Podcasts about during world war two

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Best podcasts about during world war two

Latest podcast episodes about during world war two

This Day
052925r

This Day

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 2:00


During World War Two, thousands of women took over jobs that men used to do, on THIS DAY, May 29th with Chris Conley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reenactor's Corner
The Iron Cross - Ep.129

The Reenactor's Corner

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 47:20


The Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross) is perhaps the most iconic of all historical German military awards . During World War Two almost five million were issued in recognition of bravery in battle or distinguished military service. In this latest of our occasional series looking at WW2 German military awards Rudi Lange takes a closer look at the history of the Iron Cross and reflects on if and how it should be used within reenacting...... With thanks to www.wehrmacht-awards.com  Also a big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content !  https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast

The Up Devotional
Keep calm and…

The Up Devotional

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 2:11


During World War Two the British government commissioned posters to keep the public focused on key ideas. They were written with white letters on a red background. There was a crown at the top.One said: “Freedom is in peril. Defend it with all your might.” A second one said: “Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution, … Continue reading Keep calm and…

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast - Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories
The Coming of the Ice by G. Peyton Wertenbaker - Humanity's Last Days Before the Freeze

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast - Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 46:31


Alone in a world buried by endless snow and ice the last man on Earth drifts through a twilight of silence and memory. Time has lost all meaning... The Coming of the Ice by G. Peyton Wertenbaker. That's next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.The year was 1926 and although there had been science fiction stories in magazines, there had never been an entire magazine devoted to science fiction. Hugo Gernsback was the man who would change the course of science fiction with the birth of Amazing Stories magazine which began publishing in April 1926. In case you were wondering the Hugo Award is named after this sci-fi pioneer. The first two magazines were filled with reprints, stories that had already been published, by Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Edgar Allen Poe among others. G. Peyton Wertenbaker's short story The Man From the Atom appeared in that first issue but it too was a reprint, having been previously published 8 months earlier in Science and Invention magazine which was also published by Gernsback.Wertenbaker was born in New Castle, Delaware in 1907, he wrote a handful of sci-fi stories and then turned his attention to other pursuits, literary and otherwise. He served on the editorial board of Fortune magazine from 1933 to 1938, and became a contributing editor to Time Magazine in 1939. During World War Two he served as an air combat intelligence officer in the Pacific. In 1958 he joined NASA as a speechwriter, eventually becoming chief historian of the Aerospace Medical Division. The story you are about to hear was the first original paid story to appear in Amazing Stories in June 1926 on page 232, The Coming of the Ice by G. Peyton Wertenbaker…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries—was there no way of keeping it discovered? Forever by Robert Sheckley.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================

Short History Of...
The Battle of Stalingrad

Short History Of...

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 62:12


During World War Two, the Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal engagements of the entire conflict, and would go on to be one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. Over a course of six months, Soviet forces fought to defend their city against the German Army, where an estimated 1 million Soviet soldiers, and 800,000 Axis troops were killed, wounded or captured.  But why was a modest little city in southern Russia so important to Stalin and Hitler? Who were the soldiers who fought in the battle, and the civilians caught in the crossfire? And what impact did the fighting have on the outcome of the war, and the future shape of the world? This is a Short History of The Battle of Stalingrad. A Noiser production, written by Martin McNamara. With thanks to Sir Antony Beevor, a world-renowned expert on the Second World War, and author of the award-winning book, Stalingrad. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You'll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you're on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Mutual Audio Network
Last Gambit in Lisbon(121624)

The Mutual Audio Network

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 45:06


During World War Two, Portugal remained neutral. Many of the people who found themselves there had little choice as to where they might live, work or even survive. Among those who had had little choice, was Alexander Alekhine, the World Chess Champion. Alexander is a man looking for a life away from sitting alone in his hotel room, with nothing but a chess board on a table and dinner in his lap. He is looking for inspiration, looking for his muse and ultimately; a way to return to his previous glory. Perhaps he has found it…? PLEASE NOTE: Although this story is based on real life people and situations, it has been heavily fictionalized and should not be seen as historically accurate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Matinee
Last Gambit in Lisbon

Monday Matinee

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 45:06


During World War Two, Portugal remained neutral. Many of the people who found themselves there had little choice as to where they might live, work or even survive. Among those who had had little choice, was Alexander Alekhine, the World Chess Champion. Alexander is a man looking for a life away from sitting alone in his hotel room, with nothing but a chess board on a table and dinner in his lap. He is looking for inspiration, looking for his muse and ultimately; a way to return to his previous glory. Perhaps he has found it…? PLEASE NOTE: Although this story is based on real life people and situations, it has been heavily fictionalized and should not be seen as historically accurate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Witness History
The Purple Heart Warriors

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 10:13


During World War Two, a Japanese American battalion became one of the most decorated army units in US military history. The 442nd Regimental Combat Unit earned more than 4,000 Purple Hearts and seven Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism in battle.The unit was set up in 1943, just over a year after Japan bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. Following the attack, 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the west coast were sent to internment camps, but many were keen to show their loyalty to the US.They volunteered to join the 442nd RCT and fight in Europe. Hundreds of recruits came from the camps, while thousands of others were from the Japanese American community in Hawaii.Among them was 19-year-old Matsuichi Kusatsu. His son Clyde tells Jane Wilkinson about how the unit fought prejudice to prove their loyalty, and a warning, this story includes racist language of the time.Actor Clyde stars in the BBC World Service drama Purple Heart Warriors. To hear this six-part season search for Dramas, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Matsuichi Kusatsu in 1944. Credit: Family photo)

