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Description
Never Mind The Dambusters…It’s The Bomber Command Podcast!
Join historians and authors Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies as they delve into the world of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. In this weekly podcast (episodes released every Wednesday), Jane and James explore strategy, policy, and the events which shaped one of the most controversial campaigns of the war.
Despite their iconic status, Bomber Command's history extends far beyond the famed Dambusters raid of 1943 and the Avro Lancaster. Through insightful discussions, expert analysis of the strategic bombing campaign and first hand accounts by veterans and civilians on the ground, Never Mind the Dambusters offers listeners a comprehensive exploration of Bomber Command's operations and the diverse aircraft it employed, as well as tackling some tough topics.
Jane and James will be joined by leading academics, historians, aircraft enthusiasts, technicians and engineers and veterans' family members. Expect discussions on relevant books and films and a spotlight on a different aircraft in each episode. Please send in your questions to us on X (twitter) at @RAFBomber_Pod and on Instagram at @NeverMindTheDambusters. You can email the show at nmtdambusters@gmail.com, and continue the conversations in our Facebook group.
Never Mind the Dambusters Merchandise is now available at https://never-mind-the-dambusters.teemill.com/
74 Episodes
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Send us a message or question! Join us for a deep dive into the nuanced and often overlooked areas of RAF Bomber Command during WWII. In this episode, we answer listener questions, discuss key incidents, and explore technological debates shaping strategic bombing. Main Topics Covered: Details of the July 1941 raid on Scharnhorst at La Palis and its significanceThe complexities of bombing accuracy: Norden vs. British bomb sightsGround crew allocations, tours, and their vital role in warti...
Send us a message or question! This week Jane and James have a good old chinwag and answer YOUR questions, on some very diverse topics: Why wasn't Harris replaced after Nuremberg or the Battle of Berlin?Which aircraft would've benefited from Merlin engines?What were Special Recognition Flights?Why weren't bomber streams supported by more night-fighter escorts or intruder ops?Why wasn't the transportation plan implemented earlier?How did Bomber Command get the enormous amounts of fuel, ...
Send us a message or question! Hosts: Jane Gulliford & James Jefferies (although Jane disappears after the intro due to tech issues!) Guest: Joe Wilding Episode Summary In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane and James are joined by aviation enthusiast and aircraft designer Joe Wilding to explore the evolution of the bomber during the Cold War — a period that lasted nearly half a century and transformed aerial warfare more dramatically than any era before it. Rather than treat...
Send us a message or question! After the Firestorm – Bomb Disposal in Wartime Hamburg With Thomas Rost Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 Content Note This episode includes discussion of forced labour, concentration camp inmates, and civilian casualties. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes turns to a largely hidden chapter of the bombing war: bomb disposal in Hamburg during and after the Second World War. While the Battle of Hamburg in mid-1943 — known t...
Send us a message or question! 2 Group Bomber Command and the Rotterdam Raid With Erik Parker Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to a little-known Bomber Command raid on Rotterdam, carried out during the early years of the Second World War by the light bomber squadrons of 2 Group. While Rotterdam is most often associated with the devastating Luftwaffe attack of May 1940, this episode explores a lesser-know...
Send us a message or question! Hitting the Target – Bombing Accuracy, Altitude, and the Physics of Air Power With Matt Doncaster Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies are joined by Matt Doncaster, a former RAF Harrier pilot, for a deep dive into one of the most fundamental — and often misunderstood — challenges of the air war: how to hit a target from a bomber. Stepping away from individual aircraft and raids, this discussion fo...
Send us a message or question! The Schweinfurt Raids With Mike Peters Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4 Presented by Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to the USAAF bombing raids on Schweinfurt, among the most dramatic, costly, and consequential operations of the Allied strategic air campaign in 1943. Schweinfurt was a vital centre of Germany’s ball-bearing industry, making it a high-priority target for...
Send us a message or question! (Buy tickets for Jane's talk at the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln, on 5 March 2026 here ) In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by historian Professor Alan Allport for a wide-ranging discussion of his new book, Advance Britannia, which re-examines Britain’s war effort from 1942 onwards — a period when the nation moved from survival to sustained, large-scale offensive operations. From the rapid expansion of RAF Bomber Command to th...
