Never Mind The Dambusters

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2 Group  Bomber Command and the Rotterdam Raid
With Erik Parker
Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4
In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to a little-known Bomber Command raid on Rotterdam, carried out during the early years of the Second World War by the light bomber squadrons of 2 Group.
While Rotterdam is most often associated with the devastating Luftwaffe attack of May 1940, this episode explores a lesser-known British operation — one that sheds light on early-war RAF thinking, morale, and the determination to maintain an offensive presence in Western Europe.
Our guest is Erik Parker, a historian whose interest in aviation was shaped by growing up in the North East of England, surrounded by flying and flyers. During lockdown, Erik’s research led him to uncover the story of this raid through the experiences of his neighbour Jack Onions, an RAF airman whose extraordinary pre-war and early-war career offers a vivid window into the formative years of Bomber Command.
In this episode, we discuss:
Erik Parker’s aviation background and what drew him to this story
The early-war role of 2 Group within Bomber Command
Why light bombers remained central to RAF operations before 1943
Jack’s remarkable RAF career, from pre-war service to early combat
The planning and execution of the Rotterdam raid
Routes, tactics, and flying at extreme low level
The experiences of individual crews during the operation
Losses suffered and how the raid was received at the time
What the raid achieved — and what it reveals about early Bomber Command strategy
Jack’s later career and life after the raid
Why This Episode Matters
This episode challenges the idea that Bomber Command’s story begins with the heavy bomber offensive. Instead, it highlights a formative period when light bomber crews operated under intense pressure, often with limited resources, helping to shape the RAF’s evolving approach to the air war.
Further Reading
Listeners interested in learning more about this raid and the men involved can find associated material via:
The RAF Watten website
Support the show
Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

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Hitting the Target – Bombing Accuracy, Altitude, and the Physics of Air Power
With Matt Doncaster
Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4
In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies are  joined by Matt Doncaster, a former RAF Harrier pilot, for a deep dive into one of the most fundamental — and often misunderstood — challenges of the air war: how to hit a target from a bomber.
Stepping away from individual aircraft and raids, this discussion focuses on the underlying physics, principles, and limitations of aerial bombing, many of which were shared by both RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force during the Second World War.
Drawing on his experience as a modern fast-jet pilot, Matt helps unpack why bombing from altitude in the 1940s was such an uncertain and demanding task, and why aircrews were often working at the very edge of what was technically possible.
Topics discussed include:
Matt Doncaster’s background and RAF flying career
The core principles of medium- and high-altitude bombing
What happens to a bomb after it leaves the aircraft
Why bombing accuracy relies on reverse-engineering the release point
The critical impact of wind between release and impact
Why wind was the greatest unknown facing wartime aircrews
The advantages of low-level bombing
How and why dive bombing improves accuracy — and the risks involved
This episode offers listeners a clearer understanding of the technical and operational realities faced by Second World War bomber crews, and helps explain why bombing accuracy was such a persistent challenge despite enormous effort and innovation.
About the Guest
Matt Doncaster is a former Royal Air Force Harrier pilot with extensive experience in fast-jet operations. His professional insight provides a valuable modern perspective on the principles of weapons delivery and air power, helping to illuminate the challenges faced by bomber crews during the Second World War.
Support the show
Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!
The Schweinfurt Raids
With Mike Peters
Never Mind the Dambusters – Series 4
Presented by Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies
In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies turn their attention to the USAAF bombing raids on Schweinfurt, among the most dramatic, costly, and consequential operations of the Allied strategic air campaign in 1943.
Schweinfurt was a vital centre of Germany’s ball-bearing industry, making it a high-priority target for the US Eighth Air Force. The daylight raids launched against it — most notably the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission of 17 August 1943 — tested American doctrines of daylight precision bombing to their limits and had far-reaching implications for the conduct of the air war.
The hosts are joined by Mike Peters, co-host of the Mighty Eighth Podcast, who brings deep knowledge of the USAAF and its aircrews to the discussion.
Together, they explore:
Why Schweinfurt was considered so critical to the German war economy
USAAF daylight bombing doctrine and its underlying assumptions
How the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission unfolded
The combat conditions faced by American bomber crews
Aircraft and aircrew losses, and their impact on strategy and morale
The legacy of Schweinfurt in American memory and air power history
This episode places the Schweinfurt raids within their broader strategic and human context, highlighting both the ambition of USAAF doctrine and the heavy price paid by the men who flew these missions.
About the Guest
Mike Peters is the co-host of the Mighty Eighth Podcast, a show dedicated to the people, aircraft, and operations of the US Eighth Air Force during the Second World War.
You can find the Mighty Eighth Podcast here:
👉 https://mighty8thpodcast.com/
Support the show
Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!
(Buy tickets for Jane's talk at the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln, on 5 March 2026 here ) 
In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by historian Professor Alan Allport for a wide-ranging discussion of his new book, Advance Britannia, which re-examines Britain’s war effort from 1942 onwards — a period when the nation moved from survival to sustained, large-scale offensive operations.
From the rapid expansion of RAF Bomber Command to the mounting moral, political, and human questions surrounding the bombing war, Advance Britannia offers a fresh perspective on how Britain fought, endured, and understood the later years of the Second World War.
Alan Allport brings his characteristic clarity and depth to topics including:
Why 1942 marks a turning point in Britain’s war effort
Bomber Command at the height of its power and controversy
How the bombing campaign was understood by the British public at the time
Moral debate, doubt, and dissent within wartime Britain
Britain’s changing role within the Allied coalition alongside the USAAF
How victory shaped post-war memory and reckoning
What Advance Britannia adds to our understanding of Britain’s wartime experience
This episode situates Bomber Command within a broader social, political, and cultural history, offering listeners a deeper understanding of how the air war was fought — and how it has been remembered.
Advance Britannia is available as a hardback book, an ebook, and on Audible. See Links here

