On June 17, 1940, the British ocean liner, RMS Lancastria, was sunk during Operation Aerial.
RMS Lancastria had sailed to the French port of St. Nazaire to aid in the evacuation of British and French soldiers, civil servants and British civilians after the fall of Dunkirk. The ship was loaded well in excess of its capacity— the consequences of which were felt when a German fighter plane flew overhead and catastrophically attacked the Lancastria.
Janet Dempsey is a former maritime record specialist who worked at The National Archives for fifteen years. Janet joins Dan to discuss why the Lancastria was requisitioned as a troopship, the horrific sinking and loss of life, and how the subsequent media blackout at the time has informed this largely forgotten chapter in British history.
Produced by Hannah Ward
Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore
Anne Sebba - biographer, lecturer, journalist and former Reuters foreign correspondent - explains what life was like for women living in Paris during the Nazi occupation between 1940 and 1944.
The history of Special Effects — from stop motion to motion capture.
In just over a century, we special effects have been subject to rapid innovation. What were the biggest breakthroughs? How did the digital revolution transform the industry? And, what does the future hold?
Today on the show, w...
Dan talks to Molly Oldfield about the incredible objects that can be found in museums.
