Ken Benbow Served in the 7th Escort Group in the Atlantic convoys. With no torpedoes, just guns and depth charges to protect Allied merchant ships from U-Boats, they sailed back and forth through ‘No Man’s Land’, 1,500 miles of ocean with no air cover, being “attacked every hour by the Germans”. Age 17, Ken went from working on a farm to Serving in the Royal Navy and his story is at the very heart of The Battle of The Atlantic.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Catapult-Armed Merchant “CAM” ship pilots flew highly secretive one-way missions. David Wright was one of only a handful and their stories are little known.

Using rockets and catapults mounted on merchant ships, Hurricane fighter planes were launched to shoot down German planes. With no flight deck to land on, pilots had to bail out seconds before the planes sank into the Atlantic.

 We’ll hear two war time stories, Norma Wright’s, who joined the National Fire Service; and David’s, her late husband.

You can also read David's book, Airborne by Rocket

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Atlantic and Arctic Convoy Veteran, Ron Syson, gives us a gritty account of life as a Merchant Seaman. Very early on, he sailed to Iceland, Greenland and New York, and was alongside when the Normandy caught fire and capsized. He was only 15.

 As well as transporting vital supplies across the Atlantic to Britain, Ron braved the Arctic seas in what Churchill described as, “the worst journey in the world.” Added to the Nazi threat were sub-zero temperatures, weeks of constant darkness in winter; snow, ice and for anyone overboard, little chance of rescue. 

Ron’s experiences left him with what the doctors back then diagnosed as ‘severe nervous disability’. Thousands of men were lost, and for many who lived, the consequences lasted a lifetime.

Read the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Book

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Winston Churchill once wrote, “... the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-Boat peril”. If The Allies had lost, Britain would have been starved into surrender.

 99-year-old John Roberts gives us a fantastic insight into The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest running campaign of WWII.

John left the Royal Navy as a Rear Admiral, having joined-up aged 17 in 1938. When he first went to sea in 1941, The Allies were suffering terrible losses. John explains how the campaign evolved, tactics improved, escorts increased, equipment developed and The Allies gained a greater understanding of how to defeat the enemy.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Paula’s story is about the loss of her husband, Paul Harding, who Served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets. He joined-up at 18 and was killed in action aged 47, in Basra 2007.

We hear about being under attack, fatality and bereavement. If you feel that you might be sensitive to this, you may prefer not to listen.

This emotional, difficult story “shows the tenacity and bravery of my two sons, and how we've recovered from the loss of their wonderful father.”

“Paul told me ‘...this is going to be the toughest of the tours of Op Telic…’ he really wanted to be there…for his men.” When they said goodbye, Paula felt, “...absolutely horrific...he hugged me and said it would be the last one…”

Paul called from Iraq “...He sounded absolutely exhausted. They'd been under siege for three days…” Having secured the site against insurgents “...the militia were trying to stop the handover to the Iraqi army…As a convoy was coming in bringing supplies, they came under attack…Paul…was trying to spot the snipers and get the vehicles in…They started to fire rocket propelled grenades…a blast came through the opening where Paul was looking out so he could give the orders and he was killed instantly.”

Paula was woken at 2am “... I could see the black car and just knew why they were there…and then the nightmare began…When people talk about a broken heart, this is what it really is.”

Paula’s written a book with her friend, about her experiences, “It was cathartic but painful.”

“...Remember, freedom comes at a cost….and not to forget the people who have to carry on with their lives every day who carry the mortgage of everyone's freedom.”

This is a story of courage and resilience. A Love Story.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Tip Cullen, former Royal Marines Commando tells us about losing 8 of his friends in the very first operation of Op Telic 1.

He’s telling this story “...to keep their memory alive” and “...for the families that had to deal with the consequences…” also for “...people to empathise with their sacrifice, or their will to protect what we call freedom…Those people were legends…”

“We deployed as a Brigade Recce Force...mostly Royal Marines Commandos, main disciplines Mountain Leaders or specialists in reconnaissance and snipers…”

“A couple of days before the invasion, everything racks up. We were rehearsing for an aviation assault…The helicopter that I was rehearsing on, and I was ordered to invade with, was a helicopter that would eventually crash.”

