WW2 Battles and Military History

Episodes

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  The hacksaw blade that offered escape, and death 26.09.2026 14m

  In occupied France, a captured agent faces an impossible choice: betray his country to save himself, or remain silent and face death.The hacksaw blade that offered escape, and deathThis episode recounts the extraordinary life of Frank Pickersgill, a scholar turned secret agent, and the harrowing decisions he faced during World War II. It explores the profound question of what it means to hold silent when your life, and the lives of thousands, hang in the balance.Person: Frank PickersgillDate: August 8, 1944Location: Paris, FranceEvent: Prisoner transport- Frank Pickersgill, a Canadian graduate student fluent in multiple languages, was captured by Germans after parachuting into occupied France.- While interned at Stalag 220, Pickersgill used a hacksaw blade, smuggled in a loaf of bread, to escape through a window.- After his escape, he traveled through Lyon, Lisbon, and London, where he turned down a desk job to join the Special Operations Executive.- Pickersgill was assigned the code name Bertrand and parachuted back into France with fellow agent Ken Macalister and two SOE contacts.- Their mission was compromised when their car was stopped at a German checkpoint, leading to their capture and imprisonment.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  A man crushed poison glass with his teeth rather than return to Germany 25.09.2026 20m

  A man who survived a world war and British prison chooses a glass phial of prussic acid over returning home to Germany. What would you do?A man crushed poison glass with his teeth rather than return to GermanyThis episode explores the life of Hermann Görtz, a decorated soldier and doctor of international law, who made a desperate choice rather than face repatriation. It delves into the events that led him to this moment, and the complex motivations behind his final act.Person: Hermann GörtzDate: May 23, 1947Location: Dublin Castle, IrelandAge: 56Means: Prussic acid- Hermann Görtz was born in Lübeck in 1890 and served on the Eastern Front in Class War I, earning the Iron Cross First Class.- After the war, he joined the Freikorps before earning a doctorate in international law and visiting Ireland in 1927.- In 1935, while working for German intelligence in Britain, he was arrested for espionage after a landlady's misunderstanding about a motorbike led police to discover secret documents.- He served four years in Maidstone Prison, was released in 1939, and then parachuted into Ballivor, County Meath, Ireland, in 1940 with £20,000 in cash for a mission.- Görtz spent nineteen months as a fugitive in Ireland, moving between at least twelve verified addresses, relying on the trust of those who harbored him.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Rector, The Gulag, and The Missing Beethoven 24.09.2026 21m

  A music rector builds a forced labor camp theater, but the state erases him in a single afternoon. His Beethoven manuscript vanishes.The Rector, The Gulag, and The Missing BeethovenThis episode explores the life of Bolesław Przybyszewski, a man whose identity was interpreted in vastly different ways by those who knew him, and how the state's machinery ultimately defined his fate. What does it mean when your life's work is erased, not for what you did, but for who you were?Person: Bolesław PrzybyszewskiDate: August 21, 1937Location: USSRStatus: Sentenced to death and executedEvent: State execution during the Great Purge- Bolesław Przybyszewski was sentenced to death and executed on the same day by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR.- Before his execution, he spent years building a high-standard theater inside a forced labor camp.- He previously directed the Moscow Conservatory and was writing a manuscript about Beethoven that was never found.- Born in Berlin, he was the illegitimate son of Polish writer Stanisław Przybyszewski and was raised by his paternal grandparents after his mother's suicide.- As rector of the Moscow Conservatory, he implemented "proletarization," prioritizing class background over musical ability and integrating Marxist theory into the curriculum.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  He Shot Down the Only POW Who Escaped Back to Germany 23.09.2026 17m