SteamyStory
Raiders of the Nazi Gold: Part 1

SteamyStory

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024


I was hired to find lost Nazi gold. I found Ariella instead.Based on a post by ronde, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The shiny, black, Mercedes X-Class pickup slowly worked its way down the road about a hundred meters from where I was crouched behind a rock. The fact the pickup was alone and had an M 60 machine gun on a pintle mount in the bed told me this wasn’t some unit of the Argentine Army. The Argentine Army might have been driving a Mercedes pickup, but it would have been OD green and the machine gun would have been an FN Mag.The woman nudged me then.“They’ll be on top of us in a few minutes. I’ll take out the truck driver and the M 60. That’ll slow them down while they’re trying to figure out where the shots came from. They might run then, but if they don’t it’ll take both of us to take out the rest. Are you ready for that?”I was ready, because I knew if we didn’t take out all of them, we’d be running for our lives. I’d experienced that before. I was a former US Army Ranger with two tours of Afghanistan under my belt before I decided civilian life would be a whole lot healthier.I had no reservations about what we had to do, though it was going to be tough. With it’s short barrel, iron sights, and a tendency to overheat if fired quickly, the HK G 36 C carbine I carried lost accuracy fast after about two hundred meters, so they’d have to be closer than that. I could use the old “spray and pray” technique used by some US Army soldiers before the M4 came out with a selector switch for a three round burst instead of just full-auto fire. The problem with that was I only had a hundred and twenty rounds and they wouldn’t last long if I did that. After that, all I had was a 9 millimeter Browning pistol. They’d have to be a lot closer before I had any chance of putting even one down with that.The woman was in better shape for long range shooting. The Israeli M 89 SR rifle she was crouched behind was accurate out to about a thousand meters if she knew what she was doing, and if she did, the thirty rounds in her magazine would be more than sufficient.She let the truck get to about seventy-five meters from our position and then put one 7.62  millimeter round through the windshield. The driver slumped down in the seat at the same time her second shot hit the M60 just behind the operating handle and effectively froze the action. The truck turned sharply into a rock and then the engine died. The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than about five seconds. The woman definitely knew her way around a rifle.The three guys in the truck bed and the one left in the cab bailed out, got behind the truck, and started looking for the shooter. They were going to have a difficult time finding us. The suppressor on the M89SR effectively hid any muzzle flash and any dust caused by the gasses exiting the barrel. It also reduced the sound enough that it would be difficult for the guys to pinpoint it since the echo from the mountains made the sound seem to come from all directions.The woman and I watched them for the next five minutes, and it became obvious they weren’t battle-trained troops. They were probably considered a serious threat by the local population, but to me they were just amateurs; well-equipped amateurs, but still amateurs.They were well equipped because they had money, and money was the reason I was in Argentina in the first place. Meeting the woman was just a lucky accident. Well, that’s what I thought at the time. I later found out it was no accident.How it all started.The whole thing started six weeks before I found myself with the woman crouched behind a rock and waiting to see what the guys behind the truck were going to do next.After separating myself from the US Army, I needed some way to keep myself indoors and fed. When I looked at what I knew how to do, planning for close combat and then executing that plan was all I could come up with.Given the domestic and political climate at the time, a lot of former military men were running self defense schools. After reading about a few of the schools, I decided I could make some money that way too.I’d been deployed for much of my Army career so most of my Army pay was sitting in my bank. I used half of what I had as a down payment on fifty acres in Eastern Tennessee with a house and barn on it, and built a pistol and rifle range.I was doing OK, teaching a class a couple times a week in basic gun safety and giving the Tennessee concealed-carry class and test. The other days, I taught advanced courses in long-range rifle shooting and rapid-fire pistol shooting. I also sold targets and ammunition. I wasn’t getting rich, but I was able to make the mortgage payments, put food on the table, and keep my fridge stocked with beer.One afternoon after I’d finished up my class on accurate rapid pistol fire, I was policing brass from the range when a guy in a suit and tie walked up and stuck out his hand. He introduced himself as Marcus Richter.“Mr. Dale Stevenson; did I get your name right? Ah, good. Mr. Stevenson, I understand you have somewhat of a unique background, a background I would find useful if you agree to my proposal.”I figured he’d gotten that information from my web site. I thought “US Army Ranger” sounded better than “former military” like some of the school web sites used.I shrugged.“I can teach you how to fire a weapon and how to defend yourself in an emergency if that’s what you mean.”He shook his head.“No, though the thought has crossed my mind. Fortunately, I have people who take care of those duties for me."No, I’m a successful business man in a rather unique business. I trade in world currencies. It is that business that resulted in my visit to your establishment today. I fear the explanation of that business will be quite lengthy, so would it be possible to find a place where we might sit down and out of the sun?”I’d converted part of the barn into a classroom for my classes, so I led the man there. Once we were seated, he cleared his throat.“As I said, I am a trader in world currencies and that includes gold and silver in its many forms, from coinage to bullion. My business is of necessity rather secretive, for were some in the precious metal market to have advanced knowledge of my activities, it would have an impact upon the world pricing of said precious metals. It is such advanced knowledge I hope to exploit to my advantage if you agree to perform a service for me, a service for which you will be very well compensated.”I wasn’t entirely convinced this guy was on the level, but I had no reason to stop listening to him.I smiled.“It sounds like you have some sort of secret mission you want me to do for you.”He smiled.“Yes, secrecy is of the utmost importance. When you hear the details, you will understand why."As you probably know, in the last stages of World War Two, many high-ranking members of the Nazi party and German military realized any favorable outcome to the war was an impossibility. Germany would be defeated and given the atrocities committed, those same people would be prosecuted for war crimes, found guilty, and imprisoned or executed."They began making plans to escape before they were captured by the Allies. Argentina was neutral during the war and indeed declared war on the Axis powers a month before the war in Europe ended, but many in Argentina were still sympathetic toward Germany. As a result, Argentina was viewed as a possible haven by those attempting to escape what would surely be their ultimate fate."Argentina, in fact, encouraged those high-ranking people to come there. It is well known that many were able to successfully leave Germany and take up residence in Argentina. The efforts of some Israeli organizations that were able to locate some of them and transport them back to Israel for trial is a testimony to that fact."What is not well known is how those same people funded their escape and managed to live in Argentina until they were able to find employment. There are suspicions of the transfer of gold either before or after their escape, but no proof. What is known is there were large caches of gold the Nazi’s looted from the countries and people they overran in the early stages of the war."While much of that gold was gold bars plundered from the repositories in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, a significant amount was in the gold taken from individuals. To date, some of that gold has been recovered, but a sizeable portion has not and there are only rumors as to its location, until about a month ago."Ah, shall we say, a friend of a friend mentioned he had been offered a small bar of gold bullion bearing the imprint of the Heraeus Corporation of Germany. I do not know if you know of this German company, but Heraeus has been in the business of refining and producing precious metals since the late 1800’s when they discovered a method of melting platinum."During World War Two, one small gold smelting facility of the Heraeus corporation located on the outskirts of Hanau, Germany was taken over by the Nazi party, managed by Nazi party members, and slave labor was used for the smelting process. They began melting the gold looted from the countries occupied by the German Army into bullion. The bullion was stamped with the hallmark of the Heraeus corporation in order to make it appear to be legitimate, though the Heraeus company per se had nothing to do with the