Orders were given ready for the invasion. “Everyone was chomping at the bit, this is what we're here for, to do our job as professionally as we can.” At the last minute, Tip was ordered to board a different helicopter and to this day, doesn't know why. He said goodbye to his mates, “Big hugs…See you all when we link up again…”

From Tip’s helicopter, he saw his friends, 

“...dive in a straight line, completely vertical towards the ground and then gone in an instant blast…massive fireball…then we got ‘mission abort’.”

“I lost such close friends and in a very short space of time, from chatting to them, to holding their hands, to giving them hugs…to disintegrating underneath you and forever that will never leave my memory…that will always leave me unsettled for the rest of my days.”

Many thought Tip had been on that helicopter.

This was the start of the invasion and these were our first casualties.

“We were very lucky to have such quality people… to pick ourselves up and do all those guys who died justice.”

Follow Tip on Instagram

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Kirk Bowett Served in The Cheshire Regiment and his deployment to the Middle East began during Op Telic 4, 2004.

We hear about his personal experiences of the realities of war, which includes details of injury and loss of limb. If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.

“I was part of the recce element…in Basra City…the infrastructure had failed, no sanitation…We were initially met with open arms…”

They tried to help “...hearts and minds…” But there were problems “...everything had stopped…police had disappeared…”

“We were doing house assaults to try to capture the terrorists. Militias were beginning to form because of this power vacuum…organised…good weapons…planting precision IEDs.”

Rumours, press and social media, “...created an anger and hatred towards us…a nationwide attack on coalition forces…All hell broke loose…it made me realise… it’s not a peace-keeping thing…it’s a start-stop war…”

Another tour,  “...Al Qaeda had started to rear their ugly head…” After that, Afghanistan, “I lost 12 friends in a 3 month period…burnout of post 9/11 wars had started to really hit the combat troops….Having buried 6 or 7 of my friends…putting them in the ground, that for me was closure enough on my time as an infantry soldier.”

Kirk returned to Iraq as a bodyguard, “...things started to take a turn for the worse. ISIS.” His vehicle was blown-up. He lost his arm and suffered brain trauma.

Life on Civvy Street unravelled, drinking, family separation, homelessness and considering ending his life.

Blesma helped with overcoming challenges. Kirk now draws upon his experiences as a survival instructor with the RAF, in his acting career and as a published author. Although he experiences loneliness, he’s found his sense of purpose, “My children are my anchor…they keep me going…they’re my reason for being.”

Follow Kirk on Instagram and Twitter

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Piers Stacey, aged 17, joined The Corps, “…six days after the Twin Towers were hit…”

Joining 42 Commando late 2002, “...we all went into pre-deployment training for the build-up..it was pretty intense, pretty rapid for a fresh faced 18 year old…”

In Kuwait, “...we landed in the desert…nothing there…over time, defences went up, sandbag walls…” and acclimatisation training, “...we kept our phys up and exercised out in the heat so we could condition ourselves to be able to fight in that way…”

“As we went in…jumping out of the Sea King…I remember just hearing the crack and thump…All of us were getting shot at and that was the start of it…” 

We hear how intense operations became, “...I was a real ‘ops junky’, as terrifying as it was…” and how after Op Telic, Piers became a combat intelligence specialist working with the Special Boat Service.

After 19 years, Piers planned his exit from the Armed Forces,

“...the one thing I did not consider was that sense of belonging and that sense of being part of something bigger…It was not an easy transition…I didn’t know what to say or who to say it to.”

Piers’ mental health deteriorated and he considered driving into a head-on collision. 

This was the turning point for seeking therapy which helped, leading to today having set up ‘Hollow Heart’ where supporters wear a pin to let others know you're open to talking about mental health.

“…Even to this day, if you asked me, ‘Piers, what are you?’ There will be a massive part of me that would just want to say, ‘I'm a Royal Marine, or I'm an intelligence officer….’ I think it's going to be really difficult to shake that part of me in terms of what my identity is.”

