Episode 41: Stephen Spencer-Chapman

Tonight's guest is Stephen Spencer-Chapman, a veteran of the British Army's elite Parachute Regiment, and former *officer commanding* of the Red Devils parachute display team. While we certainly cover some of Stephen’s life story, including his time in the British military, the bulk of the discussion is about his inspiring grandfather, Freddy Spencer Chapman.

Episode 41 History Highlights:

1). The Shetland Bus — a lifeline for Norwegian citizens escaping Nazi oppression and a highway for British Special Operations Executive (SOE) officers linking up with Norwegian commandos for sabotage operations. For more info, read this article published in 2019.

2). Freddy Spencer Chapman’s “Living Dangerously” book series, which includes his 1930 polar exploration in Greenland, which aimed to uncover an air route between North America and Europe by way of the Arctic.

3). Stephen tells us about his personal experiences meeting the Dalai Lama. Freddy previously made a diplomatic mission to Tibet in 1936.

4). Freddy’s 3 ½ years in the Malaysia jungle fighting and evading the Japanese as a member of British SOE’s Force 136. (Read more here: ⁠To Hell and Back Again: The Epic Adventures of British Commando Freddy Spencer Chapman⁠).

5). “The Mad Fortnight” — Freddy and two other SOE commandos launched offensive action against the Japanese. They developed tactics to move as a small team and traveled at night along the Japanese supply lines. The SOE commandos would position themselves so one person would engage the enemy — often with IEDs, sticky bombs, and grenades — as a distraction and a second commando would move to another position to make them appear larger than they were. The three commandos wrecked 7 trains, cut a railway line in 60 pieces, and killed scores of enemy troops. In the end, the Japanese thought this was a battalion of men and sent regiments of soldiers to find them. 

6). Freddy’s legacy and The Chapman’s Challenge adventure race held annually in Malaysia. The race follows part of the route Freddy took to escape the jungle and get picked up by submarine.

7). History of the Parachute Regiment.

8). History of the Red Devils and tribute to the late Dean “Waldo” Walton.

9). Stephen’s experiences with military transition.

Buy Freddy's book: The Jungle is Neutral

Buy Brian Moynahan's book: Jungle Soldier

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