In early September 1944, as Allied forces raced across France and Belgium, the German occupation of Brussels was beginning to collapse.

On 2 September, around 1,500 prisoners, including members of the Belgian Resistance, Allied airmen, SOE agents, and political prisoners, were taken from Brussels prisons and loaded onto a train bound for Germany.

For many, it seemed certain they were heading for concentration camps. But over the next two days, a remarkable series of delays and acts of resistance by Belgian railway workers and prison officials prevented the train from reaching its destination.

The convoy became known as the Ghost Train.

Joining me to discuss this extraordinary story is Greg Lewis, author of The Nazi Ghost Train.

patreon.com/ww2podcast

1942 was a year of extraordinary contrasts for Nazi Germany.

As the year began, Hitler's armies appeared unstoppable. German forces dominated much of Europe, Rommel was advancing across North Africa, and a new offensive in the Soviet Union promised the prospect of victory in the East.

Yet by the end of the year, Germany's fortunes had changed dramatically. Defeat at El Alamein and the encirclement of the Sixth Army at Stalingrad marked major setbacks. What had seemed a year of opportunity had become a year of crisis.

How did this transformation occur? What was Hitler hoping to achieve in 1942? And to what extent did the events of that year shape the remainder of the conflict?

Joining me to discuss this is Richard Hargreaves, author of 1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory, which is also available on Audible and Spotify.

patreon.com/ww2podcast

In June 1944, as the Allied armies fought to break out from the Normandy beachhead, attention turned to a series of heavily defended German positions west of Caen. Among them was Rauray Spur, a vital piece of high ground that overlooked much of the surrounding countryside and offered the Germans an excellent observation point.

Before the launch of Operation Epsom, the British needed to secure this area and protect their exposed flank. The result was Operation Martlet, a hard-fought battle that has often been overshadowed by the larger operations that followed, but was crucial to the wider campaign in Normandy.

In this episode, I am joined by John Delaney, co-host of WW2 Road Trips on YouTube and Content Lead and Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.

Patreon
patreon.com/ww2podcast