About the Guest
Professor Alan Allport is a historian of modern Britain and a frequent guest on Never Mind the Dambusters. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Demobbed, Browned Off and Bloody-Minded, and Britain at Bay. His work focuses on the social and cultural history of war, with particular attention to morale, memory, and lived experience.
Coming Up Next
In the next episode, Jane will be joined by Mike Peters from the Mighty Eighth Podcast to discuss the USAAF daylight bombing raids on Schweinfurt, examining their objectives, their cost, and what they reveal about the American approach to the air war.

Support the show
Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Send us a message or question!
In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by author and military historian Sean Feast to examine one of the most strategically important — and morally complex — operations of the bombing war: RAF Bomber Command’s attack on the German V-weapons research centre at Peenemünde in August 1943.
Peenemünde was no ordinary target. As the heart of Germany’s V-1 and V-2 programme, it represented a direct threat to Britain and forced Allied planners to attempt an unprecedented level of precision under combat conditions. The raid, known as Operation Hydra, played a crucial role in the development of the Master Bomber concept and highlighted both the possibilities and limitations of precision bombing in 1943.
Sean draws on decades of research to explore:
Why the V-weapons programme alarmed Allied leaders
The intelligence picture behind identifying and targeting Peenemünde
How Operation Hydra differed from routine bombing operations
The evolution and operational role of the Master Bomber
What the raid was like for the aircrews who flew it
Bomber Command losses and the human cost of the operation
The raid’s short- and long-term impact on the V-1 and V-2 programmes
How Peenemünde is remembered today, and what it reveals about the moral complexity of the bombing war
This episode goes beyond operational history to focus on the lived experience of Bomber Command aircrew, the pressures they faced, and the difficult balance between innovation, necessity, and sacrifice.
About the Guest
Sean Feast began his career in journalism in the mid-1980s and is now a highly respected military historian and author of more than twenty books. His works include Master Bombers, Heroic Endeavour, and A Pathfinder’s War. He is a regular contributor to FlyPast and Aeroplane Monthly, and his research has significantly shaped modern understanding of RAF Bomber Command and its aircrews.
Sean is also the co-host of the new aviation history podcast Fighting High, which explores the air war through expert discussion and deep historical insight.
You can find Fighting High here:
👉 https://fightinghighpodcast.com
(or via your usual podcast platforms)
Coming Up Next
In the next episode, Jane will be joined by Professor Alan Allport to discuss his new book Advance Britannia, examining Britain’s war effort from 1943 onwards and how the conflict has been remembered and interpreted.

Support the show
Please subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams.

Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)

You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .

You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here