Battle of the Atlantic: Sailing in Convoys through 'No Man's Land'

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

Read the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Book

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

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

From Tip’s helicopter, he saw his friends, 

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

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

Many thought Tip had been on that helicopter.

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

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

Follow Tip on Instagram

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Kirk on Instagram and Twitter

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please support Hollow Heart and The Royal Marines Charity

Follow Piers on Instagram 

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Neville on Instagram

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Links to organisations mentioned in this episode:

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

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

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


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

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

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

To find out more contact us.