Living History With Mat Mclachlan

Eighty-five years ago, 14,000 Australian soldiers were surrounded in a dusty Libyan port by Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. They were outnumbered, outgunned and cut off from the world. Nazi propaganda called them rats caught in a trap. They took the name and made it their own.In this episode, Mat McLachlan tells the story of the Siege of Tobruk — 242 days that proved the German blitzkrieg could be stopped. Through the voices of the men who were there, we go inside the perimeter: the terror of a first night patrol, the nine-inch trenches of the Salient, the flies in the stew, the dust that turned sleeping men into waxed mummies, and the destroyers that slipped in through the darkness to keep them alive."Anybody that wasn't frightened was either a liar or a fool. We were all frightened, naturally. But we had a job to do and we did it." — Harley Brooks, 2/12th BattalionFrom Corporal Jack Edmondson's Victoria Cross action on Easter Sunday to the bond between a mother and her fallen son, from General Morshead's red h

In the spring of 1918, Germany launched its greatest offensive of the war. The British Fifth Army collapsed under the weight of it. And somewhere in the chaos of that retreat, on a railway embankment west of a small French village called Dernancourt, four thousand Australians were told to hold the line against twenty-five thousand Germans.In this episode, Mat McLachlan tells the story of the Battles of Dernancourt, the 28th of March and the 5th of April, 1918, officially the strongest attacks faced by Australian troops in the entire war. Almost no one has heard of them.Through the words of the men who were there, we follow the desperate defence of the railway embankment that linked two vital French towns. We meet Sergeant Stan McDougall, a Tasmanian blacksmith who single-handedly repelled a German breakthrough, burning his hands on the barrel of a Lewis gun before picking up a bayonet and charging — earning the Victoria Cross and then, eight days later at the same spot, the Military Medal. We hear Lieutenant

In 1945, a young American psychiatrist named Douglas M. Kelley was given an extraordinary assignment: evaluate the 22 most senior Nazis awaiting trial at Nuremberg and determine whether they were mentally fit to face justice. Among his patients was Hermann Göring, Hitler's second-in-command, who was charismatic, manipulative and utterly unrepentant.What Kelley discovered shook him to his core. Using Rorschach tests, IQ assessments and hundreds of hours of interviews, he concluded that these architects of the Holocaust were not clinically insane. They were psychologically normal: intelligent, ambitious opportunists who had made deliberate choices to pursue power at any human cost. There was no "Nazi mind." There was no psychiatric explanation that set them apart from the rest of us.It was a conclusion the post-war world didn't want to hear. And it destroyed the man who reached it.In this episode, Mat McLachlan talks to Jack El-Hai, author of The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the book behind the 2025 film Nurember

In March 1885, thirty years before Gallipoli, 770 men from New South Wales sailed for the deserts of Sudan — the first Australian soldiers ever sent to fight in a foreign war.In this episode, Mat McLachlan tells the forgotten story of Australia's Sudan Contingent — the part-time soldiers, weekend volunteers and colonial clerks who marched through Sydney in scarlet jackets to a crowd of 200,000, then crossed the world to serve alongside the Scots Guards and Grenadier Guards at Suakin. Through the soldiers' own words, we follow their journey from the excitement of departure to the brutal reality of an African desert — where the nights were more dangerous than the days, the enemy poisoned the waterholes, and the real killer wasn't bullets but disease.From Acting Premier William Bede Dalley's extraordinary decision to send troops without consulting parliament, to the Guards' bewildered reaction to their colonial allies, from Private Robert Weir's father farewell — "I look upon you as going to your grave" — to the

In February 1951, while Australia slept, soldiers from 3RAR were crawling through knee-deep snow on frozen Korean ridgelines — fighting a war their own country barely noticed and has largely forgotten since.In this episode, Mat McLachlan tells the story of Operation Killer — the brutal UN counter-offensive that turned the tide of the Korean War. Through the voices of the men who were there, we follow 3RAR from the catastrophic Chinese intervention that sent 300,000 enemy soldiers smashing into UN lines, through the longest retreat in American military history, to the desperate hill-by-hill fightback that began on the frozen slopes above Chipyong-ni.From the corporal and two soldiers who stood up and charged fortified Chinese bunkers on the summit of Hill 614, to the stretcher bearers who carried their wounded mates down snow-covered mountains with no helicopter evacuation and no mechanical assistance, from Private Snow Dicker burying himself in rice straw to survive minus twenty-five degree nights to the snip

