Podcasts about It Happened Here

March 2025 In 1943 there seemed to be few mysteries left unsolved for Bletchley Park. But by the middle of that year, whispers would be heard of new threats: the V-1 ‘flying bomb' and V-2 rocket. What began with hints of secret trials on the Baltic would grow into an investigation which would strain Allied scientific intelligence to the utmost, as well as revealing serious flaws in the operation at Bletchley Park. But by the time ‘vengeance-weapon' attacks against the United Kingdom began in 1944, the Allies knew what they were facing; enabling countermeasures to be put in place which, despite the immense destruction the weapons caused, likely saved thousands of lives. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Head of Audiences and Programmes Vicki Pipe is joined by Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham to discuss the secret weapons which represented Nazi Germany's last-gasp attempt to turn the tide of World War Two. This episode features Oral History recordings of WAAF Filter Officer Eileen Younghusband. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bundesarchiv, Bild 141-1880 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

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December 2024 On the 12th of November 1944 Germany's largest battleship – Tirpitz – was sunk by British RAF Lancaster bombers off Tromso in Norway. Ever since its deployment to the region back in January 1942, the battleship had posed a threat to Arctic convoy operations. A large part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet as well as US vessels were tied up protecting convoys from this ship that Winston Churchill christened ‘The Beast'. Despite Tirpitz having never fired its guns in anger at Allied warships, its presence was threat enough. Intelligence experts continued the difficult work of tracking its location and state of readiness. The analysts of Bletchley Park's Naval Section followed the ship for nearly three years, and played a key part in her final destruction. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, we are joined by Dr David Kenyon, Bletchley Park's Research Historian and author of ‘Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas'. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: Australian War Memorial (Public Domain) Accession Number SUK11808 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #Tirpitz,

November 2024 On 12 November 1944 Germany's largest battleship – Tirpitz – was sunk by British RAF Lancaster bombers off Tromso in Norway. Ever since its deployment to the region back in January 1942, the battleship had posed a threat to Arctic convoy operations. A large part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet as well as US vessels were tied up protecting convoys from this ship that Winston Churchill christened ‘The Beast'. Despite Tirpitz having never fired its guns in anger at Allied warships, its presence was threat enough. Intelligence experts continued the difficult work of tracking its location and state of readiness. The analysts of Bletchley Park's Naval Section followed the ship for nearly three years, and played a key part in her final destruction. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, we are joined by Dr David Kenyon, Bletchley Park's Research Historian and author of ‘Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas'. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog #: NH 71318 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #Tirpitz,

November 2024 The crews of RAF Bomber Command had one of the most hazardous jobs of the war. Flying by night to their targets in occupied Europe, they were alone and vulnerable to the prowling German night-fighters.  Helping them reach their targets was one of the least-known, but most significant achievements of the signals intelligence operation at Bletchley Park. Analysis of the night-fighters' communications revealed priceless insights into the German defensive system – and how it could be evaded, outwitted and ultimately manipulated. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham tells us about one of Bletchley Park's most important contributions to Britain's total war against Nazi Germany. Many thanks to Mr Lindsay Spence for voicing our archival documents. Image: Herbert Olivier, Operations Room: Bomber Command Conference. Oil on canvas, 1944. From the Collection: Air Historical Branch, MOD, on long loan to the RAF Museum as part of the Second World War Official War Artists' collection. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BomberCommand,

What happens if fascism takes root in the United States? Actors Edie Falco and Tony Shalhoub have teamed up to voice a new radio play called “It Happened Here 2024.” The play, adapted by Richard Dresser from his own novel, imagines an authoritarian country in 2039 where elections are a thing of the past and the rule of law has collapsed. We'll talk to the actors and the playwright about the connections they see between their “audio documentary from the future” and the current political climate. Guests: Edie Falco, actor, known for her roles on "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie" Tony Shalhoub, actor, known for his roles on "Monk" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Richard Dresser, playwright, screenwriter and novelist, His new radio play is "It Happened Here 2024"

October 2024 The crews of RAF Bomber Command had one of the most hazardous jobs of the war. Flying by night to their targets in occupied Europe, they were alone and vulnerable to the prowling German night-fighters. Helping them reach their targets was one of the least-known, but most significant achievements of the signals intelligence operation at Bletchley Park. Analysis of the night-fighters' communications revealed priceless insights into the German defensive system – and how it could be evaded, outwitted and ultimately manipulated. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham tells us about one of Bletchley Park's most important contributions to Britain's total war against Nazi Germany. This episode features the following Veteran from our Oral History archive: Sir Arthur Bonsall Many thanks to Dean Annison & Mr Lindsay Spence for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024. Staff of Bletchley Park night fighter section in 1943. L-R standing: Pat Smith, Edith Davidson, Janet Smith, Florence Brooke, Vincent Chapman. Seated: Molly Blakeley, Catherine Payne, Brenda Gough. Front: Joy Parker, Jeanne Phillips. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BomberCommand,

And exclusive sneak peek of a brand new radio play starring Edie Falco, John Turturro and Tony Shalhoub. Inspired by Sinclair Lewis' dystopian novel, It Can't Happen Here, Richard Dresser's novel, and now 6-part radio play called It Happened Here 2024, offers a glimpse of what could happen after the 2024 election if fascism creeps into the USA. The story centers around the Weeks family as they brace for the election. Paul and Ruth's family work to defeat the so-called Great Leader. Paul's brother Garret and his family are on the other side. Family get-togethers are tense. When the Great Leader, with a giant boost from the Supreme Court, shockingly wins the quote, “most important election ever,” the family is thrown into chaos.It Happened Here 2024 describes a country that still has Netflix and free two-day delivery, where the only thing lost is freedom....Listen to the rest of the episodes wherever you get your podcasts!  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

September 2024 The Government Code and Cypher School employed thousands of people during the war. These varied from Cambridge dons who had broken codes in World War One to machine workers with very specific skills, to female conscripts from the three armed services. How did all these people know what to do? As usual at BP, the answer is a complex one: a mix of training courses (some well organised, others less so) developed as the organisation grew exponentially as the war progressed. In this month's ‘It Happened Here' episode we are joined by Bletchley Park Historian Dr David Kenyon to explore the varied experiences of new recruits finding out how to do their job – sometimes on an organised course, sometimes learning on the job, and sometimes literally making it up themselves. This episode features the following Veterans from our Oral History archive: Betty Webb Iris King Joan Joslin Many thanks to Sarah Langston for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

July 2024  In early 1942 one of the most disastrous defeats of the war saw British forces pushed out of Burma, now known as Myanmar. Two years later, the multi-national Fourteenth Army, the ‘Forgotten Army', had learned to fight and beat the Japanese, inflicting their largest defeat of the war at Imphal and Kohima, and was poised to begin the reconquest of Burma. This turnaround had much to do with bitter experience gained in close combat, and superb logistics, but an important element was detailed intelligence, which allowed the Allies to seize control of the skies and control the battle below.  In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham leads us through the transformations at Bletchley Park, at signals intelligence centres in South-East Asia, and on the front lines, which turned defeat into victory. This episode features the following from our Oral History archive: Pat Johnston Stephen Freer Edward Simpson Mary Every Eric Rhodes Image: © The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

