Never Mind The Dambusters
Never Mind The Dambusters…It’s The Bomber Command Podcast!
Join historians and authors Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies as they delve into the world of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. In this weekly podcast (episodes released every Wednesday), Jane and James explore strategy, policy, and the events which shaped one of the most controversial campaigns of the war.
Despite their iconic status, Bomber Command's history extends far beyond the famed Dambusters raid of 1943 and the Avro Lancaster. Through insightful discussions, expert analysis of the strategic bombing campaign and first hand accounts by veterans and civilians on the ground, Never Mind the Dambusters offers listeners a comprehensive exploration of Bomber Command's operations and the diverse aircraft it employed, as well as tackling some tough topics.
Jane and James will be joined by leading academics, historians, aircraft enthusiasts, technicians and engineers and veterans' family members. Expect discussions on relevant books and films and a spotlight on a different aircraft in each episode. Please send in your questions to us on X (twitter) at @RAFBomber_Pod and on Instagram at @NeverMindTheDambusters. You can email the show at [email protected].
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 58
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Episode 16 - The Memory Minefield: Veteran's Stories & Tall Tales, with Ally Campbell-Grieve
Send us a message or question!
Jane is joined by Ally Campbell-Grieve ( James isn't available this week) to debate the thorny topic of how we should deal with veteran's accounts as historical sources…
Episode 15- ARNHEM : Glider Pilots and Bomber Tugs, with Matt Yates.
Send us a message or question!
This week we discuss the role of RAF bomber aircraft as glider tugs in the Arnhem airlift and airborne operations. We're joined by Matt Yates, the Chief Operations Offi…
Episode 14 - Bomber Command in the Norwegian Campaign, 1940
Send us a message or question!
Jane is flying solo again this week so this is quite a short one!
In this episode she discusses the Norwegian campaign from April to June 1940, which is often overlooked…
Episode 13 Combat Stress, Psychological Casualties, & 'Lack of Moral Fibre' - Dr Dan Ellin & Mary Brazier
Send us a message or question!
‘Even heroes have a breakdown point. Honour and moral fibre are variables. Like pain, the threshold is different in each of us.’
…
(Premium) Episode 13 Combat Stress, Psychiatric Casualties, & 'Lack of Moral Fibre' - Dr Dan Ellin & Mary Brazier
Send us a message or question!
**Episode on public release 28 August 2024
‘Even heroes have a breakdown point. Honour and moral fibre are variables. Like pain, the threshold is different in each of u…
Episode 12 Cultural Memory and Moral Debate, with Daniel Knowles
Send us a message or question!
Jane and James are joined by writer and historian Daniel Knowles to discuss the cultural memory and evolving opinions of RAF Bomber Command. They explore topics such as…
Episode 11 Your Bomber Command Questions Answered!
Send us a message or question!
In this episode, Jane and James have a good old chinwag about We Have Ways Fest and their own research projects. Jane chats about her upcoming book on the Lofoten Comma…
Episode 10 Researching Your Bomber Command Ancestor
Send us a message or question!
We answer the question we get asked most frequently - "How do I go about researching someone who served with RAF Bomber Command?"
In this episode, we discuss how to rese…
Episode 9 Behind the Scenes at the RAF Museum
Send us a message or question!
Jane and James discuss their upcoming talks at the We Have Ways of Making You Talk Second World War History Festival in July, and introduce their guests, Dr. Megan Kel…
Episode 8 - Arthur Harris and Area Bombing, with Professor Alan Allport
Send us a message or question!
In this conversation, Jane and James chat to historian and author Professor Alan Allport about the decision of the British cabinet to allow the RAF to start bombing Ge…
Episode 7 - The Avro Lancaster, with Dr Sarah-Louise Miller
Send us a message or question!
Jane and James interview Dr. Sarah Louise Miller about her new book on the Avro Lancaster, The Lancaster Story. They discuss the significance of the Lancaster in RAF Bo…
Episode 6 Bomber Command and D-Day (extended episode)
Send us a message or question!
In this episode, Jane and James discuss RAF Bomber Command's role in Operations Neptune and Overlord, initially focusing on the preparations for the invasion, particu…
Episode 5 The Wuppertal Raid Pt 2 - Firestorm
Send us a message or question!
WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of war, death and injury which some listeners may find distressing.
In this episode, Jane and James continue their …
Episode 4 Planning a Bombing Operation: Wuppertal 1943 (Pt.1)
Send us a message or question!
In this episode, Jane and James discuss the planning of the raid on Wuppertal on 29/30 May 1943. They explore the reasons why Bomber Command targeted the Ruhr Valley a…
Episode 3 Handley Page Halifax - A Flight Engineer's Story
Send us a message or question!
100 year old RAF veteran Tom Davidson shares his experiences of flying on a Halifax in 1944-1945.
In this episode of Never Mind the Dam Busters, Jane and James discus…
Episode 2 - Erks, Chop Girls and Gremlins
Send us a message or question!
In this episode, the James and Jane are joined by Dr. Dan Ellin to discuss the role of ground crew, ground personnel (there's a difference!) and Women's Auxiliary Air F…
Episode 1 - Bomber Command Begins
Send us a message or question!
Welcome to the first episode of Never Mind The Dambusters! In this episode James and Jane discuss the origins of their mutual interest in RAF Bomber Command, and talk a…
Trailer
Send us a message or question!
Welcome to Never Mind The Dambusters, a brand new podcast dedicated to RAF Bomber Command's wartime history. The Dams raids were perhaps amongst the most famous and da…