Fan favourite episodes

You can listen to all episodes on our website, or in Apple Podcasts, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify and Stitcher, or watch on YouTube. Learn more about the podcast here. Find a complete list of all our episodes here.

Here are a few of our most popular veteran conversations to get started with:

#127 Reg Chard

Reg Chard was an infantryman in the Second World War. He fought on the Kokoda Trail and at Sanananda in 1942. Reg now volunteers as a guide at Sydney’s Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway. In this video podcast, Reg spoke about his military service, his experiences in New Guinea and how Kokoda still lives with him.

#36 Mark Donaldson VC

Mark Donaldson VC spoke to Alex Lloyd about his life growing up, training for and what drove him to the SAS, various deployment stories, the battle that saw him receive Australia's highest military award, life beyond and the meaning of a Victoria Cross. Mark came back on the podcast to speak about Voodoo Medics.

#117 Sir Peter Cosgrove

General Sir Peter Cosgrove saw action in Vietnam, winning the Military Cross, and rose to the top, becoming Chief of the Defence Force from 2002 to 2005. Sir Peter then served as Australia’s Governor-General from 2014 to 2019. In this video podcast, he spoke with Angus Hordern about the highlights of his life and career.

#31 Dr Dan Pronk

Dr Dan Pronk is a former Special Forces combat doctor, who deployed 4 times to Afghanistan. In a 2-part interview, Dan spoke about his journey to Special Forces, the trauma of combat and moving on from the military. Dan returned to the show to speak about Voodoo Medics, life lessons and his books The Resilience Shield and The Combat Doctor.

#143 Rebecca & Ashley Semmens

Husband and wife Bec and Ash Semmens both served in the Royal Australian Navy for 18 years, as a medic and a Clearance Diver respectively. Between them they deployed to Timor and Afghanistan.

#102 Heston Russell

Heston Russell was an officer in the 2nd Commando Regiment. In 2020, he emerged as a spokesperson for the veteran community in national media. In our first video podcast, he spoke about his Special Forces career, leadership and moral courage.

#110 Carly Box

Carly Box was the first woman to enlist into an army combat corps, becoming a UAV (drone) operator. She deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as a ScanEagle operator, spending over 1000 hours flying the drone, and again in 2013 as a Shadow mission commander.

#54 ‘H’

'H' is a veteran of the 2nd Commando Regiment, a former Warrant Officer Class One thrice decorated for conspicuous service and valour. In a five-part interview, Wes ‘H’ Hennessey spoke about his action-packed overseas deployments, the personal toll of elite service, addiction to combat and combat mindset.

#105 Damien Thomlinson

Damien Thomlinson, a veteran of the 2nd Commando Regiment, lost both his legs in Afghanistan to an IED. He’s now a motivational speaker, actor, golfer and more. This inspiring video podcast covers Damien’s military career, his life after the blast and how he turned that fateful day into the best thing that ever happened to him.

#68 Harry Moffitt

Harry Moffitt was an SAS team commander. He has extensive operational experience, including deployments to Timor and the Middle East. He spoke about the psychology of being an elite soldier, leadership in high-tempo deployments and how best to equip yourself for life after service. Harry shared more stories in a 2020 podcast.

#4 Guy Griffiths

Guy Griffiths is a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The former Rear Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy shared with fellow navy veteran Angus Hordern his stories across the years of training, leadership, combat and war, including the day he survived the sinking of HMS Repulse in December 1941.

#112 Troy Knight

Troy Knight told Thomas Kaye about being a Combat Controller in 4 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force. He deployed to Indonesia, Iraq and Afghanistan, and performed the JTAC role outside the wire alongside members of the Special Operations Task Group.

#92 Dean Parkinson

Despite significant injuries in an aircraft accident, Dean Parkinson eventually became a member of the 2nd Commando Regiment and deployed twice to Afghanistan. This two-part conversation with Dean reveals how he went from Qantas flight attendant to Australian Special Forces.

#137 John White

John White was an officer in the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. He was decorated for outstanding gallantry in the 1968 Battle of Ngok Tavak in South Vietnam. John speaks movingly about the bloody reality of warfare in the jungle, working with local forces and the risks he took to save his men.

