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Category: Military history audio
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The personal story of Holocaust survivor John Dobai
John Dobai was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1934. To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, John delivered a talk at The National Archives on 25 January 2019 about his p... read more
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West Africa and the First World War
The First World War had a great impact on West Africa, as Britain ordered the invasion of German colonies in Cameroon and Togoland, using its own colonies as ba... read more
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UFO files at The National Archives
Originally set up at the request of Winston Churchill, the Ministry of Defence’s UFO Desk ran for over 60 years, collating mysterious sightings and records... read more
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Suffrage 100: Did militancy help or hinder the fight for the franchise?
By 1912, militancy associated with the Suffragette movement hit its peak, with regular arson attacks, window-smashing campaigns and targeting of MP’s houses.... read more
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Sylvia Pankhurst: suffragette, socialist and ‘scourge of the empire’
From militant suffragette at the beginning of the 20th century to campaigner against colonialism in Africa after the Second World War, Sylvia Pankhurst dedicate... read more
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Black Power and the state
The late 1960s and early 1970s witnessed the flourishing of Black Power, a movement of major global impact. In Britain, black radical campaigns were monitored b... read more
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‘Corner of a Foreign Field’: a play about the burial of Indian Muslim troops at the time of the First World War
It is October 1914 and Maulana Sadr Ud-Din is battling with General Barrow, the Military Secretary to the India Office, over the appropriate burial grounds for... read more
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‘Step Child’: a play about the surveillance of First World War Indian dissenters
The British Government promises that all British subjects are equal before the law. But when America begins blocking the growing number of Indian Sikhs seeking... read more
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‘Cama’: a play about a female Indian revolutionary at the time of the First World War
In a trench in Marseille the loyalty of three Indian soldiers is tested when the legendary Madame Cama asks them to surrender for the good of the motherland. Wi... read more
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‘The Radicalisation of Vir Singh’: a play about the challenges of serving as an Indian soldier in the First World War
Arjun sits restless and scared as he prepares to enter the battlefield for the first time. Inspired by compatriot Vir’s legends of mighty Sikh warriors, A... read more
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‘Smile’: a play about Indian soldiers at the Brighton Pavilion Hospital during the First World War
Three Indian soldiers recover at the iconic Brighton Pavilion hospital. Every detail is provided for but something isn’t quite right. The soldiers question wh... read more
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Bombs, bulls and civilian bravery
In this podcast The National Archives’ Principal Military Specialist reveals some of his favourite stories about civilian gallantry from the First and... read more
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‘A Bit of a Scratch’, a radio drama about the battle against Venereal Disease during the First World War
‘A Bit of a Scratch’ explores the first recorded prosecution under the Venereal Diseases Act 1917. The legislation was introduced due to the large n... read more
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‘Dadland’: the father who was also an undercover guerrilla agent
Keggie Carew discusses her book ‘Dadland’, a story about a madcap English childhood, the poignant breakdown of a family, and dementia. The novel cen... read more
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Black British politics and the Anti-Apartheid struggle
In 1948, from the introduction of apartheid in South Africa, racial discrimination galvanized the international community into protest. British people and black... read more
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From the Somme to Arras
Andrew Lock discusses the progress made by the British Expeditionary Forces between the battles of the Somme (1916) and Arras (1917). Although lessons were lear... read more
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Talks from the National LGBT History Festival: Emma Vickers on trans veterans of the British Armed Forces
On the 11 February 2017, The National Archives hosted a range of talks for ‘OUTing the Past: the National LGBT History Festival’ on topics includi... read more
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Cataloguing Projects 2016, part 8: Sorting the Prize Papers: Tales from the Depths
An overview of the cataloguing projects that took place at The National Archives in 2016. Randolph Cock and Andrew Little discuss the process of sorting The Hig... read more
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Cataloguing Projects 2016, part 3: Re-cataloguing First World War officers’ files
An overview of the cataloguing projects that took place at The National Archives in 2016. Records specialist George Hay highlights the experiences and outcomes... read more
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Prosthetics and the First World War
The first episode of a Q&A series in which we talk to researchers about the records and stories they’ve uncovered at The National Archives. In ‘... read more
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The life and death of King John
King John’s acts of misgovernment prompted his barons to demand reform, setting the kingdom on the road to civil war and leading to John’s grant of Magn... read more
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Defeating the Zeppelins
For almost two years during the First World War, German airships roamed over the British countryside, bombing towns and villages without fear of a significant r... read more
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The Battle of Agincourt
In 1415, King Henry V led an army to victory on the field of Agincourt. In this talk, which commemorated the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, Prof... read more
