About Tim Heale
I've always believed that history is best understood through the people who lived it.
My career has taken me from military service to broadcasting, from riding motorcycles across Europe to standing on some of the world's most significant battlefields. Along the way I've worked in Psychological Operations, served on operational deployments including Afghanistan, and spent years telling the stories that history too often forgets.
Today I'm an author, broadcaster and military historian with a passion for keeping those stories alive.My seven-book series, The Parallel Six, combines fiction with real historical events. Although the characters are fictional, many of the places, battles and military settings are based on locations I've visited or where I've served. Every historical scene is carefully researched because I believe the people who lived through those events deserve to be remembered accurately.
Alongside my writing, I present programmes on Veterans Radio Net and QA Hospital Radio, sharing music, military history and the remarkable stories behind the films, books and events that shaped our past.
Through my YouTube channel, Riding Through History, I travel across Britain and Europe by motorcycle, visiting battlefields, prisoner of war camps, museums and forgotten places of history.
My aim is simple: to bring history to life by standing where it happened.Whether you're here because you've read one of my books, listened to one of my radio shows or watched one of my journeys, thank you for stopping by. I hope you'll join me as we continue exploring the people, places and events that deserve never to be forgotten.
Military Service
My military journey spanned 50 years, beginning as a Sea Cadet before joining the Army Cadet Force and later completing 44 years of Regular, Reserve and Full Time Reserve Service in the British Army.
During that time I served across Europe and on operational deployments including Northern Ireland, Iraq, Macedonia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, specialising in Psychological Operations.
I also took part in countless exercises throughout the UK and overseas, experiences that gave me a unique perspective on leadership, conflict and the human stories behind history.
Those experiences now shape my work as an author, broadcaster and military historian.
Operational Deployments
During my military career I deployed on operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Macedonia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, specialising in Psychological Operations.
This photograph was taken inside the transmitter body of a 4kW commercial radio station at FOB Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2009.
My role was unique.
I travelled across Helmand Province installing Radio in a Box (RIAB) systems, training interpreters to become radio presenters and handlers to produce and oversee the broadcasts, helping establish tactical radio stations that enabled coalition forces to communicate directly with local communities.
Those experiences gave me a unique perspective on modern conflict and the importance of communication, leadership and understanding people; lessons that continue to shape my work as an author, broadcaster and military historian.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting has become a second career, allowing me to combine my passion for music, history and storytelling.
I present programmes on Veterans Radio Net and QA Hospital Radio, sharing music, military history and the remarkable stories behind the events that shaped our world.
Whether behind a microphone, producing podcasts or in front of a camera, my aim is always the same: to inform, entertain and bring history to life.
Motorcycling
Motorcycling has been a lifelong passion, taking me across Britain and Europe and to many of the historic places that feature in my books and documentaries.
I enjoy everything from long-distance touring to track days, and my motorcycles have carried me to battlefields, prisoner of war camps, museums and forgotten places that most travellers never see.
This photograph was taken while collecting my new Ducati Multistrada from Pro Twins in Godstone. It would become the motorcycle featured in many of my more recent journeys, as I began documenting the places, people and stories that now form Riding Through History.
Many of my journeys form the basis of Riding Through History, where I combine travel, military history and storytelling by standing where history happened and sharing those stories with others.
From Road to Circuit
Track days have always been about improving my riding rather than chasing lap records. They provide a safe environment to develop machine control, braking, cornering and confidence, skills that carry over directly to the road.
Over the years I've ridden at circuits including Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park. Every session teaches something new, and the discipline of continuous learning is one of the reasons I still enjoy motorcycling after so many years.
The photograph was taken at Brands Hatch with my Ducati 749S, one of several memorable days spent enjoying the circuit with fellow enthusiasts.
Free-Heel Skiing
The Army introduced me to Nordic skiing during my first winter exercise, and what began as military training soon became a lifelong passion for free-heel skiing.
For more than four decades I have skied across Norway, Sweden, the Alps and the Dolomites, enjoying everything from cross-country touring to challenging Telemark descents.
Along the way I competed in the British Telemark Championships and qualified as both a Nordic and Telemark ski instructor, helping others discover one of the oldest and most rewarding forms of skiing.
Free-heel skiing has taught me balance, endurance and self-reliance, qualities that have remained with me throughout my military career and beyond.
Ski Touring & Expeditions
Ski touring allowed me to leave the pistes behind and explore some of Europe's wildest winter landscapes, travelling hut to hut across Norway, Sweden and the high mountains of the Alps.
Those journeys eventually led to expeditions in Svalbard and the historic Gunnerside Tour, following the route of the Norwegian commandos who destroyed the Vemork heavy water plant during the Second World War.
Travelling under my own power through remote country gave me a deep respect for the mountains and an appreciation of the history hidden within them.
Those experiences continue to influence both my travels and the stories I tell today.
Playing Rugby
Rugby has been part of my life since I first picked up a ball at the age of six. I played my final competitive match at fifty-six, giving me half a century in a sport that has shaped my character on and off the field.
Whether at school, in the Army or with my local club, rugby taught me teamwork, resilience and leadership.
The game has given me lifelong friendships and countless memories, many of which still make me smile today.
This photograph was taken during a charity match between my club, the Old Caterhamians (Old Cats), and the London District Incremental Companies (LDIC) Rugby Team. It was the first fixture organised jointly by my club and the LDICs, attracting hundreds of spectators, Army recruiting teams and local charities in support of a worthwhile cause.
Coaching & Leadership
As my playing career developed, I found just as much satisfaction in coaching and developing others. Helping players improve, building confidence and creating strong teams became every bit as rewarding as playing the game itself.
One of the achievements I remain most proud of was founding and managing the London District Incremental Companies (LDIC) Rugby Team, bringing together soldiers from the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards stationed at Wellington Barracks. Although the team only existed for three successful seasons, it forged friendships across regiments and raised thousands of pounds for charity through matches and community events.
Rugby has always been about far more than eighty minutes on a pitch. It taught me leadership, teamwork, discipline and the importance of looking after the people around you. Those lessons stayed with me throughout my military career and continue to influence the way I lead, write and tell stories today.
Baltic Expedition
This photograph was taken aboard Gladeye, the Guards Yacht, during a ten-week expedition to the Baltic that I organised for five Guards crews.
Sailing eventually became about far more than simply taking a boat to sea.
As Adventurous Training Officer for London Central Garrison, I organised and led offshore sailing expeditions throughout Europe, introducing hundreds of soldiers to the challenges and rewards of life at sea.
Expeditions took us across the Baltic, to Croatia and around the coasts of Britain, while annual voyages from the British Kiel Yacht Club and the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC) in Gosport became highlights of the sailing calendar.
One of the largest involved sixty-six people sailing ten yachts to Croatia, demanding months of planning, coordination and teamwork demanding months of planning, coordination and teamwork before the first line was even cast off.
Those experiences reinforced everything I value most: leadership, trust, preparation and the confidence that comes from taking people beyond their comfort zone. They also created lifelong friendships and memories that remain among the greatest rewards of my years at sea.
Artie – The Famous Ship's Cat
Sailing gave me years of adventure, friendship and unforgettable experiences. One of my most memorable crew members was Artie, my British Shorthair ship's cat. Wearing his own lifejacket, he sailed hundreds of miles around the British coast and became something of a celebrity in his own right, even featuring in a twelve-page article in the RNLI's 2021 yearbook, Saved from the Waves.
We no longer own a yacht, but Artie still enjoys travelling. These days he's just as happy climbing into the car for another adventure, proving that once a sailor, always a sailor.
Hang Gliding
In 1982 I was posted to the Army Hang Gliding Centre at Sennybridge, later renamed the Joint Services Hang Gliding Centre.
Within my first week at Sennybridge I had taken my first hang gliding flights discovering a sport that combined technical skill, judgement and the sheer exhilaration of silent flight.
Less than a year later I qualified as a hang gliding instructor, beginning three remarkable years at the centre.
During that time I also became editor of the South East Wales Hang Gliding Club magazine, helping to promote the sport while sharing the experiences of fellow pilots.
Hang gliding demanded discipline, careful planning and respect for the weather. Every flight reinforced the importance of sound decision-making, lessons that would stay with me throughout my military career.
Learning to Fly
During my time at Sennybridge I owned two hang gliders and later gained my Private Pilot's Licence (Microlight).
Flying became far more than a hobby; it was another opportunity to learn, teach and challenge myself.
Alongside competitions, we organised three major hang gliding expeditions to the far north of Scotland, Spain and Italy, flying in some of the finest conditions imaginable. We also completed numerous cross-country flights, experiences that demanded careful planning, sound judgement and confidence in both your own abilities and those of the pilots around you. They remain some of my happiest memories.
After leaving the centre, regular flying became increasingly difficult. Living a long way from the best flying sites meant spending more time waiting for suitable weather than actually getting airborne, and eventually I decided it was time to move on to new adventures.
Like skiing, sailing and motorcycling, it taught me that the greatest rewards often come from careful preparation, continual learning and the courage to leave the ground.