#126 Gareth Gardner

Thomas Kaye interviews army veteran Gareth Gardner.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Gareth Gardner served in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, deploying as a driver to Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. He transitioned from digger to officer, becoming a tank commander. Gareth spoke to Thomas Kaye about his military service, his love for teaching and instructing, and the work he’s doing today with the veterans employment program company WithYouWithMe.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #3 Garth Callender

• #58 Kane Hall

• #62 Oliver Andrews

• COVID-19 Taskforce with John Frewen

#125 Ant Plater

Alex Lloyd interviews 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Ant Plater.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Former Special Forces operator Ant Plater served in the Australian Defence Force for 27 years, 17 of which were with the Commandos. He deployed to Somalia, Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, served in the Tactical Assault Group-East, and was the counter-terrorism advisor to the Australian Federal Police. Today, he’s a high-performance consultant for the Canberra Raiders and an advocate for the Commando Welfare Trust. The 2nd Commando Regiment veteran spoke with Alex Lloyd about his journey to the army and Special Forces, some of his deployments, the idea of ‘tribe’, and being a leader at the tip of the spear. 

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #47 Bram Connolly

• #54 ‘H’ Vol I

• #97 Paul Cale

• #105 Damien Thomlinson

• #106 Greg Hopgood

#124 Mick Burgess

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews army veteran Mick Burgess.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mick Burgess has served in the Australian Army and Army Reserve for almost 40 years. He deployed to Rwanda as a young officer, encountering child soldiers and the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. He went on to have a career in the army as an instructor and then a linguist, including an exchange to Thailand. He is now the Chair of the Remembrance Driveway Council. This is his story of service, as told to Sharon Mascall-Dare.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• Minefields with Hugh Riminton

• #33 Tracy Smart

• #66 James O'Hanlon

• #80 Robyn White

#123 Nick Howlett Vol II

Angus Hordern continues his interview with Vietnam War SAS veteran Nick Howlett.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. In the second part of his conversation with Angus Hordern, Nick Howlett details patrols and hot extractions during the 1969-70 3 Squadron SAS deployment to Vietnam. Nick tells Angus about his post-Vietnam career, the paratroop jump that ended it all, his difficulties with PTSD, his views on transition out of the military and his peaceful life today on his boat.

Listen to Volume I before listening to this episode. Nick then returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol V.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #18 Don Barnby Vol I

• #18 Don Barnby Vol II

• Panel - Life After Service

• Life After Service - Don Barnby

#123 Nick Howlett Vol I

Angus Hordern interviews Vietnam War SAS veteran Nick Howlett.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Nick Howlett joined the Citizens Military Forces in the 1960s as a commando. He soon left his civilian job as a bank teller and transferred to the regular army and joined the Special Air Service Regiment as an officer. In this podcast, Nick tells Angus Hordern about his experiences commanding an SAS troop - all with sergeants and soldiers far more experienced than him - in the jungles of Vietnam.

This is the first interview of Season 6 and the first of a two-part conversation.

Season 6 Trailer

Welcome to Season 6 of LIFE ON THE LINE, Australia's first and leading veterans podcast, from Thistle Productions.

After 5 years, 5 seasons, 2 miniseries, 241 podcasts, 15 video episodes, 174 veterans and over 1.4 million downloads, Life on the Line is back. In 2022, our 6th year, we present Season 6. Our ongoing mission is to track down Australian military veterans and record their stories, from World War II to the 21st century. The vision of Life on the Line continues to be to capture the raw human stories behind the broader brushstrokes of history, and to explore service: why people serve, and how a life of service changes them. From acts of valour to the trauma of conflict, and how veterans can grow and change from that trauma. This podcast seeks to discover the human side of war, the truth of battle scars and what it’s really like to put one’s life on the line.

This season, we have a great mix of interviews, from a 98-year-old veteran of the Kokoda campaign in World War II to modern-day Special Forces, as well as servicemen and women across the years from the Army, Navy and Air Force, of all ranks and backgrounds. On Tuesday May 10th, check out your preferred podcast app, YouTube or our website for our first episode, with an SAS veteran of the Vietnam War. You can expect a new episode every 2nd Tuesday, with the occasional bonus episode in between.

The video version of our trailer is at the top of this post. You can also listen to the audio version, released through our podcast channel, below.