In February 1942, when the Japanese Imperial Army launched its assault on Singapore, 880 Australians would die in just four days—not in the surrender that followed, but in the desperate battle to defend the island.In this episode, Mat McLachlan reveals the forgotten story of the invasion of Singapore—four days in February 1942 that have been overshadowed by the surrender and the horrors of captivity that followed. Through authentic accounts and personal testimonies, we follow the opening days of the Japanese assault: the night of February 8th when 88,000 shells rained down on Australian positions; the 2/20th Battalion losing 548 men in twenty-four hours; and the burning oil at Kranji that sent the Imperial Guards through flames.From Lieutenant-General Percival's catastrophic refusal to build defenses because they were "bad for morale" to General Yamashita's stunning post-war admission that his entire attack was "a bluff—a bluff that worked," from Private Ray Colenso writing poetry about duty before dying on a

In November 1916, when the great Somme offensive ground to its bloody halt, over 20,000 Australians would become casualties not from enemy fire, but from the winter itself.In this powerful episode, Mat McLachlan reveals the forgotten story of the Somme winter of 1916-17—an ordeal that historian Bill Gammage called "the worst experience the AIF ever endured." Through authentic accounts and personal testimonies, we follow Charles Bean through the devastated moonscape near Gueudecourt on Christmas Day, where the mud was so terrible he couldn't bring himself to wish the men a Merry Christmas; Private Albert Edwards enduring his first 56 hours in two feet of water on an empty stomach; and Private Herbert Harris, recording that most of his mates hadn't had dry feet for a month and some didn't even have socks.From the trench foot epidemic that claimed ninety percent of the 27th Battalion to the frozen nights when tea froze solid before reaching the front lines, from Captain Harry Murray's Victoria Cross action at St

On October 12th, 1917, Captain Clarence Jeffries led one hundred Australian troops toward a German machine gun position on the Passchendaele road. He'd already captured one pillbox that morning—exactly the kind of action that had worked brilliantly in September. But the ground had turned to liquid mud. The barrage was invisible. Everything was different. Jeffries was killed instantly, posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for capturing ground that would be abandoned the next day.The Battle of Passchendaele represents the tragic final chapter of Third Ypres. In this episode, Mat McLachlan examines how an offensive that had proven the Western Front stalemate could be broken descended into one of history's ultimate symbols of futility.From the 66th Division's twelve-hour march through mud to reach their start line, to the 3rd Australian Division's 400-yard advance at the cost of 3,199 casualties, to General Currie's precise prediction of 16,000 Canadian losses—we witness the attacks that should never have happ

On October 4th, 1917 a thousand British guns opened fire on German positions along Broodseinde Ridge. What followed was described by Crown Prince Rupprecht as "the black day of the war." For the first time, German high command began to consider the unthinkable: that they might actually lose.The Battle of Broodseinde was the third and final success in General Plumer's carefully planned offensive. In this episode, Mat McLachlan reveals how a perfect convergence of tactics, timing and weather created what Charles Bean called "the most complete success so far won by the British Army in France."From the 3rd Australian Division's capture of the Tyne Cot blockhouse to the stunning double-blow of simultaneous attacks, we follow the forces that shattered German morale and captured the ridge that dominated the Ypres Salient. But we also witness what came after: the rains that turned the battlefield to porridge, and the attacks at Poelcappelle and Passchendaele that descended into nightmare.Why did German commanders pan

On September 26th, 1917, at Polygon Wood, three cousins from the same Australian pioneering family waited in the pre-dawn darkness. Raymond Single would soon be shot by a sniper who saw his luminous watch glow. Within hours, Hubert Thompson and Wilfred Single would also be dead.At 5:50 AM, a thousand guns opened simultaneously in what Frank Hurley called "a blinding sheet of flame." The Battle of Polygon Wood had begun.Six days after the success at Menin Road, General Plumer launched his second "bite and hold" attack. In this episode, Mat McLachlan reveals how Polygon Wood became both a perfect victory and a terrible revelation: the British Empire had finally learned how to win battles, but winning provided no relief from the slaughter.From Pompey Elliott holding the line while his brother died, to Patrick Bugden's five rescue missions into no-man's land, we follow the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions through what Charles Bean called possibly Elliott's greatest achievement—and one of the bloodiest days in Aus

On September 20th, 1917, at the Battle of Menin Road, Private Roy Inwood lay in the mud east of Ypres. His brother had died at Pozières the year before. In three hours, Roy would earn the Victoria Cross. The day after, he'd be dead.Nearby, three brothers from Petersham waited with their unit. By nightfall, their mother would have lost all three sons.After weeks of catastrophic failures under General Gough, Field Marshal Haig transferred command to General Herbert Plumer. In this episode, Mat McLachlan reveals how Plumer's methodical genius transformed the offensive: three weeks of preparation, limited objectives, overwhelming firepower—one gun for every five yards of front—and revolutionary tactics that reversed traditional doctrine.From predawn assembly through torrential mist to the devastating creeping barrage, we follow the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions executing what Charles Bean called "probably their zenith"—the most perfectly coordinated attack of the war.Why did German counter-attacks fail so cata

