Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 19, 2019
Tuesday Mar 19, 2019
Alex Lloyd interviews Somalia, Timor and Afghanistan veteran, formerly of the 2nd Commando Regiment, Bram Connolly.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Bram Connolly joined the regular army in 1993, and was deployed to Somalia at the age of 19. Bram's career took him to Special Forces, further overseas deployments to Timor and Afghanistan, as well as transitioning from NCO to officer. Bram spoke to Alex Lloyd about his long career in the military, and the lessons he learned about himself and leadership along the way.
Bram came on the podcast last year, to talk about his post-military career.
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2019
Tuesday Mar 12, 2019
Angus Hordern interviews Vietnam veteran John Wells.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is with an artillery forward observer who served in the Vietnam War. John Wells spoke to Angus Hordern about his experiences in the war that stick with him to this day, and his reflections on the conflict.
Later in Season 3, Alex Lloyd interviewed John's brother in #63 Andrew Wells.
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Friday Mar 08, 2019
Friday Mar 08, 2019
Alex Lloyd speaks with Special Forces combat doctor Dan Pronk, in Dan's third podcast appearance.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's bonus episode is with Dr Dan Pronk. Dan is a former combat doctor who passed SAS selection and deployed to Afghanistan four times, serving in over 100 combat operations with the Special Air Service Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment. In this podcast, he spoke about life lessons and methods for motivation he learned from his time in uniform, and in his life after - and how he has channelled that into his new book, "Average 70kg D*ckhead".
Buy Dan’s first book on Amazon in print, ebook and audiobook format.
And read Dan’s article ‘Abandoning the Tribe’, as discussed in the interview.
For more podcasts with Dr Dan Pronk, including about his second book The Resilience Shield, don’t miss these episodes:
- #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol I
- #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol II
- Voodoo Medics with Mark Donaldson VC, Dr Dan Pronk and Kristin Shorten
- #107 Brett Wood
- SAS Resilience with Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Tuesday Mar 05, 2019
Tuesday Mar 05, 2019
Alex Lloyd interviews Iraq veteran Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, and has deployed to Iraq with the Australian Army. Sharon has worked for the BBC, Radio France International and the ABC's Radio Australia, presenting news coverage of war and peacekeeping operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. She has a PhD in communication and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. Her area of research is ethnographic journalism and journalistic ethics in regards to coverage of veterans' affairs and Anzac commemoration. Sharon is a Major in the Australian Army Reserve, working now as a Public Affairs Officer with Headquarters 9th Brigade. She deployed to Iraq in 2016-17. Sharon began conducting veteran interviews for LIFE ON THE LINE in 2018. She also runs StoryRight, a veterans employment support program.
Sharon has told part of her own story of service previously on this podcast, in Christmas on the Line.
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
To find out more about the Thistle Productions crew, visit http://www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com/team.
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Alex Lloyd speaks with Jewish Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's bonus episode is with Phillip Maisel, who was imprisoned by Nazi Germany's forces during World War II, confined to an overcrowded ghetto for two years, before being sent to multiple labour and concentration camps. Phillip spoke to Alex Lloyd about the hardships he endured, the horrors he witnessed, and the hope that sustained him and his brethren.
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
Angus Hordern interviews Afghanistan and Timor veteran, formerly of the 2nd Commando Regiment, Mick Bainbridge.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is with Mick Bainbridge. Mick, a former commando, was the subject of an April 2018 "Australian Story" episode about his difficult journey after multiple deployments to Afghanistan with the 2nd Commando Regiment. Mick shared his story with Angus Hordern - from elite training and combat deployments, to losing mates and the toll war can take. In this episode, Angus also speaks briefly with Glenn Kolomeitz, Mick's mate and mentor.
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Alex Lloyd interviews Victoria Cross recipient Daniel Keighran.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is with Daniel Keighran VC. Dan is the third recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, for his leadership and courage during the Battle of Derapet, in Afghanistan in 2010. Dan spoke to Alex about his army career, the battle that changed his life and the Victoria Cross.
Dan was interviewed by journalist Kristin Shorten in an exclusive, published in anticipation of this podcast. You can read the article on the Daily Telegraph’s website. The online article was published Monday 18 February and the print edition was published on Tuesday 19 February.
Dan was featured again on the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol II. His autobiography, Courage Under Fire, will be published on 27 October 2020.
Dan returned to the podcast in Season 4 with new stories and revelations, in #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell).
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
Welcome to Season 3 of LIFE ON THE LINE, Australia's first and leading veterans podcast, from Thistle Productions.
Season 3 of LIFE ON THE LINE begins next week! Subscribe to get all content. We have stories from the army, navy, air force, commandos and SAS; from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, peacekeeping operations, Afghanistan and Iraq. Listen to Australian stories as you've never heard them before, from Australia's first and leading veterans podcast.
Watch the video version of this trailer on YouTube, by clicking here!
Tuesday Dec 18, 2018
Tuesday Dec 18, 2018
Veterans of Season 2 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans of Season 2 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. These stories have not been previously featured on the podcast. Returning guests include Dave Stafford Finney, Don Barnby, Chantelle Taylor, Cassie Collins, Glenn Kolomeitz, David Michael, Rev Dr Gareth Clayton and Rothesay Swan; and Sharon Mascall-Dare of the podcast team also shares a Christmas tale, from her deployment to Iraq.
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Friday Dec 07, 2018
The veterans of Life on the Sea reflect on their time in uniform. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Life on the Sea is a special miniseries of this podcast, interviewing Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars. 'Reflections' has all nine veterans of Life on the Sea look back at their time in the navy, how it shaped them and what it meant to them.
Catch all the episodes:
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
What does one go to on to do after war? Some leave the navy, some continue long careers. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Life on the Sea is a special miniseries of this podcast, interviewing Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars. 'Career' documents the lives in uniform for the veterans of this series after the Vietnam War was over.
Catch all the episodes:
Friday Nov 30, 2018
Friday Nov 30, 2018
The Vietnam War continues, with combat stories from the bombardment line and more. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Life on the Sea is a special miniseries of this podcast, interviewing Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars. 'Combat' continues the navy stories of the Vietnam War, until war's end in 1972.
Catch all the episodes:
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
A sailor gives his account of the Melbourne-Evans collision of 1969. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Life on the Sea is a special miniseries of this podcast, interviewing Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars. 'Collision' hears a sailor on HMAS Melbourne during the tragic 1969 Melbourne-Evans collision give his testimony of the day that saw 74 sailors lose their lives. It also features an interview on the subject with the Melbourne's captain, John Philip Stevenson.
You can listen here to the Season 2 bonus episode with short clips from Captain John Philip Stevenson's 2012 interview with Angus Hordern.
Phil Stevenson's World War II service was chronicled in the World War II documentary miniseries FOR SCHOOL AND COUNTRY.
Catch all the episodes: