FOR SCHOOL AND COUNTRY is a five-part documentary miniseries about 12 World War II veterans who went to school together, and then to war. In the third episode, 'A Great Escape', Barney Greatrex survives his Lancaster bomber being shot down and joins the French Resistance; Arthur Pardey flies in the Desert Air Force and gets up to mischief in Cairo; and Don Caldwell Smith endures a full tour of missions with Bomber Command.
Many more adventures, narrow escapes, Resistance heroics and Nazi cruelty were thoroughly documented in the book BARNEY GREATREX by Michael Veitch (2017), based on research by Alex Lloyd and Angus Hordern.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Most weeks we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today's bonus episode is with Charlie Mort. For the final episode of Season 1, we’re back to the story of Barney Greatrex. Barney was a bomb aimer in Bomber Command, the sole survivor of his Lancaster being shot down, and then spent eight months fighting the Germans with the French Resistance in Occupied France. In 2013, his nephew, Charlie Mort, orchestrated an incredible family trip to France to retrace Barney’s crash site, the places he went to on his journey, and meeting the relatives of those with whom he fought. Ninety-three-year-old Barney was the guest of honour in this epic tour of remembrance. Alex Lloyd spoke to Charlie about the trip, and how they went about retracing the Resistance.
Barney Greatrex - from Bomber Command to the French Resistance - the stirring story of an Australian hero. BARNEY GREATREX is the biography of World War II veteran Barney Greatrex. Written by Michael Veitch, based on the research by Alex Lloyd and Angus Hordern. This book was inspired by the documentary miniseries FOR SCHOOL AND COUNTRY by Thistle Productions, the makers of this podcast. We collaborated with publisher Hachette and bestselling author Michael Veitch to produce this awesome account of Barney’s life.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Most weeks we also have a bonus episode, where we speak to historians, authors and others in the veterans community. Today’s bonus episode is not with a war veteran, but a veteran of writing about them. Michael Veitch is a well-known author, actor, comedian and former ABC TV and radio presenter. His publishing bibliography includes an impressive list of books about Australian pilots who fought in World War II. Among others, he’s the author of FLAK, FLY, HEROES OF THE SKIES, 44 DAYS and out now is his new book BARNEY GREATREX.
Michael returned to the podcast in Season 3 to discuss his 2019 book, TURNING POINT, in Battle for Milne Bay with Michael Veitch.
