In October 1942, as Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps prepared for one final push towards Cairo, Australia's 9th Division and New Zealand's 2nd Division stood ready at El Alamein for what would become the decisive battle of the North African campaign. Author Tom Gilling joins Mat McLachlan to explore how Montgomery's meticulously planned offensive depended on the tenacity of these Anzac forces to break through Rommel's formidable defences. From the initial barrage that lit up the desert night ...
Jul 17, 2025•43 min•Season 9Ep. 251
On July 1st, 1916, 800 young Newfoundlanders climbed out of a trench and walked into history at Beaumont-Hamel. In twenty minutes, an entire generation was lost. This is their story - from fishermen's sons volunteering in St. John's to seasoned soldiers facing the German lines on the Somme. Through the actual words of Lieutenant Owen Steele, Private Frank Lind, and others who were there, Mat McLachlan tells how a small island's fierce loyalty to the Empire led to unimaginable sacrifice. A traged...
Jul 02, 2025•43 min•Season 9Ep. 250
Billy Sing was a living contradiction - an Australian of Chinese and English descent, who went on to become Australia's deadliest sniper of all time. In this episode Mat explores Billy's life, his deadly work at Gallipoli and his sad decline once the war was over. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information. Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours an...
Jun 26, 2025•20 min•Season 9Ep. 249
This week marks the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the epic battle that resulted in the defeat of Napoleon and the rewriting of European history. But recent research has revealed that one man who fought at the battle had a fascinating connection with Australia. Lieutenant Andrew White of the Royal Engineers had been born in the fledgling colony of NSW, the son of a convict. His journey from colonial child to gentleman officer serving on the staff of the Duke of Wellington is one of...
Jun 20, 2025•40 min•Season 9Ep. 248
It's been 60 years since the first Australian combat troops were deployed to Vietnam. In this episode Mat discusses the political situation that led to their deployment, their early actions and the lessons learned that helped shape our commitment to the war. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information. Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and medi...
Jun 11, 2025•24 min•Season 9Ep. 247
This week marks the anniversary of the Battle of Messines, in June 1917. At the time, it was considered the greatest Allied victory of the war, and Australian and New Zealand troops played a vital role. In this episode Mat breaks down the battle, what innovative tactics helped to win it, and the huge Anzac sacrifice required to bring victory. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com...
Jun 04, 2025•19 min•Season 9Ep. 246
May 8 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, the day the Germans surrendered in the Second World War. Mat is joined by historian Lachlan Grant from the Australian War Memorial to discuss what this important day meant for Australians, both at home and overseas. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Guest: Lachlan Grant Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information. Find out everything Ma...
May 08, 2025•44 min•Season 9Ep. 245
Mat is joined again by legendary London battle guide, Steve Hunnisett, to explore more sites that tell the story of London's wartime past. Sites visited: - Salvation Army HQ, where an amateur photographer captured iconic images of London in flames during the Blitz - The Royal Exchange, where a direct bomb hit created 'the largest crater in England' - Two extraordinary war memorials - one from the Napoleonic Wars and one from the First World War - that tell the stories of Londoners who volunteere...
Mar 27, 2025•24 min•Season 9Ep. 244
Although Australians were actively involved in the Burma campaign throughout the Second World War, this vitally important theatre of the Asia-Pacific War has fallen through the cracks of history. Mat speaks with historian Daryl Moran to reveal the service and sacrifice of Australians in this forgotten campaign. In the Fight: Australians and the War in Burma, 1942-1945 , edited by Andrew Kilsby and Daryl Moran, is available now. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Guest: Daryl Moran Producer: Jess Stebnicki...
Mar 15, 2025•46 min•Season 9Ep. 243
Lambis Englezos is well-known as the man who discovered a mass grave containing 250 Australian soldiers on the 1916 battlefield of Fromelles. This battle had been an unmitigated disaster, with more than 5500 Australians killed, wound or captured in only 20 hours of fighting. It is still remembered as the greatest military disaster in Australian history. In July 2025 Lambis will return to the Western Front to lead a special group tour, which will commemorate the anniversary of Fromelles and Pozie...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min•Season 9Ep. 242
It's the latest episode in our Q&A series. This week's questions include: Was it a war crime to drop the atomic bombs?; How can I visit Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium?; and is it possible to speak with Vietnam veterans? Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/) Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media ...