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Prisoners of war in the Far East
Prisoners of war in the Far East experienced some of the most horrifying and traumatic conditions of the Second World War. But what of the experiences of family... read more
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Worn out by war: Disabled soldiers and their pensions
How can military records help us to reconstruct and understand the lives of disabled people and their families in the 18th and 19th centuries? This talk will ex... read more
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For king and another country: Indian soldiers on the Western Front
Over a million Indian soldiers fought in the First World War, many travelling from remote villages in India to the muddy trenches of France and Flanders. In her... read more
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Writer of the month: A history of war in 100 battles – Richard Overy
‘Battle is not a game to plug into a computer but a piece of living history: messy, bloody and real.’ Richard Overy, Professor of History at the University... read more
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Dunkirk: from disaster to deliverance
Drawing on fresh new interviews with Dunkirk veterans – soldiers and sailors – plus unseen private correspondence and diaries, author Sinclair McKay... read more
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The Battle of Flodden
500 years ago, English and Scottish armies fought a massive battle near Flodden on the border. The Scottish king, James IV was killed along with many of his nob... read more
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Tracing your merchant seamen ancestors through crew lists and agreements
The Merchant Navy Crew Lists and Agreements are one of the greatest sources we have for family, maritime, social and economic history. They are a continuous rec... read more
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The secret listeners
Before Bletchley Park could break the German war machine’s codes, the enemy’s radio traffic and communications were monitored around the clock by th... read more
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William Wallace’s rising and execution, and Edward I’s conquest of Scotland
The period of crisis in Scotland following the death of Alexander III, and leading to the eventual conquest by Edward I, still excites controversy and discussio... read more
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The Journey’s End Battalion: The 9th East Surrey and RC Sherriff in the Great War
Journey’s End is a well-known play about the Great War. The author, RC Sherriff, saw all his front line service with 9th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. T... read more
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The post-Restoration army: 1660-1714
We follow the history of the army from its inception as a standing force after the overthrow of the English republic and the restoration of the House of Stuart,... read more
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Writer of the month: Stalingrad and Berlin – researching the reality of war
Antony Beevor discusses his experience of researching the reality of war. Antony Beevor is an author whose books include: Stalingrad (Samuel Johnson, Wolfson an... read more
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An Embarrassing Question: Opium, Britain and China 1856-1860
The war between Britain and China from 1856 to 1860 became widely known as the Second Opium War, but what part did opium play in the conflict? Using a variety o... read more
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The Final Whistle: the Great War in 15 players – a London rugby club at war 1914-1918
A missing war memorial first inspired a quest to discover club members who fell in the Great War. 85 names have now been identified. Some remarkable stories pai... read more
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Tracing battalions or regiments of the British Army during the Great War
This podcast gives you an introduction to the various records at The National Archives that can be used to trace the experiences of individual battalions or reg... read more
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Writer of the month: Hunting for spies in The National Archives
In our first Writer of the Month talk, Times journalist Ben Macintyre discusses his latest book Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies (Bloomsbury, 201... read more
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A Brilliant Little Operation: The full story of how the Cockleshell Heroes mounted the greatest raid of WW2
This talk was given by Lord Ashdown, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and UN High Commissioner for Bosnia, and author of ‘A Brilliant Little Ope... read more
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Geography, art and the sinking of the Mary Rose
King Henry VIII watched as the Mary Rose, pride of his Navy, suddenly capsized and sank whilst engaging a French invasion fleet off Portsmouth. This talk brings... read more
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Marjorie’s War: four families and the Great War
This podcast is based on the recently published book which tells the story of the author’s grandmother and nine young men from the four families. They wer... read more
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The Battle of the Somme: fallen comrades
The clip starts with a title and sequence showing British tommies rescuing a fallen comrade who later died. We then see the famous shot of a soldier carrying hi... read more
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The life of Philip d’Auvergne RN; officer, prisoner and prince
Philip d’Auvergne’s career in the Royal Navy spans an exciting era of world history, from the American War of Independence to the fall of Napoleon.... read more
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The Golden Stool: cataloguing Colonial Office records from 1900
In 1900, war broke out between the British and the Ashanti in the Gold Coast. The Colonial Office records from this year have recently been catalogued by volunt... read more
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The Belles of Belfast
To many, the Titanic story started with the sighting of a dark mass on the horizon, ending when the Atlantic closed over her fantail. However this is by no mean... read more
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The British Red Cross and its archives
The British Red Cross has long recognised the importance of its history and archive collection, maintaining an archive since the late 1960s. The talk outlines t... read more
