What are you listening to .... on the Radio, by Coach on Mar 25, 2015 22:14:20 GMT 1, There is a thread for films, books, songs, etc, but not one for interesting radio programmes, so I thought I would start one. Mainly because I heard a cracker yesterday.

"A Wing and a Prayer".

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05nczjl


This programme collates interviews with fighter pilots from the Battle of Britain.
It doesnt glorify war, just lets them tell their story, from their relationship with female ground crew (their coming to terms with women maintaining ther aircraft's engines - this was the 1940's), the relationship between the initial upper class pilots and the new breed of working class pilots, but builds to a gripping depiction of their flights, near misses, and near death experiences. 

The blurb, from the bbc:

'Fighter pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain, all in their 90s, recall the daily reality of the summer of 1940 when they formed the country's last defence against Nazi invasion. Presented by Misha Glenny, their interviews provide matter-of-fact accounts of how flashes of extraordinary bravery interspersed daily routines.

Speaking in the twilight of their lives, the interviewees talk with the benefit of a lifetime of reflection on the events of the War. They come across as courageous, but also as bold independent spirits - as they had to be, fighting alone in the sky, frequently defying orders just to survive.

The programme is recorded at The Wing, a new heritage memorial centre on the white cliffs above Folkestone, which is officially opened on Thursday 26th March. The new building is constructed in the shape of a Spitfire wing and aims to explain for future generations the airborne battle which dominated the skies 75 years ago. The Wing is not a museum, since it has few exhibits, but it does bring the Battle of Britain to life in a uniquely 21st century style. This programme provides the first public glimpse of what is inside.''