operation."This knowledge has been common since the war ended, but what happened to the gold bullion produced by the Nazi controlled factory has been unknown until this single bar of bullion was offered to this friend of my friend. The offer was made in somewhat secretive circumstances and the design of the hallmark dated to the period of the Second World War. These two things intrigued this friend of my friend and also intrigued me."My interest was passing until I spoke to a man who wished to buy gold as an investment. He related a tale told by his grandfather of watching U-boats berthed at Helgoland, Germany when he was twelve years old. His grandfather had watched the U-boats before as they were fueled, armed, and then sent back out to sea. On a few occasions, this was not the case."According to his story, over the course of a week, several men in prison uniforms loaded six submarines with wooden cases that appeared much too heavy to be supplies and not large enough to hold munitions. He thought it unusual that they did not load any torpedoes as they always had before, but assumed the submarines were supply submarines used to re-supply U-boats at sea."Once the submarines were loaded, the men in prison uniforms were taken away and a few men in the uniform of the German navy went on board, but not in the same numbers this man had seen before. Instead of a full crew, a number of men in business dress also boarded the submarines. The submarines then left port. Three months later, those same six submarines were again docked in Helgoland and were being once again loaded as before. This cycle was repeated two more times before he witnessed the same submarines being loaded with torpedoes and manned by full crews of the German Navy."Another very interesting event happened in Argentina at the end of the war. Juan Peron was elected president and set about nationalizing industries and services while at the same time raising the wages of workers. Most importantly, he paid off the entire amount of externally held Argentine debt."Because Argentina does mine native gold and silver ore, I have people there to keep me informed about the latest developments. When I heard the stories about the bar of gold bullion and the German submarines and put that story into the context of what I know about the country, I asked my people there to do some research into the matter. The report I received a few weeks ago offered some tantalizing conclusions."At the end of the war, Argentina had external debt amounting to about two hundred million US Dollars. When Peron was elected President, he settled the national debt with payments in gold bullion, which is understandable because gold is the currency of the world. What is not understandable is where Peron was able to find enough gold to do that without bankrupting the country. The entire gold reserves of Argentina at the time were about two hundred and fifty million US dollars. He would have had to drain most of those reserves, but apparently did not. He continued to implement his policies by using that same gold reserve."My people were not able to identify how that situation changed so rapidly once Peron was in office nor the source of the gold with which he paid the Argentine debt. They were able to report that prior to settling that debt, the Argentine government ceased operations of a small, older smelter in the foothills of the Andes near Mendoza to bring that facility up to the level of current technology. They learned this from an old man who had been employed at the smelter in his youth. He said he was sent home and told to not report for work for two months."The man was interested in what changes were going to be made so over the course of seven weeks, he watched the activities at the smelter. He related to my people that the first week, he saw many trucks drive into the smelter and each truck had armed guards who were all tall men who looked European. He could not see what they did in the smelter, but he did notice the smokestack continued to emit smoke just as it had when the smelter was operating."A week before his two month furlough was to end, he witnessed those same trucks with the same armed guards drive out of the smelter and take the road that led to Buenos Aires. He also said when he returned to work, there was little difference from how the smelter had operated before.”I wasn’t sure what all this had to do with me. When I asked, his face became grim.“What I and my people believe is that a very large amount of gold was shipped to Argentina by the Nazis on submarines and used to pay the Argentine government for allowing them to stay there. That is the only explanation for how Peron was able to find the gold to pay off the national debt. It is also an explanation for the unusual loading of the submarine and for the bar of gold bullion offered to, as I said, a friend of a friend. The smelter was shut down in order to melt the Nazi gold and then recast it into bullion that bore the Argentine hallmark.”I was still confused.“OK, that’s all well and good, but again, what does that have to do with me?”He placed his hands on the table between us and smiled.“I want to pay you to find the rest of the Nazi gold.”Now, I was confused again.“The rest? I thought you said they melted it all down and recast it.”He shook his head and chuckled.“I said they melted and recast enough to pay off the Argentine debt, not that they melted and recast all the gold. The total amount of gold plundered by the Nazis is not accurately known, but it has been estimated at nearly two billion US dollars in the currency of the day. About a fourth of that can be reasonably accounted for as it was transferred to various banks in neutral countries, though some of those transfers are disputed. The rest has never been found."It is my estimate that the Nazis shipped at least four hundred tons of gold to Argentina on those submarines. In the currency of the day, that would be about half a billion US dollars. In 1945, the Argentine debt was about two hundred million US dollars. That leaves us with a difference of about three hundred million which would be a little over one and a half billion US dollars at today’s market price.”I said I didn’t think that was feasible because of the weight of gold. It wouldn’t fit on a submarine. He smiled.“Yes, gold is heavy but also very dense and does not require much space. The normal armament for a U-boat of the type loaded at Helgoland was fourteen torpedoes that weighed a little over a ton and a half each. Each submarine could have carried over twenty tons of gold if the torpedoes were not on board. The six submarines making four trips could have carried that much gold and many passengers. With a range of about nine thousand nautical miles, they could easily have made the trip from Germany to Argentina and back in about three months at sea.It sounded like another Nazi conspiracy theory to me, but it was interesting so I decided to play along for a while."So, you want me to find this gold and then what? Hire a bunch of trucks to bring it back to the US?”He smiled and shook his head.“No. I only want you to confirm its location from the information my people have developed after almost a year of research. Near Mendoza in Mendoza province, my people located the ruins of what they described as a replica of The Berghof, Hitler’s residence in Bavaria. The surrounding area is mostly unpopulated now, but was once the site of a now closed led mine. We believe the building was built to house German Army and SS officers who fled Germany and surmise the gold must have been secreted in the led mine. Once you have confirmed the gold is indeed at that location, others will orchestrate its removal and transport.That little bell in your head that tells you something’s not right started to ring."Mr. Richter, if your people know where it is, why don’t those others you talked about confirm the gold is there and then remove it?”He pursed his lips.“My people in Argentina are carefully watched by the Argentine government to detect any financial dealings they might attempt. It is highly likely some in the Argentine government are also aware of their findings. Were my people to investigate that mine, well, the current government of Argentina would consider the gold to be the property of Argentina. It is not, but Argentina would be very upset were they to find it has been discovered and removed from the country.”The little bell in my head was now clanging.“So what you’re asking me to do is illegal? I don’t much like the idea of spending time in an Argentine prison.”He shook his head.“Your involvement will only be to locate and enter an abandoned and unguarded mine, confirm with photographs that the gold is there, and then bring those photographs and an accurate location back to me. It will be as if you were a tourist seeing the countryside and just happened upon the mine during your travels. There is nothing illegal about that."You will be well compensated for your efforts. I am prepared to offer you transportation to and from Argentina, a vehicle and other equipment for your use while there, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. I have arranged for twenty thousand dollars to be transferred to your bank account immediately upon your arrival in Argentina and commencement of your search. You will, of course, be provided with a small sum for travel expenses. The balance will be transferred upon your return, assuming you are successful. If not, the transfer will be for an additional twenty thous