When Field Marshal Douglas Haig launched his great Flanders offensive in July 1917, he believed he was unleashing the battle that would end the war. Instead, he condemned three-quarters of a million men to fight and die in what would become synonymous with the horror of the Western Front.In this opening episode, Mat McLachlan reveals how the stage was set for Third Ypres through a deadly convergence of strategic necessity and catastrophic weather. Through authentic accounts, we explore the crisis that made the battle inevitable: the French Army's collapse into mutiny after the disastrous Nivelle Offensive; the devastating U-boat campaign threatening to starve Britain into submission; and Haig's fateful decision to entrust his decisive battle to the aggressive General Hubert Gough rather than the methodical Herbert Plumer.From the spectacular success of Messines Ridge - where 19 massive mines vaporized 10,000 German soldiers in 19 seconds - to the opening disaster of July 31st when torrential rain transformed

When 35,000 Allied paratroopers dropped into Holland in September 1944, four Australians from opposite corners of the continent found themselves at the heart of one of World War Two's most catastrophic operations.In this remarkable episode, Mat McLachlan reveals the forgotten Australian stories of Operation Market Garden. Through authentic accounts and personal testimonies, we follow Keith Prowd from Gympie as his burning bomber falls from the sky at 550 feet; Alan Wood from Sydney, typing dispatches while German mortars explode around him; John Hackett from Perth, leading bayonet charges before being hidden by three Dutch sisters who risk everything to save him; and Tom Hall from Melbourne, whose Typhoon rockets try desperately to keep Hell's Highway open.From Prowd's Death March through frozen Poland to Hackett's months in hiding during the Hunger Winter, these four men experienced Market Garden from every angle - in the air, on the ground, and through the typewriter keys that would preserve its history. Th

While the world watched Iwo Jima and Okinawa, over 70,000 Australian soldiers were fighting and dying in what many would later call the 'unnecessary wars' - the final campaigns in Bougainville, New Guinea and Borneo.In this powerful episode, Mat McLachlan tells the forgotten story of Australia's last battles of World War Two. From November 1944 to August 1945, Australian forces fought through some of the war's most grueling conditions, losing over 2000 men in campaigns that history has largely overlooked.Through authentic accounts from the soldiers who were there - including seven Victoria Cross recipients - we experience the mud, monsoons and malaria of jungle warfare. We meet young men like 20-year-old Frank Partridge, who became the war's youngest Australian VC recipient, and veterans like George Palmer, who carried the memory of a Japanese soldier he killed for the rest of his life.Were these campaigns strategically necessary, or were they, as critics claimed, a waste of Australian lives for political pur

Was dropping the atomic bomb necessary? For nearly 80 years, historians have debated President Truman's decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan. But secret intelligence intercepts - classified for decades after the war - reveal what Japanese leaders were actually planning in the summer of 1945.Using newly available evidence from the "Magic" intercepts, Mat McLachlan examines the brutal alternatives Truman faced: invasion projections of over a million American casualties, Japanese preparations to turn their entire population into combatants, and intelligence proving Japan's refusal to surrender.Through the stories of Colonel Paul Tibbets, who piloted the Enola Gay, and Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, who survived Hiroshima, this episode explores one of history's most controversial decisions - and why the evidence suggests it was the only choice that could end the war and save lives.The atomic bombs killed 200,000 people. But would the alternatives have killed millions more?Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Je

Step into the hallowed halls of London's Guards Museum with Mat McLachlan as he uncovers extraordinary artifacts from one of history's most pivotal battles. In this captivating episode, Mat takes you behind the scenes to examine authentic Waterloo relics that have survived over two centuries - from battle-worn uniforms and weapons to personal effects that once belonged to the soldiers who fought on that fateful day in 1815. You'll discover how these precious artifacts made their way from the Belgian battlefield to their current home in London, and what they tell us about courage, sacrifice, and the brutal reality of Napoleonic warfare.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Lee MurrellProducer: Jess StebnickiWatch the full video version of this episode at: https://youtu.be/aWVEQ9_r7Hs?si=Zy_NqutT4gFgxX6kReady to walk in Wellington's footsteps? Join Mat McLachlan on an exclusive private tour of the Waterloo battlefield, where you'll explore the very ground where history was made. Discover the stories behind the strateg

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 to the grinding attritional warfare that followed, this is the story of how Australian and New Zealand forces helped deliver the victory that Churchill called "the end of the beginning" - a triumph that saved the Middle East and marked the true turning point of the Second World War.Tom Gilling's new book on the Battle of El Alamein, Start Digging You Bastards!, is available now.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Tom GillingProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Vi

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 tragedy that shaped Newfoundland's identity forever, commemorated by a bronze caribou that still stands guard over the fields where so many gave everything.Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin 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/matmclachlanFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube

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 McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin 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/matmclachlanFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the most remarkable tales of early Australia. Join Mat as he tells the story of Andrew White, Australia's first returned serviceman and only Waterloo veteran.Presenter: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiJoin 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/matmclachlanFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our