History's Secret Heroes: Series 2: Flying High with Johnny Smythe

History's Heroes

BBC

Documentary, History, Society & Culture

4.8 • 704 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2024

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Sierra Leone, navigator Johnny Smythe becomes one of the first West African airmen to join the Royal Air Force. His fellow crew consider him as a lucky charm, but as he faces a series of terrifying flights, will his good fortune run out?

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producers: Suniti Somaiya and Elaina Boateng Edit Producer: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

Transcript

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0:00.0	He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's caught, she's going to be shot.
0:09.3	I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on extraordinary stories from World War II.
0:17.6	What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz.
0:22.0	Tales of deception, an incredible acts of resistance and courage.
0:26.3	She was a born soldier.
0:27.4	She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense.
0:29.9	The brand new series of History's secret heroes.
0:32.8	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:36.1	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:40.2	You're about to listen to brand new History's Secret Heroes.
0:44.9	Episodes will be released on Mondays, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:49.1	But if you're in the UK and can't wait, you can hear the full series right now, before anyone else, first on BBC Sounds.
0:58.5	Freetown, Sierra Leone, summer, 1966.
1:03.0	In the back bedroom of an elegant bungalow, Johnny Smythe was taking a nap.
1:09.1	We'd have the doors to the front of the house open and the doors to the veranda open,
1:12.6	so there'd be a cool breeze going through the house.
1:15.6	And he'd be in his room, peacefully sleeping.
1:17.6	Johnny's son Eddie was eight years old.
1:19.6	He was playing with his brother.
1:21.6	My mum would call one of us to wake him up.
1:23.6	Today was Eddie's turn.
1:25.6	And I hated to be asked.
	...

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