to sea with them all over again, cracking bunch of guys, led by a cracking man.â We hear from Mick Dilucia, of HMS Coventry Flight, Coventryâs helicopter team. âThe mood was fairly relaxed heading south⊠none of us believed it was ever going to happenâŠthen Sandy Woodward briefed us⊠'Look around amongst us because we might not all go home togetherâŠ'â
Mick was on the flightdeck on that fateful day, 25 May 1982, ââŠthe order was given to turn to starboard...and that's when it happened, the bombs came inâŠthey exploded, it was just like we'd been hit by a big wave...but after thatâŠsmoke billowing out of the sideâŠthe ship started to list almost immediatelyâŠI had to climb up the deck and over the guard rails and just slide down the side of the ship into the water and swim to a life raftâŠthat ship was almost turned turtle in 15 minutesâŠsome of the guys, down from the bowels of the ship, got people out that would have gone down with the ship.â
âFrom that day onwards, I thought to myself, if I wake up tomorrow morning and I've got another day ahead of me, then it's a bonus because it could so easily have been taken away.â
Donât forget to sign-up to our newsletter and weâll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.
Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
What was a submarine doing in a war to retake The Falkland Islands? â...the ability to land and recover Special ForcesâŠSAS and SBS, was key.â We hear the fascinating and poignant story of HMS Onyx, the only diesel-electric boat that Served during the war. Submariner, Steve Hussey, was there and shares his unique insight, from beneath the waves, âNone of this is done in daylightâŠsurveillance takes place beforehandâŠif all the conditions are rightâŠgettingâŠas close as you can get these guys and surface them, then it's very quickâŠopen up the submarine and get these guys offâŠthen dive again.â So, discreet and covert operations. How were they recovered? ââŠgetting in contact is the first positive thing because then you know they're actually thereâŠâ
In stark contrast, towards the end of the war, ââŠwe had the unenviable task of having to sink The Sir GalahadâŠshe had been hit by Argentinian aircraft bombsâŠand was extremely damagedâŠwith quite a lot of loss of lifeâŠand the decisionâŠwas toâŠleave it in The Falklands as a War Grave... Normally, there'sâŠnoise in the control room as you're setting-up for an attackâŠthis was nothing like that. This was extremely sombre, very quiet as the orders were givenâŠthe CO was on the periscope, so he was the only person who could actually witness itâŠWhen the torpedoes were fired, there was just complete silenceâŠâ
Donât forget to sign-up to our newsletter and weâll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.
Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
âI was in a pub in AldershotâŠa couple of the guys came in with the paperâŠand the general feeling was that we needed to get over thereâŠand start kicking some arse.â This is the story of 2 Para, told through the eyes of Gary Steele, who Served in the battalion during The Falklands War.
âWe needed to do something, and Goose Green was the something that we did. We set off at night, we left rucksacks behind, everyone was just loaded-up with as much ammunition as they could takeâŠâ
Amidst the danger, British humour and stoicism played its part, âItâs a funny thing, being mortaredâŠinitially itâs just sheer terrorâŠyouâre lying face-downâŠyou can hear shrapnel flying over you, you can hear the explosion; but after a minute or two, it gets a bit boring âcos thereâs not really a lot you can doâŠso I got my little stove out, brewed-up some hot water, had a coffee, while we were being mortared.â
The battle was brutal, ââŠThe CO was dead, The Adjutant was deadâŠsome of the best soldiers in the battalion had been killed. There were loads of people wounded. It was a pretty shocking situationâŠyou really wanted to do your bitâŠyou really wanted to get stuck-in and helpâ and thatâs exactly what 2 Para did.
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Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
âYouâve got the battles, then youâve got the humanitarian sideâŠItâs a strange thing is warâŠâ This is the astonishing story of how a North Sea passenger ferry and her civilian crew, became a troop carrier, rescue ship and prisoner of war ship; in the thick of the firing, bombs and air attacks of The Falklands War.
The entire operation would have been impossible without the merchant ships taken up from trade and requisitioned. But, how did they come to play critical roles in a war 8,000 miles away? We hear from Keith Thompson of MV Norland, whoâs crew all volunteered to support the task force.
However, they could not have foreseen just how dangerous it would get. The night before landing 2 Para on The Falklands, ââŠwe had a message that Norland would go through firstâŠthe SAS had found minesâŠthey decided to take the old ships through firstâŠso Norland headed through, followed by HMS Plymouth, HMS Intrepid and HMS FearlessâŠwe were the first few ships through the minefield.â
That was just the start. Norland finally got back to Hull on 1st February 1983, after 282 days at sea, âWe were proud of what we didâŠweâd certainly do it againâŠbut only on Norland.â
Donât forget to sign-up to our newsletter and weâll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.
Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
âThe First Sea Lord⊠decreed that HMS Hermes was under just 72 hoursâ notice to sailâŠâ Itâs the day after the Argentinians invaded The Falklands and Margaret Thatcher announces that Britain would send a task force. Just a few days later, the task force was ready for war. This is the story of the dockyard workers who rose to that challenge, many of whom had just received redundancy notice.
Flagship HMS Hermes was in a state of disrepair, ââŠan assisted maintenance period in Portsmouth Royal Dockyard. From the top of her main mast right down to her flightdeck, she was covered in scaffolding, much of her main machinery was ashore in the civilian workshops when the call cameâŠâ
We hear accounts from two former Portsmouth dockyard workers who worked round the clock to achieve this enormous task, Clifford Ball and Mike Huitson. These are voices not usually heard but without whom, the task force could not have sailed.
We also hear from Andrew Cave, who Served on HMS Hermes. Heâs now working to ensure that the thousands of dockyard workers from across the UK and Gibraltar, are commemorated for their herculean effort in readying the warships, troop carriers and supply vessels to sail 8,000 miles and fight a war with no land-based air support, in just a matter of days.
Donât forget to sign-up to our newsletter and weâll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.
Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK
If youâre a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. Weâre especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. - Mostrar más