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Necessity, the mother of invention: Britain’s response to the demands of total war 1939-1945
This talk is about British invention and innovation during the Second World War – providing the tools to fight the war. Clive Hawkins is a Military Specia... read more
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Henry III Fine Rolls
The fine rolls record sums of money offered to the king in return for concessions and favours, providing a fascinating record of what people wanted from royal g... read more
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No place for ladies: the untold story of women in the Crimean War
Florence Nightingale was not the only woman in the Crimea – a misnomer in itself as she spent most of the war at the British hospital at Scutari, 300 mile... read more
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Security Service file release August 2011
Professor Christopher Andrew introduces the 27th Security Service records release containing 171 files, bringing the total number of Security Service records at... read more
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Railways and the mobilisation for war in 1914
The historian AJP Taylor, considering the events of 1914, once argued: ‘The First World War had begun – imposed on the statesmen of Europe by railwa... read more
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Nineteenth century soldiers: getting the most from online resources
This talk aims to explain the intricacies of soldiers’ service records online, in record series WO 97, and how using the records of the First World War is... read more
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The battle of Towton – a 550-year retrospective
This talk introduces the biggest battle of the Wars of the Roses, described as ‘The largest, longest, bloodiest and most murderous battle ever fought in B... read more
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Escape and evasion in Occupied Europe
Most of the British servicemen taken prisoner by the Axis powers during the Second World War were not liberated until spring 1945. In contrast, a small number e... read more
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Heralds and heraldry at The National Archives
The National Archives holds possibly the greatest collection of untapped source material for heralds and heraldry in this country. This lecture examines evidenc... read more
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UFO file release March 2011
Dr David Clarke, author of ‘The UFO Files’ and senior lecturer in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, reveals the importance of the latest ba... read more
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Journeys of discovery: surgeons at sea
Professor Laurence Brockliss, from the University of Oxford, discusses how ADM 101 has been used by his team over the past ten years, and considers how the newl... read more
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Damaged, disturbed and dismembered: disability and war in the 20th century
Wars in the 20th century have been responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Still more come back from conflict with permanent disabilities, in body and... read more
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Naval medical officers’ journals and the history of medicine
The naval medical officers’ journals of ADM 101 provide a coherent view of the beliefs and practices of a body of rank and file medical practitioners duri... read more
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Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers’ service documents
Military records specialist William Spencer talks about WO 97, one of The National Archives’ most popular record series. This series holds detailed and co... read more
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Forgotten tragedy: The loss of HMT Lancastria
On 17 June 1940, HMT Lancastria was sunk by a German bomber while evacuating troops from St Nazaire; over 9,000 troops were packed on board. Janet Dempsey offer... read more
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Freedom fighters: sources for black loyalists at The National Archives
Abi Husainy reveals the African American contribution to the American revolution, using documents and concrete examples found in The National Archives.... read more
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The Kitchen Front: domestic life in the Second World War
Find out how documents held by The National Archives can reveal a fascinating picture of the domestic lives of ordinary people living through the Second World W... read more
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The first Afghan war
In this talk, journalist and historian Jules Stewart will guide us through the 1838-1842 period of Afghan history. Just some of the events explored include the... read more
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Security Service file release August 2010
Professor Christopher Andrew introduces the 25th Security Service records release, which contains 170 files, bringing the total number of its records in the pub... read more
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Reforming Central Government: The case of science and technology
In this paper Professor David Edgerton considers Churchill’s approach to science and technology during World War Two and looks at his relationship with th... read more
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UFO file release August 2010
Dr David Clarke, author of The UFO files and senior lecturer in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, reveals the importance of the latest batch of UFO fil... read more
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Security Service file release March 2010
Professor Christopher Andrew, formerly official historian of MI5 and author of ‘The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5′, introduces key fil... read more
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Kindertransport: Britain’s rescue plan
The Wiener Library holds many personal accounts of children evacuated from Nazi Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia between December 1938 and September 1939. Us... read more
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Fashion or ration: Hartnell, Amies and dressing for the Blitz
How did the fashionable woman of the Second World War and post war era manage to remain chic in a climate of rationing? Using sources from The National Archives... read more
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Tracing ancestors in Nelson’s Navy