It is a truism that Lower Manhattan has been America's town square since its founding in 1524, even though its history is much deeper. Virtually every aspect of global, local and national significance can be in some manner traced to this Downtown stage. Some have been forgotten and some have been transformative in our culture and many have fallen between. This is both a project in urban archaeology and a way of describing the city over time. It Happened Here captures the multiple and overlapping stories that are woven throughout our city's life. It embraces America's history as the museums, monuments and memorials that dot its streetscape do. It highlights many of the concerns, events, and places that the people who lived, fought, worked and visited here thought were important at their moment in time. The July 4, 2024 program at Fraunces Tavern Museum was the fifth prequel event leading up to the United States' upcoming 250th birthday and a 4-day It Happened Here celebration the weekend of July 4, 2025. This year's event included speakers on the following topics: Lower Manhattan: The Most Historic Spot in the Unites States; Upcoming Anniversaries: United States's 250th and New York's 400th; Fraunces Tavern: Its Revolutionary Story; The Promise of Liberty: An Authentic Originalism; Lafayette: A Hero's Return - Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Marquis de Lafayette's Grand Tour of the United States in 1824; First Reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York and the Destruction of the Statue of King George III. *The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

January 2024 Eighty years ago, in January 1944, the first Colossus computer was delivered to Bletchley Park. This machine and the nine that followed it have acquired legendary status within the story of World War Two codebreaking. The machines have also been described as the world's first large-scale electronic digital computers – direct precursors of the digital world in which we live today. But in 1944 the computer age still lay far in the future. These machines were built for a specific and vital purpose, to assist with the breaking of the wireless messages of Germany's senior commanders, enciphered using the Lorenz cipher machine and known at BP as ‘Tunny'. What role did Colossus actually play in the breaking of Tunny? The Colossus machines were members of a wider family of machines, and the Newmanry – the department in which they operated - was only one of several teams at Bletchley Park, all of whom were crucial to the successful breaking of the cipher. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon are here to place 'Colossus in Context' and examine where exactly these machines fitted into the effort to break Tunny. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Colossus80,

January 2024  Eighty years ago, in January 1944, the first Colossus computer was delivered to Bletchley Park. This machine and the nine that followed it have acquired legendary status within the story of World War Two codebreaking. The machines have also been described as the world's first large-scale electronic digital computers – direct precursors of the digital world in which we live today.  But in 1944 the computer age still lay far in the future. These machines were built for a specific and vital purpose, to assist with the breaking of the wireless messages of Germany's senior commanders, enciphered using the Lorenz cipher machine and known at BP as ‘Tunny'.  What role did Colossus actually play in the breaking of Tunny? The Colossus machines were members of a wider family of machines, and the Newmanry – the department in which they operated - was only one of several teams at Bletchley Park, all of whom were crucial to the successful breaking of the cipher. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon are here to place 'Colossus in Context' and examine where exactly these machines fitted into the effort to break Tunny. This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Jerry Roberts Betty Webb Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Colossus80,

December 2023 Eighty years ago this month Britain was marking its fifth Christmas of the war with still no end in sight. D-Day still lay in the future and the campaigns in Italy and on the Eastern Front ground on. However on Boxing Day 1943 the Royal Navy achieved a significant, if grim success over the German Navy, sinking the Scharnhorst, one of the few last remaining large warships in the enemy fleet. This victory would help to secure the safety of Allied convoys to Russia for the remaining 18 months of the war. The codebreakers of Bletchley Park played a key role in helping the navy to locate Scharnhorst and were spectators on the final battle via German messages read in Naval Section at BP. For this It Happened Here episode we are joined by Bletchley Park's Research Historian Dr David Kenyon who's recently published a book on the subject entitled, Arctic Convoys; Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson & Sarah Langston for voicing our archival documents. Image: © Bundesarchiv, DVM 10 Bild-23-63-46 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

October 2023 The fight up the Italian peninsula involved some of the most arduous battles of the war for Allied soldiers, but they were being supported at every stage by intelligence from Bletchley Park. ULTRA intelligence helped inform Allied strategy in Italy, kept commanders constantly up-to-date about enemy forces, and sometimes proved the difference between victory and defeat on the battlefield. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park's Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham will tell us how this difficult and inconclusive campaign can also be seen as one of the most successful of the war for Bletchley Park. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Very special thanks to Lowden Jim for his recording of The D-Day Dodgers. His work can be found at  www.youtube.com/Lowdenjim  Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2023 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

July 2023 In 1943, when the guns fell silent in Tunisia, a lull fell over the war in the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the work of the intelligence services continued unabated. An Allied amphibious assault somewhere in the Mediterranean was inevitable. The question for the Germans was “where?” – and the Allies were eager to supply the answers. But how much could the Allies mislead the enemy, and how far could Bletchley Park prove those deceptions were working? When they came, the landings in Sicily in July 1943 marked the opening of a new front against the Axis in Italy, with far-reaching strategic consequences. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park's Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham leads us through Operation Husky, and Bletchley Park's role in its execution and success. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: © US Army Green Books (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

It is a truism that Lower Manhattan has been America's town square since its founding in 1524, even though its history is much deeper. Virtually every aspect of global, local and national significance can be in some manner traced to this Downtown stage. Some have been forgotten and some have been transformative in our culture and many have fallen between. It Happened Here captures the multiple and overlapping stories that are woven throughout our city's life. It embraces America's history as the museums, monuments and memorials that dot its streetscape do. It highlights many of the concerns, events and places that the people who lived, fought, worked and visited here thought were important at their moment in time. The July 4, 2023 program at Fraunces Tavern Museum was the first of many prequels to the United States' upcoming 250th birthday and a 4-day It Happened Here celebration the weekend of July 4, 2025 and included speakers on the following topics: Fraunces Tavern: Its Revolutionary Story; The Birch Trials at Fraunces Tavern; the New York City Revolutionary Trail by The Gotham Center for New York City History; George Washington's First Command; Alexander Hamilton; Revolutionary Forebears; It Happened Here.

April 2023  80 years ago, Bletchley Park's communications centre opened in Block E. Employing hundreds of staff, mainly young women, this block was vital to BP's smooth running. Most messages and reports coming into and out of Bletchley Park went through Block E. But as we'll hear in this ‘It Happened Here' episode, its wartime importance doesn't necessarily mean its value has been fully recognised today. Block E is still standing, and is due to open to the public later this year, 2023, as Bletchley Park's brand new Learning Centre. Here to help us set the record straight and rediscover the value of Block E is our Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, who has been researching the building and its various departments. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thompson, Sarah Langston and Maria Turnbull for voicing our archival documents. Image: © Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

February 2023  The breaking of the German Lorenz cipher system was one of BP's most complex technical achievements. This work is often associated with Tommy Flowers from the GPO, however Flowers' work, and the wider mechanisation of the breaking of TUNNY was overseen by a Cambridge mathematician who came to BP only reluctantly in 1942; Professor Max Newman.  To mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of Bletchley Park's 'Newmanry' in February 1943, in this ‘It Happened Here' episode, we examine the story of Newman and his crucial role in the breaking of Lorenz. We are joined by Bletchley Park's Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more. Special thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, # Colossus,

Let me grab the paper and try to put together a positive show! Trust me, it's not gonna be easy!OKC has a brand new North Korean fried chicken joint comin' to town! I'll tell you when!Driving through Colorado is no walk in the park folks, regardless of the season!Here in Oklahoma I guess we've begun taking part in the favorite family past time of handing down body parts from past dead relatives and shit! IT HAPPENED HERE!!!!!! I have the details!Terrorizing already terrified immigrants! UN-Christian & UN-American!

