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A podcast by two almost historians on the women who lived, fought, loved, and died during wars throughout history, Women of War is slightly irreverent, mostly factual, and thoroughly interesting. Join Hannah and Nicola each fortnight as they explore how women navigated the complexities of living during wartime.
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Sequins, go-go boots, fringe bikinis, evening gowns...bombs? Welcome to Season 2 of Women of War where we continue the discussion of the war entertainer, this time in the humidity and red dust of Vietnam. In the midst of the horrors of war, these mythologised women offered soldiers’ a fantasy and an escape from the frontline for an hour or two. Join Hannah and Nicola as they learn what life was like for the women beneath the sequins and bop along to some fun tunes.
This episode contains references to murder, sexual assault, forced sex work and trafficking, racism and colonialism. It also contains some rude language. It may not be suitable for all listeners.
Women of War is written and recorded on Wurundjeri Land. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
An incredible thank you to Lorrae Desmond for her permission to use recordings of her tour rehearsals in this episode and a thank you to her good friend Gael Ballantyne for acting as our correspondent with Ms Desmond. We would also like to thank the National Film and Sound Archive and Angus Johnstone for providing us a copy of the recording itself.
Audio clips from:
Lorrae Desmond, Lorrae Desmond: Rehearsal Sessions for Tour of Vietnam, Sound Recording, Unpublished, 1965, 390710, National Film and Sound Archive.
David Reginald Combe, Lorrae Desmond Concert Party DPR/TV/1174, 16mm/b&w/sound (Phuoc Tuy Province, Nui Dat, Vietnam, 19 September 1969), https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C273758.
Byron Charles Campbell, 7th Government Concert Party to Vietnam DPR/TV/636, 16mm/b&w/sound and silent (Vietnam: Phuoc Tuy Province, Nui Dat, 16 June 1967), www.awm.gov.au/collection/C256036.
ABC News, Australian Government’s Decision to Send Troops to Vietnam, videorecording/b&w/sound, 30 April 1965, https://abcspla.sh/m/153694.
Key resources used:
Siobhan McHugh, Minefields and Miniskirts: Australian Women and the Vietnam War (Sydney: Doubleday, 1993).
Ann-Mari Jordens, ‘Not “Apocalypse Now”: Government-Sponsored Australian Entertainers in Vietnam 1965-71’, Labour History, no. 58 (1990): 65–75, https://doi.org/10.2307/27508983.
Lynne McCormack, ‘Civilian Women at War: Psychological Impact Decades After the Vietnam War’, Journal of Loss and Trauma 14, no. 6 (2009): 447–58, https://doi.org/10.1080/15325020902925209.
John Murphy, A Harvest of Fear: A History of Australia’s Vietnam War (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1993).
Mitchell K Hall, The Vietnam War, (New York, NY: Routledge, 2018).
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Sign up to our newsletter at womenofwarpod.com/subscribe to get notified of the newest episodes plus all the cool things we couldn’t fit into the episode.
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Episode ten! Thanks to everyone who has listened so far! We will be back in the week of Anzac Day (the week of April 25th for our international friends). Keep up with us on our social medias - twitter, insta and facebook @womenofwarpod, or check out our website womenofwarpod.com.
This week on Women of War we’re back in Japan during the Boshin War (aka the Japanese Civil War), 1868 - 1869, and the last fight of the samurai in an ultimately doomed attempt to protect their way of life. Meet Nakano Takeko, onna-bugeisha (female samurai) and the squad of women warriors she led, the Jōshitai. Just don’t lose your head over the ending.
Featuring cameos from everyone’s least favourite Imperial powers - the French, the Americans, the British and the Dutch. The gang’s all here.
This episode contains references to disembowelment, decapitation, suicide and interfering with corpses. It may not be suitable for all listeners.
All efforts were made to correctly pronounce Japanese words and phrases. We apologise for any mispronunciations. All efforts have also been made to ensure historical accuracy, but as is the nature of historical research, mistakes may have been made.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri Land and we pay our respects to elders past and present, the guardians and caretakers of the land and waters. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
This week on Women of War Hannah and Nicola decide to include women in the sequel and visit a woman who played an important role in the American Revolutionary War - Molly Brant. Join us as we get a bit philosophical to learn about how Mohawk leader Molly helped convince the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to support the British Loyalists in the war and why. May or may not include numerous Hamilton lyrics.
This episode contains references to violence and atrocities committed against First Nations Americans during colonisation and the American Revolutionary War. It also contains some coarse language, it may not be suitable for all listeners.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land and we pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode is set across modern day New York and Canada, or on the lands of the greater Haudenosaunee Confederacy, one of the longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world, which continues to this day. We also pay our respect to the nations within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Donate to The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) at https://www.nwac.ca/donate/
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Sign up to our newsletter at womenofwarpod.com/subscribe
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
This week on Women of War we take to the skies on a witch's broomstick - or the Polikarpov Po-2 biplane if you want official military terminology. Join Hannah and Nicola as they discuss the first women to engage in aerial combat in WWII, the Soviet Night Witches, and how these women came to bomb the Nazis when women had been bared from active combat roles.