Send us a message or question! In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by author and military historian Sean Feast to examine one of the most strategically important — and morally complex — operations of the bombing war: RAF Bomber Command’s attack on the German V-weapons research centre at Peenemünde in August 1943. Peenemünde was no ordinary target. As the heart of Germany’s V-1 and V-2 programme, it represented a direct threat to Britain and forced Allied planners to attempt an un...
Send us a message or question! Episode Description / Show Notes: In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by John Lilley from the People’s Mosquito Project to explore the extraordinary story of one of the Second World War’s most innovative and versatile aircraft: the de Havilland Mosquito. Often described as “the wooden wonder,” the Mosquito defied conventional thinking with its largely wooden construction, exceptional speed, and remarkable adaptabili...
Send us a message or question! In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by Jonathan Falconer, a leading authority on the RAF and the Second World War, to discuss the Short Stirling, Bomber Command's first four-engine heavy bomber. They explore its development, operational history, and the unique challenges it faced. Jonathan shares insights into the aircraft's design, its role in key operations, and its eventual transition to transport and special dut...
Send us a message or question! Welcome back and a happy new year ! 🇨🇦 In this episode of "Never Mind the Dambusters," host Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by Dr. Dan Ellin and Canadian historian Greg Kopchuk . The team explore the Canadian contribution to RAF Bomber Command, and the formation of 6 Group, from the perspective of 429 Bison Squadron. Greg explains how the Squadron got off to a fairly rocky start, with a CO who wouldn't fly and a very high casualty rate. Greg's book o...
Send us a message or question! SERIES 4 OF NEVER MIND THE DAMBUSTERS IS ON THE WAY! Brand new episodes drop Wednesday January 7th 2026 (available from Saturday 3rd for our paid subscribers). We're returning with our most ambitious series yet — filled with new interviews, untold stories, and in-depth explorations of RAF Bomber Command. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming up: ✈️ The Short Stirling with historian Jonathan Falconer 🪵 The de Havilland Mosquito with John Lilley from the Peopl...
Send us a message or question! Have we got a treat for you...Something different - U-boats instead of aircraft! In our final episode of this series, “The U-boat War - Wolfpack,” we explore the U-Boat War from the German perspective with historian and author Roger Moorhouse, whose new book Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War will be published on 9 October 2025. Hosts James Jefferies and Jane Gulliford-Lowes dive into what life was really like aboard German U-boats, the shifting strategi...
Send us a message or question! In Episode 56 ( the penultimate episode of series 3), we delve into a chilling chapter of World War II history: the murders of Allied airmen in Germany. As the war raged on, downed airmen often found themselves at the mercy of their captors - military, civilian authorities and sometimes ordinary citizens. This episode uncovers the fate of one Allied airman, missing in action in January 1945. We are joined by German historian Thomas Rost, and together we explore...
Send us a message or question! This week, we're joined by Adam Hart, to discuss his new book about a downed Halifax pilot, who also happens to be his great-grandfather. Operation Pimento is a riveting story of courage, defiance, and survival. Centered on his great-grandfather, Frank Griffiths, this extraordinary true account shines a light on the men and women of the French Resistance who risked everything to stand against tyranny and to assist Allied airmen to evade captur...
Send us a message or question! (Available on general release on 10 September) In this episode James and Jane continue their chat about Jane's book, Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story. Jane continues the story of the Pennicott crew, through the summer and autumn of 1943, and into 1944 and discusses the emotional toll of writing about such a difficult subject. Jane reveals how a chance phonecall transformed the book, and how the story might hav...
Send us a message or question! This week James interviews Jane about her first Bomber Command book, "Above Us the Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story." We can't believe it's taken us 53 episodes to finally get around to discussing it! Jane shares with listeners the background to the book, her motivation for writing it, and describes her research processes (including what it feels like to sit in the wireless op's position in a Halifax). Jane traces he...
Send us a message or question! This week on Never Mind the Dambusters, we answer YOUR questions, on a whole host of issues, including: Could a heavy bomber fly without a full crew? What was Operation Dodge? Mosquito v Lancaster, Lancaster v Halifax Gibson v Cheshire B17s in the RAF Do keep sending in your questions! Support the show Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by b...
Send us a message or question! In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, I take a deep dive into the fascinating and often overlooked world of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War—through the lens of the airmen's personal flying kit. I'm joined by Daniel Richards an RAF Living History enthusiast, and together we explore the evolution of aircrew equipment, from flying jackets to survival kits, and even the surprising use of pigeons for communication. Using the original clothing ...
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