Steamy Stories Podcast
Raiders of the Nazi Gold: Part 1

Steamy Stories Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024


I was hired to find lost Nazi gold. I found Ariella instead.Based on a post by ronde, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The shiny, black, Mercedes X-Class pickup slowly worked its way down the road about a hundred meters from where I was crouched behind a rock. The fact the pickup was alone and had an M 60 machine gun on a pintle mount in the bed told me this wasn’t some unit of the Argentine Army. The Argentine Army might have been driving a Mercedes pickup, but it would have been OD green and the machine gun would have been an FN Mag.The woman nudged me then.“They’ll be on top of us in a few minutes. I’ll take out the truck driver and the M 60. That’ll slow them down while they’re trying to figure out where the shots came from. They might run then, but if they don’t it’ll take both of us to take out the rest. Are you ready for that?”I was ready, because I knew if we didn’t take out all of them, we’d be running for our lives. I’d experienced that before. I was a former US Army Ranger with two tours of Afghanistan under my belt before I decided civilian life would be a whole lot healthier.I had no reservations about what we had to do, though it was going to be tough. With it’s short barrel, iron sights, and a tendency to overheat if fired quickly, the HK G 36 C carbine I carried lost accuracy fast after about two hundred meters, so they’d have to be closer than that. I could use the old “spray and pray” technique used by some US Army soldiers before the M4 came out with a selector switch for a three round burst instead of just full-auto fire. The problem with that was I only had a hundred and twenty rounds and they wouldn’t last long if I did that. After that, all I had was a 9 millimeter Browning pistol. They’d have to be a lot closer before I had any chance of putting even one down with that.The woman was in better shape for long range shooting. The Israeli M 89 SR rifle she was crouched behind was accurate out to about a thousand meters if she knew what she was doing, and if she did, the thirty rounds in her magazine would be more than sufficient.She let the truck get to about seventy-five meters from our position and then put one 7.62  millimeter round through the windshield. The driver slumped down in the seat at the same time her second shot hit the M60 just behind the operating handle and effectively froze the action. The truck turned sharply into a rock and then the engine died. The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than about five seconds. The woman definitely knew her way around a rifle.The three guys in the truck bed and the one left in the cab bailed out, got behind the truck, and started looking for the shooter. They were going to have a difficult time finding us. The suppressor on the M89SR effectively hid any muzzle flash and any dust caused by the gasses exiting the barrel. It also reduced the sound enough that it would be difficult for the guys to pinpoint it since the echo from the mountains made the sound seem to come from all directions.The woman and I watched them for the next five minutes, and it became obvious they weren’t battle-trained troops. They were probably considered a serious threat by the local population, but to me they were just amateurs; well-equipped amateurs, but still amateurs.They were well equipped because they had money, and money was the reason I was in Argentina in the first place. Meeting the woman was just a lucky accident. Well, that’s what I thought at the time. I later found out it was no accident.How it all started.The whole thing started six weeks before I found myself with the woman crouched behind a rock and waiting to see what the guys behind the truck were going to do next.After separating myself from the US Army, I needed some way to keep myself indoors and fed. When I looked at what I knew how to do, planning for close combat and then executing that plan was all I could come up with.Given the domestic and political climate at the time, a lot of former military men were running self defense schools. After reading about a few of the schools, I decided I could make some money that way too.I’d been deployed for much of my Army career so most of my Army pay was sitting in my bank. I used half of what I had as a down payment on fifty acres in Eastern Tennessee with a house and barn on it, and built a pistol and rifle range.I was doing OK, teaching a class a couple times a week in basic gun safety and giving the Tennessee concealed-carry class and test. The other days, I taught advanced courses in long-range rifle shooting and rapid-fire pistol shooting. I also sold targets and ammunition. I wasn’t getting rich, but I was able to make the mortgage payments, put food on the table, and keep my fridge stocked with beer.One afternoon after I’d finished up my class on accurate rapid pistol fire, I was policing brass from the range when a guy in a suit and tie walked up and stuck out his hand. He introduced himself as Marcus Richter.“Mr. Dale Stevenson; did I get your name right? Ah, good. Mr. Stevenson, I understand you have somewhat of a unique background, a background I would find useful if you agree to my proposal.”I figured he’d gotten that information from my web site. I thought “US Army Ranger” sounded better than “former military” like some of the school web sites used.I shrugged.“I can teach you how to fire a weapon and how to defend yourself in an emergency if that’s what you mean.”He shook his head.“No, though the thought has crossed my mind. Fortunately, I have people who take care of those duties for me."No, I’m a successful business man in a rather unique business. I trade in world currencies. It is that business that resulted in my visit to your establishment today. I fear the explanation of that business will be quite lengthy, so would it be possible to find a place where we might sit down and out of the sun?”I’d converted part of the barn into a classroom for my classes, so I led the man there. Once we were seated, he cleared his throat.“As I said, I am a trader in world currencies and that includes gold and silver in its many forms, from coinage to bullion. My business is of necessity rather secretive, for were some in the precious metal market to have advanced knowledge of my activities, it would have an impact upon the world pricing of said precious metals. It is such advanced knowledge I hope to exploit to my advantage if you agree to perform a service for me, a service for which you will be very well compensated.”I wasn’t entirely convinced this guy was on the level, but I had no reason to stop listening to him.I smiled.“It sounds like you have some sort of secret mission you want me to do for you.”He smiled.“Yes, secrecy is of the utmost importance. When you hear the details, you will understand why."As you probably know, in the last stages of World War Two, many high-ranking members of the Nazi party and German military realized any favorable outcome to the war was an impossibility. Germany would be defeated and given the atrocities committed, those same people would be prosecuted for war crimes, found guilty, and imprisoned or executed."They began making plans to escape before they were captured by the Allies. Argentina was neutral during the war and indeed declared war on the Axis powers a month before the war in Europe ended, but many in Argentina were still sympathetic toward Germany. As a result, Argentina was viewed as a possible haven by those attempting to escape what would surely be their ultimate fate."Argentina, in fact, encouraged those high-ranking people to come there. It is well known that many were able to successfully leave Germany and take up residence in Argentina. The efforts of some Israeli organizations that were able to locate some of them and transport them back to Israel for trial is a testimony to that fact."What is not well known is how those same people funded their escape and managed to live in Argentina until they were able to find employment. There are suspicions of the transfer of gold either before or after their escape, but no proof. What is known is there were large caches of gold the Nazi’s looted from the countries and people they overran in the early stages of the war."While much of that gold was gold bars plundered from the repositories in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, a significant amount was in the gold taken from individuals. To date, some of that gold has been recovered, but a sizeable portion has not and there are only rumors as to its location, until about a month ago."Ah, shall we say, a friend of a friend mentioned he had been offered a small bar of gold bullion bearing the imprint of the Heraeus Corporation of Germany. I do not know if you know of this German company, but Heraeus has been in the business of refining and producing precious metals since the late 1800’s when they discovered a method of melting platinum."During World War Two, one small gold smelting facility of the Heraeus corporation located on the outskirts of Hanau, Germany was taken over by the Nazi party, managed by Nazi party members, and slave labor was used for the smelting process. They began melting the gold looted from the countries occupied by the German Army into bullion. The bullion was stamped with the hallmark of the Heraeus corporation in order to make it appear to be legitimate, though the Heraeus company per se had nothing to do with