What We Get Wrong About WW2

Al Murray (0:12)

Well, Jim, act tongue, act tongue, as we used to say. We don't say it all the time anymore, do we?

James Holland (0:17)

But now what do we say? Far in the hole!

John McManus (0:20)

Far in the hole! On this occasion, we've got American guests on.

Al Murray (0:22)

Exactly. So welcome to WW2 Making You Talk here at WW2 Fest 6, Mark 6, The Tiger.

James Holland (0:28)

Sext.

Al Murray (0:29)

And we're sat here on the Thursdays, the festival sort of assembles. So if you hear music in the background, if you hear the rumble of tank tracks, exactly, or the odd JCB, that's because that's where we're on site. But we are delighted to be joined this afternoon by John McManus.

James Holland (0:45)

Yes, I've got great, great, great friend of the show, occasional co-host, former regular co-host. John, it's fantastic to see you here in an English field surrounded by oaks and a Cromwell and armored car. I mean, what could be better?

John McManus (1:00)

This is just awesome. And I love the fire in the hole. I am totally for that.

Let's do it.

James Holland (1:07)

Okay, well, that's now a solemn vow. Every time you can one, we won't do act one, act two, and we'll do fire in the hole.

John McManus (1:11)

We'll do fire in the hole.

Al Murray (1:12)

So thanks for joining us again. You've been to the festival before, so you kind of, I mean, you know what to expect. If you had to sum this event up to someone on the other side of the Atlantic, what would you say about this festival?

John McManus (1:24)

I mean, it's hard to come up with one word, but I think just fun. I mean, it's just a blast. It's so much fun to hear the speakers, but also all the hardware, the equipment, some real reenactors who do it the right way. Monty's men I'm talking about and others too, obviously. I mean, these guys.

James Holland (1:44)

The parachutists.

John McManus (1:45)

Yeah, they know their stuff. And what I like about it too, it's a very welcoming environment. Just the people who come here, I don't know why this is, but they're all nice.

There's so much fun.

James Holland (1:57)

We only have nice people.

John McManus (1:58)

I think that's largely down to us, isn't it?

Al Murray (2:00)

Everyone being nice, Jim?

James Holland (2:01)

I think so.

Al Murray (2:01)

I think that's us, isn't it? I think we can take responsibility for that.

John McManus (2:04)

It starts with you guys and goes on down. Thanks for bringing out what great guys we are, John. Absolutely.

You're just peaches of guys, that's for sure.

Al Murray (2:12)

That's why you've been asked back, obviously.

I think it is really fantastic that we can attract people like you to come though. It makes it very special, doesn't it, Jim?

James Holland (2:20)

Well, yeah. We always want a few yanks over every festival. John, you're always absolutely top of the list, obviously. But we had James and Scott last year. That was great, wasn't it? We got Kev Heimel, hopefully coming over this year. I hope.

Flights permit. We've got John Parshaw. We've got all sorts of people coming. So it's fantastic. We've got Mark Milner, he's Canada and now an enemy of the United States.

Al Murray (2:39)

Well, unless it becomes a 51st state.

John McManus (2:42)

A whole huge country is one state. I mean, what could go wrong with that?

Al Murray (2:45)

What could possibly go wrong with any of it?

John McManus (2:49)

But we're not here to talk about politics. No.

Al Murray (2:51)

No. I have to say, I rather like where we found ourselves sitting here. Because we're between the best tank of the Second World War and it's the close runner up, aren't we Jim? Yeah.

James Holland (3:00)

The Sherman and the Cromwell. Yeah.

Al Murray (3:02)

In which order?

John McManus (3:03)

Yeah. Which order?

Al Murray (3:05)

I have to say, because this is behind us here Jim, the Sherman, this is the...

James Holland (3:10)

Reinforced plates on the side.

John McManus (3:11)

Yeah.

Al Murray (3:11)

This isn't the welded hull, is it?

John McManus (3:13)

No, it's the molded hull.

Al Murray (3:14)

This is the cast one. How rough the finish is, is quite interesting, isn't it?

James Holland (3:20)

Well, it was probably sat in a field getting rusty for 40 years, didn't it, before it was done up?

Al Murray (3:27)

Yeah, maybe, but they did, they did, you know, they did churn these out.