Please support Hollow Heart and The Royal Marines Charity

Follow Piers on Instagram 

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

Neville Johnson left South Africa and joined the British Army in 2003.

After basic training, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a cease-fire tour in Belfast, “Those first couple of weeks were a big eye opener for me, definitely paved the way for future operations…”

Neville deployed to Basra in 2005 and 2006, duties including night and daytime patrols, working with special forces units or the parachute regiment during raids, apprehending personnel of interest, long hours in the heat with threats of “...indirect fire on our base…it was the start of the roadside bombs.”

He then deployed to Afghanistan, “Afghan was different. It was full-on war fighting.”

“We got attacked every day…numerous times, all at the same time from different directions, small arms fire, sniper fire, RBG mortar rounds. We knew it was going to be hot, flying-in it was full-on.”

“You're always on alert. You're never fully relaxed. The feeling of knowing someone is there to attack you. The incoming rounds. The sound. The feeling is difficult to explain. The fear, it's horrible…Everyone trained together. We went through it together.”

It wasn't until many years later that Neville felt the impact on his mental health. He doesn’t usually talk about his deployments, even with family, but he found a way through writing poems and putting them out on social media, “...for the world to see, to dissect, was way out of my comfort zone….but getting that release, it's amazing.”

Soldiers from the Commonwealth play a vital role in the British Armed Forces and Neville is testament to this. His poems have now been published and despite being shy, he reads some of them out to us which is incredibly moving and powerful.

Follow Neville on Instagram

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

We meet Sarah Davis, Army Air Corps Ground Crew, one of the pioneering women deployed to the frontline during Op Telic 1.

Having joined-up in 1999, a time when the Armed Forces was going through changes - evolving in terms of equality and a time that would mark the start of several years of military campaigns.

We hear about getting ready to go, “I was kind of craving…doing my bit for Queen and Country…”

As well as operational duties in a combat zone, refuelling and rearming attack helicopters and underslung loads, “You don’t know how good or bad your unit is until you actually go to war.”

We also hear about the impact on loved ones back home, “I promised on this call, ‘Mum, I promise I’m never going to do this to you again.’”

To top it all, Sarah spins a few cracking dits highlighting the critical role of morale, listen out for the Union Flag pants.

Sarah is now involved with several military charities to help Veterans who are struggling, “we don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Links to organisations mentioned in this episode:

BFBS
Homes for Veterans
Military Wives Choir
The Rawthey Project
Soldiers Arts Academy

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

This is Pat Patterson’s story. A Royal Marine Aircrewman with 845 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea King helicopters aka ‘Junglies’, and his wife also served during the war.

Having looked back through his helicopter logbook, he shares with us his experiences of Op Telic 1, as well as his subsequent tours.

We hear about the scale of the operation as well as operational complexities specific to helicopter crews that fly into particularly challenging environments,

“It was a bit more dangerous going the second or third time to Iraq…” 

Being an incidence response team, the crew were involved in insurgency situations as well as casualty evacuation.

They encountered the hazards of flying at night, ‘brown outs’ flying in desert conditions and the helicopters became ‘bullet magnets’ for small arms, RPG rocket launchers and surface to air missiles. 

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

We hear from Andy Merry, 40 Commando, who Served during Op Telic and whose mum marched in the anti-war protests.

Andy was first in to the Al-Faw Peninsula with the US Navy SEALs to capture strategic targets. 

This is his personal account of his experiences and he talks about the realities of war, which includes details of injury and death. 

If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.

We also hear about Andy’s life after war. He’s now a ‘Beefeater’ at the Tower of London and has Multiple Sclerosis.

Andy embraces the spirit of The Corps, acceptance of challenge and positivity in the face of adversity.

Watch this short film to see how the RMA – The Royal Marines Charity were able to support Andy.

Please support the MS Trust and The Royal Marines Charity

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“They…took my husband through our house at gunpoint searching for 'the enemy', as they called them.” Falkland Islander, Carol Phillips, had 3 small children in 1982, “My first thought was…'Are they going to…machine gun us all down?’” The task force had 8,000 miles to sail, “Perhaps we would all be dead by the time they got here?…My Dad…kept saying, 'Don't let them see you're scared…The British Bulldogs are on their way.'” 

