Women of War

Before she was Kate Winslet, Lee Miller was a groundbreaking surrealist photography artist and photojournalist. You probably know the famous photograph of her in Hitler's abandoned bathtub, washing the mud from Dachau off, hours after she had witnessed (and photographed) the liberation of the concentration camp. Join Hannah and Nicola for Season 4 (we're back, baby!) as they discuss how a model from Poughkeepsie became a war correspondent for fashion magazine Vogue and ended up taking some of the most important photos of the Holocaust. Women of War is written and recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and any First Nations listeners today. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains mentions of sexual abuse and rape, suicide, atrocities committed by the Nazis in WWII, the Holocaust, and surrealist art. Listener discretion is advised. It may not be suitable for all listeners. Statements made within this podcast are ours alone and do not reflect the views of our employers.

Poor William Montague. He thought he'd have an easy time taking control of Dunbar Castle in 1338. Sucks for him that Agnes Randolph was in charge and about to find new ways to humiliate his attempts. Join Hannah and Nicola for the Season 3 Finale as they head to Scotland to find out what one woman was doing in the Second War of Scottish Independence. Women of War is written and recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and any First Nations listeners today. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to the crimes of English colonisation. 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com; sound effects by ZapSplat.

Everything you learnt about Truganini in school is wrong. This week, join Nicola and Hannah as they look between the lines of Australian colonialism to trace the story of Nuenonne woman Truganini, a woman who lived through the unimaginable. And became a bushranger. Which was a valid life choice. Women of War is written and recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and any First Nations listeners today. Sovereignty was never ceded. This podcast contains references to violence and atrocities committed against Indigenous men, women and children in Australia over the course of the last two hundred years. It also contains references to disease, sexual coercion and sexual slavery, pedophilia, murder, execution, robbery and desecration of the dead. It also contains the names of Indigenous people who have passed away. It also contains some coarse language. It may not be suitable for all listeners. 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. The views presented herein are also not reflective of our employers. For a far more thorough exploration of Truganini's life, read Cassandra Pybus' Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse (2020). Hannah relied heavily on this thoughtful work to bring Truganini to the front in this episode. 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com; sound effects by ZapSplat.

Finally, an episode where we know some things about a woman! Maybe too much. Join Hannah and Nicola as they learn about Doña Manuela Sáenz de Vergara y Aizpuru, the Ecuadorian woman who worked to free South America from Spanish colonisation. Put on your best colonel's uniform and jump astride your horse to find out how the Libertadora del Libertador not only helped South American countries gain independence from Spain but worked alongside Simón Bolívar to build the short-lived state of Gran Colombia, saving his life twice in the process. This episode of Women of War was written and recorded on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to to or discussion of assassination, attempted suicide, infidelity and exile. It also contains naughty language and so may not be suitable for all listeners. 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 to get notified of the newest episodes plus all the cool things we couldn’t fit into the episode. Read the biography of Manuela: Pamela S. Murray, For Glory and Bolívar: The Remarkable Life of Manuela Sáenz, (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2008). Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

What do you do when you're in the middle of a naval battle against the Persian fleet in 480BCE and your ally blocks your escape? Sink the fuck out of your ally, of course. What do you do when your brother/husband dies and leaves you with a politically unstable kingdom? Build one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, duh. This week, join Hannah and Nicola as they dive into the Aegean Sea to learn about two naval queens who held their own in Ancient Greece and built legacies that have lasted two and a half millenniums: Artemisia I and Artemisia II of Caria, the women who shared a name and a naval command but probably not an ancestor. Women of War is written and recorded on Wurundjeri land. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and any First Nations listeners. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to suicide and incest. It also contains some rude language, and may not be suitable for all listeners. The views put forth in this podcast are not representative of our employers. 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 peaks 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

What do you do with a female sailor, what do you do with a female sailor, what do you do with a female sailor, in the sixteenth century? Give her some castles, a fleet of ships, the blessing of the Queen and let her take to the seas as a fearless pirate. Join Hannah and Nicola this week as we fall in love with Gráinne O’Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen who spent decades pissing off the British in the Elizabethan Wars. There’s piracy, murder, treason, sex, court politics, English colonial wankers, and an Irish chieftain who did whatever it took to get what she wanted. This episode was re-recorded after audio issues with the first version. If you listened to the first, congratulations and don't worry, there's plenty more new discussion here! This episode contains references to vomiting, murder, piracy and religious persecution. It also contains some rude language. It may not be suitable for all listeners. Women of War is written and recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations. 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. For more information on Gráinne (yes, there’s more, we were shocked too), read Anne Chambers’ biography, Granuaile: Grace O’Malley-Ireland’s Pirate Queen, C. 1530-1603. 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.