Christmas on the Line Vol IV

Veterans of Season 5 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans of Season 5 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. Featured guests include Chris Oxenbould, Greg Hopgood, Mark Wales, Wes 'H' Hennessey, Commando Jamie, Keith Wolahan, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Wayne Bemet. This episode is hosted by Thomas Kaye.

The episodes these veterans were featured in earlier this season include:

• #104 Chris Oxenbould

• #106 Greg Hopgood

• #107 Brett Wood

• #28 Mark Wales Vol II

• #109 Keith Wolahan

• #117 Sir Peter Cosgrove

• #120 Wayne Bemet

#122 Kasey Mumford

Alex Lloyd interviews Royal Australian Navy veteran Kasey Mumford.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Kasey Mumford was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. She deployed to Timor, the Arabian Gulf and was on HMAS Manoora during the MV Tampa incident in 2001. Kasey spoke with Alex Lloyd for Season 5’s final episode.

For more episodes related to the MV Tampa, listen to:

• #114 Bruce McLennan

• #121 Catherine Walsh

Catherine Walsh (#121) is featured on the second photo on the gallery above, to the right (with Kasey in the centre).

#121 Catherine Walsh

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Royal Australian Air Force veteran Catherine Walsh.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Catherine Walsh is a former Air Force intelligence officer and former aide-de-camp to the Governor-General. Today she’s Director of Veterans South Australia. Catherine spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about the RAAF, her deployment to the Middle East, her time in the Vice-Regal sphere, and her work today in the Air Force Reserves and with Veterans SA.

#120 Wayne Bemet

Angus Hordern interviews former Chief Petty Officer, RAN veteran Wayne Bemet.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Wayne Bemet served in The Australian Defence Force for 19 years, with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. He had 5 operational deployments, from 2002 to 2015. He was medically discharged in 2017 for a variety of physical injuries, forcing Wayne to reinvent and re-educate himself for a life moving forward. He spoke to Angus Hordern about his military career and his transition from the defence force.

Life After Service: 2021 Wrap Up

This year Life on the Line released a new special project. A special documentary series focusing on veterans lives after their time in uniform - called Life After Service. So far in the series, we've featured the stories of 6 veterans over 6 episodes.

Watch the episode on YouTube above, or listen to the audio-only version below.

You can find out more about the individual episodes here.

Thank you for your support with our new series and we would love to know what you want to see in the season return next year.

#119 Craig Ball

Alex Lloyd interviews former commando Craig Ball.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Craig Ball passed Commando selection in 2000 as a reservist and went full-time in 2006. He deployed to Afghanistan as a signaller in the 2nd Commando Regiment in 2010 and 2012. Today, he’s a men’s mental health speaker.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #100 Gary Wilson

• The Partners - Renee Wilson

• Life After Service - Gary & Renee Wilson

Keith Payne VC - No One Left Behind

Alex Lloyd introduces Keith Payne VC’s autobiography, NO ONE LEFT BEHIND.

The elder statesman of our Victoria Cross recipients – Keith Payne VC, AM – has released his autobiography – NO ONE LEFT BEHIND. Much has been written about Keith Payne before, but this is the first time he’s done a book in his own words. This special podcast introduces the book, read by podcast creator Alex Lloyd. Alex is also Keith’s publisher at Pan Macmillan. NO ONE LEFT BEHIND is out now in print, audiobook and ebook.

Click the image to order now!

#118 Mark Mathieson

Alex Lloyd interviews former SAS psychologist Mark Mathieson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Mathieson was a psychologist in the Australian Army, including time as the SAS regimental psychologist. He deployed to Timor and 6 times to Afghanistan. This is our conversation about the psychology of Special Forces soldiers and the impact of war.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol I

• #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol II

• #68 Harry Moffitt Vol II

• #28 Mark Wales

• SAS Resilience with Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis

#117 Sir Peter Cosgrove

Angus Hordern interviews General Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Chief of the Defence Force and Governor-General.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. General Sir Peter Cosgrove is one of Australia’s most significant public figures. As a soldier, he saw action in Vietnam, winning the Military Cross, and rose to the top, becoming Chief of the Defence Force from 2002 to 2005. After his military career, Sir Peter became Australia’s Governor-General, serving in that office from 2014 to 2019. In this podcast, he sat down over a Zoom video call to speak with Angus Hordern about some highlights from his life, and to mark the release of the paperback edition of his memoir YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE JOINED. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel or listen through your preferred podcast app and the player above.

