Life on the Line

Daniel Keighran VC - Courage Under Fire

A trailer for COURAGE UNDER FIRE by Daniel Keighran VC.

Podcast host Alex Lloyd is a Senior Editor at book publisher Pan Macmillan Australia, and the editor of Daniel Keighran VC's autobiography. Dan's military memoir, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, is out 27 October. It's now available for preorder. Listen to this short podcast to find out more about the book and hear reviews of it by Mark Donaldson VC, Sir Peter Cosgrove, Dame Quentin Bryce, John Cantwell, Dr Brendan Nelson, Sir Angus Houston, David Hurley and David Morrison. COURAGE UNDER FIRE was written with Tony Park, an Afghanistan veteran and conversation #81 earlier this season.

#87 Jeremy Holder

Thomas Kaye interviews combat medic Jeremy Holder.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Jeremy Holder was a medic in the Australian Army for 7 years. He served within Special Operations Command for 4 years, which included a deployment to Afghanistan with the commandos as a platoon medic. Jez spoke to Thomas Kaye about his time in Afghanistan and the reality of being a combat medic for Special Forces.

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.

#86 Susan Coyle

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Susan Coyle, currently on deployment to Afghanistan as Commander Joint Task Force 633.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Major General Susan Coyle CSC, DSM is a senior officer in the Australian Army. She is currently on deployment to Afghanistan as the commander of Joint Task Force 633, responsible for all Australian operations in the Middle East. She is the first woman to command the task force, which comprises 1200 personnel on Operation Okra. Susan spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about her extensive military career, including her deployments to East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan.

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.

COVID-19 Taskforce with John Frewen

Alex Lloyd speaks with Lieutenant General John Frewen about the COVID-19 Taskforce and his military career.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC, AM, is currently serving in the Australian Army. He is leading the COVID-19 Taskforce established by Defence, to coordinate the ADF’s contribution to the whole-of-government response to the pandemic. John spoke to Alex Lloyd about highlights of his military career to date, and about the work our servicemen and women are doing in response to coronavirus – when the front line is at home. 

Some of John’s career highlights include his 1994 deployment to Rwanda, his exchange to the United States military in Hawaii during September 11, leading the international response to the Solomon Islands crisis in 2003, Afghanistan in 2007, back to the Middle East as Joint Task Force 633 commander in 2017, and now leading the COVID-19 Taskforce with military deputy Major General Paul Kenny. 

The military career conversation begins at 1:40 and the COVID Taskforce conversation at 24:35.

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.

#85 David McCourt

Alex Lloyd interviews a former captain of the Royal Australian Navy, David McCourt.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. David McCourt served as a career officer in the Royal Australian Navy. After a range of seafaring postings, David was deployed to East Timor and twice to the Arabian Gulf.

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.

Willy Beating Cancer OAM

Alex Lloyd speaks again with Afghanistan veteran Matt Williams.

 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Corporal Matthew Williams is currently serving in the Australian Army. Willy, as he’s better known, had his 21st birthday on deployment to Afghanistan. On his 22nd birthday, he received a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer. But he never gave up the fight. He started what’s become a hugely popular Instagram page – Willy Beating Cancer – documenting his journey of physical and mental health as he fights his illness, increases awareness of it and raises money for it. Alex Lloyd interviewed Willy in 2018, in the post-Season 2 bonus episode ‘A Journey of Resilience with Matt Williams’, about his military service and cancer diagnosis. Two years after the original podcast, Alex brought Willy back on the show for an update on what’s been going on his life.

 

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.

#84 Tim Reynolds

Angus Hordern interviews Iraq veteran and cancer survivor Tim Reynolds.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tim Reynolds served in the Australian Army for 27 years. He joined as a mechanic and retired at the rank of Major. He had multiple deployments during his service, including to Iraq in 2005. He began a new civilian career in his 40s before being diagnosed with a terminal cancer. This is Tim's conversation with Angus Hordern of a life in uniform, deployments overseas and overcoming adversity against the odds.

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.