the operation."This knowledge has been common since the war ended, but what happened to the gold bullion produced by the Nazi controlled factory has been unknown until this single bar of bullion was offered to this friend of my friend. The offer was made in somewhat secretive circumstances and the design of the hallmark dated to the period of the Second World War. These two things intrigued this friend of my friend and also intrigued me."My interest was passing until I spoke to a man who wished to buy gold as an investment. He related a tale told by his grandfather of watching U-boats berthed at Helgoland, Germany when he was twelve years old. His grandfather had watched the U-boats before as they were fueled, armed, and then sent back out to sea. On a few occasions, this was not the case."According to his story, over the course of a week, several men in prison uniforms loaded six submarines with wooden cases that appeared much too heavy to be supplies and not large enough to hold munitions. He thought it unusual that they did not load any torpedoes as they always had before, but assumed the submarines were supply submarines used to re-supply U-boats at sea."Once the submarines were loaded, the men in prison uniforms were taken away and a few men in the uniform of the German navy went on board, but not in the same numbers this man had seen before. Instead of a full crew, a number of men in business dress also boarded the submarines. The submarines then left port. Three months later, those same six submarines were again docked in Helgoland and were being once again loaded as before. This cycle was repeated two more times before he witnessed the same submarines being loaded with torpedoes and manned by full crews of the German Navy."Another very interesting event happened in Argentina at the end of the war. Juan Peron was elected president and set about nationalizing industries and services while at the same time raising the wages of workers. Most importantly, he paid off the entire amount of externally held Argentine debt."Because Argentina does mine native gold and silver ore, I have people there to keep me informed about the latest developments. When I heard the stories about the bar of gold bullion and the German submarines and put that story into the context of what I know about the country, I asked my people there to do some research into the matter. The report I received a few weeks ago offered some tantalizing conclusions."At the end of the war, Argentina had external debt amounting to about two hundred million US Dollars. When Peron was elected President, he settled the national debt with payments in gold bullion, which is understandable because gold is the currency of the world. What is not understandable is where Peron was able to find enough gold to do that without bankrupting the country. The entire gold reserves of Argentina at the time were about two hundred and fifty million US dollars. He would have had to drain most of those reserves, but apparently did not. He continued to implement his policies by using that same gold reserve."My people were not able to identify how that situation changed so rapidly once Peron was in office nor the source of the gold with which he paid the Argentine debt. They were able to report that prior to settling that debt, the Argentine government ceased operations of a small, older smelter in the foothills of the Andes near Mendoza to bring that facility up to the level of current technology. They learned this from an old man who had been employed at the smelter in his youth. He said he was sent home and told to not report for work for two months."The man was interested in what changes were going to be made so over the course of seven weeks, he watched the activities at the smelter. He related to my people that the first week, he saw many trucks drive into the smelter and each truck had armed guards who were all tall men who looked European. He could not see what they did in the smelter, but he did notice the smokestack continued to emit smoke just as it had when the smelter was operating."A week before his two month furlough was to end, he witnessed those same trucks with the same armed guards drive out of the smelter and take the road that led to Buenos Aires. He also said when he returned to work, there was little difference from how the smelter had operated before.”I wasn’t sure what all this had to do with me. When I asked, his face became grim.“What I and my people believe is that a very large amount of gold was shipped to Argentina by the Nazis on submarines and used to pay the Argentine government for allowing them to stay there. That is the only explanation for how Peron was able to find the gold to pay off the national debt. It is also an explanation for the unusual loading of the submarine and for the bar of gold bullion offered to, as I said, a friend of a friend. The smelter was shut down in order to melt the Nazi gold and then recast it into bullion that bore the Argentine hallmark.”I was still confused.“OK, that’s all well and good, but again, what does that have to do with me?”He placed his hands on the table between us and smiled.“I want to pay you to find the rest of the Nazi gold.”Now, I was confused again.“The rest? I thought you said they melted it all down and recast it.”He shook his head and chuckled.“I said they melted and recast enough to pay off the Argentine debt, not that they melted and recast all the gold. The total amount of gold plundered by the Nazis is not accurately known, but it has been estimated at nearly two billion US dollars in the currency of the day. About a fourth of that can be reasonably accounted for as it was transferred to various banks in neutral countries, though some of those transfers are disputed. The rest has never been found."It is my estimate that the Nazis shipped at least four hundred tons of gold to Argentina on those submarines. In the currency of the day, that would be about half a billion US dollars. In 1945, the Argentine debt was about two hundred million US dollars. That leaves us with a difference of about three hundred million which would be a little over one and a half billion US dollars at today’s market price.”I said I didn’t think that was feasible because of the weight of gold. It wouldn’t fit on a submarine. He smiled.“Yes, gold is heavy but also very dense and does not require much space. The normal armament for a U-boat of the type loaded at Helgoland was fourteen torpedoes that weighed a little over a ton and a half each. Each submarine could have carried over twenty tons of gold if the torpedoes were not on board. The six submarines making four trips could have carried that much gold and many passengers. With a range of about nine thousand nautical miles, they could easily have made the trip from Germany to Argentina and back in about three months at sea.It sounded like another Nazi conspiracy theory to me, but it was interesting so I decided to play along for a while."So, you want me to find this gold and then what? Hire a bunch of trucks to bring it back to the US?”He smiled and shook his head.“No. I only want you to confirm its location from the information my people have developed after almost a year of research. Near Mendoza in Mendoza province, my people located the ruins of what they described as a replica of The Berghof, Hitler’s residence in Bavaria. The surrounding area is mostly unpopulated now, but was once the site of a now closed led mine. We believe the building was built to house German Army and SS officers who fled Germany and surmise the gold must have been secreted in the led mine. Once you have confirmed the gold is indeed at that location, others will orchestrate its removal and transport.That little bell in your head that tells you something’s not right started to ring."Mr. Richter, if your people know where it is, why don’t those others you talked about confirm the gold is there and then remove it?”He pursed his lips.“My people in Argentina are carefully watched by the Argentine government to detect any financial dealings they might attempt. It is highly likely some in the Argentine government are also aware of their findings. Were my people to investigate that mine, well, the current government of Argentina would consider the gold to be the property of Argentina. It is not, but Argentina would be very upset were they to find it has been discovered and removed from the country.”The little bell in my head was now clanging.“So what you’re asking me to do is illegal? I don’t much like the idea of spending time in an Argentine prison.”He shook his head.“Your involvement will only be to locate and enter an abandoned and unguarded mine, confirm with photographs that the gold is there, and then bring those photographs and an accurate location back to me. It will be as if you were a tourist seeing the countryside and just happened upon the mine during your travels. There is nothing illegal about that."You will be well compensated for your efforts. I am prepared to offer you transportation to and from Argentina, a vehicle and other equipment for your use while there, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. I have arranged for twenty thousand dollars to be transferred to your bank account immediately upon your arrival in Argentina and commencement of your search. You will, of course, be provided with a small sum for travel expenses. The balance will be transferred upon your return, assuming you are successful. If not, the transfer will be for an additional twenty thous