Fighting started, “…to lose all those young men…it really was a nightmare.” But locals were courageous, “…we made a list of places around us…named them after…places in Britain like Cardiff, Liverpool…put our little antenna onto my broomstick and set up the CB…we were threatened we'd be imprisoned if we used radios…if we saw Argentine helicopters…we’d poke the broom out the window and say, 'Visitors at Liverpool.’” 

Liberation was bitter-sweet, “We were relieved…lost too many people for celebrations” and danger remained, “…ammunition…no water, electricity…On the radio, ‘…Argentines left upturned cups on top of saucers…call the EOD some have hand grenades under, some human excrement…'” 

255 British Servicemen and 3 female Falkland Islanders died, “That's what I can't forgive. Never will…I feel so guilty for all the people who died for us…We'll be forever grateful for what they’ve done…I just cannot thank them enough.” 

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Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“'I'm not going to lose my life…here'…I could just see a picture of my wife and my two boys in my mind thinking, 'No, I'm gonna get out.' That was my motivation.” 

Chris Howe was deep down inside HMS Coventry, D118, “…a dull thud…followed by extreme heat…a flash and a fireball whipping around the Operations Room…we'd been hit…next thing I knew…I'm coming round…my right arm was on fire…water was coming in…fires all around…thick black smoke…I…managed to get up…very badly burned…in a lot of pain…” 

Eventually struggling to the upper deck, “…I remember looking out and seeing this…flotilla of orange life rafts…I slid down the ship's side and into the cold, salty South Atlantic water…picked a life raft and swam…” 

Chris was finally rescued, “…the winch was coming down…finally managed to pull me in to the Sea King…I still hadn't had any pain relief…I remember laying there in this stretcher…thinking, 'What are they going to do with me now?'” 

Chris suffered 27% burns, “…nothing compared to others that sadly lost their lives...there's not a day goes by I don't think about what happened 40 years ago, on 25th of May…about 19 shipmates, that didn't make it. Why didn't they make it? Why did I make it?…that's a sad thing…very sad thing.”


Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“I would happily go to sea with them all over again, cracking bunch of guys, led by a cracking man.” We hear from Mick Dilucia, of HMS Coventry Flight, Coventry’s helicopter team. “The mood was fairly relaxed heading south… none of us believed it was ever going to happen…then Sandy Woodward briefed us… 'Look around amongst us because we might not all go home together…'” 

Mick was on the flightdeck on that fateful day, 25 May 1982, “…the order was given to turn to starboard...and that's when it happened, the bombs came in…they exploded, it was just like we'd been hit by a big wave...but after that…smoke billowing out of the side…the ship started to list almost immediately…I had to climb up the deck and over the guard rails and just slide down the side of the ship into the water and swim to a life raft…that ship was almost turned turtle in 15 minutes…some of the guys, down from the bowels of the ship, got people out that would have gone down with the ship.” 

“From that day onwards, I thought to myself, if I wake up tomorrow morning and I've got another day ahead of me, then it's a bonus because it could so easily have been taken away.” 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

What was a submarine doing in a war to retake The Falkland Islands? “...the ability to land and recover Special Forces…SAS and SBS, was key.” We hear the fascinating and poignant story of HMS Onyx, the only diesel-electric boat that Served during the war. Submariner, Steve Hussey, was there and shares his unique insight, from beneath the waves, “None of this is done in daylight…surveillance takes place beforehand…if all the conditions are right…getting…as close as you can get these guys and surface them, then it's very quick…open up the submarine and get these guys off…then dive again.” So, discreet and covert operations. How were they recovered? “…getting in contact is the first positive thing because then you know they're actually there…” 

 In stark contrast, towards the end of the war, “…we had the unenviable task of having to sink The Sir Galahad…she had been hit by Argentinian aircraft bombs…and was extremely damaged…with quite a lot of loss of life…and the decision…was to…leave it in The Falklands as a War Grave... Normally, there's…noise in the control room as you're setting-up for an attack…this was nothing like that. This was extremely sombre, very quiet as the orders were given…the CO was on the periscope, so he was the only person who could actually witness it…When the torpedoes were fired, there was just complete silence…” 

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Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“I was in a pub in Aldershot…a couple of the guys came in with the paper…and the general feeling was that we needed to get over there…and start kicking some arse.” This is the story of 2 Para, told through the eyes of Gary Steele, who Served in the battalion during The Falklands War. 

 “We needed to do something, and Goose Green was the something that we did. We set off at night, we left rucksacks behind, everyone was just loaded-up with as much ammunition as they could take…” 

Amidst the danger, British humour and stoicism played its part, “It’s a funny thing, being mortared…initially it’s just sheer terror…you’re lying face-down…you can hear shrapnel flying over you, you can hear the explosion; but after a minute or two, it gets a bit boring ‘cos there’s not really a lot you can do…so I got my little stove out, brewed-up some hot water, had a coffee, while we were being mortared.” 

The battle was brutal, “…The CO was dead, The Adjutant was dead…some of the best soldiers in the battalion had been killed. There were loads of people wounded. It was a pretty shocking situation…you really wanted to do your bit…you really wanted to get stuck-in and help” and that’s exactly what 2 Para did.

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“You’ve got the battles, then you’ve got the humanitarian side…It’s a strange thing is war…” This is the astonishing story of how a North Sea passenger ferry and her civilian crew, became a troop carrier, rescue ship and prisoner of war ship; in the thick of the firing, bombs and air attacks of The Falklands War. 

The entire operation would have been impossible without the merchant ships taken up from trade and requisitioned. But, how did they come to play critical roles in a war 8,000 miles away? We hear from Keith Thompson of MV Norland, who’s crew all volunteered to support the task force.   

However, they could not have foreseen just how dangerous it would get. The night before landing 2 Para on The Falklands, “…we had a message that Norland would go through first…the SAS had found mines…they decided to take the old ships through first…so Norland headed through, followed by HMS Plymouth, HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless…we were the first few ships through the minefield.” 

That was just the start. Norland finally got back to Hull on 1st February 1983, after 282 days at sea, “We were proud of what we did…we’d certainly do it again…but only on Norland.” 

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Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“The First Sea Lord… decreed that HMS Hermes was under just 72 hours’ notice to sail…” It’s the day after the Argentinians invaded The Falklands and Margaret Thatcher announces that Britain would send a task force. Just a few days later, the task force was ready for war. This is the story of the dockyard workers who rose to that challenge, many of whom had just received redundancy notice. 

Flagship HMS Hermes was in a state of disrepair, “…an assisted maintenance period in Portsmouth Royal Dockyard. From the top of her main mast right down to her flightdeck, she was covered in scaffolding, much of her main machinery was ashore in the civilian workshops when the call came…” 

We hear accounts from two former Portsmouth dockyard workers who worked round the clock to achieve this enormous task, Clifford Ball and Mike Huitson. These are voices not usually heard but without whom, the task force could not have sailed. 

We also hear from Andrew Cave, who Served on HMS Hermes. He’s now working to ensure that the thousands of dockyard workers from across the UK and Gibraltar, are commemorated for their herculean effort in readying the warships, troop carriers and supply vessels to sail 8,000 miles and fight a war with no land-based air support, in just a matter of days. 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“For the last 40 years, (we’ve been) trying to get the truth told about what happened on the day that it all kicked off, 2nd April 1982.” This is that true story.
 
“…We didn’t just surrender as the popular story goes.” Ray Bloye was part of Naval Party 8901, the small detachment of Royal Marines on the Falklands at the time of the invasion.
 
The portrayal of NP8901 by the British press led to 40 years of hurt, “The Daily Mail headline, ‘Shamed’…The Sun, ‘Surrender’. Ray hopes that the record will finally be set straight, “What I want, is an acknowledgement from the MOD and the government that we did our job.”
 
Ray takes us through a blow-by-blow account of the first few hours of the invasion, including the attack on their barracks in the middle of the night, “3 o'clock… it was a very still, calm night and we could hear the choppers coming in… shortly after this, all hell seems to break loose…”
 
The Royal Marines, massively outnumbered and under attack by land, sea and air, defended the Islands without suffering casualties. Finally, Rex Hunt, Governor of the Falklands, ordered them to stop fighting and lay down their weapons as a truce had been declared.


Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“…what has become my specialism, I think is… gritty, granular detail of the reality of war set in the broader context of important national events…”

Having joined the Royal Navy in 1985, Toby managed to pack-in trips round the West Indies, Australia, Hong Kong and Europe during his 10 years of Service.

His thirst for adventure remaining unquenched, he began a successful career as a journalist, becoming a foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph specialising in terrorism and war, “… as a journalist, generally speaking, you're sort of against authority, you're trying to find out things you shouldn't know, print things people don't want you to print, upset people and you're sort of on the side of the every man or every person...”

Toby’s tenacity and talent for investigation has also led him to write three non-fiction books, the latest ‘First Casualty’, tells the gripping and incredible true story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan with the response to 9/11, where Toby gained unprecedented access to the CIA, SBS and US Special Forces.

Listen on; and if you like what you hear, tune in our live online event where Toby will talk more about his experiences and he’ll answer as many of your burning questions as we can squeeze in!

Get tickets for Toby's live talk about First Casualty on 4th May 2022 at 1800 GMT

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“I joined the RAF during the Cold War in 1986… around the time of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the threat of… thermo-nuclear war.”

 After going down the pilot route, it became apparent where Ian was more suited, “…the RAF Regiment who seemed larger than life… I met their Commanding Officer who had an unusual approach to dealing with banter in the bar, which normally involved throwing pilots out of windows and I was just kind of smitten… (laughs)”

 So, about that banter, “The RAF Regiment gets a lot of ribbing from the Army and the Marines, but they really have made a profession of force protection… in that day it was ground defence, air defence, nuclear, biological, chemical defences and they were very good at it…”

Ian gives us the low down on working hard and playing hard in the Caribbean,  “…that was a boys’ own adventure… crashing hangovers on a Saturday morning when the troops expected you to take them out on their compulsory R&R, lots of bouncing around on speed boats, swearing you would never drink again and then 10 minutes of lying on the sand in the sun, beads of sweat coming out, "I could murder a pina colada..."

Working with the RAF Police was followed by tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, “…it was complex, my air responsibility was about 650 square kilometres… it was challenging.”

Having left the RAF after 27 years and getting through the difficulties of transition, Ian’s civilian career began and he’s now the CEO of Erskine, “…one of Scotland's oldest, probably biggest and most iconic Veterans' charities… formed in 1916 as a… hospital for limbless sailors and soldiers… physically and mentally shattered from industrial scale warfare in the Naval and trench battles of WWI.”

As part of their recovery, “…we were helping them find new jobs, teaching them skills, carpentry, boot-making... making new prosthetic limbs for their brothers in arms who were returning… a holistic approach.”

Today, with over a hundred years’ experience, Erskine’s holistic and innovative approach continue to make Erskine a leading light in Veterans’ care and Ian will tell you all about it. All that’s left for us to say is, with Ian’s exciting ideas and new projects underway, wouldn’t it be great to see Erskine south of the border too – perhaps we’ll put it to him.

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“I lost my purpose at that point… I had no mission and I really started contemplating what I'd done wrong. I couldn't go back…”

 A far cry from Entrepreneur of the Year, Peter’s transition from the Royal Marines to the business world was challenging, “I joined a company... my first foray into civilian world… it was a really toxic, horrible environment… probably the worst experience I could've had.”

 Months of being unemployed followed leading Peter joined the Reserves, “I kept my rank. I went straight in… and they put me on the Royal Navy officer training team.… and I was basically just thrashing these Navy officers… because I was a drill instructor, so it kind of worked... and that saved me...”