Feb 26, 2025•28 min•Season 9Ep. 241
February marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the most iconic battles of the Pacific War. But why is the battle so iconic, when so many other Pacific actions have fallen through the cracks of history. Mat is joined by US historian John McManus to find out! Topics include the pivotal role of the USA in WW2; the strategic importance of Iwo Jima as part of the bombing campaign against Japan; the plans to capture the island; the bloody fighting on the landing beaches, the air...
Feb 06, 2025•51 min•Season 9Ep. 240
Welcome to our new season! In this first episode Mat tells the story of the winter of 1916/17, one of the harshest ordeals faced by Australian soldiers in the First World War. Topics include the end of the Battle of the Somme; the attacks at Flers in November 1916; the devastating effect on morale of living in the frigid conditions; the remarkable story of Harry Murray, our most decorated soldier of the war; and a mispositioned memorial that reveals a rare piece of Australian history. Presenter:...
Jan 22, 2025•33 min•Season 9Ep. 239
Talbot House was an 'everyman's club' in the Ypres sector in Belgium during the First World War. Established behind the lines in the town of Poperinghe, Talbot House was a place soldiers could come to for some respite from the horrors of the battlefield. Today it has been preserved as a museum, dedicated to telling the story of the house and its foundation by Australian chaplain Tubby Clayton. Mat visits the house, escorted by its director, Simon Louagie, to explore the stories of the lives and ...
Dec 19, 2024•38 min•Season 8Ep. 238
Mat is joined by regular co-host Karl James to discuss some important Second World War anniversaries. Topics include the sinking of HMAS Sydney and the opening of the Australian War Memorial in 1941, the end of the Kokoda campaign in 1942 and the Australians taking over from the Americans on Bougainville in 1944. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Guest: Karl James Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for mor...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 8Ep. 237
It's the latest episode in our Q&A series. This week's questions include: Was General Monash the greatest general of the First World War?; Where can I lay a wreath on the Western Front battlefields?; and What evidence of Hitler's V-Weapons campaign can you find today? Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/) Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Find out e...
Nov 20, 2024•27 min•Season 8Ep. 236
Our guest this week is noted Australian historian Peter Stanley, formerly with the Australian War Memorial, the National Museum and the University of NSW. Peter's new book, Beyond the Broken Years , explores more than a century of military history publishing, via a thousand books. Topics discussed include the history of military history writing, the role of military history in telling the broader story of Australian history, the significance of 'storians' vs historians and the future of military...
Nov 15, 2024•36 min•Season 8Ep. 235
It's the latest episode in our Q&A series. This week's questions include: Was the Brisbane Line in WW2 real?; Is Anzac Day the best time to visit Gallipoli?; and Did Australian troops only fight under the Red Ensign flag in WW1? Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/) Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours...
Nov 12, 2024•20 min•Season 8Ep. 234
Mat is joined by special co-host Karl James to discuss the significance of Remembrance Day. How did it start, what does it mean to veterans and the general public, and will it continue to be important in the future? Presenter: Mat McLachlan Guest: Karl James Producer: Jess Stebnicki Join one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit https://battlefields.com.au/ for more information. Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/ma...
Nov 07, 2024•41 min•Season 8Ep. 233
It's the second episode in our new Q&A series. Today's topics include WW2 sites in Singapore; visiting the medieval battlefields of Crecy and Agincourt; the role of snipers in the First World War; and the attitude of Vietnamese people to Australian Vietnam veterans. Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/) Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Find out eve...
Oct 29, 2024•21 min•Season 8Ep. 232
Mat sits down with producer Jess Stebnicki to answer your questions, including: Are there ghosts on the battlefields? How much time do I need to spend on the Australian battlefields? What happened to Australians captured at Gallipoli?, and how much unexploded ammunition is still on the battlefields? Send your questions to Mat on X (https://x.com/MatMcLachlan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldTours) or Insta (https://www.instagram.com/mat_mclachlan/) Presenter: Mat McLachlan Produce...