Steamy Stories
Raiders of the Nazi Gold: Part 1

Steamy Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024


I was hired to find lost Nazi gold. I found Ariella instead.Based on a post by ronde, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The shiny, black, Mercedes X-Class pickup slowly worked its way down the road about a hundred meters from where I was crouched behind a rock. The fact the pickup was alone and had an M 60 machine gun on a pintle mount in the bed told me this wasn’t some unit of the Argentine Army. The Argentine Army might have been driving a Mercedes pickup, but it would have been OD green and the machine gun would have been an FN Mag.The woman nudged me then.“They’ll be on top of us in a few minutes. I’ll take out the truck driver and the M 60. That’ll slow them down while they’re trying to figure out where the shots came from. They might run then, but if they don’t it’ll take both of us to take out the rest. Are you ready for that?”I was ready, because I knew if we didn’t take out all of them, we’d be running for our lives. I’d experienced that before. I was a former US Army Ranger with two tours of Afghanistan under my belt before I decided civilian life would be a whole lot healthier.I had no reservations about what we had to do, though it was going to be tough. With it’s short barrel, iron sights, and a tendency to overheat if fired quickly, the HK G 36 C carbine I carried lost accuracy fast after about two hundred meters, so they’d have to be closer than that. I could use the old “spray and pray” technique used by some US Army soldiers before the M4 came out with a selector switch for a three round burst instead of just full-auto fire. The problem with that was I only had a hundred and twenty rounds and they wouldn’t last long if I did that. After that, all I had was a 9 millimeter Browning pistol. They’d have to be a lot closer before I had any chance of putting even one down with that.The woman was in better shape for long range shooting. The Israeli M 89 SR rifle she was crouched behind was accurate out to about a thousand meters if she knew what she was doing, and if she did, the thirty rounds in her magazine would be more than sufficient.She let the truck get to about seventy-five meters from our position and then put one 7.62  millimeter round through the windshield. The driver slumped down in the seat at the same time her second shot hit the M60 just behind the operating handle and effectively froze the action. The truck turned sharply into a rock and then the engine died. The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than about five seconds. The woman definitely knew her way around a rifle.The three guys in the truck bed and the one left in the cab bailed out, got behind the truck, and started looking for the shooter. They were going to have a difficult time finding us. The suppressor on the M89SR effectively hid any muzzle flash and any dust caused by the gasses exiting the barrel. It also reduced the sound enough that it would be difficult for the guys to pinpoint it since the echo from the mountains made the sound seem to come from all directions.The woman and I watched them for the next five minutes, and it became obvious they weren’t battle-trained troops. They were probably considered a serious threat by the local population, but to me they were just amateurs; well-equipped amateurs, but still amateurs.They were well equipped because they had money, and money was the reason I was in Argentina in the first place. Meeting the woman was just a lucky accident. Well, that’s what I thought at the time. I later found out it was no accident.How it all started.The whole thing started six weeks before I found myself with the woman crouched behind a rock and waiting to see what the guys behind the truck were going to do next.After separating myself from the US Army, I needed some way to keep myself indoors and fed. When I looked at what I knew how to do, planning for close combat and then executing that plan was all I could come up with.Given the domestic and political climate at the time, a lot of former military men were running self defense schools. After reading about a few of the schools, I decided I could make some money that way too.I’d been deployed for much of my Army career so most of my Army pay was sitting in my bank. I used half of what I had as a down payment on fifty acres in Eastern Tennessee with a house and barn on it, and built a pistol and rifle range.I was doing OK, teaching a class a couple times a week in basic gun safety and giving the Tennessee concealed-carry class and test. The other days, I taught advanced courses in long-range rifle shooting and rapid-fire pistol shooting. I also sold targets and ammunition. I wasn’t getting rich, but I was able to make the mortgage payments, put food on the table, and keep my fridge stocked with beer.One afternoon after I’d finished up my class on accurate rapid pistol fire, I was policing brass from the range when a guy in a suit and tie walked up and stuck out his hand. He introduced himself as Marcus Richter.“Mr. Dale Stevenson; did I get your name right? Ah, good. Mr. Stevenson, I understand you have somewhat of a unique background, a background I would find useful if you agree to my proposal.”I figured he’d gotten that information from my web site. I thought “US Army Ranger” sounded better than “former military” like some of the school web sites used.I shrugged.“I can teach you how to fire a weapon and how to defend yourself in an emergency if that’s what you mean.”He shook his head.“No, though the thought has crossed my mind. Fortunately, I have people who take care of those duties for me."No, I’m a successful business man in a rather unique business. I trade in world currencies. It is that business that resulted in my visit to your establishment today. I fear the explanation of that business will be quite lengthy, so would it be possible to find a place where we might sit down and out of the sun?”I’d converted part of the barn into a classroom for my classes, so I led the man there. Once we were seated, he cleared his throat.“As I said, I am a trader in world currencies and that includes gold and silver in its many forms, from coinage to bullion. My business is of necessity rather secretive, for were some in the precious metal market to have advanced knowledge of my activities, it would have an impact upon the world pricing of said precious metals. It is such advanced knowledge I hope to exploit to my advantage if you agree to perform a service for me, a service for which you will be very well compensated.”I wasn’t entirely convinced this guy was on the level, but I had no reason to stop listening to him.I smiled.“It sounds like you have some sort of secret mission you want me to do for you.”He smiled.“Yes, secrecy is of the utmost importance. When you hear the details, you will understand why."As you probably know, in the last stages of World War Two, many high-ranking members of the Nazi party and German military realized any favorable outcome to the war was an impossibility. Germany would be defeated and given the atrocities committed, those same people would be prosecuted for war crimes, found guilty, and imprisoned or executed."They began making plans to escape before they were captured by the Allies. Argentina was neutral during the war and indeed declared war on the Axis powers a month before the war in Europe ended, but many in Argentina were still sympathetic toward Germany. As a result, Argentina was viewed as a possible haven by those attempting to escape what would surely be their ultimate fate."Argentina, in fact, encouraged those high-ranking people to come there. It is well known that many were able to successfully leave Germany and take up residence in Argentina. The efforts of some Israeli organizations that were able to locate some of them and transport them back to Israel for trial is a testimony to that fact."What is not well known is how those same people funded their escape and managed to live in Argentina until they were able to find employment. There are suspicions of the transfer of gold either before or after their escape, but no proof. What is known is there were large caches of gold the Nazi’s looted from the countries and people they overran in the early stages of the war."While much of that gold was gold bars plundered from the repositories in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, a significant amount was in the gold taken from individuals. To date, some of that gold has been recovered, but a sizeable portion has not and there are only rumors as to its location, until about a month ago."Ah, shall we say, a friend of a friend mentioned he had been offered a small bar of gold bullion bearing the imprint of the Heraeus Corporation of Germany. I do not know if you know of this German company, but Heraeus has been in the business of refining and producing precious metals since the late 1800’s when they discovered a method of melting platinum."During World War Two, one small gold smelting facility of the Heraeus corporation located on the outskirts of Hanau, Germany was taken over by the Nazi party, managed by Nazi party members, and slave labor was used for the smelting process. They began melting the gold looted from the countries occupied by the German Army into bullion. The bullion was stamped with the hallmark of the Heraeus corporation in order to make it appear to be legitimate, though the Heraeus company per se had nothing to do with the operation."This knowledge has been common since the war ended, but what happened to the gold bullion produced by the Nazi controlled factory has been unknown until this single bar of bullion was offered to this friend of my friend. The offer was made in somewhat secretive circumstances and the design of the hallmark dated to the period of the Second World War. These two things intrigued this friend of my friend and also intrigued me."My interest was passing until I spoke to a man who wished to buy gold as an investment. He related a tale told by his grandfather of watching U-boats berthed at Helgoland, Germany when he was twelve years old. His grandfather had watched the U-boats before as they were fueled, armed, and then sent back out to sea. On a few occasions, this was not the case."According to his story, over the course of a week, several men in prison uniforms loaded six submarines with wooden cases that appeared much too heavy to be supplies and not large enough to hold munitions. He thought it unusual that they did not load any torpedoes as they always had before, but assumed the submarines were supply submarines used to re-supply U-boats at sea."Once the submarines were loaded, the men in prison uniforms were taken away and a few men in the uniform of the German navy went on board, but not in the same numbers this man had seen before. Instead of a full crew, a number of men in business dress also boarded the submarines. The submarines then left port. Three months later, those same six submarines were again docked in Helgoland and were being once again loaded as before. This cycle was repeated two more times before he witnessed the same submarines being loaded with torpedoes and manned by full crews of the German Navy."Another very interesting event happened in Argentina at the end of the war. Juan Peron was elected president and set about nationalizing industries and services while at the same time raising the wages of workers. Most importantly, he paid off the entire amount of externally held Argentine debt."Because Argentina does mine native gold and silver ore, I have people there to keep me informed about the latest developments. When I heard the stories about the bar of gold bullion and the German submarines and put that story into the context of what I know about the country, I asked my people there to do some research into the matter. The report I received a few weeks ago offered some tantalizing conclusions."At the end of the war, Argentina had external debt amounting to about two hundred million US Dollars. When Peron was elected President, he settled the national debt with payments in gold bullion, which is understandable because gold is the currency of the world. What is not understandable is where Peron was able to find enough gold to do that without bankrupting the country. The entire gold reserves of Argentina at the time were about two hundred and fifty million US dollars. He would have had to drain most of those reserves, but apparently did not. He continued to implement his policies by using that same gold reserve."My people were not able to identify how that situation changed so rapidly once Peron was in office nor the source of the gold with which he paid the Argentine debt. They were able to report that prior to settling that debt, the Argentine government ceased operations of a small, older smelter in the foothills of the Andes near Mendoza to bring that facility up to the level of current technology. They learned this from an old man who had been employed at the smelter in his youth. He said he was sent home and told to not report for work for two months."The man was interested in what changes were going to be made so over the course of seven weeks, he watched the activities at the smelter. He related to my people that the first week, he saw many trucks drive into the smelter and each truck had armed guards who were all tall men who looked European. He could not see what they did in the smelter, but he did notice the smokestack continued to emit smoke just as it had when the smelter was operating."A week before his two month furlough was to end, he witnessed those same trucks with the same armed guards drive out of the smelter and take the road that led to Buenos Aires. He also said when he returned to work, there was little difference from how the smelter had operated before.”I wasn’t sure what all this had to do with me. When I asked, his face became grim.“What I and my people believe is that a very large amount of gold was shipped to Argentina by the Nazis on submarines and used to pay the Argentine government for allowing them to stay there. That is the only explanation for how Peron was able to find the gold to pay off the national debt. It is also an explanation for the unusual loading of the submarine and for the bar of gold bullion offered to, as I said, a friend of a friend. The smelter was shut down in order to melt the Nazi gold and then recast it into bullion that bore the Argentine hallmark.”I was still confused.“OK, that’s all well and good, but again, what does that have to do with me?”He placed his hands on the table between us and smiled.“I want to pay you to find the rest of the Nazi gold.”Now, I was confused again.“The rest? I thought you said they melted it all down and recast it.”He shook his head and chuckled.“I said they melted and recast enough to pay off the Argentine debt, not that they melted and recast all the gold. The total amount of gold plundered by the Nazis is not accurately known, but it has been estimated at nearly two billion US dollars in the currency of the day. About a fourth of that can be reasonably accounted for as it was transferred to various banks in neutral countries, though some of those transfers are disputed. The rest has never been found."It is my estimate that the Nazis shipped at least four hundred tons of gold to Argentina on those submarines. In the currency of the day, that would be about half a billion US dollars. In 1945, the Argentine debt was about two hundred million US dollars. That leaves us with a difference of about three hundred million which would be a little over one and a half billion US dollars at today’s market price.”I said I didn’t think that was feasible because of the weight of gold. It wouldn’t fit on a submarine. He smiled.“Yes, gold is heavy but also very dense and does not require much space. The normal armament for a U-boat of the type loaded at Helgoland was fourteen torpedoes that weighed a little over a ton and a half each. Each submarine could have carried over twenty tons of gold if the torpedoes were not on board. The six submarines making four trips could have carried that much gold and many passengers. With a range of about nine thousand nautical miles, they could easily have made the trip from Germany to Argentina and back in about three months at sea.It sounded like another Nazi conspiracy theory to me, but it was interesting so I decided to play along for a while."So, you want me to find this gold and then what? Hire a bunch of trucks to bring it back to the US?”He smiled and shook his head.“No. I only want you to confirm its location from the information my people have developed after almost a year of research. Near Mendoza in Mendoza province, my people located the ruins of what they described as a replica of The Berghof, Hitler’s residence in Bavaria. The surrounding area is mostly unpopulated now, but was once the site of a now closed led mine. We believe the building was built to house German Army and SS officers who fled Germany and surmise the gold must have been secreted in the led mine. Once you have confirmed the gold is indeed at that location, others will orchestrate its removal and transport.That little bell in your head that tells you something’s not right started to ring."Mr. Richter, if your people know where it is, why don’t those others you talked about confirm the gold is there and then remove it?”He pursed his lips.“My people in Argentina are carefully watched by the Argentine government to detect any financial dealings they might attempt. It is highly likely some in the Argentine government are also aware of their findings. Were my people to investigate that mine, well, the current government of Argentina would consider the gold to be the property of Argentina. It is not, but Argentina would be very upset were they to find it has been discovered and removed from the country.”The little bell in my head was now clanging.“So what you’re asking me to do is illegal? I don’t much like the idea of spending time in an Argentine prison.”He shook his head.“Your involvement will only be to locate and enter an abandoned and unguarded mine, confirm with photographs that the gold is there, and then bring those photographs and an accurate location back to me. It will be as if you were a tourist seeing the countryside and just happened upon the mine during your travels. There is nothing illegal about that."You will be well compensated for your efforts. I am prepared to offer you transportation to and from Argentina, a vehicle and other equipment for your use while there, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. I have arranged for twenty thousand dollars to be transferred to your bank account immediately upon your arrival in Argentina and commencement of your search. You will, of course, be provided with a small sum for travel expenses. The balance will be transferred upon your return, assuming you are successful. If not, the transfer will be for an additional twenty thous

