Hello and welcome to another episode of the World War II podcast a while back I got an email from a guy called David Taylor asking if I'd ever considered looking at the Cork industry in World War II. I can hear you thinking

like I did at the time sounds a bit dull. Well the more I looked into it the

more I got infused by the story of Cork.

It was a wonder product during the early 20th century, used in all manner of things.

Almost anything that needed a seal such as a gasket used cork.

So it is crucial to the auto industry, aviation and munitions. The American government defined it as a strategic industry

along with coal and steel. What makes the story more interesting is that the majority of it came from neutral

Portugal and Spain. I hope I've laid out my case for why it is such a fascinating

story. So I'm joined by David Taylor, who is author of Cork Wars,

which tells the stories of some of those involved

in the Cork business during World War II and Crown Cork and Seal, one of the largest

companies producing Cork products during the war. But before we get to Cork, a quick reminder that this

podcast is made possible by listeners like yourself becoming patrons of the show,

contributing a dollar or so each month, which helps me find the

time to put it all together.

And there is just me.

I have no team of researchers, editors or internet gurus. I did a lot.

So if you enjoy the podcast and would like to know more about becoming a patron, head over to

Patreon.com slash W.W.2 Podcast or go at the website

W.W.2 Podcast.com and click on donate. And I thank those who already support the show.

So David, thanks for joining me.

I don't think people will have put much thought into this but

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