An overview of the essential finding aids and documents held by The National Archives which can be used to trace ancestors who served in Nelson’s Navy.... read more
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Medieval warfare: sources and approaches
An exploration of how records created by the crown before 1485 can be used to study medieval armies, campaigns and battles in Britain and France. Dr James Ross... read more
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The Truth is in Here: UFOs at The National Archives
From ghost rockets in Scandinavia to mysterious spheres tracked over Eritrea, the Past Masters team look at the records of Unidentified Flying Objects held at T... read more
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How to win a duel
A fight, possibly to the death, over a matter of honour this month. No, we’re not just arguing amongst ourselves, the Past Masters team are talking about... read more
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Two Crowns, One King: Henry V and the Treaty of Troyes
The Past Masters team join Henry V in the battle for France. Henry fought the Hundred Years War on two fronts – military and diplomatic – but was th... read more
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Darwin’s voyage: HMS Beagle 1831-1836
In 1831, in his twenties and fresh out of university, Charles Darwin set sail aboard HMS Beagle on the expedition of a lifetime, into literally uncharted waters... read more
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Civilian honours and awards
The London Gazette is a crucial source for announcements of military and civilian honours and awards. This talk explains how to use and get the best out of the... read more
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GIs and POWs: Kew in the Second World War
Local historian Christopher May reveals the wartime history of The National Archives’ Kew site. American servicemen stationed here created the maps used i... read more
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The battle that frightened Churchill: the war in the Atlantic
On 3 September 1939, the passenger liner Athenia was sunk by U30. So began the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest and most complex campaign of the Second World... read more
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Royal Naval medals: an introduction
This talk discusses the Royal Naval medal rolls held by The National Archives in record series ADM 171, and explains how to interpret the most commonly used cod... read more
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The Great Escape: you’ve seen the film, now hear the truth
During the night of 24 March 1944, 76 airmen escaped from the Prisoner of War camp Stalag Luft III. Only three made it home and, of the remainder, 50 were murde... read more
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Dissecting and cataloguing medical officers’ journals in ADM 101
Bruno Pappalardo introduces the collection of medical officers’ journals found in ADM 101. These journals give a detailed insight into a ship’s dail... read more
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Royal Air Force service records
Last year saw the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Air Force. The records of thousands of men (and women) who served in the RAF and its predec... read more
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Merchant Navy operational records
Janet Dempsey examines the wealth of records which deal with the tragedy, terror, heroism and honour of the Merchant Navy in both World Wars.... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Treaty of Versailles
Extracts from the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. Original document catalogue reference: FO 93/36/76... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Chinese celebrations
The announcement of the Armistice in China and details of celebrations and commemorations. Original document catalogue reference: CO 873/547... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: court martial
The proceedings and evidence from the case of a private, shot for desertion and pardoned in 2006. Original document catalogue reference: WO 71/671... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: prisoner of war
Account by Able Seaman C Jones about conditions as a prisoner of war after his capture at Antwerp in 1914. Original document catalogue reference: WO 161/100/576... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: with love from Hetty
A series of love letters found in the service record of William Crawford. Original document catalogue reference: WO 400/289... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: King’s Battalion, Liverpool Regiment in 1918-19
Extracts from the unit war diary during 1918-19. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/2926... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: King’s Battalion, Liverpool Regiment in 1917
Extracts from the unit war diary during 1917. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/2926... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: King’s Battalion, Liverpool Regiment in 1916
Extracts from the unit war diary during 1916. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/2926... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: peace negotiations
An account of the negotiations of the terms of the Armistice which took place between 8 and 11 November 1918. Written by the interpreter, Commander W T Bagot. O... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Haig’s war diary, 11 November 1918
Final extract from the diary of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, from Armistice day. Original document catalogue reference: WO 256/37... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Haig’s war diary, 29 October 1918
Third extract from the diary of Field Marshal Douglas Haig. Original document catalogue reference: WO 256/37... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Haig’s war diary, 19 October 1918
Extract from the diary of Field Marshal Douglas Haig in the final weeks of the war. Original document catalogue reference: WO 256/37... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Haig’s war diary, 10 October 1918
Extract from the diary of Field Marshal Douglas Haig in the final weeks of the war. Original document catalogue reference: WO 256/37... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: German soldier’s war diary
The translation of a German soldier’s diary from August to September 1916. Original document catalogue reference: CAB 45/166... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Gas attack!
