Just thought many would be interested to know that Radio 4 Extra recently featured two programmes based on Wynford Vaughan-Thomas’s famous actuality recording from a Lancaster on an operation to Berlin. Both have Bombing Berlin in their titles. One is a documentary by Stephen Evans which uses parts of the recording to describe the bombing war. The second is the complete recording with a brief introduction by Dan Snow. Interestingly the editing of the second seems awry as some minutes after ‘bombs gone’ Vaughan-Thomas refers to ‘one hour to go to Berlin’. Not sure if this was a mistake on original broadcast or the recent one. Both programmes weee on during early hours of July 22, 2018. so look at the schedule for that date and you can listen. Hope this is helpful.
By: Smith - 6th August 2018 at 07:24
Thanks Dsgjones. I’ve just listened to the Dan Snow link (Vaughan-Thomas). Fascinating to my Kiwi ears to listen to the heavy RP accent. Don’t tend to hear that nowadays. Plus of course the jargon: “wizard prang” etc. A time capsule.
By: AlanR - 5th August 2018 at 19:54
There are some good programmes on Radio 4 extra.
In One, Michael Bentine recounted he experiences in the RAF, and talked about his father who was an early aeronautical engineer for the Sopwith Aviation Company,
during and after World War I, and invented a device for setting the tension on aircraft rigging wires.
By: Dsdjones - 5th August 2018 at 11:25
Thanks for the link to Dan Snow’s piece. As you say interesting to listen to but I agree that the introduction was misleading and very overdone. Definitely done quite some time after the war as in one part refers to someone now flying with BOAC. Dan Snow has launched a new history platform and is promoting it quite forcefully. It’s good to inform others when items like these appear otherwise very easy for us to miss them.
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd July 2018 at 17:01
Yes thanks for the alert, I would have missed the programmes otherwise.
If you don’t mind me hi-jacking your thread just a little, I found this broadcast flagged up on A.A.R.S.E. (Army Rumour Service) just yesterday:
https://www.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/theunheardtapesofbombercommandwithstevestevens?autoplay
It’s bigged up by Dan Snow as a recording made directly after a raid on Essen by a Lancaster pilot in July 1943, while the adrenaline was still pumping through his body, and as such, it is almost certainly unique.
Well, you only have to listen for a few minutes to realise it must have been recorded some time after the event (probably after the war in fact) as he is able to recount what happened to his crew on subsequent tours, as well as being able to quote loss statistics for the whole of the Battle of The Ruhr, etc.
More crap from a TV presenter but the actual recording makes for good listening.
(plus, from the BBC presenter, the bomber landed back at Langar Airport…)
By: Rocketeer - 23rd July 2018 at 16:26
Cracking stuff thanx
By: David_Kavangh - 22nd July 2018 at 20:14
The Stephen Evans documentary
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039lmkg
The Dan Snow programme
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076rvh
WV-T interview in 1984
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July 22, 2018 at 6:14 pm