June 2022  In this ‘It Happened Here' episode we return to South Asia and the Pacific, and the war against the Japanese. After the disasters of Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and Singapore, and near disaster in Colombo in the first few months of 1942, the summer months would bring the Allies better fortune on the fighting fronts. 1942 would also see many changes for Britain's Codebreakers in South and East Asia as they rushed to adapt to the changing situation – a situation requiring the service of men and women from surprisingly diverse backgrounds and communities. As usual we are joined by Bletchley Park's Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more. Grateful thanks to Sarah Langston and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Edward Simpson Pat Johnston Image: US Navy, Naval Photographic Centre (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Midway80

Carolyn Harding with Lisa Jackson and Sarah Teale, documentary film makers of Patrimonio, a story of a small coastal town in Mexico and its 3-year battle against an American mega-development, along with Bill Lyons of the Ohio Community Rights Network. Lisa F. Jackson (Producer /Director / Cinematographer) has been producing documentaries for over 35 years and has won 2 Emmys, a Sundance Jury Prize and the Muse Award from NYWIF. Credits include Sex Crimes Unit (HBO 2011) a portrait of prosecutors in the Manhattan DA's Office; The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo (HBO 2008 Sundance Special Jury Prize, 2 Emmy nominations) Meeting with a Killer (2001 Emmy Nominee) and The Secret Life of Barbie (ABC, 1999 Emmy Winner). It Happened Here, about sexual assault on college campuses, aired on Pivot in January 2015. Grazers: A Cooperative Story premiered at DOCNYC in 2014 and is being distributed by Collective Eye. She recently received the first ever Legacy Award from the Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival. Sarah Teale (Producer) was a Producer/Director of Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections (aired: HBO March 26th, 2020. Emmy nominated for Outstanding Investigative Documentary 2021). She was also a Producer/Director on the HBO series The Weight of the Nation, nominated for a Prime Time Emmy. Other HBO films she produced and directed include Dealing Dogs, (Emmy nomination Outstanding Investigative Documentary); Hacking Democracy, (Emmy nomination Outstanding Investigative Documentary); Death on a Factory Farm; Bellevue: Inside Out, a year inside the locked psychiatric wards at Bellevue Hospital; and Mumia Abu Jamal: A Case For Reasonable Doubt?, HBO Cable Ace Award nomination. She has also produced and directed documentaries for the BBC, A&E and Discovery. Teale also produced and directed the feature documentaries Grazers: A Cooperative Story with Lisa F. Jackson distributed by Collective Eye and Passion River and Patrimonio, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and Full Frame and is distributed by First Run Features Bill Lyons is a co-organizer of Columbus Community Bill of Rights, a group that is working to protect the water of the Columbus metro area from toxic and radioactive fracking waste. Bill is also the president of the Ohio Community Rights Network (OHCRN) whose mission is to establish a network of just communities in Ohio working to advance community rights and rights of nature. Bill teaches mathematics at Columbus State Community College and has taught mathematics and science on 4 different continents. http://www.patrimoniofilm.com https://www.ohiocrn.org GrassRoot Ohio - Conversations with everyday people working on important issues, here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Every Friday 5:00pm, EST on 94.1FM & streaming worldwide @ WGRN.org, Sundays at 2:00pm EST on 92.7/98.3 FM and streams @ WCRSFM.org, and Sundays at 4:00pm EST, at 107.1 FM, Wheeling/Moundsville WV on WEJP-LP FM. Contact Us if you would like GrassRoot Ohio on your local station. Check us out and Like us on Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/GrassRootOhio/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grassroot_ohio/ If you miss the Friday broadcast, you can find it here: All shows/podcasts archived at SoundCloud! https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753 GrassRoot Ohio is now on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 This GrassRoot Ohio interview can also be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ/ Intro and Exit music for GrassRoot Ohio is "Resilient" by Rising Appalachia: https://youtu.be/tx17RvPMaQ8 There's a time to listen and learn, a time to organize and strategize, And a time to Stand Up/ Fight Back!

May 2022 The way in which the secrets of Bletchley Park were finally revealed to the world, bit by bit and now over the course of nearly four decades have meant that many myths and misunderstandings have become embedded in the story. One of our goals with these podcasts is to tell the full story of the Codebreakers and along the way hopefully correct some of those errors.    So in this ‘It Happened Here' episode we will take a deep dive into Traffic Analysis, a topic that we have mentioned in many episodes and for years has been thought of as just another step in the ‘path of breaking a message'.  Our research officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, will argue that in fact it was a fully-fledged source of intelligence in its own right. He will guide us through not only the history and processes of Traffic Analysis but also those of SIXTA, the section at Bletchley Park most famously known for producing it. Very special thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson and Owen Moogan for voicing our archival documents. This episode features recordings of SIXTA Veteran, Jimmy Thirsk, from both our Podcast and Oral History Archives. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #TheIntelligenceFactory

March 2022 Bletchley Park is synonymous with World War Two codebreaking, but the story is much bigger than just a country house in Buckinghamshire. Making, as well as breaking codes, was within the remit of the Government Code and Cypher School but is a much lesser known part of the story. In this extended ‘It Happened Here' episode, we not only find out about the British efforts to create codes of their own, but also German codebreaking successes and failures.  Bletchley Park's Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, introduces us to the section of GC&CS creating Allied codes from the sleepy surroundings of a university college in Oxford. Whist Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, explores the numerous German ‘Bletchley Parks' whose task it was to break those very codes. British Codemakers and German Codebreakers, the two way traffic of the intelligence war.  This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: June Coppock Sergeant Bernard Morgan Image: Mansfield College in the mid-20th century. © Mansfield College, Oxford #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

It's time to break out the pac-a-macs and sou-westers as the blood, mucus and other bodily fluids are spraying everywhere in Japanese Splatter Punk gem “Tokyo Gore Police”. A film in which it's the stripper's eyes that are out on stalks, not the audience's; the kindly, cuddly Commissioner of Police keeps a pet amputee Cyber-gimp on a lead (which may reflect certain aspects of his character development); and even Steve Irwin wouldn't mess with this crocodile. Along the way we discuss “RoboGeisha”, “It Happened Here”, “Machine Girl”, “What We Do In The Shadows”, “Big Tit Zombie”, “Resolution”, “Black Rain” and “Samurai Champloo”. Watch (or re-watch) to avoid spoilers, and join us. APOLOGIES FOR ANY SOUND/SPEECH QUALITY ISSUES - THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED REMOTELY, WHILST WE INJECTED OURSELVES WITH MURDEROUS DNA.

February 2022  In every theatre of war, early 1942 was a dark time for the Allies. Japan seemed unstoppable in the Pacific. The Germans were at the gates of Moscow, threatening Egypt and prowling the Atlantic lifeline at sea. But at Bletchley Park there were far reaching changes to both the leadership and organisation that had one clear objective - to support the ultimate Allied victory.  In this It Happened Here episode, our research officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, guides us through the dramatic changes that would transform GC&CS into an ‘Intelligence Factory'.  Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Harry Hinsley Jimmy Thirsk Stephen Freer Image: © George C. Marshall Foundation, Lexington, VA, USA #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

