History
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Sgt Major Les Spence Les Spence was a remarkable man who kept an astonishing journal. For almost four years he risked his life to keep a daily record of hardship, courage and endurance in prison camps run by the Japanese. He and his fellow prisoners faced starvation, disease and cruelty. They kept up their spirits…
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Shadow Warriors: Daring Missions of World War II by Women of the OSS and SOE KIRKUS REVIEW A group biography of the fearless young women who became secret agents during World War II. Award-winning journalists Thomas (Operation Exodus: From the Nazi Death Camps to the Promised Land: A Perilous Journey That Shaped Israel’s Fate, 2010,…
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World War Two was the war in which old gender rules changed, as intelligence agencies created specific training and roles for women. SHADOW WARRIORS is the story of women as undercover combatants: armed with Sten guns and grenades; cutting telecommunication wires, laying mines in roadways; organizing bombing raids; preparing the way for the D-Day invasion…
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After becoming the first man to climb Mount Everest Sir Edmund Hillary returned to North Wales where he had trained for the historic event. Planning to meet up with Lord Hunt and the rest of the expedition for their first-ever reunion, Hillary arrived late at the Pen y Gwryd hotel and was told that everyone…
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The wooden toll bridge at Penmaenpool provides a peaceful walk for visitors to the Mawddach Estuary near Dolgellau. The area is a haven for walkers, cyclists and bird watchers. The RSPB has turned an old signal box into an observation centre overlooking the estuary. But the Grade II-listed bridge, which was built in 1879, was…
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Via Y Lolfa On the 21st of October 1966, the village of Aberfan in south Wales was shattered by one of the worst disasters in Welsh and British history. Following days of bad weather, water from a spring had destabilized a huge coal slag tip – one of the black man-made mountains which surrounded the…
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Rob Webb’s sister, Laura, was murdered in the July 7 bombings. As he grieved Rob, a well-known PR officer in Wales, found himself at the centre of the biggest news story in the world. Rob is in London today, remembering Laura and the other victims. I found this interview with him in my archive. In…
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‘Beware,’ a fellow adventurer once told Eric Jones. ‘The reaper lurks.’ But perhaps he truly has nine lives. He was the first British man to solo the Eiger North Face – one of the greatest challenges in the climbing world. On the Matterhorn, he was swept within 10 feet of a sheer precipice. As he…
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Update: Canadian airman Bill Robertson’s return to the crash site in Hasselt made national news in Belgium. See the full clip here: Bill Robertson
Greg Lewis 