Oct 22, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 231
Mat is in Paris, sharing his memories of a very special visit to the Western Front. Topics discussed include how young people engage with the Anzac legend; a German WW2 cemetery that provokes mixed emotions; the Last Post service at the newly-renovated Menin Gate; the Sunken Lane on the Somme battlefield; and a remarkable coincidence involving two Australians killed in 1918. Join Mat on his Signature Tour to the Western Front in 2025: https://battlefields.com.au/western-front-signature-tour-with...
Oct 16, 2024•40 min•Season 8Ep. 230
Damien Parer was one of Australia's greatest war photographers and cinematographers. His images and footage of Australians in the Second World War helped define the conflict, both for the people who were in it and for generations to come. His camera work on 'Kokoda Frontline' helped earn Australia its first Academy Award, and his work with American forces in the Pacific set new standards for combat photography. In this episode Mat is joined by Karl James from the Australian War Memorial to tell ...
Sep 18, 2024•42 min•Season 8Ep. 229
Mat visits the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the artefacts and large items that are rarely on public display. During this special visit he is guided by Head of Military History Dr Karl James, and speaks to historian Dr Lachlan Grant about the new Australians in Bomber Command exhibition. Topics discussed: 'G for George', the AWM's famous Lancaster bomber; the German ME262 German aircraft; a Chinook helicopter that carried Australian troops into comba...
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 228
Join Mat to hear all about guidl, a new audio tour app that he is contributing to. guidl takes you on walking tours to the world's most historic sites, narrated by leading historians. Mat's first guidl tour is of wartime Ypres and, in this special episode, Mat shares the first chapter of his Ypres walking tour. Download the app and find out more about guidl: https://www.guidl.tours/ Join Mat on a battlefield tour: https://battlefields.com.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Sep 12, 2024•8 min
The Somme region in northern France was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. Today, it is one of the most important and evocative battlefields for Australian visitors. In this special episode, Mat explores the Somme region and tells you where to go, where to stay and what you will see when you are there. Watch the video version of this podcast! https://youtu.be/vo1LDZI5UZg?si=ru4wT_lpT1JJkkOk Presenter: Mat McLachlan Producer: Jess Stebnicki Subscribe via Patreon f...
Sep 05, 2024•40 min•Season 8Ep. 227
Live from Vietnam! In this very special episode of the podcast, Mat is joined by veteran of the Battle of Long Tan, Dave Sabben, MG. Mat and Dave have just walked the entire Long Tan battlefield on the 58th anniversary of the battle, and share their thoughts about this very special experience. Presenter: Mat McLachlan Guest: Dave Sabben, MG Producer: Jess Stebnicki Subscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with M...
Aug 23, 2024•26 min•Season 8Ep. 226
During the Second World War, the Allies were desperate to sink the two biggest battleships in the German fleet, Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz. Bismarck went to the bottom in 1941 but in 1944 Tirpitz was still threatening Allied shipping. In a series of daring raids over the icy waters of Norway, Royal Air Force bombers eventually sank the mighty warship. And Australian crews played there part. In his new book, Buckham's Bombers , Mark Baker tells the story of Australian captain Bruce Buck...
Aug 22, 2024•38 min•Season 8Ep. 225
The First World War is drawing to a close, as the unstoppable forces of France, Britain and America grind the German army into the ground. But some of the toughest fighting of the war is still to come before an Armistice is finally signed. How did the men keep going through this terrible ordeal, knowing that the war could end any day, and yet death still lurked on every corner of the battlefield? In the fourth and final episode of our special series about the triumphant campaign that ended the F...
Aug 15, 2024•59 min•Season 8Ep. 224
Mat McLachlan and Peter Hart are going to Gallipoli! In this special episode of the podcast, the two historians and chums discuss their upcoming tour in May 2025, which will discover the battlefields of Gallipoli by walking in the footsteps of the men who were there! The 10-day tour begins in Istanbul on May 21, 2025, and we'd love you to join us! There are limited places still available! Click here for full details: https://battlefields.com.au/gallipoli-signature-tour-with-mat-mclachlan-2025/ H...
Aug 14, 2024•33 min
