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Backyard Battlefields

Backyard Battlefields

Written by: James De Leo
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Backyard Battlefields is a history podcast which explores historical sites throughout Australia and beyond. Presented by James De LeoCopyright James De Leo Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary World
Episodes
  • Paw Patrol: Greenland's Sirius Dog Sled Patrol
    Jun 10 2026

    The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol is a Danish Naval Special Forces unit.

    Named for the brightest star in the night sky, it's tasked with long range reconnaisance, patrolling and maintining Denmark's sovereignty over the vast, Arctic wilderness of North-Eastern Greenland. It was born during the Second World War, enlisting hunters and native Inuits for the purpose of preventing a German presence on the remote North-East coast.

    Today their role in patrolling Greenland has come into sharp focus with the melting ice opening up new shipping and resource opportunities for the territory. Opportunities drawing the avaricious attention of great powers.

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    20 mins
  • Korean War 'Mig Killer': Bill Simmonds, RAAF
    Apr 30 2026

    Bill Simmonds was from Bunbury, Western Australia. A pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 77 Squadron, during the Korean War he flew P-51 Mustangs before converting to the Gloster Meteor jet fighter. On the 8th of May 1952 he became one of the few Australian 'Mig Killers' of the conflict after shooting down a Communist MIG-15 while escorting US bombers over North Korea. He went onto a distinguished career in the RAAF. He was seconded both to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and US Air Force (USAF) and was a member of the 77 Squadron aerobatic team before retiring at the rank of Air Vice Marshal. This episode contains elements of an interview recorded for the television series 'Australians at War', available at the 'Australians at War Film Archive' (UNSW/2563).

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    17 mins
  • Operation Hurricane: Britain's First Atomic Test
    Nov 6 2025

    On October 3, 1952 Britain detonated an atomic bomb on the MonteBello Islands, 50 miles off Western Australia's Pilbara coast. The success of the top secret test made Britain the third atomic power after the United States and Soviet Union. Author Paul Grace, has written a dramatic account of the test, 'Operation Hurricane: The Story of Britain's First Atomic Test and the Legacy that Remains' His Grandfather, Flight Lt. Ron Grace was a Royal Australian Airforce pilot who flew security patrols before the test and 'coastal monitoring' sorties in the radioactive aftermath, searching for fallout on the Australian mainland. This episode is Paul's first hand account of the test, its politics, personalities and implications for Australia.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
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