  A Spitfire pilot in Kent watches an unarmed cook reach a downed Bf 109 - what would you have done?He Shot Down the Only POW Who Escaped Back to GermanyIn this episode, we follow Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton from his signing with the Royal Air Force at eighteen through the violent months of summer 1940, and the day he forced a Bf 109 into a Kent field. The narrative traces the immediate combat, the field rescue, and the long delay before Stapme learns the downed pilot's identity - raising the moral and practical questions of aerial warfare.Person: Basil Gerald Stapleton (Stapme)Date: 5 September 1940Location: Kent field; RAF Hornchurch; RAF MontroseEvent: Bf 109 forced to land after low-level Spitfire attackPerson: Franz von Werra (downed pilot; later escaped POW)- Stapme joined the RAF in January 1939 at age eighteen and was posted to No. 600 and No. 603 Squadrons at RAF Montrose by October.- By 27-31 August 1940 the squadron moved to RAF Hornchurch and suffered multiple pilot losses during intense Battle of Britain operations.- On 5 September 1940 Stapme engaged a Bf 109, kept bursts tight at low level, and forced it to a force-landing in a Kent field without destroying the airframe.- The first person to reach the downed German was an unarmed cook from a nearby searchlight battery who ran across the field to the aircraft.- The captured pilot was Franz von Werra, who would later become the only German POW to escape Allied captivity and return to Germany.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The loose buckle that asked if you would jump 22.09.2026 18m

  A pilot bails out of a burning bomber over occupied France, but his parachute harness is loose. He has four seconds to decide if he will jump.The loose buckle that asked if you would jumpThis episode recounts the story of Wally Kinnan, a B-17 pilot who faced an impossible choice during a bombing mission. It explores the profound question of what it costs to hold on for others when time is running out for yourself.Person: Henry Wallace Kinnan (Wally)Date: August 17, 1943Location: Eygalières, Vichy FranceAircraft: B-17 Flying FortressSquadron: 429th Bombardment Squadron, Second Bomb Group- Wally Kinnan, originally slated for fighter planes, was reassigned to bombers due to urgent pilot needs, placing him in a B-17 over southern France.- During a mission, his B-17 took hits over Eygalières, causing engine number four to catch fire and wounding the other pilot.- Kinnan remained at the controls of the burning aircraft, allowing his entire crew to escape before his own bail-out.- While crawling through the burning fuselage, his parachute snagged, forcing him to unbuckle it, and he never properly restrapped it before jumping.- After landing, injured and alone in occupied territory, Kinnan was captured by German soldiers who, by his own account, treated him with genuine care.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  If it were you on the roadside bench, would you walk past a dead comrade? 21.09.2026 18m

  Three men on a roadside stop stumble upon a body, only to realize it's a fallen comrade. What do you do when the freedom you fought for is snatched away?If it were you on the roadside bench, would you walk past a dead comrade?This episode recounts the extraordinary journey of Nils Jørgen Fuglesang, a Norwegian pilot who endured years of combat and imprisonment, only to face a final, deliberate act of violence. It asks what one does when every price has been paid, but the promised outcome never arrives.Person: Nils Jørgen FuglesangDate: March 29, 1944Location: Field outside KielEvent: Discovery of a bodyAge: 25- Nils Jørgen Fuglesang was born in Rasvåg, Norway, and studied economics in France before Germany's invasion of Norway in 1940.- He escaped Norway in March 1941, sailing to Shetland, and then to Canada to train as a pilot at "Little Norway."- By late 1941, he earned his wings and was promoted, eventually flying Spitfires with No. 332 Squadron RAF over occupied Europe.- In January 1943, he was credited with a probable kill against a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and received the King Haakon the Seventh Freedom Medal.- On May 2, 1943, during a mission over southwest Holland, his Spitfire was hit by cannon fire not intended for him.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The 12-Hour Escape That Broke a Nation 20.09.2026 23m

