David Sumner
A World War Two Historian & Podcaster from Berlin
New series out now!
BONUS Episode: A Talk with Peter Graham from Berlin Battle Damage
Peter Graham was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and he is an independent historian and researcher specialising in the history of Berlin during WW2. Peter is based in Ireland and Berlin.
In 2018 Peter founded the popular Facebook page “Berlin Battle Damage” which currently has over 15,000 followers and focuses on the tangible remains of WW2 to be found in Berlin today.
BONUS Episode: A Talk With Matthew Menneke From On The Front Tours
Matthew Menneke is a military historian and former serviceman in the Australian Army. Matthew is also the founder of On The Front Tours, which is a tour guide company specialising solely in Second World War tours in and around Berlin.
One of the tours Matthew runs is a tour of the Halbe Pocket, so naturally I wanted to hear his views on the battle. We talked about everything from the ethics of warfare and the terrible impact the fighting in the pocket had on civilians, to the politics of remembrance and the way the Halbe area is still feeling the impact of the fighting – 80 years on.
BONUS Episode: A Talk With Scott Bury From The Beyond Barbarossa Podcast
Scott Bury is an author from Canada who is also the producer and host of the fantastic Beyond Barbarossa podcast.
Scott, like me, is passionate about the Eastern Front of the Second World War, so I wanted to hear his insights on a range of topics including the professionalisation of the Red Army throughout the war, the performance of the Finns, and Red Army battle tactics!
The podcast tells the entire Eastern Front story, so if you want to better understand the scale, complexities, and ferocity of the epic battles between Germany and the Soviet Union then go follow the Beyond Barbarossa podcast!
You can find the Bonus episode below or wherever you’re listening to podcasts!
Europe At War meets Beyond Barbarossa
Hear me chat with Scott Bury from the Beyond Barbarossa podcast on all things Halbe, Germany, and the Eastern Front!
A weekly podcast exploring the lesser-known battles and stories of the Second World War, with a particular focus on the Eastern Front.
Now: The Battle of Berlin
If you have any comments or questions about the show, please get in touch via davidsumner.podcast@gmail.com or visit https://davidsumnerhistory.com/
The battle of Berlin begins in earnest when 1st Belorussian Front forces advance into the northern and eastern outskirts of the capital.
In a desperate ploy to save Berlin, Hitler comes up with a preposterous counterattack plan involving Steiner’s forces to the north of the city.
Map: Here is a map giving an overview of the important locations featured in the series.
If you have any comments or questions about the show, please get in touch via davidsumner.podcast@gmail.com
You can also follow me on instagram at davidsumnerhistory or visit my site davidsumnerhistory.com
Traces of War: Spang in Berlin-Pankow
This dramatic piece of Spang (aka battle damage) caught my… Remnants of War – 107 more people buried in Halbe 80 years after the war
Foto: Ralf Günther; “Hier werden 107 deutsche Soldaten bestattet.” In Halbe, 80…
Bonus Episode: A Talk with Peter Graham from Berlin Battle Damage
Peter Graham was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and he… Bonus Episode: A Talk With Matthew Menneke From On The Front Tours
Matthew Menneke is a military historian and former serviceman in… Remnants of War – The “first house taken by the Red Army in Berlin
The “first” house taken by the Red Army during their… Traces of War – Spang in Potsdam
A lovely bit of Spang from Potsdam! Potsdam, just to… 
Past, Present, Future
Explore the series in full – available on all major podcast platforms.
(Spotify linked below)
Past Series
The Halbe Pocket
Past Series
The Battle of Bautzen
Current Series
The Battle of Berlin