When people think about the secret war in occupied Europe, they often picture agents, resistance fighters, and acts of sabotage carried out behind enemy lines. But those networks depended on a hidden air bridge that carried agents and supplies into occupied territory and brought people back out again.

Flying alone at night, Special Duties pilots crossed occupied Europe guided only by moonlight and improvised navigation. Their missions demanded extraordinary skill and nerve as they landed in isolated fields, avoided German night fighters and flak, and battled some of the worst flying conditions imaginable.

For this episode, I'm joined by Paul Smiddy, author of Moonlight Crusaders: Special Duties Pilots over Occupied Europe. Drawing on first-hand accounts and extensive research, Paul explores the story of these under-recognised pilots, the aircraft they flew, and the vital role they played in supporting resistance movements and Allied intelligence operations across occupied Europe."

You can also find Moonlight Crusaders on Audible and Spotify.

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In the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone. France had fallen, invasion seemed possible, and Winston Churchill faced a grave question: what should be done about the powerful French fleet?

Fearing it might fall under German control, Britain launched Operation Catapult. At Mers el Kébir on 3 July 1940, the Royal Navy opened fire on its former ally, killing nearly 1,300 French sailors in one of the war's most painful and controversial decisions.

For this episode, I am joined by Edward Abel Smith, author of 'A Hateful Decision', which tells the full story of this dramatic moment through new research and eyewitness accounts.

Before he became a familiar face on screen, appearing in over 70 films like 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'The Cockleshell Heroes', 'The Guns of Navarone' and 'The Wild Geese', Percy Herbert survived one of the most brutal chapters of the Second World War.

Captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942, he endured life as a prisoner of war, facing starvation, violence, and witnessing events like the Alexandra Hospital massacre. Those experiences would stay with him and later shape the performances that made his name.

His story is told in his autobiography, Time Will Pass Johnny, a remarkable account that traces his journey from the camps of the Far East to a long and successful acting career.

To talk about her father's life, I'm joined by Katrina Wood.

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