An account of a gas attack in May 1915. Original document catalogue reference: WO 32/5169... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: letters from the Front, March 1918
Final extract of correspondence from employees of the Great Western Railway on active service. Original document catalogue reference: RAIL 253/516... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: letters from the Front, October 1917
The third extract of correspondence from employees of the Great Western Railway on active service. Original document catalogue reference: RAIL 253/516... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: letters from the Front, March 1916
Further correspondence from employees of the Great Western Railway on active service. Original document catalogue reference: RAIL 253/516... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: letters from the Front, August 1915
Correspondence from employees of the Great Western Railway on active service. Original document catalogue reference: RAIL 253/516... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
Extracts from the war diary, following the battalion from 1915 to setting off for home in 1919. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/1495... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: the Private’s diary – part 2
More from the diary of Private Pattenden of 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/1495... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: the Private’s diary – part 1
The diary of Private Pattenden of 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, dated September 1914. Original document catalogue reference: WO 95/1495... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Two voices from the Front, part 2
Further extracts from the diaries of Lieutenant Colonel Hicks and Private Pattenden of 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Original document catalogue reference:... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: Two voices from the Front, part 1
Extracts from the diaries of Lieutenant Colonel Hicks and Private Pattenden of 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, August 1914. Original document catalogue refer... read more
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Voices of the Armistice: The first war casualty
The case of John Mills, Quartermaster, who died of pneumonia whilst preparing for mobilisation of troops, in England. After an investigation it was decided he d... read more
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Security Service file release August 2008
Over 150 Security Service files dating from around the time of the Second World War have now been opened. Professor Christopher Andrew, Official Historian of th... read more
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The Special Operations Executive, the French Resistance and the D-Day landings
This talk looks at the results and effectiveness of the British Special Operations Executive, or SEO, and the French Resistance in supporting the Second World W... read more
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Tracing World War One ancestors
William Spencer takes you through the key records for tracing your World War One ancestors, including records of women who were nurses or in the Women’s A... read more
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UFO file release May 2008
Listen to Dr David Clarke, an expert in UFO history, as he explains the significance of the first batch of released UFO files.... read more
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Secrecy and government records
Professor Foot is a noted historian and academic. He is the official historian for the Second World War Special Operations Executive (SOE) and has an extensive... read more
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Security Service file release February 2008
From astrologers to oil barons: Professor Christopher Andrew, official historian for the Security Service, talks about espionage and tracking enemy agents.... read more
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The Navy Board project
Archivist Sue Lumas describes the painstaking cataloguing and conservation of naval records held at The National Archives.... read more
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Sources for army officers’ commissions
Mark Dunton looks at the system for purchasing and selling commissions as it worked from 1800 – 1871. He covers first appointments, promotions, exchanges,... read more
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Sources for First World War army ancestry
Mark Dunton focuses on the prime sources at The National Archives for documenting First World War army service, covering both the officers and other ranks of th... read more
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‘In deadly hate?’ Richard III and the War of the Roses
The conflict for the crown in the 15th century has created many of English history’s most vivid characters and thanks to Shakespeare, we have one of our g... read more
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Sahib, the British soldier in India, 1750 – 1914
Well-known military historian Professor Richard Holmes examines Indian soldiering in peace and war. He addresses the experience of ordinary soldiers, why they... read more