#148 Steve Moharic

Steve Moharic was a paratrooper, a shooter in the 2nd Commando Regiment, and then a 2CDO dog handler. Steve spoke with Thomas Kaye about his difficult pre-military past, his career in uniform, his life today still with his dog Guge and gives great insight into how our war dogs work hand in paw with those in uniform.

#107 Brett Wood

2nd Commando Regiment veterans, friends and family share their memories of the late Sergeant Brett Wood MG, DSM. Brett was killed on 23 May 2011. This podcast was created for the 10-year anniversary of his passing as a celebration of his life.

#18 Don Barnby

Don Barnby was an SAS trooper in the Vietnam War and Australian Federal Policeman for many years. He shared with Thomas Kaye, in a two-part episode, stories of elite soldiering in the jungle to the AFP, life beyond, and his work at the Australian War Memorial. He returned in the podcast episode Panel - Life After Service.

#43 Dan Keighran VC

Dan Keighran VC is the 3rd recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, for his leadership and courage during the Battle of Derapet. Dan spoke about his army career, the battle that changed his life and receiving the Victoria Cross. Dan returned in Season 4 to share more stories.

#97 Paul Cale

Paul Cale is a veteran of the 2nd Commando Regiment and a black belt in 8 different styles of martial arts. He deployed 5 times to Afghanistan and Iraq and is a world leader in close-combat and personal protection training.

#64 Jodi Farmer

Jodi Farmer about her experiences at sea with the Royal Australian Navy, including border security operations and a deployment to the Middle East, and the intensity of being on a boarding party. This is a raw and insightful conversation about life on the maritime front line.

#150 Doug Sheridan

Bob Hunter is an SASR and AFP veteran. He deployed with the United Nations, Special Forces and AFP to Western Sahara, Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. He spoke about his memories of Matthew Locke, combat mindset and the volunteer work he does today.

#82 John Cantwell

Major General John Cantwell had tours of duty in both Gulf Wars and the War in Afghanistan. He saw intense front-line combat, rising from Private to commanding all Australian forces in the Middle East. In an emotional two-part conversation with Angus Hordern, John spoke about combat, leadership and his journey with PTSD. John also spoke to Alex Lloyd about the Battle of Derapet.

#100 Gary Wilson

Gary Wilson was severely injured in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for months. In this conversation with Thomas Kaye, Gary shares his story of military service, the Black Hawk crash and his recovery afterwards. Thomas also interviewed Gary’s wife, Renee, in a partners episode.

#76 Sarah Watson

Sarah Watson was an army Intelligence Officer. She deployed to Iraq in 2006 and was the Intelligence Analyst for all Middle Eastern countries except Afghanistan during the Arab Spring. She speaks about the challenges and victories she faced in uniform. She also appeared in LIFE AFTER SERVICE.

#16 Chris May

Chris May served in The Australian Army. He deployed twice to Afghanistan, was a war veteran at nineteen, and is a survivor of driving over an improvised explosive device. He grappled with trauma and threw himself into the veteran community, and has become a wonderful example of post-traumatic growth.

#51 Mark Noble

Mark Noble was an Explosive Detection Dog handler with the Incident Response Regiment that then became the Special Operations Engineer Regiment. Mark spoke to Rohan Viswalingam about working with the dogs in Afghanistan and operations with the 2nd Commando Regiment.

#72 Craig Cook

Craig Cook has served in the Australian Army for 34 years, deploying to Somalia, Afghanistan and three times to Iraq - twice with US forces, who have recognised his achievements with a Meritorious Service Medal and a Bronze Star.

You can also check out some of our most popular bonus episodes:

Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham - British SAS

Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham served for nearly two decades in the British SAS, serving in countless war zones, winning the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery and being awarded the MBE by HM the Queen. Upon leaving the SAS, he became a bodyguard to Hollywood stars. He is now a DS and advisor on the hit TV shows SAS: Who Dares Wins in the UK and SAS Australia.

The Commando's Father with Doug Baird

Alex Lloyd spoke with Doug Baird, father of the late Cameron Baird VC MG. Cameron served in the 2nd Commando Regiment and was killed in action during his final tour of Afghanistan in 2013. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. Doug spoke to Alex about his late son's life, death and legacy.