This is the first episode of It Happened Here for 2022. In the spirit of the new year, I'm declaring this the start of a new season. Yes, the numbering won't make tonnes of sense, but neither does much in life so we're just going to run with it. This episode covers the plot to murder one of South Africa's most lauded musical talents, Taliep Petersen - a plot cooked up by his own wife, Najwa. Please consider supporting The District Six Museum: https://www.districtsix.co.za/SOURCES:https://www.timeslive.co.za/amp/sunday-times/lifestyle/2007-06-24-taliep-petersena-tale-of-two-wives/http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAWCHC/2008/64.pdfhttps://icaci.org/files/documents/ICC_proceedings/ICC2009/html/refer/20_5.pdfhttps://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-05-15-podcast-a-killer-beside-me-the-murder-of-taliep-petersen/https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2008-05-06-najwa-petersen-was-demonic/https://www.mgia.co.za/taliep-kept-stabbing-secret-court-told/https://www.news24.com/news24/najwa-bad-blood-rumours-20071021https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/najwa-to-tell-her-story-400294https://mg.co.za/article/2008-04-10-how-detective-became-suspicious-of-najwa-petersen/https://mg.co.za/article/2008-07-30-najwa-fired-fatal-shot-lawyer-charges/https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/najwa-intruder-put-a-gun-on-my-head-410233https://mg.co.za/article/2008-12-02-court-finds-najwa-guilty-of-murder/https://www.news24.com/news24/weeping-najwa-called-me-20080424https://www.dailyvoice.co.za/news/taliep-petersens-killer-denied-parole-d7627ede-d682-4c46-927d-5faff90d7415https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/najwa-petersen-eligible-for-parole-in-20-months-accomplice-before-parole-board-this-week-3f5bc4a8-8876-4803-8f05-8be605e88a24https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/correctional-services-confirms-taliep-petersens-killer-has-been-released-on-parole-9d9a181b-2322-49e5-b7e7-fee73246b22dhttps://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=17860#:~:text=District%20Six%20was%20the%20first,New%20Musical%2F1999%20in%20London.https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/08/guardianobituaries.obituarieshttps://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2020-09-07-iconic-district-six-museum-faces-threat-of-closure-unless-love-letters-from-the-public-can-save-it/ Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

December 2021  On the 7th of December 1941, Japanese invasion forces landed in Malaya. An hour and a half later Japanese aircraft attacked the US fleet, at anchor in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Simultaneous attacks were also made on Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island and the Philippines. Since that day controversy has raged over how much the British and US Governments knew in advance about these attacks, and why they came as such a surprise to both countries. In this It Happened Here episode, Bletchley Park's Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon examines the intelligence background to the ‘Day of Infamy' and explores just what British and US codebreakers really knew about Japanese plans. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Stephen Freer Edward Simpson Image: US Army Green Books (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #PearlHarbour80

November 2021  Many visitors to Bletchley Park are familiar with the story of breaking Enigma and reading German and even Japanese codes. But equally important work was done on Italian ciphers. Not only were the Codebreakers able to read Italian naval messages, before and during the war, but this information was used to decisive effect in the Battle for North Africa, and the ultimate defeat of Italy in 1943. In this It Happened Here episode, Bletchley Park's Research Historian Dr David Kenyon reveals the secrets of one of Bletchley Park's lesser-known decryption successes. As always, grateful thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Mavis Batey Rozanne Colchester Image: HM Fulmine from the Private Archive of Burzagli Family (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

October 2021  On the 21st of October 1941, four of Bletchley Park's Codebreakers sent a plea for more staff and resources in a now notorious letter to the Prime Minister. Demand for Bletchley Park's work was increasing, and the organisation was facing a crisis.  Churchill was won over, adding the note ‘Action This Day' to the document. But perhaps the changes that followed weren't just the result of the Prime Minister's influence. In this ‘It Happened Here' episode, Dr Thomas Cheetham explores the problems the Codebreakers were facing and how this letter was only part of the wider story. Thanks as always for voicing our archival documents to Dr Ben Thompson, and to Geoffrey Welchman who recreates the letter co-authored by his grandfather. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Sir Arthur Bonsall Elizabeth Marshall Mimi Gallilee Arnold Hargreaves Gwendoline Herbert Barbara Hart Judith Wainer Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

September 2021  After Britain's failure at Dunkirk and the Fall of France, the Germans seemed unstoppable. An invasion of Britain by Germany seemed the next logical step. In 1940, Britain and Bletchley Park prepared for war on the Home Front. As the German air campaign brought air combat with the Battle of Britain and bombs by night during the Blitz, the RAF - supported by intelligence from Bletchley Park - fought back. In this It Happened Here episode, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham is our guide to Britain's finest hour. Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. In memoriam to the Veterans featured in this episode, Rolf Noskwith, Eileen Younghusband and Sir Arthur Bonsall. Image: Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspecting members of Coventry's Warden Service. ©Mirrorpix #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #BOB80,

25 June 2021 - Earlier this week news broke that convicted murderer Donovan Moodley is applying for parole. Donovan was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Leigh Matthews, which was the subject of episode one of It Happened Here, so if you haven't yet done so, give that a listen so you have a good idea just how cold, remorseless, and twisted Donovan is. This is a brief update on what he family had to say about this development.·      Cape Talk: https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/419964/what-would-it-achieve-leigh-matthews-family-won-t-meet-with-killer-they-say·      ENCA: https://www.enca.com/news/leigh-matthews-father-says-donovan-moodley-has-shown-no-remorse·      Scielo: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-37812011000500005·      The citizen 1: https://citizen.co.za/news/opinion/opinion-editorials/2544198/leigh-matthews-donovan-moodley-parole-process-overhaul/·      The Citizen 2: https://citizen.co.za/news/2544149/it-gets-easier-but-it-doesnt-go-away-says-leigh-matthews-grieving-father/·      Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_South_Africa·      Wits justice Project: http://www.witsjusticeproject.co.za/news-and-insights-category/10-things-to-know-about-parole-in-south-africa·      WMACA facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WMACAKidz/ Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

June 2021    Eighty years ago in June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in what Hitler hoped would be a lightning campaign to destroy Bolshevism and provide ‘living space' for his empire in the east.    The result was four years of brutal conflict which shaped the world we live in today.   What did the codebreakers at Bletchley Park know about the Germans' plans of attack? Was Stalin warned? And how did the war in the east play out at BP?   In this It Happened Here episode we are joined by our Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more about the signals intelligence picture on the eastern front.   Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   Image: Public Domain   #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory, #AudioMo

June 2021  By late May 1940 the Germans have arrived at the French coast, cutting the Allied forces in two. Their risky invasion plan ‘Fall Gelb' (or ‘Case Yellow') has paid off.  For the Allies, things will only get worse - an evacuation of the British forces from Dunkirk, the capture of Paris and the ultimate humiliation at Compiègne. It also marked a turning point for Bletchley Park. The attack led the Germans to change their Enigma procedures which had been exploited so successfully by the Hut 6 team. It took a creative approach, as well as some lazy enemy operating procedures, to restore Bletchley Park's capability in reading German messages. In the second part of this special ‘It Happened Here' episode, Dr Thomas Cheetham guides us through the dramatic world events that could have seen Bletchley Park lose the ability to read Enigma for the rest of the war.  Special thanks go to Gus Munro and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

June 2021  In May 1940, the much-anticipated German attack on France brings the Phoney War to an end. The French have the largest land army in the world, the Maginot Line giving them hundreds of miles of defences and they know the route the Germans will take. But in the space of only a few weeks, the entire strategic course of World War Two is turned on its head. The Germans have gambled on a new invasion plan, ‘Fall Gelb’ (or ‘Case Yellow’) to set them on a risky route through the Ardennes and a dash to the coast. With so many dramatic events happening in such a short period of time, we will be telling the story of ‘Fall Gelb’ over two ‘It Happened Here’ episodes. In this first part, Dr Thomas Cheetham takes us through the planning and first phases of the operation, and the German and Allied intelligence activity that surrounded it.  Special thanks go to Sarah Langston and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents. Image: Commander Denniston’s 1940 Diary ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

E237 Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, teacher and author human, Richard Dresser‘s debut novel, It Happened Here, is an oral history of an American family dealing with life in a totalitarian state. He’s also co-producing a documentary about the Berrigan brothers, antiwar priests and activists. Over the past twenty years, his plays have been widely produced on and […]

Film Kid Asks is the podcast by film students for aspiring filmmakers. It centres the conversation around what we want to know going into the industry by digging into the origin stories and experiences of professionals working in film. Episode twenty-three is a conversation with the Head of Content and Development at the Bokeh Collective, and producer Kris Elsley who has worked on projects like Restaurants on the Edge and It Happened Here. We discuss her university experience, what she looks for in stories and content that she is producing, and her advice for young and emerging filmmakers, among other things. New episodes come out every Saturday. Hosted by Jordan Harvey, produced and edited by Anya Chatterjee Get in touch! filmkidasks@gmail.com Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1140759129616261 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmkidasks/ Kris' Watchlist: Pan's Labyrinth (2006) The Witch (2015) Drive (2011) Crazy, Stupid Love (2011) Firecrackers (2018)

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes author Richard Dresser to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss his literary journey and his new book IT HAPPENED HERE. 

