Blighty Thank God
9 A Brief Encounter with VIPs
In Baghdad’s sweltering heat of the summer of 1943, my father helped run the city’s airport for the RAF - managing the arrival and departure of VIPs. Two he mentions were playwright/singer Noel Coward and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Not everything went smoothly with their visits.
Guest interviewee, author and professor Sky Gilbert, talks about Noel Coward in 1943.
Grateful thanks to the Noel Coward Foundation and Noel Coward Archive to be able to use an extract from his tour diary.
Episode support materials.
Diary entries read by granddaughter Bethan.
Additional voices: Matthew Yeomans and Alex Paddock.
Episode photo: Noel Coward on stage. (Source IWM)
I'd welcome any messages, especially if you enjoyed the episode stories.
To find maps, photographs and other material associated with each episode as well as the complete diary and context notes visit the podcast website – www.blightythankgod.co.uk.
In Baghdad’s sweltering heat of the summer of 1943, my father helped run the city’s airport for the RAF - managing the arrival and departure of VIPs. Two he mentions were playwright/singer Noel Coward and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Not everything went smoothly with their visits.
Guest interviewee, author and professor Sky Gilbert, talks about Noel Coward in 1943.
Grateful thanks to the Noel Coward Foundation and Noel Coward Archive to be able to use an extract from his tour diary.
Episode support materials.
Diary entries read by granddaughter Bethan.
Additional voices: Matthew Yeomans and Alex Paddock.
Episode photo: Noel Coward on stage. (Source IWM)
I'd welcome any messages, especially if you enjoyed the episode stories.
To find maps, photographs and other material associated with each episode as well as the complete diary and context notes visit the podcast website – www.blightythankgod.co.uk.