BBC Radio Podcasts from History's Secret Heroes

History's Secret Heroes

Welcome to History’s Secret Heroes

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two.

1. Virginia Hall’s Great Escape

How did Virginia Hall mastermind one of World War Two’s most astonishing prison breaks?

2. Charity Adams and the 6888

Major Charity Adams arrives in Birmingham, England, to sort out an enormous problem.

3. Ghost Army

A secret army unit with one job: to put on a show, for an audience who wants to kill them.

4. Claude, Marcel and the Soldier with No Name

Two eccentric French artists perform an extraordinary act of resistance.

5. George Takei and the American Internment Camps

Why was George Takei and his family imprisoned without trial in 1942?

6. The Mystery of Garbo

One of World War Two’s most successful double agents is finally revealed.

7. Bela Hazan and the Jewish Resistance

A young Polish woman named Bela Hazan goes undercover to fight against the Nazis.

8. Skiing Commandos

Can a team of Norwegian men on skis destroy a water plant in time to stop a nuclear war?

9. Jack King and the Fifth Column

A bank worker from Surrey joins MI5. His job is to infiltrate British Fascists.

10. Arslan Rezniqi and the Besa Code

How did Arslan Rezniqi, an Albanian merchant, save hundreds of Jewish refugees?

Introducing History's Secret Heroes Series 2

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two.

11. The Extraordinary Cook Sisters

How did two English opera-loving sisters help dozens of Jews escape Nazi Germany?

12. Flying High with Johnny Smythe

Johnny Smythe, one of the first West African RAF airmen, navigates a terrifying flight.

13. Christine Granville: The Spy Who Skied In from the Cold

Thrill-seeker Christine Granville becomes Britain’s first female spy during the war.

14. The Unbreakable Navajo Code

A group of Native American soldiers devise a secret code for the Allies.

15. Josefina Guerrero: The Maid of Manila

How did Josefina Guerrero’s leprosy lead her to become a brilliant spy?

16. Raymond Gurême: Escape Artist

A young circus performer dedicates himself to bringing the Nazis down.

17. Charles Drew and the Blood Bank

How did an African-American doctor come to lead the blood bank effort during the war?

18. Andrée De Jongh and the Comet Line

Can a daring young Belgian woman save the lives of hundreds of stranded airmen?

19. The Enigmatic Emily Anderson

How Britain’s top female codebreaker played a crucial role in Allied victory.

20. Manfred Gans and X Troop

An elite secret unit of Jewish commandos take on the Nazis.