August 2020   Nearly 3 months after VE Day, the war against Japan still continued. Its end would be drawn out over 6 weeks between the Potsdam Declaration in July and the final signing of the surrender on-board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September the 2nd.    During those weeks the world saw the use of a new weapon, the atom bomb and both Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be totally destroyed before World War Two would finally come to an end.   To commemorate VJ Day we present this special It Happened Here episode. Using archive recordings, a recreation of the memoir of Eric Norris and interviews with our Veterans from both our official Oral History Project and 8 years of podcasts, we hope to take you back to those momentous weeks in 1945.   10 of our Veterans will share their memories, both happy and sometimes poignant, of the beginning of the Atomic Age, the end of the war, VJ Day and looking forward to the rest of their lives. Featured in order of appearance are:   Sheila Willson Dennis Gilley Dr Michael Loewe Lady Marion Body Joyce Bogoni Joan Smeaton Dennis Underwood Betty Webb Gwendoline Page Margaret Thomas   We would like to take this opportunity to thank not just the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, but all Veterans, for their service.    Very special thanks go to Mr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   Image: Wrens in London on VJ Day. With grateful thanks to Mrs Joan Smeaton.   #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #BletchleyParkVJDay75, #VJDay75

June 2020    This week we return for the second and final time to the 2018 launch of Dermot Turing’s book, X, Y and Z: The Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken. It’s a story of international cooperation, spanning many years and for the first time tells of how the French, British and Polish secret services came together to unravel the secrets of the Enigma machine.   At the launch Dermot was joined by Nathalie Genet-Rouffiac, the Curator of Heritage for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and GCHQ Historian Tony Comer. To finish this episode we have highlights from the Q&A Session that all three joined, which ended the day.   But first we return to Dermot’s talk. In the last episode we left the Polish Codebreakers, enjoying life, living in a Chateau, working for the French. He now completes the story of what happened to them following the Allied landings in North Africa in late 1942 as the Germans rushed to occupy Vichy France.   Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020   * Producers Note * While we are still in these exceptional times, we will continue to produce these Intelligence Insight episodes, switching to one every two weeks from now. We are also looking forward to bringing you new episodes in our It Happened Here series as soon as we are able to. In the meantime, please follow Bletchley Park on social media and visit the website for the latest information on plans to safely reopen, thank you.   #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, @PolishEmbassyUK

Listen to the full episode + read this week's RP newsletter by subscribing @ patreon.com/reelpolitik Jack and Yair talk about Darren Aronofsky (particularly his films Pi and Noah) and review the films Standoff at Sparrow Creek, The Housemaid, Who Will Stop The Rain? and It Happened Here. PLUS: Jack's regular RP newsletter, detailing our slate of forthcoming releases.

May 2020   After more than 5 and a half years of fighting, 75 Years ago today the war in Europe officially finally came to an end.    To commemorate the day we present this special It Happened Here episode. Using archive recordings and interviews with our Veterans from both our official Oral History Project and nearly 8 years of podcasts, we hope to take you back to the heady days of early May 1945.   20 of our Veterans will share their memories, both happy and sometimes poignant, of what VE Day and beyond meant to them. Featured in order of appearance are:   Betty Flavell Peggy Huntingdon Ron Unwin Joyce Spurr Tim Edwards Pamela Billinton Lady Marion Body Elizabeth Ruth Hughes Mary Sherrard Joyce Bogoni Betty Lawrie Eileen Younghusband Helene Aldwinckle Sheila Willson Walter 'Joe' Wright Margaret Thomas Jane Fawcett Elizabeth Marshall Stanley Clegg Marigold Freeman-Attwood   We would like to take this opportunity to thank not just the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, but all Veterans, for their service.    Very special thanks go to Mr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   Image: WAAFs in Trafalgar Square. With grateful thanks to Mrs Margaret Rowland.   #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #VEDay75

April 2020    In early 1940, as winter turned to spring, the world waited for the ‘Phony war’ to end with the expected German attack in the west. But the leaders of both Allied and Axis forces were looking in another direction, to the north, to the snow and the steel, to Scandinavia.   Meanwhile in a wooden hut at Bletchley Park, recent recruit Harry Hinsley was certain a German fleet was preparing to set sail, but how could he, a 21-year-old civilian in a highly secret department, persuade the Admiralty that he was right?   In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we explore the difficult start of Bletchley Park’s role in Britain’s war at sea. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon will be our guide.   As usual special thanks go to Mr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   * Producers Note * We have had to record this episode remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. This means that the audio quality is not to the high quality we would normally wish it to be. We hope our listeners will understand and still enjoy this episode.   Image: Public Domain Naval History and Heritage Command   #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyParkEnigma80, #Enigma80

March 2020    As 1945 began, the Germans’ last roll of the dice in the Ardennes has failed. They were left to face the overwhelming force of men and materiel of the Allied armies approaching the Fatherland from all directions.    For the Allies in the west, the natural barrier of the Rhine River was all that lay between them and the open plains of Germany, and the last phase of the war in the west.    Meanwhile the Government Code & Cypher School at Bletchley Park were producing more intelligence than ever before, but for how much longer? We’ll find out how it was at this point that the Germans challenged the Codebreakers like never before.    In this It Happened Here episode our Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham will take us through the action on the front line and reveal just how difficult it was becoming to keep supplying actionable Intelligence in the last year of the war.   As usual special thanks go to Mr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   In memoriam, Eileen Younghusband BEM  (1921-2016) WAAF Section Officer   Image: US Army Green Books

January 2020    80 years ago, in January 1940, British and French troops were freezing in their dugouts awaiting a German attack which would not come for several months yet; the so-called ‘Phony war’.   Bletchley Park, by contrast was a hive of activity as efforts were made to break into German codes and ciphers, including the Enigma system, before the land war began in earnest.   In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we are guided by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon through the evolution of this infamous cipher machine, and the international efforts which led to the unlocking of its secrets in January 1940.   As usual special thanks go to Mr Ben Thompson for voicing our archival documents.   Image courtesy of Vic Roberts.   #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyParkEnigma80, #Enigma80

December 2019    After nearly 6 months of fighting from the beaches of Normandy, by early December 1944 the Allies’ front line stretched for 600 miles from the North Sea coast to the borders of Switzerland. The Scheldt estuary had finally been cleared, allowing the port of Antwerp to be opened and to start to ease their supply problems.    With one of the coldest winters on record taking hold and Christmas approaching many of the front line troops probably expected a respite for at least a few weeks. What they didn’t expect was for more than 400,000 German troops to come smashing through the Ardennes on a mission to recapture Antwerp and split the Allied forces in two.   Why was the Battle of the Bulge such a surprise? Was it Allied complacency or German ingenuity? In this “It Happened Here” episode, using contemporary archival documents, Bletchley Park’s Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, will try to answer those questions.   Special thanks to Mr Ben Thomson for playing the role of our Intelligence Officer.   In memoriam, Eileen Younghusband BEM  (1921-2016) WAAF Section Officer   #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Bulge75

