When 22-year-old Elephant and Castle resident Alfie Jepp first heard fragments of his family’s military history – from a great-grandfather who may have landed in Normandy, to grandparents who met in a Kent ammunitions factory – he felt something click. Though he never studied history beyond 14, and lost many older relatives before he could ask about their wartime experiences, Alfie became passionate about the stories of a generation his own barely knows.

That passion lies at the heart of The Veterans’ Voice: Berlin Airlift, a powerful new podcast series hosted by Alfie and produced by Legasee Educational Trust. The four-part series brings to life the real stories of British veterans who played vital roles in the Berlin Airlift, one of the greatest humanitarian missions of the 20th century.

“I never imagined I’d be fronting something like this, it’s my first professional role since graduating drama school, but it became personal very quickly. These stories aren’t just history, they’re about people like my family. My great-grandad Stanley was a sergeant in the Cheshire Regiment. He trained in the New Forest and we think he may have been in Normandy. On my dad’s side, my nan and grandad met working at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Crayford, they got married in 1941. I never really got to talk to them properly about any of it. My grandad died before I was born, and my nan passed away when I was 12.”

Alfie’s drive to connect with his past deepened after speaking to his 94-year-old great-aunt Maureen, one of the few surviving members of that wartime generation in his family.

“Maureen was eight when the war started and was evacuated. Her memories are vivid, being sent away, the fear, what life was like for ordinary people. She’s my family’s connection to that time. It’s made me realise just how many voices we’re in danger of losing.”

That sense of urgency runs through The Veterans’ Voice: Berlin Airlift, which draws on moving and often never-before-heard interviews with RAF personnel who flew supply missions into West Berlin during the Soviet blockade of 1948–49, the Cold War’s first major international crisis. Over 11 months, British and Allied forces flew in more than 2.3 million tonnes of food, coal and supplies to prevent the city’s collapse.

“These were people my age, late teens and early twenties, flying through freezing skies, facing mechanical failures, exhaustion and political tension. But when you hear them speak, it’s not just about war. It’s about friendship, fear and duty. I want people to hear these voices and understand they were just like us, only in a totally different world.”

Most of the interviews were recorded by Legasee between 2013 and 2014, and many of the veterans featured have since passed away, “It hit me that this might be the last chance for their stories to reach people like me. That made it feel like more than a podcast, it’s a responsibility.”

Alfie’s passion for military history has also been inspired by his girlfriend, Hannah, who volunteers weekly as a civilian instructor with the Combined Cadet Force, “Watching her work with young people and helping them build skills, confidence, and a sense of service, made me realise how relevant all of this still is. The military values she’s passing on are part of the same story these veterans lived.”

Executive Producer Martin Bisiker, founder of Legasee Educational Trust, said: “We’ve spent years collecting these powerful interviews. What Alfie brings is a genuine emotional link, not just to the veterans, but to the generation that needs to hear them. With his voice at the centre, this podcast has the power to make history feel real again.”

The Veterans’ Voice: Berlin Airlift was made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, supporting Legasee’s mission to preserve the stories of British veterans before they are lost forever.

The Veterans’ Voice: Berlin Airlift is available on all major podcast platforms, with new episodes released weekly: https://shows.acast.com/665d7cd11eb93600121653b9/episodes/685a67ee1776394d133d1e3e