SAS Leadership with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis

Two former Special Forces officers and now business partners, Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis, shared their lessons of leadership and command from their time in the SASR. These ranged from principles to specific action-packed examples, and how those lessons influence their work and lives today. They came back in 2020 to speak about leadership and resilience in COVID-19 and the 1996 Black Hawk disaster, and again in 2021 to promote their new book about resilience.

The Partners - Samantha Gash

The first ‘partners’ episode features Samantha Gash, wife of Mark Wales. Sam is a professional endurance athlete, social entrepreneur and a motivational speaker. Sam spoke about meeting Mark after his time in the SAS, the highs and lows of their relationship and the reality of being a military veteran’s spouse.

Panel - Returning Home

In the first veterans panel discussion, three modern veterans discussed what it means to be a veteran today, public perception of returned servicepeople, support systems and transitioning to the workforce. Angus Hordern moderated a discussion between previous podcast guests Garth Callender, Michael Wright and Glenn Kolomeitz.

Christmas on the Line

Veterans of Season 2 share with the Thistle Productions team brand new stories of their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. This episode was released in December 2018. Christmas on the Line Vol II was released in 2019, Volume III in 2020 and Volume IV in 2021.

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Collision - Ep IV - Life on the Sea

LIFE ON THE SEA is a special miniseries of this podcast, interviewing Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars. The fourth episode of this miniseries, Collision, hears a sailor on HMAS Melbourne during the tragic 1969 Melbourne-Evans collision give his testimony of the day that saw 74 sailors lose their lives.

Eugen Pichurra - German WWII Veteran

Eugen Pichurra was a tank commander in Nazi Germany’s army. Eugen spoke about Germany in the 1930s, why he joined the army, his incredible wartime stories, atrocities he witnessed, and his reflections on the war. Eugen also served in the West German military during the Cold War.

Australia's Special Forces with Dr Karl James

Dr Karl James, senior historian at the Australian War Memorial, spoke with Thomas Kaye about the history of Australia’s Special Forces - SAS and Commandos - and his "From the Shadows" exhibit at the Memorial. This conversation is a fascinating insight into the history of our nation’s elite soldiers.

Brothers in Arms with Geraint Jones

Geraint “Gez” Jones deployed three times to the Middle East as an infantry soldier in the British Army's Royal Welsh regiment – twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Today, he’s a New York Times bestselling author. Gez spoke about his military career, his battle with PTSD and journey of post-traumatic growth.

The Korean War with Michael Kelly

Australian War Memorial historian Michael Kelly spoke about Australia's forgotten war - Korea. Michael returned to the podcast for a follow-up chat on the Korean War in Korean War MIA with Michael Kelly, and again in the episode Panel - Australian Infantry Against the Odds.

Voodoo Medics with Mark Donaldson VC, Dr Dan Pronk and Kristin Shorten

Kristin Shorten’s Voodoo Medics documentary looks at the lives post-army of medics who served with Special Forces, and interviews such former medics, the operators they fought alongside, and more, in an insightful expose on the cost of modern war.

The Partners - Renee Wilson

Renee Wilson was engaged to Gary Wilson when he was injured in a helicopter crash. Renee shares her memories of the day of the crash, Gary’s long road to recovery and how she put her own feelings to the side to be a pillar of strength for others. She also shares not just the challenges, but the inspiring story of all they have achieved and overcome in the ten years since that fateful night in Afghanistan.

Panel - Australian Infantry Against the Odds

A panel on three significant battles in Australian military history where our forces overcame overwhelming odd: David Buckwalter on the Battle of Wau from World War II; Michael Kelly on the Battle of Kapyong from the Korean War; and Peter Slack-Smith speaks about the Battle of Long Tan, from his perspective as a Delta Company soldier in that bloody engagement.

Australia in Afghanistan with Dr Rhys Crawley

Dr Rhys Crawley is an historian at the Australian War Memorial. Rhys is writing for the Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor. Alex Lloyd spoke with Rhys about Australia’s longest war – the modern conflict in Afghanistan – and the writing of history despite the events being so recent, and the fallout ongoing.