#94 Ian Roberts

Angus Hordern interviews submarine captain and Cold War veteran, Ian Roberts.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Ian Roberts served in the Royal Australian Navy for 25 years. He earned the coveted Dolphins badge, marking him as a submariner. He went on to become one of the first Australian-born officers to command a Royal Australian Navy submarine. This is his conversation with Angus Hordern about life under the waves.

Ian returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol III.

CORRECTION: When we first published this podcast, we said that Ian was the first Australian-born man to command a submarine. We’d read a couple of contemporary articles to that effect, but were misinformed. That honour goes to Captain Frank Getting, born in Sydney in 1899, and commanded the very first submarine to bear the name HMAS Oxley in 1928, the vessel that preceded Ian’s sub of the same name. Ian may have indeed been the second Australian to command an Aussie submarine - he’s definitely one o the first, and it was a great honour to record his story regardless.

Jens Milbret - German Cold War Veteran

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with a Cold War veteran from East Germany, Jens Milbret. Jens spoke of growing up in a communist regime, the propaganda, his military service, the lies that shaped his life and the escape he made from life in East Germany. Thanks go to Oliver Heuthe for helping to arrange this episode.

These photos are of the military academy Jens served at in Dresden, created by Lysippos and shared here (and on our social media) under a Creative Commons license.

Eugen Pichurra - German WWII Veteran

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Every week we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with a German World War II veteran, Eugen Pichurra. Eugen spoke to Alex 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 for a time, during the Cold War, before migrating to Australia. Thanks go to Oliver Heuthe and Martin Luther Homes for helping to arrange this episode.