The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2
The definitive podcast about the Burma Campaign of World War Two. Join historians and authors Dr Robert Lyman MBE & Jack Bowsher as they take you through dripping monsoon and jungles, across parched plains, and over rivers and mountains sharing the incredible and often brutal story of the war against Japan in Southeast Asia.
In Series One (Spring 2025) Rob and Jack did a general broad brush narrative of the campaign.
Series Two began in June 2025 and includes interviews with historians, relatives of veterans, and plenty of narratives by Jack and Rob, all about the retreat in 1942.
Later series will be much of the same, covering anything and everything related to the Burma Campaign - or the China-Burma-India Theatre as it is known in the USA.
Sponsored by The Burma Star Memorial Fund, Sampan Travel, The Kohima Educational Trust, and Guidl.
You can follow the pod on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X), the handle for all is @forgottenwarpod
You can also email Rob and Jack at [email protected]
By the hosts:
Robert Lyman - Slim Master of War (2003), Japan's Last Bid for Victory (2016), A War of Empires (2021), Victory to Defeat (with General Lord Dannatt, 2023), Korea War Without End (with General Lord Dannatt, 2025), and many more.
Jack Bowsher - Forgotten Armour: Tank Warfare in Burma (2024), Thunder Run: Meiktila 1945 (2025)
Produced and Edited by Robbie Maguire
*Note from the hosts: In some episodes there may be the use of language that is outdated in the modern world. This is only ever said in the show as quotations by individuals who lived at the time when those phrases were in common usage across the world.*
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 51 minutes
- Episodes
- 33
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
16. Grandfather Longlegs: Hugh Seagrim GC
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.
Hosted on…
01:11:32 |
Mon 08 Sep 2025
15. Burma Army's Swansong - retreat into India
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 listene…
01:24:46 |
Mon 01 Sep 2025
14. Elephants, and novelising the retreat
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…
00:58:54 |
Mon 25 Aug 2025
13. Through the Jungle of Death by Stephen Brookes - Book Review
This week Rob and Jack review the excellent Through the Jungle of Death by Stephen Brookes. A wonderful, if traumatic, book about his families escape on foot out of Burma in 1942.
Hosted on Acast. Se…
01:15:36 |
Mon 18 Aug 2025
12. VJ DAY SPECIAL! With Lord Slim, Sylvia May, and Alex Bescoby
Jack and Rob have a surprise VJ Day Special for listeners - bringing together a panel to discuss what is happening to support the memory, and spread knowledge of, of the Burma Campaign through their …
01:05:48 |
Fri 15 Aug 2025
11. The Evacuation of Burma
In this week's episode Rob and Jack do something a little different. They discuss the civilian evacuation of Burma, including a number of eyewitness accounts from a variety of sources.
Hosted on Acas…
01:08:11 |
Mon 11 Aug 2025
10. Archie Wavell with Victoria Schofield
This week Jack and Rob welcome Archie Wavell's biographer Victoria Schofield onto the pod.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:11:04 |
Mon 04 Aug 2025
9. Experiencing the Retreat - James Lunt
This week Jack and Rob take review their first book: the truly excellent A Hell a Licking: Retreat from Burma by James Lunt. A staff officer during the retreat, he recalled, the confusion, lack of pr…
01:03:41 |
Mon 28 Jul 2025
8. Reporting the Retreat - War Correspondents in Burma
This week Jack and Rob welcome historian Philip Woods, author of Reporting the Retreat: War Correspondents in Burma - hear some fascinating stories of the brave journalists in Burma in 1942 as the im…
01:03:23 |
Mon 21 Jul 2025
7. The Burma Rifles & the Burma Army
Joining Jack and Rob this week is Historian Steve Rothwell to talk about the Burma Rifles, and the Burma Army in general. Steve also runs the indiaburmasoldiers.co.uk website, and fantastic resource …
01:14:57 |
Mon 14 Jul 2025
6. The Chinese in Burma
This week Rob and Jack look into the Chinese role in the retreat from Burma, and the relationships between the US, China and Britain. They focus on the military side of things, although there will be…
00:52:10 |
Mon 07 Jul 2025
5. The Jungle Rats - 7th Armoured Brigade in Burma
Jack finally gets to nerd out on 7th Armoured Brigade in the retreat in 1942 - and Rob happily indulges him!
Listeners may notice that Jack mentions an interview with Victoria Schofield the previous w…
00:51:45 |
Mon 30 Jun 2025
4. James Holland on Harold Alexander
This week Jack and Rob welcome author and historian James Holland onto the pod to discuss Harold Alexander.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:51:42 |
Mon 23 Jun 2025
3. Rangoon Falls
After the Sittang Bridge disaster, Rangoon was the next. Rob and Jack now look at the decision to abandon the capital, followed by the famous roadblock action at Taukkyan, and the retreat north to Pr…
00:58:00 |
Mon 16 Jun 2025
2. Disaster at the Sittang Bridge
This week Jack and Rob dissect the disastrous decision to destroy the Sittang Bridge - the crucial moment in the 1942 Campaign where defeat became practically inevitable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.c…
00:58:31 |
Mon 09 Jun 2025
1. Lord Slim and the making of Bill Slim
The Forgotten War Pod is back with a bang! Rob and Jack exclusively interview Lord Mark Slim, Field Marshal Bill Slim's grandson. Talking about his childhood and early military career, and also what …
00:55:52 |
Mon 02 Jun 2025
12. Question Time: Burma Campaign Edition
Join Jack and Rob this week for a question and answer episode, maps to troop diversions, deception to grand strategy, this episode has a bit of everything, including a few teasers on Series 2.
Host…
00:57:24 |
Mon 21 Apr 2025
11. Thunder Runs! Meiktila & Mandalay
This week Jack and Rob discuss two crucial battles, Meiktila and Mandalay, from the perspective of two generals: Thomas 'Pete' Rees, and David 'Punch' Cowan. Aggressive commanders, they were the righ…
01:11:14 |
Mon 14 Apr 2025
10. Third Time Lucky: Arakan 1944-45
This week Jack and Rob look at the third attempt to breakthrough in Arakan. Picking up from just after the Admin Box, they look at the 81st West African Division's epic campaign in the Kaladan Valley…
00:44:53 |
Mon 07 Apr 2025
9. Flying Tigers to Dakotas: Air Power and the Burma Campaign
This week Jack and Rob discuss one of the most important aspects of the Burma Campaign: the air war. Success was built on air power, Slim's strategy from the end of 1943 to the of the war relied on a…
01:06:32 |
Mon 31 Mar 2025
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