EARLY EPISODE: Orde Wingate and the Chindits: Part 1

Just listened to this and once again you guys have claimed to be able to defeat Italians by breaking spaghetti. Now here‘s the thing: Yesterday I came across an Italian dish called „Spaghetti e Lenticchie“ - a dish that is basically a lentil soup that you add pieces of CRACKED spaghetti to. I am deeply confused.

As an Australian, we can thank Greek and Italian immigration for about 90% of our coffee culture

We need patreon cuts of every episode where the post topic bullshit and pre show rambling is included and encouraged

I am so invested in Joe's incidental travelogues. Also, Wingate's weird Marxism thing reminds me of that guy who helped start the Para-marines that observed a Chi-Com unit in the Sino-Japanese war and tried to employ consensus leadership in his American infantry brigade.

So now I’ve started reading “good bye to all that” keep up the recommendations

Oddly enough my grandad was a chindit - he died in the 70s so never learned anything about it, aside from inheriting a Japanese officers sword that my mum said he used to pop balloons on birthdays. Also apparently ended up being a tax inspector in Northern Ireland (he was from Oldham).

Well, I learned why there was a street at Cannon AFB, NM named after the Chindits. 10/10 would highly recommend being station at Cannon AFB.

orde wingate and the chindits is a great name for a niche indie rock band

Oh gosh, this guy comes up in Caroline Elkins' book "Legacy of Violence". I thought he sounded familiar. 😂

I toured in bands and slept on couches and floors for my 20s and 30s. The only reason I get hotel rooms now is because I have crohns and feel bad about destroying a friend's toilet every morning. (Also being 42, doing it maybe once a year and having a proper job and kids it's easier to justify now hah).

He sounds like ww2 liver king

I’ve only ever vaguely heard of this guy, I did not realize “married a 16-year-old” would be one of the less crazy or weird things he did, especially by the proud tradition of British military nonces.

Oh boy. I first heard about this guy when I was reading Hirohito's War. Just a weird side character in a much bigger war. I also remember reading that he was a massive fuckup that Slim (who knew how to fight a war) really disliked.

Nobody does high functioning lunatics like the British. "Jack" Churchill is another WW2 British uber-warrior who was crazier than a shithouse rat.

Ah, another classic British Empire Guy who was legitimately so insane you can’t believe it’s not parody. Great episode.

Yay! Another English raving maniac.

Toured as a carpenter for a certain pretentious French Canadian circus for most of my 20s. My brain and body are broken we’re broken by 30 and it took me years to get myself to a non awful place. However, when we toured Australia even venue catering had a barista who served a flat white better than most coffee I had in any other part of the world

For a show called Lions Led By Donkey's, those were disappointing donkey impressions

Finally. I've been waiting for you all to talk about this.

Nate, never stop recommending books. I'm curious- have you ever read the Vietnam War fiction novel Matterhorn? If yes, what's you think? If no, dude, read it

I like how Joe says "I don't know how anyone tours for a living" and then starts listing all the things he hated about being in the military

I genuinely appreciate all the book suggestions Nate puts out

Gotta love when old timey medicine catches onto something real, like people exercising to help with depression. You just don't have to do it in the snow

This dude is the British “operator” equivalent of Hawkeye from M.A.S.H

there are a few interesting characters in little corners of ww2 like this, getting away with little counter insurgency kingdoms because they were on their own, there were quite a few characters in the south pacific among the coast watchers too and not just the men, some amazing women too.

Talking about old timey badasses, y'all should really take a look at Marcel Bigeard. Dude was insane, and Idi Amin would be jealous of his medals(because he actually earned them). Or maybe the equally insane Bob Denard.

Let's fucking gooo back to burma

@Nate, Aus/NZ coffee is good because Australia had a large amount of Mediterranean immigrants who brought over their various coffee cultures, which both became popular with the Anglo citizens and started a coffee arms race of people trying to make better and better coffee. NZ got good coffee because everything Australian ends up filtering over the ditch at some point

Off topic but good reminder I want to get Invisible War!

Mad bad and commanded by mountbatten......what could go wrong!