Heart to Heart
A Catholic Covert Shares His Story, Navigating Unhealthy Relationships

Heart to Heart

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 47:19


Mother Miriam Live - June 3, 2024 A Catholic convert shares his story in a newsletter from The Coming Home Network International I have heard a lot about Eastern Catholic churches lately and their “Divine Liturgy.” Is that something you would recommend a Catholic check out some time? I have heard many good things, and as I understand it, any Catholic can participate. I get the impression that this is still a better option than an irreverent Novus Ordo mass. Can a Catholic married man continue to maintain close relationships and friendships with women other than his wife? Navigating difficult and borderline abusive relationships For those of us holding firm to the teachings of the Church on human sexuality and the dignity of the human person, how can we guard ourselves against accusations of hatred and bigotry by those who subscribe to these modern gender ideologies? Also, how can I explain that having a belief about such issues does not in itself denote that someone is being “judgmental”? During World War Two, Hitler put Jews in the oven. Their crime: Being Jews. Someday, God will put Jews in the oven (Hell). Their sin: Being Jews (not becoming Christians). Hitler burned the Jews, God will burn the Jews. Your thoughts on this comparison, please?

RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan
Hidden WWII history on Waiheke and Whangaparaoa Peninsula

RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2023 15:09


During World War Two the New Zealand government commissioned three top secret military tunnels to be built. Fort Stony Batter on Waiheke, Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and Wrights Hill in Wellington.

That’s Criminal with John Stamp
TCP Season 3, Ep. 3 Bestselling Author of Net Force Jerome Preisler

That’s Criminal with John Stamp

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 63:33


Hey everybody, tonight I'm talking to bestselling thriller author Jerome Preisler about Moving Target, his newest in the Tom Clancy: Net Force series. Net Force: Moving Target A NEW BATTLE IS BREWING—ONE THAT WILL SOON RAGE ACROSS ALL POLITICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC LINES. As this new threat escalates, the US president calls on the members of Net Force to prevent global chaos. In Paris, the leader of a new political movement has gone into hiding, pursued by a relentless group of bio enhanced assassins. Seeking to rescue him in the mysterious catacombs beneath the city is one of Net Force's own, Kali Alcazar, who has become a hunted fugitive herself. Halfway across Europe, meanwhile, her friends are about to strike at the heavily armed fortress of the world's most dangerous hacker…and he's prepared a deadly trap for them. “Jerome Preisler takes us deep into the dark side of the web.” —Jim DeFelice on Net Force: Attack Protocol “A tightly woven, expertly crafted story with a finger on the pulse of the overwhelmingly clear and present danger of cyberterrorism.” —Marc Cameron on Net Force: Dark Web About Jerome Jerome is the New York Times bestselling author of over forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction. His association with the TOM CLANCY franchise began in 1997 when he contributed to the military history AIRBORNE. He subsequently wrote the TOM CLANCY's POWER PLAYS series, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. His latest work with the franchise is NET FORCE: THREAT POINT (December 2021), the third novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Previous books in the current series include NET FORCE: DARK WEB (2019) and NET FORCE: ATTACK PROTOCOL (2020). He has also written two novellas spotlighting different characters from the novels, EYE OF THE DRONE and KILL CHAIN. “Genre doesn't matter to me,” he says. “It's all about story, and I try to write exciting stories with the sort of characters I would like to know more about. I figure that if I fall in love with them, my readers will too.” Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His most recent is CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle. Twitter: @JeromeAuthor Facebook: JeromePreislerBooks Jerome lives in the awesome state of Maine. Don't forget to check out Blood Red Ivory on amazon or where ever books are sold. Ty Benhoff two coming soon. Thanks to Crush Limbo for the music. Tripecoh Media LLC. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thatscriminaljs/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thatscriminaljs/support

Short History Of...
Female Spies of World War Two

Short History Of...