The Partners - Samantha Gash

Alex Lloyd speaks with Samantha Gash about being married to an SAS veteran.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. On this podcast, many veterans have remarked on how vital the support of a partner or loved one has been to them; that not enough is said of just what a difference it is they make. This is the first ‘partners’ episode of Life on the Line, and we hope to do more in the future. Today’s conversation is with Samantha Gash. Samantha is a professional endurance athlete, social entrepreneur and a motivational speaker. She’s run over 20,000km across every continent on Earth and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity while advocating for women’s empowerment, social change and access to education. In 2017 she was a contestant on the reality TV show Australian Survivor, where she met former SAS officer Mark Wales. Sam and Mark are now married and have one young son, Harry Locke Wales.

You can hear #28 Mark Wales in Season 2. In Season 5, Mark returned to the podcast to promote his memoir SURVIVOR: LIFE IN THE SAS. Mark returned again to the podcast in 2024 to promote his debut novel OUTRIDER.

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.

#83 Dean and Alan Bretherton

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews father and son veterans Dean and Alan Bretherton.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. In this podcast Sharon Mascall-Dare conducts two interviews with a father and son: Dean Bretherton, a veteran of the New Zealand Air Force, and his son Alan Bretherton, who is currently in the Middle East on operations with the Australian Army.

Dean served in the New Zealand Defence Force for 22 years. He spoke to Sharon about his own service and his family’s deep military history.

Captain Alan Bretherton is currently on operations as the Deputy Plans Officer for Joint Task Force 633. He’s also serving as the Gender Advisor to the commander of JTF633, Major General Susan Coyle. Alan spoke to Sharon about his career to date, and what it’s like to be an officer in today’s Australian Army.

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.

#54 Wes 'H' Hennssey Vol V

Alex Lloyd continues his interview with 2nd Commando Regiment veteran 'H' about his combat deployments to Afghanistan.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. This is the fifth part of Alex Lloyd's conversation with Wes 'H' Hennessey, a senior and highly decorated Special Forces veteran. They discuss H returning home after his combat-heavy 2008 deployment to Afghanistan and then move on to his experiences in 2010, where he was in more of a leadership role, and the contrast between the two deployments.

Also listen to, in Season 3, Volume I (the beginning & TAG East), Volume II (Afghanistan 2006) and Volume III (coming home), and in this season, Volume IV (Afghanistan 2008).

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.

#54 Wes 'H' Hennssey Vol IV

Alex Lloyd resumes his interview with Special Forces veteran 'H' about his combat deployments to Afghanistan in 2008.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is the fourth part of Alex Lloyd's conversation with 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Wes 'H' Hennessey, which began in a three-part interview in Season 3. This instalment focuses on H's intense combat experiences with Special Forces, in Afghanistan in 2008.

Also listen to, in Season 3, Volume I (the beginning & TAG East), Volume II (Afghanistan 2006) and Volume III (coming home), and in this season, Volume V (Afghanistan 2010).

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.

#82 John Cantwell Vol II

Angus Hordern continues his interview with Australian Army veteran John Cantwell.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Today's episode is the second instalment of the conversation with Major General John Cantwell AO, DSC, picking up after John's second combat tour in Iraq in 2006 and being made Deputy Chief of Army in 2007. In this episode, John talks to Angus Hordern about commanding forces in Afghanistan, the responsibility of command, and the importance of talking openly and honestly about trauma.

John returned to the podcast in #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell), later in Season 4.

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.

#82 John Cantwell Vol I

Angus Hordern interviews retired Major General John Cantwell AO, DSC.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. John Cantwell AO, DSC served in the Australian Army for 38 years, retiring at the rank of Major General. He had tours of duty in the First and Second Gulf War, and the War in Afghanistan. He began his career as a Private, saw intense frontline combat and in his final tour was the Commander of Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations. John was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 2012 for his “inspired leadership, deep commitment to his people and superior performance on operations”. He is the author of the bestselling memoir, EXIT WOUNDS. This is the first instalment in a two-part conversation with Angus Hordern.

John returned to the podcast in #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell), later in Season 4.

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.