Across more than 4,000 boxes in The National Archives sits a significant collection of letters, papers and artifacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.

In this first episode of a three-part series, Chloe Lee meets Oliver Finnegan, a specialist in what is known as the Prize Papers collection. Oliver tells Chloe about some of the most fascinating items in the collection, providing insights into global trade, warfare, and the everyday lives of the people who lived during the Age of Sail.

Join us for our upcoming podcast mini-series, where we delve into a remarkable collection of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.

With recruits from across its empire, Britain’s troops in the Second World War were a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic force. Among those involved were more than a quarter of a million soldiers from East Africa and 2.5 million from South Asia, whose contributions to the Allied forces were absolutely essential to the outcome of the war.

In this episode of On the Record, host Chloe Lee speaks with Iqbal Singh and Liz Haines, specialists at The National Archives, and writer Sharmila Chauhan about a collection of records relating to the recruitment of soldiers from across Britain’s colonies. Focusing on the languages mobilised in these documents, they discuss records that range from the speeches of British commanders in (romanised) Hindustani, to recruitment posters featuring Swahili and Nyanja.

For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/SwwLLD

In this episode of On the Record, we take focus on the lesser-told history of the colonial troops, from East Africa and India, that fought for Britain during the Second World War.

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, 24,000 soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in Northern France. What followed was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Their mission: to liberate Europe and defeat Germany. Who were these soldiers? And who worked secretly to plan the operation and ensure its success?

In this episode, Chloe Lee speaks to colleagues Sophie Stewart and Alice Bell about the people who contributed to this operation, whose stories we may not be familiar with: a tank driver on the frontline, one of the first black women in the Royal Air Force, and a femme fatale whose coded telegram saved many lives on D-Day.

For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/D-Day1

In this episode, we uncover the untold stories of a tank driver on the frontline, one of the first black women in the Royal Air Force, and a femme fatale whose coded telegram saved lives on D-Day.

Since the 13th century the legend of Robin Hood has featured in folk songs, tavern stories, pageants, and royal festivals — even Henry VIII once dressed up as him. But what lies behind the legend? And what do our stories of robbing from the rich tell us about life in medieval England?

In this episode Chloe Lee speaks to Kathryn Maude, a medieval specialist, and Sean Cunningham, head of medieval records, both at The National Archives. Join them on a journey through a forest of medieval historical records, and perhaps even discover the 'real' Robin Hood.

For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/Robin1Hood

In this episode, we journey through a forest of historical records to discover the 'real' Robin Hood.