 Peter found the motivation to help himself and spent 6 weeks on YouTube learning how to build websites, then pitched to his first customer, “ ‘I'll do it for 50 quid’. He was like, ‘50 quid?!’ I was like, 'Look, mate, I'm gash… I'm not amazing, but it’ll be something that gives you a bit of presence…' and he's still got it!”

 The entrepreneurial seeds were sewn, “… a load of lads started coming out of The Corps and I started building websites… I smashed them out quite quickly but it was a great little niche because people coming out of the forces couldn't afford a £2-3,000 website and they didn't really know anything about business to be able to start that side up… I always said to them, 'Look, I will build you a website, it will cost you between 5 to £700… but it will pay for itself within a month… the traction and the customers that you get, will pay that back…”

 Fast-forward and Peter’s the 2018/19 Nat West Entrepreneur of the Year and co-founder of the ‘imployable’ App with £1.4 million of private investment. So how does a highly successful businessman end-up laying his soul bare on LinkedIn in the middle of the night, discussing the abuse he experienced as a child? 

Listen on.

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Ch

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“I'm a Lieutenant Commander Serving in the Royal Navy, Serving a full, capable career. Oh, by the way, I have HIV.” 

Oli found out by accident and his 2019 diagnosis came as a complete shock. His first 3 thoughts were: 

What is my life going to be like? 

When am I going to die? 

And do I still have a job? 

“I realised quite rapidly, I'm not going to die... and that's the simple fact of HIV for people in the UK today, I can do whatever I want and I put no one else at risk. The third one wasn't as straightforward as it should have been.” The answer finally came back as, “Yes, you can stay in, but you'll be medically limited deployable.” 

Medically downgraded with anxiety and depression, Oli’s counselling from the Terrence Higgins Trust is helping him to come to terms with having HIV and he’s campaigning with them to reduce stigma, educate and shine a light on policy… getting the attention of No.10, 

“…Defence announced that you can join the military and have no impact on being in the military, if you take PrEP (HIV medication) …and as of Spring this year, when it comes to living with HIV and joining with HIV in the military, those restrictions will be lifted.” 

Medical knowledge has come a long way since the campaigns of the 1980s as dramatised recently on TV in ‘It’s A Sin’. People can now live full lives with HIV, “I take one tablet a day … and I cannot physically pass HIV on to anyone.” 

Oli’s December 2021 post on LinkedIn went viral with 2.6 million views, 

“I felt that no one else should feel as alone and isolated as I did. I can't be the only person in the military with HIV. Well, where are they?”

It starts with me - National HIV testing week

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.

“They could only work until they didn't fit in their uniform, so the aim was always to circulate the skirts until no skirt would fit them….” 

Joining us this episode is former WREN Officer and Reservist, Pam Heeley, who explains how women were not allowed to remain in the Navy once they had children; and as there was no maternity uniform, pregnant women had to leave when their skirts no longer fitted. Thankfully, times have changed. 

With ‘secret communications’, the handover of Hong Kong, a James Bond premiere event and working on the Bicentennial of the Battle of Trafalgar ‘T200’ under her belt, Pam’s time in uniform was diverse and interesting. But one of her most challenging roles was helping with the Lockerbie Air Disaster, “…shocking but a good thing to have done.” 

A later role with the MOD, saw Pam running the regional media for the whole of the country for all three Services, “…there was a feeling in about 2007 that defense was taking a bit of a hammering in the national media, lots of questions about whether we should be in Afghanistan or not… So as a result, the then the Gordon Brown government decided to try and tilt a bit of focus towards the regional media… their angle tends to be supporting their local Service personnel, not necessarily asking whether we should be there in the first place.” 

Finally leaving the military world, the charity sector beckoned, with Pam becoming CEO of a breast cancer charity and is now The British Liver Trust. We hear the little-known fact that men can contract breast cancer and that incidence of liver disease has increased 400% in the last 30 years. We discuss how since the Covid pandemic started, the medical world has accelerated to the cutting edge of science and technology and how advances in knowledge could have widespread benefits for years to come.

Hosted by Steve Bomford and Mike Davis-Marks.

Find out more about the Company of Makers  or sign up to our newsletter.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.

To find out more contact us.