  Two bound men jump into a black river in North Vietnam at night, choosing a blind escape - what would you do to get out?The 12-Hour Escape That Broke a NationIn this episode, we follow the night George Thomas Thomas and his pilot Jack Fellowes chose to leap into the unknown rather than remain prisoners. It traces Thomas’s life from Boy Scout and Naval Flight Officer through mission fifty-five, captivity routines like “the wall,” and the planning that led to a river escape; what would you have held onto when everything was stripped away?Person: George Thomas ThomasPerson: John H. Fellowes (Jack)Event: Ejection from A-6 Intruder after surface-to-air missile, 27 August 1966Location: North Vietnam (near Vinh, Nghệ An province)Period: 2,382 days in captivity (over six and a half years)- He was an Eagle Scout from Troop Thirty-Two and carried the Scout Oath as a sustaining promise during captivity.- Thomas served as a bombardier-navigator on the A-6 Intruder with Attack Squadron 65 aboard USS Constellation.- Mission 55: their A-6 lost its right wing to a missile; both men ejected and landed about a mile apart eighteen miles inland.- At the Zoo camp he endured “the wall,” standing with hands raised from 5:30 a.m, to 10 p.m. for two months while his injured knee became infected.- Two men removed cell hinges, crossed a roof at night, tied themselves with a rope and dropped into the Red River to attempt escape.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The gymnastics horse that buried a man alive daily 19.09.2026 17m

  A Royal Air Force navigator is captured and sent to an escape-proof POW camp. His only way out is a gymnastics horse.The gymnastics horse that buried a man alive dailyThis episode explores the incredible story of Eric Williams, a prisoner of war who devised an ingenious escape plan from Stalag Luft III. It delves into the unique challenges of the camp's design and the audacious method used to overcome them.Person: Eric WilliamsDate: December 17, 1942Location: Stalag Luft III, Sagan (now western Poland)Military Branch: Royal Air ForceRank: Flight Lieutenant- Eric Williams, a navigator for the RAF, was shot down over Germany and captured at 28 years old.- He was sent to Stalag Luft III, a POW camp specifically designed to prevent escapes, featuring sandy soil, raised barracks, and seismographs.- Williams conceived a plan to use a wooden gymnastics horse to mask the vibrations of digging a tunnel.- The horse was carried to the exact same spot in the yard daily, with prisoners vaulting over it to create rhythmic, repetitive noise.- Williams, Michael Codner, and Oliver Philpot were key figures in the plan, with Williams being the first to dig inside the horse.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Pilot Who Escaped Six Times, Then Vanished 18.09.2026 17m

  A Czechoslovak pilot shot down over France must choose escape or capture as the war ends and his homeland becomes his captor - what would you do?The Pilot Who Escaped Six Times, Then VanishedIn this episode, we follow Josef Bryks from rural Moravia to RAF combat missions and repeated escapes from captivity, tracing the choices that put him at odds with the country he once served. How did his skills, decisions and a single boot shape nine years of flight, survival and disappearance?Person: Josef BryksDate of birth: 18 March 1916Event: Shot down during Operation Circus Fourteen, 17 June 1941Location: near Saint-Omer-en-Chaussée, northern FranceStatus: died at 41 in a prison hospital; cremated and buried in secret- Born in Lašťany, Moravia, seventh of eight children from farming parents František and Anna.- Trained at the Military Academy in Hranice; received pilot wings on 30 September 1938 and posted to Forty 33 flying the Avia B-534.- After Czechoslovakia’s dissolution he escaped via Poland and France to Britain, joining No. 242 Forty with Canadian and British airmen.- On 17 June 1941 his Hurricane was hit above France; he bailed out, lost one boot, suffered burns and was captured by German forces.- He used the alias Joseph Ricks of Cirencester and a prepared cover story, while wearing a Mae West belonging to Flying Officer Henry Skalsky that complicated his identity.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The plane crash that built a president's myth 17.09.2026 22m

  A long-ruling president dies mid-flight. His son is president within hours - was the system built to outlast its architect?The plane crash that built a president's mythThis episode explores the life of a man who ruled a country for 38 years, and how his death revealed a system built to ensure his legacy. It asks what it costs the people living inside such a system when the transfer of power becomes an automatic reflex.Person: Étienne Eyadéma GnassingbéCountry: TogoPeriod: 1935-2005Event: 1974 Sarakawa plane crash- Étienne Eyadéma Gnassingbé was born in the village of Pya, in northern Togo, and enlisted in the French colonial army at 17 or 18 years old in 1953.- He served in Indochina and Algeria, two brutal post-war conflicts, before returning to an independent Togo in 1962.- In 1963, Eyadéma was among soldiers who stormed the presidential compound, leading to the death of President Sylvanus Olympio, a killing Eyadéma both claimed and denied.- Four years later, in 1967, Eyadéma declared himself president of Togo and Minister of Defense, having consolidated control of the army.- In 1974, a plane carrying Eyadéma crashed near Sarakawa, an event he used to create a myth of his sole survival, despite other passengers also surviving.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  He Lied About His Destination - Solo Tasman Flight That Vanished a Grave 16.09.2026 14m

  A lone 21-year-old pilot secretly sets off from Sydney in a tiny biplane toward nowhere he’d told anyone - will his solo Tasman gamble pay off?He Lied About His Destination - Solo Tasman Flight That Vanished a GraveIn this episode, we follow the decision-making, deceptions, and technical details behind a clandestine solo crossing of the Tasman Sea in 1931. The episode traces the flight, the disputed times, and the aftermath while asking what drives someone to risk everything on a secret record attempt.Person: Guy Lambton MenziesDate: 7 January 1931Aircraft: Avro Sports Avian (G-ABCF)Location: La Fontaine Swamp, near Hari, West Coast, New ZealandFlight time dispute: 12 hours 12 minutes to 12 hours 47 minutes- He left Sydney at 1:00 AM claiming he was flying to Perth while pointing the plane east toward New Zealand.- He flew alone more than twelve hours in an open-cockpit, single-engine biplane loaded with 18 hours’ fuel.- The Avro Sports Avian had earlier flown with Charles Kingsford Smith from England to Australia.- He crash-landed into a swamp; the propeller buried in mud, wings crumpled, but he climbed out unhurt.- Official and eyewitness accounts disagree on the exact flight duration, and his family memories differ again.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The closed door that stopped a five-hundred-mile escape 15.09.2026 22m

  Two men stand at Lake Constance, Switzerland across the water. Will they make it to freedom?The closed door that stopped a five-hundred-mile escapeThis episode tells the story of Johannes Gouws, a South African airman who survived being shot down and two years as a prisoner of war. It explores the extraordinary effort and luck involved in his journey, and the unexpected question it raises about the nature of freedom.Person: Johannes GouwsDate: March 29, 1944Location: Lindau, GermanyEvent: Attempted escape from Stalag Luft IIICountry: South Africa- Johannes Gouws, an Afrikaner farmer's son, initially wanted to join the police force, not the air force.- He was rejected from the South African Air Force due to insufficient English but returned to university to improve his language skills and reapply.- Gouws survived an emergency landing in Abyssinia after his fuel leaked, with his plane flipping upon impact.- He was shot down over North Africa by German ace Gustav Rödel and captured, becoming a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III.- Inside Stalag Luft III, Gouws became a "penguin" for the tunnel project, discreetly dispersing excavated sand, and also learned German.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Left Wingtip That Grounded a Life 14.09.2026 25m

  A fighter pilot loses his legs, returns to the skies, is shot down again - his prosthetic leg is found in a field, but where is he?The Left Wingtip That Grounded a LifeThis episode explores the extraordinary life of Douglas Bader, a pilot who defied expectations after a devastating accident. It delves into the mystery surrounding his second crash and the unwavering spirit that defined him.Person: Douglas BaderDate: August 9, 1941Location: Northern FranceAircraft: Avro Bulldog, SpitfireEvent: WWII- Douglas Bader lost both legs at age 21 after a low-altitude aerobatics stunt went wrong, causing his Avro Bulldog's left wingtip to hit the ground.- Despite his injuries, he was known for his competitive and reckless nature, finding his calling in flying at Cranwell.- After being invalided out of the RAF, he spent six years on the ground, learning to drive, dance, and play golf with a scratch handicap on artificial legs.- With the outbreak of WWII, the RAF, desperate for experienced pilots, reinstated Bader, who immediately demonstrated his skill by flying inverted at 600 feet.- In 1941, his prosthetic leg was discovered in a field in northern France, severed from him after his Spitfire disintegrated at 4,000 feet, yet he survived.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The letter that rewrote a life and left a man alone 13.09.2026 19m