#116 Tony Dell

Thomas Kaye interviews Vietnam veteran Tony Dell.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tony Dell is an army veteran of the Vietnam War. The national serviceman is also the only Test cricketer to fight in Vietnam. He was a fast-medium seam bowler who made his Test debut against England for the vital Seventh Test in the 1970-71 Ashes series, taking 5 wickets in that match. After war, sport gave Tony an outlet and place of mateship and camaraderie, but he could not escape that the war had scarred him. This trauma ultimately gave him a life-changing mission - Stand Tall for PTS. Tony spoke to Thomas Kaye about his military career and life after service, including the book written about him by Greg Milam: AND BRING THE DARKNESS HOME: The Tony Dell Story. 

Discover more about Tony’s organisation Stand Tall for PTS at http://standtall4pts.org 

The episode referenced at the end of this podcast is #102 Heston Russell.

#115 Shaun Wilson

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Bougainville and Banda Aceh veteran, Shaun Willson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Shaun Willson served as an Army helicopter pilot, fulfilling his dream of flying Hueys. In this conversation with Sharon Mascall-Dare, Shaun talks about his experiences in training, on humanitarian aid deployments and a sense of purpose in and out of uniform. Today, Shaun is a firefighter and works in emergency medical services as a helicopter pilot. 

September 11 - 20 Years On

Twenty-six Australian military veterans share their memories of September 11, 2001, the day that changed the world.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. The 9/11 terrorist attacks sent a generation to war. As we approach the 20-year anniversary of 9/11, Australia has finally withdrawn our last members of the defence force from Afghanistan. At home, we’re watching the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide get underway. And Afghanistan has fallen so quickly to the Taliban, who have reclaimed territory that 41 Australians fought and died in. There is a lot of conversation in the media about why we went to war in Afghanistan and what’s happening now we’re gone - from all the good we achieved there to questions of now, in the end, was it all worth it? Whatever you think the answer is, when reflecting on any conflict, they’re necessary questions. But while the public conversation and reflection continues, it’s important to remember the zeitgeist in 2001 and the impact of that day. So, in time for the 20-year anniversary, we’ve taken clips from a range of podcasts we’ve recorded over the last 5 years, to remember. This podcast features 26 voices of Australian military veterans and their memories of September 11.

The returning guests include:

• #3 Garth Callender

• #8 Sarah Turner and Michael Wright

• #10 Eddie Robertson

• #13 Elizabeth Matthews

• #16 Chris May

• #25 Paul de Gelder

• #26 Allison Norris

• #28 Mark Wales

• #31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol I

• #33 Tracy Smart

• #36 Mark Donaldson VC

• #43 Dan Keighran VC

• #44 Mick Bainbridge

• #47 Bram Connolly

• #54 ‘H’ Vol I

• #56 James Medley

• #68 Harry Moffitt

• #76 Sarah Watson

• #82 John Cantwell Vol I

• #87 Jeremy Holder

• #92 Dean Parkinson Vol I

• #100 Gary Wilson

• #101 Bob Hunter

• #109 Keith Wolahan

• #114 Bruce McLennan

Life After Service: Gary & Renee Wilson

Gary Wilson was a signaller attached to the 2nd Commando Regiment. On the 21st of June, 2010, Gary and then-fiancé Renee’s lives were changed forever when Gary was severely injured in a Black Hawk helicopter crash.

In this episode of Life After Service, Thomas Kaye speaks to the now-married couple, Gary and Renee, about the accident, the challenges they overcame and how they are helping pave the way to support others, both veterans and the families of those veterans.

Want to join the Wilsons and support veterans, their families and give back? Check out The Wilson Initiative. https://thewilsoninitiative.com.au/ Looking to have more energy, manage pain and optimise your health? Gary runs Bare Coaching, his personal coaching service. Find out more at: https://www.barecoaching.com/

Watch the episode on YouTube above, or listen to the audio-only version below.

#114 Bruce McLennan

Alex Lloyd interviews former SAS soldier Bruce McLennan.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Bruce McLennan was a Squadron Sergeant Major in the Special Air Service Regiment. He joined the SAS in 1984 and served in Afghanistan. He was also involved in the boarding of MV Tampa in 2001. Alex Lloyd spoke with Bruce about his long career in Australian Special Forces.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• SAS Leadership with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis

• SAS Leadership Vol II with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis

• #101 Bob Hunter

• #28 Mark Wales Vol II

• Life After Service: Tony Park

• SAS Resilience with Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis