Episode 25 - Stephen Barker - The Flying Sikh

Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast

25 episodes done ! and for this, Yarkshire Gamers Silver Jubilee I have gone back into the mists of time.

My guest Stephen Barker is not only a Historian, Author and Battlefield Guide he is one of my oldest Wargaming friends. So if you want to hear a couple of old chums, being all misty eyed, talking about their Big Game origins, this is the episode for you.

Stephen has been away from Wargaming for quite some time now and it was interesting to chat with him about his observations on the hobby after a lengthy gap and how he is enjoying his rebirth into the hobby. We had met up at the Partizan Show (May 2022) the day before our recording and that influenced the conversation and was a good reference point for our chat about the state of the hobby today.

We come back to earth with the Yarkshire Gamer Quiz and Wargames Room 101, listen as another pet hate is banished to the Wargames Tip !

The usual Big Topic Chat at the end of the show covers a number of topics. Stephen runs a number of Battlefield Tours around the Oxford area featuring the English Civil War and The Great War covering both general histories and Battlefield Tours of Edgehill, Naseby and Cropredy Bridge. Walking these hallowed fields is a topic we haven't covered before on this Podcast so it was great to get an insight behind the scenes.

Stephen has also brought out a couple of books, his first a history of the 8th East Lancs Battalion brings to life on of those short lived units of the 1st World War.

Lancashire's Forgotten Heroes, 8th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment in the Great War: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen Barker, Christopher Boardman: 9780752448121: Books

Then finally after a couple of hours of chat we get to the title of the episode. The Flying Sikh is the title of my guests new book which has just been released. It tells the fascinating story of the only Sikh airman to fly with the RAF/RFC during the First World War. We discuss the origins of the book and get some tasters of this unique story. The book is published by Pen and Sword and can be purchased via the link below,

Pen and Sword Books: The Flying Sikh - Hardback (pen-and-sword.co.uk)

I hope you enjoy my chat with Stephen, it explains a lot about my own Big Game obsession. I plan to be back in a couple of weeks time with the other half of the Plastic Crack Pod Cast, Martin (7th Son) and Ste (On Point HQ) will be my guests.

Until then, Sithee

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer