Podcast Summary

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Ripley's Believe It Or Not – 1 Minute Episodes (378) "Killed Himself for His Regiment"
Date: December 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This brief episode from Harold’s Old Time Radio revives the fascinating and curious tales of the classic "Ripley’s Believe It Or Not." In this installment, listeners are treated to two remarkable historical anecdotes: one about an obsessive hypochondriac, and the other, the core focus, about a self-sacrificing British colonel whose grueling act of loyalty led to his own demise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Opening Anecdote: Baron Oscar von Redwitz, Hypochondriac Extraordinaire

  • The episode opens with an extraordinary claim about Baron Oscar von Redwitz, described as "the strangest hypochondriac in history."
  • Over the last 28 years of his life, von Redwitz reportedly claimed to have suffered from more than 10,000 ailments—each of which was "unknown to medical science."
  • This sets a tone typical of Ripley’s: highlighting curious, unbelievable characters from history.
  • Quote:

    "Baron Oscar von Redwitz was the strangest hypochondriac in history. During the last 28 years of his life, he complained of and described more than 10,000 ailments, each of them unknown to medical science. Believe it or not." – Host (00:32)

• Main Story: Col. Lord Charles Greyville Montague’s Sacrifice

  • The heart of this episode centers on Lord Charles Greyville Montague, Colonel of the Cumberland Regiment.
  • In a brutal winter, newly landed with his soldiers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the harsh conditions led to complaints among the men.
  • The Colonel pledged to take his men’s complaints to the commanding general, stationed 600 miles away in Quebec.
  • The journey, daunting in both distance and conditions, was expected to require three months—traveling on snowshoes through severe winter terrain.
  • Astonishingly, the Colonel completed the round trip in only six weeks.
  • The exertion proved deadly: four days after his return, Colonel Montague died due to the immense physical strain.
  • His death is framed as a testament to self-sacrifice for the wellbeing of his regiment, underlining the incredible, sometimes tragic, lengths to which people can go out of duty.
  • Quote:

    "The Colonel made the round trip in six weeks. The physical strain was too much and he died four days after his return. Believe it or not." – Host (01:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Baron Oscar von Redwitz's 10,000 imaginary illnesses (00:32)
• The deadly 600-mile snowshoe journey and Colonel Montague's ultimate sacrifice (01:09–01:23)
• Classic Ripley’s sign-off, reinforcing the outlandishness of these stories:

  "Believe it or not."

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:30 – Intro to Ripley’s: "Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is the proof. This is Ripley's Believe it or Not."
• 00:32 – Story of Baron Oscar von Redwitz and his imagined ailments.
• 01:02 – Introduction to Colonel Lord Charles Greyville Montague’s journey for his regiment.
• 01:09 – Details of the 600-mile snowshoe trek during a harsh Nova Scotia winter.
• 01:23 – Colonel's death after completing his promise.

Tone and Style

In keeping with the era and style of Ripley’s original broadcasts, the episode employs a dramatic, slightly incredulous tone. The host delivers both stories with a matter-of-fact cadence, letting the astonishing content speak for itself, punctuated by the famous slogan, “Believe it or not.” The atmosphere is one of curiosity and respectful awe at these oddities of human history.

Summary

In just over a minute, this episode delivers two captivating vignettes: the almost comic excesses of a chronic hypochondriac, and the inspiring, ultimately fatal, loyalty of a regimental colonel. True to Ripley’s form, the focus is on the unbelievable—and every word urges the listener to marvel, question, and perhaps reflect on the strange extremes of human behavior.