WW2TV - Battlefield Livestreams and Interviews - 2 ª Season

In 1980 the British band OMD released Enola Gay from their second album "Organisation". The synth-pop classic, which sold over 5 million copies worldwide, addressed the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay on 6th August 1945. It was written by OMD's vocalist and bass guitarist Andy McCluskey who joins us to talk about the song. Frequently labelled as "anti-war" we will find out what inspired Andy to write the song and what it means to him and to the fans 40 years later. What's fascinating is that the song is now referenced in class-rooms as an indicator of the public's perception of the use of the Atomic bomb to bring an end to WWII. Yet to others it is simply a highly catchy pop song.

Sterling Hayden was a true Renaissance man - master sailor, war hero, actor, and author who struggled with self-hatred, alcoholism and substance abuse. Joining me is the author of Sterling Hayden's Wars - Lee Mandel a retired USN Physician. Hayden's wartime career is incredible. After a couple of minor film roles, he left Hollywood to fight. His first attempt to serve ended up badly after he broke his ankle jumping from a Stirling bomber in the UK on assignment with the British. Later, he joined the USMC where he served under the name John Hamilton. While at Parris Island, he was recommended for Officer Candidate School. After graduation, he was commissioned and was transferred to service as an undercover agent with William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of the Coordinator of Information. He remained there after it became the Office of Strategic Services. As OSS agent John Hamilton, his exploits included sailing with supplies from Italy to Yugoslav partisans and parachuting into fascist Croatia. Hayden, who also participated in the Naples-Foggia campaign and established air crew rescue teams in enemy-occupied territory received the Silver Star for gallantry and a commendation from Yugoslavia's Josip Tito. After the War he acted in some classic films including: The Killers, The Asphalt Jungle, Johnny Guitar, The Last Command and was (famously) the corrupt Police Chief killed by Michael Corleone in The Godfather. He also appeared in the War Films: Fighter Attack, Battle Taxi, The Eternal Sea and the cold-war satire Dr Strangelove.

Nearly three decades after her passing, Audrey Hepburn remains one of the most beloved of all Hollywood stars, known for films like Sabrina, Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Our special guest is author Robert Matzen who wrote Dutch Girl about Audrey's early life and will talk about Audrey's war. He has also written books on Carole Lombard and Jimmy Stewart and frequently appears on TV and in other media. "The war made my mother who she was." said Audrey's son Luca Dotti. Audrey Hepburn's war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor's assistant during the battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem's most famous young ballerina. We will talk about all this and more during the show.

Lt. Cyril Rand was a Platoon Commander in 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles in WWII, landing on Sword Beach on DDay. He as photographed in Caen on July 9th 1944 standing in front of a pharmacy. A few weeks later he was badly wounded near Troarn following Operation Goodwood. He was returned to England for treatment and saw no further action in WWII. Postwar he rose to the rank of Major in the London Irish Rifles and died in 2010.

Conflict on Camera - WWII Photos in Focus Our friend Alina Nowobilska joins us to talk about a photograph of the first mass transport of prisoners by the Third Reich to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. On 14th June 1940 the transport departed from the Polish city of Tarnow/ The photo shows the prisoners being marched down the street in the early morning.