This week - our last episode of the season brings all the horrors of World War I with the additional terror of an unexplained pandemic! In this episode Nicola and Hannah discuss the gendered expectations of soldiers returning from WWI with disabilities, especially facial injuries, and the expectations of women in their lives. There’s a brief Robin Williams-diversion, and then a discussion of the work of American artist Anna Coleman-Ladd in restoring confidence to some soldiers with her delicately crafted copper masks that served to mimic the men’s pre-war faces. Thanks to everyone who listened through this season of our podcast, we appreciate every single one of you. We will be back sometime in 2022, hopefully recording together and not being hit by things falling off the desks we’re recording under. Anything for slightly better audio quality. Thanks to Dorian (here’s his twitter) for his reading of “We Are the Maimed” and “In Flanders Fields.” Dorian is a queer-, disability- and trans- rights activist and artist based in Melbourne. He also has a kofi: https://ko-fi.com/sindesiecle This episode contains descriptions of war injuries and disability, mental illness, suicide and suicidal ideation, murder, facial injuries, pandemics and illnesses, comas, domestic violence and murder by intimate partners, and swearing. Why do we warn people about the swearing? We just don’t know. This episode also contains discussion of medical issues. It is not intended as advice. Do not take medical advice from two historians who live with their parents, or any strangers online. Please speak to a doctor or other medical professional if you have questions about Covid-19 or vaccination. 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 does give the wrong name for one of the writers of the 100 Stories - it’s Laura, not whatever the hell she said. She knows too many people with the surname James. Sorry Laura. For more information on disabled and mentally ill returned servicemen after WWI, check out Shattered Anzacs by Marina Larsson, The 100 Stories by Bruce Scates, Rebecca Wheatley and Laura James, The Last Battle by Bruce Scates and Melanie Oppenheimer, or The Cost of War by Stephen Garton. For more info on Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance check out A Place to Remember by Bruce Scates. For the whole political issue of Anzac in Australia, check out What’s Wrong With Anzac, or Anzac’s Long Shadow. Penny Marshall’s film Awakenings does not appear to be streaming in Australia. Piracy is wrong, but the film is 30 years old so good luck finding it regardless. Footage of Anna Coleman Ladd working in her mask clinic is available in this article: https://allthatsinteresting.com/anna-coleman-ladd. 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Sound Effects by ZapSplat.com

When Confederate forces attacked the American Army at Fort Sumter on April 12th, 1861, no-one could have predicted the scale of tragedy and devastation that followed in the American Civil War. Certainly not the American Government, who struggled to find the food and clothing necessary to supply the Union forces. Enter women like Clara Barton, a former teacher and clerk at the US Patent Office who had trouble sitting by doing nothing when there were people who needed her help. First she collected supplies, then she traveled to the battlefield, and then....listen now to find out. Women of War is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to war casualties, amputation, nineteenth century medical procedures, illness, corporal punishment, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It may not be suitable for all listeners. This episode was recorded over Zoom. We apologise for any audio issues. Our immense gratitude to our excellent actor, Vanessa, for her voicing of Clara for this episode. 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. To learn more about the American Civil War, check out Uncivil, which brings you stories that were left out of the official history of the Civil War, ransacks America's past, and takes on the history you grew up with: https://bit.ly/2W2blXa 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Please note, as this episode was recorded in isolation during Melbourne's fifth lockdown, there are a few audio issues. Thank you for your understanding. Born at the close of the 60s, Marjane Satrapi grew up in a changing world. A child of upper middle class, left-wing Iranian parents Marjane came of age during the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the violence of the Iran-Iraq war. Her unique perspective on the revolution and war gives us a child- and teenager- eye view of a violent, complex and turbulent period in a beautiful part of the world. Good news everyone! As of 19th July, 2021, Stan has the film version of “Persepolis” available to stream. If you’re in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia or home isolation in another state or territory due to the federal government’s extreme failure in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and their abysmal vaccine rollout, do yourself a favour and check it out! What else are you going to do? Thanks to Mr Grayson Brown for lending us his voice acting talents as our newsreader. You the real MVP. Thanks to the ABC for not suing us for using Charles William’s “Majestic Fanfare.” Due to its use in jest and the shortness of the snippet, it probably counts under “fair dealing.” You don’t have the money to sue us and we don’t have the money to fight it. Let’s just chill. Women of War is recorded on Wurundjeri land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to civilian deaths, brainwashing, bombing, torture, immolation, gas poisoning and other atrocities of war, child soldiers, drug addiction, forced marriage, sexual assault and rape. And swearing. 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 further reading -- read the book! It should be at your local library, or support your local bookshop. Marjane's other works include "Chicken with Plums" and "Embroideries." Emma Watson’s interview with Marjane Satrapi can be found here. If you’re here because you’re studying Persepolis in VCE, nice work on looking for extra resources! Send this to three friends to gain luck from the Gods of VCAA, and good luck on the GAT. 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

A loving mother, World War I nurse and devoted wife, Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer probably would have been a lot better off in life if she’d stayed a Princess of a minor German Duchy. She however fell in love with a young man named Nicholas and became the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. One of the most infamous female rulers in modern history, Alexandra has become known as a tragic and selfish figure who contributed to the downfall of the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty due to the influence of the manipulative mad monk, Rasputin. Eventually she and her family would meet their death at the hands of Red Army soldiers. Why was Alexandra such a problematic figure in the eyes of so many Russians? Yes, it’s because she was German. But there’s far more to it than that. Women of War is recorded on Wurundjeri land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. This episode contains references to rape, sexual threats towards children and sexual assault, haemophilia, the murder of children, war crimes, interference with and the defilement of corpses, miscarriage, birth trauma, infertility, civilian deaths, starvation, fire, child death, pedophilia and bleeding. It also contains some naughty language. 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. Opinions presented about Orlando Figes are in jest and do not represent the speaker’s actual views. For more information on the Russian Revolution, check out Orlando Figes’ A People’s Tragedy or, for a less backbreaking tome, Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991. For more information on the Romanov dynasty, see The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Or just go to your local library, there’ll be something. Not as many books as on World War II, but is there ever? If you want to check out books on the Australians in the Russian Civil War check out Anzacs in Arkangel by Michael Challinger, or the Diggers Who Signed on For More by Bruce Muirden. If you’re here because you’re doing Revolutions in VCE, nice work on looking for extra resources! Send this to three friends to gain luck from the Gods of VCAA. 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. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

(If you are here to find the timestamp to skip over the definitions section, skip from 6.20 to 9.54.) Some historical figures are riddles wrapped in enigmas wrapped in a vest, with a great manicure. Roberta Cowell is one of them. Raised as a boy, Roberta Cowell was a racing car driver, nearly an accidental assassin, and a World War II fighter pilot and a race car driver again before realising she was a transgender woman. Thus began her next grand plan to have her true sex (her words) realised, and her body match her mind. Thanks to Erin for providing the voice of Roberta Cowell. Erin is a transgender actress, musician and historian based in Victoria. Thanks also to Ben MacEllen for providing the voice of Michael Dillon. Ben is a transgender actor and LGBTIQA+ activist based in Victoria and his website is benmacellen.com. This podcast contains discussion of intersexuality, transgender issues, transphobia, gender reassignment surgery, outdated language with regards to transgender and intersex people, brief cruelty to animals, facial injuries, surgery and medical experimentation, war injuries, Nazi atrocities, cruelty to prisoners of war, war rape, attempted sexual assault, and some bad language. We have elected to use male pronouns for Roberta before she began her transition, as she herself did in her autobiography. Discussion of Roberta after she began her transition will then use female pronouns. In the same vein, we use female pronouns for Michael Dillon before he began his transition, and male pronouns thereafter. We have however avoided using their deadnames. 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. The fallible nature of human memory must also be considered and is a point of discussion in this episode. Nicola also misstated the year Roberta and her wife divorced, and it was in actuality, 1952. Wales is also part of the UK, she meant to say "Welsh people moved across the border to England." Should Wales be part of the UK? That's a question for another time. -- 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. Donate to Minus18, an Aussie charity that seeks to educate, empower and support queer youth, here: https://www.minus18.org.au/ Check out Intersex Australia, another Aussie charity that aims to empower intersex individuals and educate endosex individuals. Find them here: https://ihra.org.au/ If you’ve read down this far, you’re hot. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and you’ll be even hotter. For more information on Michael Dillon check out The First Man Made Man by Pagan Kennedy, just not from Amazon if you can. For more information on Dr Harold Gillies, read his Wikipedia page - and there’s a lot about him in Kennedy’s book also. For more information on Roberta Cowell, start with her autobiography, Roberta Cowell’s Story. For more information about LGBTQ+ people and their experience of serving in the military, check out Serving in Silence by Noah Riseman, Shirleene Robinson, and Graham Willett. Intro and Outro Music: Frosty Forest by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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.

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