October 2019    “Gas masks are to be taken” so ends what seems a rather mundane government memo dated the 2nd of August 1939. It importance becomes apparent when you discover this was the Move Order sent to the staff of the Government Code and Cypher School.    As Hitler threatened Poland it seemed another war in Europe was inevitable, so it was decided the staff of GC&CS should move to their War Station in the Buckinghamshire countryside. With hindsight we now know that over the next 6 long years, Bletchley Park would become a codebreaking factory, but what were those Early Days really like?   In this “It Happened Here” episode, our host, Erica Munro & Bletchley Park’s Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham take us back to August 1939 and through documents held in the archives tell the story of the arrival at Bletchley and dispel a few myths along the way.   Special thanks to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.   In memoriam, Jane Fawcett MBE (1921–2016) FO Civilian Hut 6   Image courtesy Judie Hodsdon    #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #80WW2

Matthew and Shane surrender to the Nazi occupation of England in Kevin Browlow's terrifyingly current It Happened Here from 1964.----more----Notes: Video enhanced version of this episode: https://youtu.be/U--B5_u3T9AIMDB listing for It Happened Here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055024/Trailer for It Happened Here: https://youtu.be/XxeTSFSWMLYBFI article on the making of It Happened Here: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/interviews/it-happened-here-kevin-brownlow 

September 2019    By early September 1944, with the Normandy Campaign behind them, 6 Allied Armies were racing across Northern France and into the Low Countries. Ahead of them the remnants of the German Army were retreating to the borders of the Fatherland. To many on the Allied side it seemed that a bold action was all that was needed to finish the war by Christmas.   The plan called for a carpet of paratroopers to capture and hold bridges along a 64 mile road, allowing an armoured spearhead to reach its goal of the bridge at Arnhem. If successful this would leave the route to the industrial heart of Germany, The Ruhr, wide open.   For this “It Happened Here” episode, Bletchley Park’s Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham has been looking in detail at the entire operation, including Bletchley Park’s contribution, to tell us if it always was going to be just A Bridge Too Far.   Special thanks to Mr Ben Thomson for playing the role of our Hut 3 Intelligence Officer.   In memoriam, Eileen Younghusband BEM (1921-2016) WAAF Section Officer   #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #MarketGarden75

August 2019    In earlier episodes this year we have concentrated on the preparations for, and the events of D-Day itself, the 6th of June. However D-Day was only the beginning of the Normandy Campaign.   The Allies had to face an enemy determined to throw them back in to the sea and it led to some of the bitterest fighting that Western Europe saw in WW2. It would eventually, after three months, end in a massive victory for the Allies and the liberation of Paris at the end of August 1944.    In this “It Happened Here” episode, we see how Bletchley Park continued to contribute to Allied success. We’ll find out how the nature of this contribution changed from one of supporting the planning of future operations, to one of supporting an ongoing battle.    Bletchley Park’s Research Officer Thomas Cheetham has been exploring the role of ULTRA intelligence in this crucial campaign.   #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #DDay75, #BletchleyParkDDay

Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo's It Happened Here tells the story of Pauline, a nurse who lives in a world where the Nazis took over the UK during World War II. At first she goes along with the rule of the Reich until she witnesses -- and unwittingly participates in -- their cruelty, prompting her to join the British Resistance.Wynter Tyson and Caelum Vatnsdal join Mike to discuss alternate histories, Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, and when fascist aliens took over the United States.This episode features the first part of our interview with cinematographer Peter Suschitzky.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo’s It Happened Here tells the story of Pauline, a nurse who lives in a world where the Nazis took over the UK during World War II. At first she goes along with the rule of the Reich until she witnesses -- and unwittingly participates in -- their cruelty, prompting her to join the British Resistance. Wynter Tyson and Caelum Vatnsdal join Mike to discuss alternate histories, Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, and when fascist aliens took over the United States.This episode features the first part of our interview with cinematographer Peter Suschitzky.

Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo’s It Happened Here tells the story of Pauline, a nurse who lives in a world where the Nazis took over the UK during World War II. At first she goes along with the rule of the Reich until she witnesses -- and unwittingly participates in -- their cruelty, prompting her to join the British Resistance. Wynter Tyson and Caelum Vatnsdal join Mike to discuss alternate histories, Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, and when fascist aliens took over the United States.This episode features the first part of our interview with cinematographer Peter Suschitzky.

July 2019    In this It Happened Here episode we leave the invasion of Western Europe and return to the hard fought battles of the Italian Campaign.   Since first invading in September 1943, Italy had been anything but the “soft underbelly” that Churchill had called it. Finally in the spring and summer of 1944, after months of being held back by German forces defending Italy, things started to move.    With the eyes of the world on Normandy the men fighting their way up the boot of Italy felt they had been forgotten back home, but they were not by codebreakers at Bletchley Park.   Our research historian, Dr David Kenyon, will be your guide to the vital support GC&CS gave to the Army’s on the Italian Front. It would be their hard fighting that would ultimately lead to the capture of the first of the Axis Capitals, Rome.   We also look at the absolutely enormous offensive launched by the Soviet forces in late June 1944, Operation Bagration.   Very special thanks to Lowden Jim for his recording of The D-Day Dodgers. His work can be found at  http://www.youtube.com/Lowdenjim   We dedicate this episode to Sgt Charles Leslie Harris and Gunner Gordon Brown, two of our own D-Day Dodgers.    #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #DDay75, #BletchleyParkDDay

March 2019 In this It Happened Here episode we go back to the spring of 1944 when much of Europe, and indeed the world held its breath awaiting the ‘Second Front’ in Europe. This would be realised in June when Operation OVERLORD; the D-Day landings, began in France. During that spring, however British and Allied troops were involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, in Italy and in the Far East as the tide finally turned against the Japanese in Burma. The codebreakers at Bletchley Park continued to support these operations, and were able to achieve some of their most significant successes yet, against both German and Japanese codes and ciphers. As usual our guide to these events is Dr David Kenyon, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian. In memoriam, Stephen Freer (1920-2017) and Edward Simpson (1922-2019) Image: Original Japanese Section Archive material ©Bletchley Park Trust 2019 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

January 2019  1943 had been a year of Turning Points in World War 2, but 75 years ago few people could have known for certain the monumental events that would unfold in 1944.  In this It Happened Here episode we take stock and look at the year ahead. The Big Three, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met together for the first time and took decisions that would ultimately lead to the 6th of June, D-Day.  In the wider war the Germans had bogged the Allies down on the Italian Front, while at sea Bletchley Park saw success with their contribution in the sinking of the Scharnhorst.  Meanwhile back in the Buckinghamshire countryside, GPO Engineer Tommy Flowers delivered Colossus 1 to Bletchley Park. Seen now as the world's first large scale electronic digital computer, at the time it was part of the evolution of machinery that the codebreakers had at their disposal.  As always, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon is our guide.  Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2019  #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #DDay75

November 2018 In this month’s ‘It Happened Here’ we are marking 75 years since the establishment of the Eastcote Outstation, the site at which Bombe machines were operated from the autumn of 1943. By 1945 over 100 machines were at Eastcote along with over 800 Wrens and RAF technicians, and a small group of American GIs. How did it start and what was life there really like? Bletchley Park’s research historian Dr David Kenyon tells us the complete story with help from our Archivist Guy Revell and Veterans’ Audrey Wind, Colette Cook and Betty Flavell. Image: Eastcote Joint RAF-WRNS Hockey Team ©Bletchley Park Trust 2018 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Veteran, #OralHistory

