Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories.
Episodes
Tuesday May 24, 2022
Tuesday May 24, 2022
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews army veteran Mick Burgess.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mick Burgess has served in the Australian Army and Army Reserve for almost 40 years. He deployed to Rwanda as a young officer, encountering child soldiers and the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. He went on to have a career in the army as an instructor and then a linguist, including an exchange to Thailand. He is now the Chair of the Remembrance Driveway Council. This is his story of service, as told to Sharon Mascall-Dare.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Angus Hordern continues his interview with Vietnam War SAS veteran Nick Howlett.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. In the second part of his conversation with Angus Hordern, Nick Howlett details patrols and hot extractions during the 1969-70 3 Squadron SAS deployment to Vietnam. Nick tells Angus about his post-Vietnam career, the paratroop jump that ended it all, his difficulties with PTSD, his views on transition out of the military and his peaceful life today on his boat.
Listen to Volume I before listening to this episode.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
- #18 Don Barnby Vol I
- #18 Don Barnby Vol II
- Panel - Life After Service
- Life After Service - Don Barnby
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday May 10, 2022
Tuesday May 10, 2022
Angus Hordern interviews Vietnam War SAS veteran Nick Howlett.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Nick Howlett joined the Citizens Military Forces in the 1960s as a commando. He soon left his civilian job as a bank teller and transferred to the regular army and joined the Special Air Service Regiment as an officer. In this podcast, Nick tells Angus Hordern about his experiences commanding an SAS troop - all with sergeants and soldiers far more experienced than him - in the jungles of Vietnam. This is the first interview of Season 6 and the first of a two-part conversation.
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
Welcome to Season 6 of LIFE ON THE LINE, Australia's first and leading veterans podcast, from Thistle Productions.
After 5 years, 5 seasons, 2 miniseries, 241 podcasts, 15 video episodes, 174 veterans and over 1.4 million downloads, Life on the Line is back. In 2022, our 6th year, we present Season 6. Our ongoing mission is to track down Australian military veterans and record their stories, from World War II to the 21st century. The vision of Life on the Line continues to be to capture the raw human stories behind the broader brushstrokes of history, and to explore service: why people serve, and how a life of service changes them. From acts of valour to the trauma of conflict, and how veterans can grow and change from that trauma. This podcast seeks to discover the human side of war, the truth of battle scars and what it’s really like to put one’s life on the line.
This season, we have a great mix of interviews, from a 98-year-old veteran of the Kokoda campaign in World War II to modern-day Special Forces, as well as servicemen and women across the years from the Army, Navy and Air Force, of all ranks and backgrounds. On Tuesday May 10th, check out your preferred podcast app, YouTube or our website for our first episode, with an SAS veteran of the Vietnam War. You can expect a new episode every 2nd Tuesday, with the occasional bonus episode in between.
Watch this trailer on YouTube.
Our website is www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com. Find us on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @lifeonthelinepodcast, on Twitter @LOTLpod and on LinkedIn @ThistleProductions. Life on the Line is brought to you by Thistle Productions. Artwork by Big Cat Design. Music by Dan Van Werkhoven. Thank you for listening and Lest We Forget.
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Veterans of Season 5 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans of Season 5 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. Featured guests include Chris Oxenbould, Greg Hopgood, Mark Wales, Wes 'H' Hennessey, Commando Jamie, Keith Wolahan, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Wayne Bemet. This episode is hosted by Thomas Kaye.
The episodes these veterans were featured in earlier this season include:
- #104 Chris Oxenbould
- #106 Greg Hopgood
- #107 Brett Wood
- #28 Mark Wales Vol II
- #109 Keith Wolahan
- #117 Sir Peter Cosgrove
- #120 Wayne Bemet
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Alex Lloyd interviews Royal Australian Navy veteran Kasey Mumford.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Kasey Mumford was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. She deployed to Timor, the Arabian Gulf and was on HMAS Manoora during the MV Tampa incident in 2001. Kasey spoke with Alex Lloyd for Season 5’s final episode.
For more episodes related to the MV Tampa, listen to:
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Royal Australian Air Force veteran Catherine Walsh.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Catherine Walsh is a former Air Force intelligence officer and former aide-de-camp to the Governor-General. Today she’s Director of Veterans South Australia. Catherine spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about the RAAF, her deployment to the Middle East, her time in the Vice-Regal sphere, and her work today in the Air Force Reserves and with Veterans SA.
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
Angus Hordern interviews former Chief Petty Officer, RAN veteran Wayne Bemet.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Wayne Bemet served in The Australian Defence Force for 19 years, with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. He had 5 operational deployments, from 2002 to 2015. He was medically discharged in 2017 for a variety of physical injuries, forcing Wayne to reinvent and re-educate himself for a life moving forward. He spoke to Angus Hordern about his military career and his transition from the defence force.
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Friday Oct 29, 2021
Friday Oct 29, 2021
This is the audio-only version of our Life After Service episode with Gary and Renee Wilson. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!
This year Life on the Line released a new special project. A special documentary series focusing on veterans lives after their time in uniform - called Life After Service. So far in the series, we've featured the stories of 6 veterans over 6 episodes:
Thank you for your support with our new series and we would love to know what you want to see in the season return next year.
CLOSING CREDITS:
Brought to you by Thistle Productions
Intro Music: THREE METRES by Stephen Keech
Episode Soundtrack: THE HELL BEYOND by The Externals
Fuelled by Striker Coffe Co.
Copyright Thistle Productions 2021
THISTLE PRODUCTIONS, LIFE ON THE LINE and TECI
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Alex Lloyd interviews former commando Craig Ball.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Craig Ball passed Commando selection in 2000 as a reservist and went full-time in 2006. He deployed to Afghanistan as a signaller in the 2nd Commando Regiment in 2010 and 2012. Today, he’s a men’s mental health speaker.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Oct 12, 2021
Tuesday Oct 12, 2021
Alex Lloyd introduces Keith Payne VC’s autobiography, NO ONE LEFT BEHIND.
The elder statesman of our Victoria Cross recipients – Keith Payne VC, AM – has released his autobiography – NO ONE LEFT BEHIND. Much has been written about Keith Payne before, but this is the first time he’s done a book in his own words. This special podcast introduces the book, read by podcast creator Alex Lloyd. Alex is also Keith’s publisher at Pan Macmillan. NO ONE LEFT BEHIND is out now in print, audiobook and ebook.
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Alex Lloyd interviews former SAS psychologist Mark Mathieson.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Mathieson was a psychologist in the Australian Army, including time as the SAS regimental psychologist. He deployed to Timor and 6 times to Afghanistan. This is our conversation about the psychology of Special Forces soldiers and the impact of war.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
- #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol I
- #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol II
- #68 Harry Moffitt Vol II
- #28 Mark Wales Vol II
- 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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Angus Hordern interviews General Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Chief of the Defence Force and Governor-General.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. This is our third Season 5 video podcast - you can watch the whole conversation between Sir Peter Cosgrove and Angus Hordern now on YouTube. General Sir Peter Cosgrove is one of Australia’s most significant public figures. As a soldier, he saw action in Vietnam, winning the Military Cross, and rose to the top, becoming Chief of the Defence Force from 2002 to 2005. After his military career, Sir Peter became Australia’s Governor-General, serving in that office from 2014 to 2019. In this podcast, he sat down over a Zoom video call to speak with Angus Hordern about some highlights from his life, and to mark the release of the paperback edition of his memoir YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE JOINED. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel @lifeonthelinepodcast or listen through your preferred podcast app.
The YouTube interview was recorded over Zoom during Sydney's 2021 lockdown.
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, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.