  A celebrated writer faces a final, private battle - his past revealed by a devastating letter. What will he lose?The letter that rewrote a life and left a man aloneThis episode explores the life of Ernest Hemingway, from his early experiences to the height of his fame. It delves into the events and relationships that shaped him, asking what truly breaks a man the world cannot break.Person: Ernest HemingwayDate: July 2, 1961Location: Ketchum, IdahoAge: 61Topic: Survival and personal struggle- Ernest Hemingway survived nine concussions, two plane crashes in one day, and shrapnel from a mortar wound at eighteen.- His childhood in Oak Park, Illinois, was marked by the contrasting personalities of his physician father and musician mother.- At seventeen, he became a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star and later volunteered as a Red Cross ambulance driver in Italy during WWI.- At eighteen, he sustained 237 shrapnel fragments in his legs from an Austrian mortar shell near Fossalta di Piave, Italy.- While recovering in a Milan hospital, he fell in love with Red Cross nurse Agnes von Kurowsky, who later broke off their engagement via letter.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The radio call that told them to leave and saved a life 12.09.2026 17m

  A pilot ejects over Laos with catastrophic injuries, then radios rescue to turn back. He will walk out himself. What would you do?The radio call that told them to leave and saved a lifeThis episode recounts the incredible survival story of Lance Sijan, an Air Force pilot shot down over Laos. It explores the extreme choices made in the face of impossible odds and the enduring legacy of a man who refused to give up.Person: Lance SijanDate: November 9, 1967Location: Ban Laboy Ford, LaosAircraft: F-4 PhantomMission: Night strike- Lance Sijan, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the oldest of three children and graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1965.- He was a pilot and weapons systems officer assigned to the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron in South Vietnam, flying the F-4 Phantom.- On his 52nd combat mission over Laos, his aircraft detonated prematurely, engulfing it in a fireball.- Sijan ejected and regained consciousness on a limestone karst ridge with a fractured skull, destroyed right hand, and compound leg fracture.- Forty-eight hours after the crash, Sijan made a faint radio transmission to a Misty FAC, initiating a massive search-and-rescue operation.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  You stare at sixty fighters - you pull your four planes into the attack 11.09.2026 16m

  A twenty-one-year-old pilot in a Mustang pulls four planes into an attack against sixty fighters over central Germany - what do you do with that chance?You stare at sixty fighters - you pull your four planes into the attackIn this episode we follow Bruce Carr from a fifteen-year-old who begged for flight lessons in upstate New York to the cockpit of a P-51 Mustang over occupied Germany. We trace the hours, coincidences, training and split-second decisions that put him in a moment where everything depended on one choice. What does a life built by small acts look like when a single decision can change everything?Person: Bruce Ward CarrDate: April 2, 1945Location: Central Germany / Schweinfurt areaAircraft: P-51 Mustang named Angel's PlaymateService: 308th Fighter Squadron, 363rd Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Crew- At fifteen Carr walked into a local airfield and learned to fly from a civilian instructor who later became his Army Air Forces trainer.- By August 30, 1943 he had over 240 flight hours, was promoted to Flight Officer, and flew P-40s at Spence Field, Georgia.- He shipped to the European Theater in February 1944 and transitioned to the P-51 Mustang, first climbing to 30,000 feet.- On March 8, 1944 Carr pursued a Bf 109 to low altitude, scored a kill, and was denied credit as “overaggressive.”- On April 2, 1945, at age twenty-one, Carr led four planes into an attack on sixty enemy fighters above central Germany.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Pilot Declared Dead, Then Found Alive 10.09.2026 14m

  A Soviet fighter pilot is declared dead after a crash, but then returns. How do you live when the system has already written you off?The Pilot Declared Dead, Then Found AliveThis episode explores the extraordinary life of Grigory Kravchenko, a Soviet pilot who was officially declared dead but reappeared two days later. It delves into the unique challenges and opportunities that arose from this clerical error, and how it shaped his approach to a life already marked by secret combat missions and daring test flights.Person: Grigory KravchenkoDate: June 27, 1939Location: Mongolian steppeStatus: Declared dead, then found aliveCountry: Soviet Union- Grigory Kravchenko ran his fighter dry chasing a Japanese reconnaissance plane and landed in the grass, leading his unit to report him dead.- Before his own combat experience, Kravchenko trained seven cadets, building his teaching habits and standards.- He served as a test pilot for the Air Force Research Institute, flying advanced Soviet aircraft like the I-15 and I-16.- From March to August 1938, he flew 78 secret combat sorties as a squadron commander in China, a war the USSR did not publicly acknowledge.- He received the Hero of the Soviet Union medal on February 22, 1939, for his secret missions, with the citation omitting any mention of China.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The drawer that held his medals silenced a life for 57 years 09.09.2026 16m

  His medals sat unclaimed for 57 years, a silence enforced by borders and danger. What do you do when your life is erased, and grief becomes a risk?The drawer that held his medals silenced a life for 57 yearsThis episode explores the extraordinary life of Romualdas Marcinkus, a decorated aviator and national hero whose story was lost to history for decades. It asks what happens when a life built across countries and careers is suddenly taken away, and public remembrance becomes dangerous.Person: Romualdas MarcinkusDate: March 25, 1944Location: Jurbarkas, LithuaniaMilitary Branch: Royal Air Force (RAF)Event: Second World War- Romualdas Marcinkus was a three-time national football champion in Lithuania before becoming a decorated military pilot.- He was the only Lithuanian pilot to serve in the RAF during the Second World War, having lied about his age to enlist.- Marcinkus helped plan the famous prison escape of the Second World War and got further than almost anyone else through the tunnel.- In 1934, he flew 10,000 kilometers across Europe with a small formation of Lithuanian pilots, visiting twelve capital cities.- After a knee injury ended his football career and a reported nervous breakdown, Marcinkus left Lithuania when the Soviet Union occupied it in 1940.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Wire That Asked You To Solve It 08.09.2026 24m

  Two men crawl on frozen ground, blankets pulled tight, a German prison camp around them. Their escape depends on a sentry's circuit and the will to keep crawling.The Wire That Asked You To Solve ItThis episode tells the story of Sydney Hastings Dowse, a man who attempted to escape German captivity six times. It explores the mindset of a prisoner of war determined to solve the "problem" of the wire, no matter the cost.Person: Sydney Hastings DowseDate: November 30, 1942Location: German prison campEvent: Escape attemptStatus: Prisoner of War- Sydney Dowse was born in Hammersmith, London, in 1918 and joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1937, learning to fly as a hobby.- In 1941, he volunteered for the No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, flying unarmed Spitfires alone over enemy territory.- On August 20, 1941, Dowse was shot down over occupied territory while photographing German warships and was captured.- His first escape attempt was from a hospital in Stadtroda, Thuringia, in December 1941, making it to the Dutch-German border before recapture.- Dowse's second attempt involved swapping identities at Stalag IX-C and walking for five days towards the Belgian frontier before succumbing to exposure.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  You fly a second pass after two missiles miss - would you have stayed? 07.09.2026 15m

  A U.S. pilot volunteers for a second pass after two missiles miss over North Vietnam - thirty-five miles behind enemy lines, he ejects and a decision propels him into 2,488 days of captivity.You fly a second pass after two missiles miss - would you have stayed?In this episode, we follow Charles Graham Boyd from a farm in Iowa to an F-105 over North Vietnam and trace the single decision to turn back for a second pass that led to his ejection, capture, and nearly seven years in enemy hands. What drove him to go back, and how did that moment shape the life that followed?Person: Charles Graham BoydDate: April 22, 1966Location: ~35 miles northwest of Hanoi, Phu Tho regionAircraft: F-105D ThunderchiefDuration: 2,488 days of captivity- He was a 27-year-old pilot on his 105th mission who had flown 104 missions earlier in the war.- Two surface-to-air missiles were fired at him and missed before he turned back for a second attack pass.- Anti-aircraft guns struck his Thunderchief on the second pass, causing the aircraft to come apart and forcing him to eject.- He parachuted into North Vietnam wearing a flight suit and faced immediate capture by forces intent on killing him.- He was moved through multiple prisons, including the Hoa Lo (“Hanoi Hilton”), and counted days as an act of resistance during his nearly seven-year imprisonment.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].