Despite decades of censorship and neglect, Peter Watkins (http://pwatkins.mnsi.net/) has created a body of work that marks him out as one of the UK’s greatest filmmakers. Born in Surrey in 1935, Watkins began his career pioneering the ‘docu-drama’ in two works for the BBC: historical drama Culloden (1964) about the final battle in the Jacobite rebellion, and The War Game (1965), speculating about a nuclear attack on the UK. The BBC refused to broadcast the latter, and after his feature film Privilege (1968) had a poor commercial and critical reception, Watkins spent the rest of his career in exile. In his theoretical writing, teaching and filmmaking, Watkins has challenged the ‘monoform’ – a standardisation of Mass Audio-Visual Media that barrages its audience with a rapid flow of changing images and sounds, with the intention of preventing any real contemplation. Joining Juliet to discuss Watkins' work is Gareth Evans, former editor of Vertigo magazine and adjunct Moving Image Curator at Whitechapel Gallery. Watkins on the monoform and the global media crisis: https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/library/documents/the-dark-side-of-the-moon-the-global-media-crisis/ SELECTED REFERENCES FILMS BY PETER WATKINS The Forgotten Faces (1960) - https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-the-forgotten-faces-1961-online Culloden (1964) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkxW-nB0nNU The War Game (1965) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02zy7nt/the-war-game Privilege (1966) - https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-privilege-1967-online The Gladiators (1969) - https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-gladiators Punishment Park (1971) - https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/jul/08/4 Edvard Munch (1974) - https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/art-of-the-real-edvard-munch-by-peter-watkins/ The Journey (1987) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsYLt9bSRbw The Freethinker (1992-94) - http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/01/freethinker.html La Commune (2000) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1S18jsyyw WILLIAM BLAKE, ‘Jerusalem’ Blowup (dir. Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966) BERTOLT BRECHT, The Days of the Commune (1955) - http://daysofthecommune.com/pages/play.html A Clockwork Orange (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971) GUY DEBORD, ATTILA KOTÁNYI & RAOUL VANEIGEM, ‘Thesis on the Paris Commune’ (1962) – http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/Pariscommune.htm End of Days (dir. Peter Hyams, 1999) Future Revolutions: New Perspectives on Peter Watkins (2018) - https://wolfberlin.org/en/wolf-shop/book-new-perspective-on-peter-watkins-future-revolutions If … (dir. Lindsay Anderson, 1968) It Happened Here (dir. Kevin Brownlow & Andrew Mollo, 1965) - https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/interviews/it-happened-here-kevin-brownlow Jubilee (dir. Derek Jarman, 1978) V. I. LENIN, ‘Lessons of the Commune’ (1911) – https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1908/mar/23.htm The Living Dead (dir. Adam Curtis, 1995) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xoM6-1SWl4 Manfred Mann KARL MARX, ‘The Civil War in France’ (1871) – https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1871/civil-war-france/index.htm Ralph Miliband - https://www.marxists.org/archive/miliband/index.htm The New Babylon (dir. Grigori Kozintsev & Leonid Trauberg, 1929) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyOhcTuFYe0 O Lucky Man! (dir. Lindsay Anderson, 1973) Stanisław Przybyszewski - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisław_Przybyszewski Role of a Lifetime (dir. Deimantas Narkevičius, 2003) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69EREtDfYoM August Strindberg Threads (dir. Mick Jackson, 1984) West of the Tracks (dir. Wang Bing, 2002) - https://theartsofslowcinema.com/2017/05/16/west-of-the-tracks-wang-bing-2003/ Who is America? (TV series, 2018) ÉMILE ZOLA, La Débâcle (1892) - https://readingzola.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/la-debacle-the-downfall/

October 2018 In this It Happened Here episode we are going back to the autumn of 1943 and the invasion of Italy. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill saw it as strike at the Germans via the “soft underbelly of Europe”, while our American allies saw it as a “tough old gut”. At a strategic level the allies may have had differing opinions but in the Intelligence War the cooperation grew closer with the increasing involvement of American personnel in the code breaking operations at GC&CS. Bletchley Park’s resident historian Dr David Kenyon explains what they were doing both over here in the UK and over there In the United States. Image: ©Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Veteran, #OralHistory

A rant, It Happened Here and a film so bad I can't even say it.

August 2018 This is the second of two episodes this month. In this It Happened Here episode we’ll be taking you further back than our normal 75 years, this time to September 1938. Twenty years after The Great War, the clouds of conflict were once again looming across Europe. Hitler threatened Czechoslovakia and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew to Germany to try to avert war. At the same time in Buckinghamshire, at an unassuming, recently purchased country house, activity was stepping up. On the 18th of September, a group known today as Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party arrived at Bletchley Park. The cover story concealed their true purpose - a dress rehearsal for war. The 150-strong shooting party were staff from the Government Code and Cypher School and the Secret Intelligence Service, testing out a move to their War Station. Our Research Historian Dr David Kenyon delves into this part of our story to reveal recently discovered facts about the origins of codebreaking at Bletchley Park. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2018 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2

With Antonia Quirke. Antonia talks to Heathers director Michael Lehmann, as the dark high school comedy is back in cinemas for its 30th anniversary. Catherine Bray and Angie Errigo trace its influence, from Mean Girls to The Craft. Kevin Brownlow talks about the film he began as a 17 year old and finished 8 years later. It Happened Here, which imagined what would have happened if the Nazis had invaded Britain, was shot on Sundays with a cast of non-professional actors and passers-by, and was funded by the meagre wages from his lowly office job.

March 2018 From the attempt to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, to orders to shoot dead any German soldier seen fleeing Riga as a cowardly traitor, the Hut 3 Headlines tell a story of World War Two in tiny snippet form. They were succinct summaries of Enigma messages sent by the German army and air force, intercepted and deciphered by Bletchley Park. These messages were then boiled down to the barest essentials to be sent to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He’s reputed to have wanted to know everything that was happening, and it’s well established that he was a firm proponent of the power and importance of signals intelligence. But no one man could have waded through the mass of information flowing through the Government Code and Cypher School, let alone a prime minister in the middle of an all-out war. So the Hut 3 Headlines became regular, and sometimes frequent, digests of what he needed to know. Bletchley Park has been digitising these precious documents and now, for the first time, has published a batch of ten, online. In this It Happened Here episode, we get the stories behind the headlines, with help from Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon. We also meet Denis Falvey, one of the dedicated team of volunteers diligently digitising this precious archive and Florence Morgan-Richards, Bletchley Park’s Digitisation and Archive Assistant, who runs that project. We also take you inside the Archive to meet Senior Archivist Guy Revell, who explains why it’s important they’re not kept hidden away. Special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for playing the part of our Hut 3 Intelligence Officer in this episode. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2018 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2

March 2017 This month’s It Happened Here story is a truly global one. It’s about what happened when the war was no longer just in Europe. In December 1941, Japan entered World War Two. This meant intelligence gathering and processing became a far bigger and more complex task, which brought about the need for a significant expansion of the top secret operation at Bletchley Park. We'll hear from two of the women who worked on Japanese codes at Bletchley Park, Betty Webb and Mary Every, who had never met until they were interviewed together for a Japanese newspaper. We look back at this seismic change with Bletchley Park's Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon. As well as all that, Podcast Producer, Mark Cotton, was allowed privileged access to the Bletchley Park Archive to look at flash cards used to help hapless Codebreakers learn Japanese in double quick time. Also this month, we bring you a sneak preview of an exciting new exhibition opening soon at Bletchley Park, Off Duty. Although few official records remain of what people did in their spare time, this exhibition will use stories pieced together from letters, diaries and surviving wartime documents from Bletchley Park. Off Duty will feature a number of Veterans’ memories gathered by the Oral History Project, which help us understand what it was like, in their own words. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2017 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2, #Veteran, #History

January 2017 The Zimmermann Telegram tells the story of how the US became embroiled in World War One. The threat from Germany came home to the United States 100 years ago this month, courtesy of an intercepted telegram sent by the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann. The tricky thing was, British intelligence didn’t want the US finding out they were reading what was coming over those cables. That made it rather difficult to warn the US, without giving the game away and thereby doing enormous diplomatic damage. We hear from the grandsons of two key figures in this story; Nigel de Grey played his part in decrypting this all-important message in Room 40, and went on to be crucial to codebreaking during World War Two. The other, Thomas Hohler, was our man in Mexico at the time. Last summer their grandsons met up at Bletchley Park, reflecting on the significance of the telegram and their ancestors’ involvement in bringing it to light. Also in this episode, you really never do know who you might meet at Bletchley Park. Eagle-eyed listeners may have spotted the TV historian, Dan Snow, waxing lyrical on social media recently, about the wonders of the Home of the Codebreakers. He came to visit and - like most people when they first see how brilliantly the story is now told - was moved and amazed. He stopped for a chat with Bletchley Park’s very own broadcast-friendly historian, Dr David Kenyon. Throughout this year, we’ll bring you more never-heard-before interviews with veterans of Bletchley Park and its outstations, celebrating the ongoing Oral History project, as well as freshly researched stories about what the Codebreakers achieved and the difference it made to the outcome of the war, in the Bletchley Park Podcast’s exclusive It Happened Here series. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2017 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW1, #History, #DanSnow

September 2016 Action This Day! In our historic anniversary-based series, It Happened Here, we look at a paper-based act of daring which changed the course of history. Seventy five years ago Winston Churchill visited Bletchley Park, amid the utmost secrecy. He understood how important the intelligence being produced was, and valued it highly. He gave a morale-boosting speech to the Codebreakers, and we hear from Sir Arthur Bonsall, who stumbled across the PM on his way to lunch. Once the euphoria of the VIP visit had worn off, a group of young men who were feeling the weight of the task on their shoulders cooked up a plan to try to channel Churchill’s enthusiasm for Bletchley Park, to help them overcome administrative and fiscal issues they were facing on the front line of codebreaking. A letter signed by Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman, Hugh Alexander and Stuart Milner-Barry, politely outlined the need for more staff and resources. One passage read: “The trouble to our mind is that as we are a very small section with numerically trivial requirements it is very difficult to bring home to the authorities finally responsible either the importance of what is done here or the urgent necessity of dealing promptly with our requests.” Stuart Milner-Barry of Hut 6 was volunteered by his colleagues to deliver the letter to Downing Street. It was 40 years before he saw the Churchill’s memo: “Make sure they have all they want on extreme priority and report to me that this had been done.” The original memo lives in The National Archive and a copy is on display in the Visitor Centre at Bletchley Park. Then we fast forward 50 years to 1991 and the party that saved Bletchley Park. The very first reunion for Veterans started as a fond farewell to a semi derelict site that was about to be bulldozed, but turned into a call to action to save it. Fourteen hours of audio recordings made that day that were feared lost, were in fact safely stashed away in Bletchley Park’s Archive, and digitised only recently. From next month, we’ll bring you highlights. The episode also features an exclusive interview with Geoffrey Welchman, whose grandfather Gordon was Head of Hut 6 and reputedly the instigator of the letter to Churchill. Find out what happened when Geoffrey visited Bletchley Park for the first time, and discovered how well celebrated his grandfather is. Visit Bletchley Park. It happened here. Book now. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2Veteran, #History, #Churchill

July 2016 Dive into stories of stolen intelligence treasures which helped turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic in the July 2016 episode of the Bletchley Park Podcast, Pinches and Breaks. As part of the historic anniversary-based series, It Happened Here, we hear from Arnold Hargreaves, a seaman aboard HMS Bulldog, who boarded the captured German submarine, U110, and still has the spoils today. An Enigma machine, codebooks and other vital documents were among the haul taken from the U-boat before it sunk. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon delves into the story of HMS Bulldog and other key pinches, which helped the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park glean vital naval intelligence. Genius alone was not enough. Pinches - in other words, stealing stuff from the enemy - were vital in breaking naval codes. Also in this month’s episode, Bletchley Park celebrated Armed Forces Weekend in style this year, with a themed weekend and a very special giveaway. Two thousand free tickets were given to military personnel and their families, bands played throughout the weekend and there were stalls and activities to entertain visitors of all ages. Hear from some of the families - military and civilian - enjoying the festivities. Visit Bletchley Park. It happened here. Book now. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2Veteran, #History

May 2016 This month in the Bletchley Park Podcast’s It Happened Here series, we tell the story of The Bismarck. The iconic German battleship was sunk by the Royal Navy 75 years ago. While this clearly did not happen at Bletchley Park, but in the Atlantic Ocean, codebreaking and some of the pioneering techniques developed as part of it played a crucial role in locating the flagship of the German fleet. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, explains how work going on in wooden huts in the Buckinghamshire countryside contributed to the ship’s destruction, which was vital for the Allies, both strategically and symbolically. Jane Fawcett worked in Hut 6 from 1940. She recalls “It may be the most important thing that any of us have ever done in our lives. We didn’t realise it at the time, but we do now.” Hear about the special Bletchley Park beer being launched at the Fathers’ Day BBQ next month, and there’s news of how the ever-popular 1940s Boutique is expanding. Also in this month’s episode, Dermot Turing opened up his family archive to give a rare insight into the man who’s become a figurehead for the breath-taking achievements of the Bletchley Park Codebreakers, his uncle, Alan Turing. Alan Turing died before Dermot was born but his legend looms large in the family and Dermot has written a book, debunking some of the myths that have grown up about this intriguing man, and giving a unique family perspective on his remarkable work and the tragic end to his life. We hear highlights of Dermot’s talk at Bletchley Park, sharing some of what’s in his book, Prof: Alan Turing Decoded. Visit Bletchley Park. It happened here. Book now. Image: ©shaunarmstrong/mubsta.com In memory of Jane Fawcett, who passed away on 21 May 2016. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2Veteran, #History, #Turing, #Bismarck

the ebbs and flows of havana's internet has produced this, the world's first podcast uploaded in magnificent Cuba, I'm claiming it, IT HAPPENED HERE! FB: https://www.facebook.com/cuba2rio/ Twitter: @Cuba2Rio Email: cuba2rio@gmail.com

Made by two teenagers in late 50s/early 60s Britain over 8 years on a minuscule budget, It Happened Here is both a remarkable achievement and a stark commentary on the nature of war and occupation with a relevance to both historical and modern times. Created and directed by Kevin Brownlow, and starring Pauline Jobson, Sebastian Shaw, and a fascinating cast of volunteers, extras, and members of the public (26.1MB, 1 hour 12 mins).Recorded Saturday 16 January 2016, edited by Garen Ewing.Purchase the DVD from Amazon UK: It Happened Here (1964).

The Scribbler v Reality on the roulette, Director Spotlight on Robert Zemeckis, and we chat Area 51, It Happened Here, Bojack Horseman, Cop Car, Manos: The Hands of Fate, The Green Inferno, The Canyons, and much more!