Ep 2: A chat with author & presenter John Henry Phillips

Unearth the Past: A family history & genealogy podcast

In this episode, Michala chats to John Henry Phillips, author of The Search and presenter on Channel 4's, The Great British Dig. In 2016, John Henry volunteered with a military charity that took veterans to Normandy. A mix-up over the accommodation led to an unlikely friendship with 92-year-old WWII veteran Patrick Thomas, who was only one of 10 survivors onboard landing craft L.C.H. 185 when it struck a mine off the coast of France. John Henry gave Patrick his word that he would build a memorial to those who were killed and find the shipwreck, which was somewhere in the English Channel - at this point, he couldn't even dive! John Henry's journey to make this promise a reality is captured in a brilliant documentary, No Flowers on a Sailor's Grave, available on PBS. Michala and John Henry discuss this remarkable mission and also delve into John Henry's Romany Gipsy family history.
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