This episode contains references to wartime atrocities, aerial disasters and the conditions facing German and Russian soldiers on the Eastern Front during World War II, which were not very good. It also contains some bad language and will not be suitable for all listeners.
Women of War is recorded on Wurundjeri Land. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Sound Effects via ZapSplat.com.
The Internationale in the Russian language. Choir and orchestra of Bolshoi Theatre, conducted by G. Rozhdestvensky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
This week on Women of War we go all around the world with Vera Deakin (daughter of Alfred, he of the White Australia Policy) as she seeks out missing Aussie soldiers for the Red Cross Wounded and Missing Bureau, including one missing young man in particular. Featuring cameos from John Monash, Harold ‘Pompey’ Elliott, and an accidental defamation of Peter Fitzsimons (since redacted).
This episode contains descriptions of war injuries and what happened to the bodies of the dead during World War I. It also contains some coarse language. It may not be suitable for all listeners.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrong Land and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Thanks to Danielle Broadhurst and Jeremy Johnston for their voice-acting contributions.
This episode was in part based on Scates, Wheatley and James’ work, World War One: A History in 100 Stories. The book Nicola discussed, Pedersen’s Anzacs: Gallipoli to the Western Front, is mostly an excellent resource for those curious about Australian military history in World War I, especially for the Sinai-Palestine campaign.
Nicola made a mistake when talking about the development of the NHS in the UK being forced by the shortness of British soldiers. Though the development of the NHS may have been driven by this, she meant to say ‘the welfare state’ of which the NHS is part. She also misspoke towards the end and said George Irwin (senior) was quartermaster of Katoomba station; he was not, he was the stationmaster. Thanks again to Dr André Brett for sharing the hot goss on train worker salaries during the war.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com and sign up to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Sound Effects via ZapSplat.com.
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
This week on Women of War Nicola and Hannah decide to offend the French one more time and talk about the early life and wartime activities of the Little Sparrow - better known as Edith Piaf.
This episode contains references to alcoholism, child neglect, child abuse, child death, anti-Semitism and atrocities committed during World War II.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land and we pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
Nicola has since watched La Vie En Rose, and she cried.
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. This week we’ll be tweeting a lot of Edith’s sweet tunes, so keep your headphones on!
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
This week on Women of War Hannah and Nicola go back, faaaaar back to the third century to learn how and why Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra, took on the Roman Empire. Was she trying to feed her people, protect her son, stick it to the Romans, or build an empire of her own? Listen now to find out!
This episode contains references to wartime violence and suicide. It also contains some coarse language, it may not be suitable for all listeners.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land and we pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
Nicola looked it up and septicaemia has no relation to Septimia, because why would it. This being the first time recording in-real-life, Hannah and Nicola apologise for any audio issues - we blame the squeaky table, it will be punished accordingly.
For more information on the podcast, go to womenofwarpod.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
This episode of Women of War takes a look at Charlotte Corday, later dubbed the ‘Angel of Assassination’, who murdered the leader of the Jacobins, Jean-Paul Marat, in the French Revolution. Join us to learn why she did it, and how people saw her actions.
This podcast contains references to atrocities carried out during the French revolution, including beheadings and the defilement of a corpse. It also contains some coarse language. It may not be suitable for all listeners.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land and we pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Check out our new website at womenofwarpod.com!
Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
Tokyo Rose, aka Iva Toguri, siren of the airwaves seducing American GIs to desert with her seductive voice or American patriot undermining the Japanese every chance she could? Episode 2 of Women of War takes you to WWII Japan, where an American woman with very few choices would end up caught in a journalistic manhunt and tried for treason against her beloved US.
This episode contains references to child death, the internment of Japanese people in World War II and wartime atrocities.
This podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land. We pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this podcast however with the nature of historical research, there may be mistakes or inconsistencies.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
This week on Women of War: Tarenorerer, the leader of Indigenous Tasmanian resistance against British invaders in the 19th Century, attempting to prevent a genocide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are warned this episode contains references and the voices of people who have died. This episode contains references to violence and genocide.
This episode was recorded on Wurundjeri land and we pay our respects to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Disclaimer: While every attempt has been made to accurately research Tasmanian Aboriginal history and Tarenorerer’s life, we realise that with such conflicting and often deliberately misleading information available, and without the inclusion of a Tasmanian Aboriginal perspective, some mistakes will be made.
Donate to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation: https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/support/donate/
Donate to the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance: https://www.welcometocountry.org/aboriginal-charity-guide/
Thank you to the First Peoples Art and Culture Department at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for their permission to include the audio recording of Fanny Cochrane Smith and their assistance with this podcast.
Fanny Cochrane Smith. Fanny Cochrane Smith’s Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs. Wax Cylinder, 1899. 500445. National Film and Sound Archive. https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/fanny-cochrane-smiths-tasmanian-aboriginal-songs.
Thank you also to the National Archives of Australia and the Honourable Paul Keating for permission to include an audio clip from Mr Keating’s Redfern Speech:
NAA: M3983, 1095117 - Prime Minister Paul Keating - Redfern Park Speech Launching Australia's Participation In The United Nations' International Year Of The World's Indigenous People 1993
Map of Indigenous Australia: https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @womenofwarpod for updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
Introduction Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com