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2023 51:14


During World War Two, dozens of British-trained women were deployed as spies and saboteurs, to infiltrate behind enemy lines in Nazi-controlled France. Ranging from housewives to countesses, they were trained as secret agents, and played critical roles to aid the war effort. But who were these women, and how did they find their way into espionage? What did they do undercover, and what were the consequences of capture? And how did those who made it home adjust to life when the war was won?  This is a Short History of the Female Spies of World War Two. Written by Lindsay Galvin. With thanks to Clare Mulley, award-winning historian and broadcaster, and author of The Spy Who Loved. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The K-Rob Collection
Audio Antiques - Radio Networks Fight Racism

The K-Rob Collection

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 61:41


During World War Two there were several efforts to stem the tide of rising racial violence, as African-Americans became more vocal about bias and discrimination at home while Black soldiers were fighting against fascism overseas. The federal government was concerned that white attacks against African-Americans would affect morale, and provide propaganda for Germany, Japan, and Italy. So they worked with the radio networks to create anti-stereotypical programs to boost the image of Blacks. One was an 8 part series called Freedom's People which aired on NBC in 1941. You'll hear the opening installment. Another show was An Open Letter on Race Hatred aired by CBS in 1943. It featured a personal appeal by Republican presidential candidate Wendell Willkie. Once the war was over, the networks basically returned to the usual stereotypical shows common during the latter years of the Jim Crow area. More at http://krobcollection.com

History Daily
The Internment of Japanese Americans

History Daily

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 16:28


March 24, 1942. During World War Two, the US Army begins forcibly moving Japanese Americans into internment camps.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Beyond Contempt True Crime
Introducing - Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets

Beyond Contempt True Crime

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2023 4:10


New York and London – March 1, 2023 – Somethin' Else and Sony Music Entertainment today premiered their new podcast Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets. Hosted by writer and historian Giles Milton, Ministry of Secrets aims to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of famous British Navy diver Lionel ‘Buster' Crabb, a figure who has been said to be the inspiration for James Bond. The first episode is available now.  Crabb was a diver and highly decorated war hero. During World War Two, he worked in special ops diffusing mines planted by the Nazis in Venice, saving the city from destruction. He became a household name as a result and was thus rumored to be the inspiration for Bond.  Throughout the series, Milton learns that in Spring 1956, Crabb took part in a top-secret diving mission to investigate a Russian ship docked in Portsmouth Harbour. The ship had brought Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev over for a state visit during the Cold War. After this dive, Crabb was never seen again. What happened next is a state secret that has been concealed for decades: Milton's mission throughout the podcast is to discover what really happened and establish why the truth continues to be hidden from the public. Normally files pertaining to such incidents are released after 20 years, but the Lionel Crabb files are officially embargoed for a century, to be kept under lock and key until 2057.  Giles Milton is a writer and historian whose career has seen him dig into forgotten stories from the past. He's come across some remarkable stories, from the doctor who supplied Hitler with cocaine to the MI6 spy who helped kill Rasputin. Yet, he's never come across anything as strange as this story. Throughout Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets, we hear Giles speak with his producer and oldest friend Sarah Peters, as they unpick this dark, shocking and disturbing story. Sarah is the founder of Tuning Fork Productions and produced the hit narrative podcast series Bed of Lies. Listeners can expect weekly revelations on a journey into a world of rogues, royalty, spies, and lies, as Milton investigates the truth behind one of the last great secrets of the Cold War… and why it's remained a mystery for so long. Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets is now available on all major podcast platforms and for subscribers to The Binge.

Woman's Hour
Triathlete and screenwriter Lesley Paterson; Zara Aleena's murder & probation service failings; the Woman's Hour Power List 2023

Woman's Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2023 56:41


Lesley Paterson is a five times world champion triathlete. She's also a successful screenwriter, who has just been nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film All Quiet on the Western Front. It's taken her sixteen years to get the film made. A woman no stranger to endurance, she explains how she used her prize money from her sporting career to help fund the film. An independent review into Zara Aleena's murder found a catalogue of errors by the probation service. We speak to HM Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell who conducted the review, along with Zara Aleena's aunt Farah Naz. The Woman's Hour Power List for 2023 is here! Last year was a game-changer for the visibility and perception of women in sport in this country and we want to showcase inspirational women – both on and off the field – who are spearheading and building on this momentum. The chair of judges Jessica Creighton launches the Power List and explains how you can make your suggestion. What is the role of a best friend at a deathbed? We All Want Impossible Things is a new novel by Catherine Newman exploring the topic. She reveals how her personal experience inspired the book. During World War Two, a house in Tynemouth was used as a sanctuary for more than 20 Jewish girls fleeing Nazi persecution. They had come to the UK on the Kindertransport. After a BBC investigation, a blue plaque was unveiled there yesterday, Holocaust Memorial Day, celebrating the house's forgotten past and those that found sanctuary there. Two of the girls who lived in the house were Ruth David and Elfi Jonas. We speak to their daughters, Margaret Finch and Helen Strange, about their mothers and their visit to the house.

Woman's Hour
Holocaust Survivors, Mary Nighy, Dementia and Menopause

Woman's Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 57:30


During World War Two, a house in Tynemouth was used as a sanctuary for more than 20 Jewish girls fleeing Nazi persecution. They had come to the UK on the Kindertransport. After a BBC investigation, a blue plaque will be unveiled there today, Holocaust Memorial Day, celebrating the house's forgotten past and those that found sanctuary there. Two of the Girls who lived in the house were Ruth David and Elfi Jonas. Anita speaks to their daughters - Margaret Finch and Helen Strange about their mothers and their visit to the house. Mary Nighy began her acting career at the age of 17, starring in films such as Marie Antoinette and Tormented. The daughter of actors Bill Nighy and Diana Quick, she has since turned director, of TV shows like Industry and Traces but she has just released her directorial debut Alice Darling. The film, starring Anna Kendrick, explores what it might feel like to be trapped inside a coercive, controlling and psychologically abusive relationship. Mary joins Anita Rani to talk about the themes of the film, female friendship and working behind the camera. Big employers including Tesco, Asda, Natwest and the country's most senior family judge are supporting a scheme that gives time off to parents who are splitting up. A survey of 200 workers by the Positive Parenting Alliance showed that 90 per cent of respondents said that their work was adversely affected. Anita speaks to XY and Sara Davison a divorce coach and author. How do you differentiate between symptoms of menopause and dementia and when should you be worried? A new brain check-up tool kit from Alzheimer's Research UK is encouraging people to do more to look after their brains to try to reduce their dementia risk. Research shows that women are generally at a greater risk of dementia - outnumbering the number of men who get the disease by 2:1 worldwide. But as women get older and experience the menopause, they may notice a decline in their memory, feel confused and get brain fog. We also hear about an early study which suggests that HRT may reduce the risk of some women developing Alzheimer's disease.

The Documentary Podcast
Yiddish glory: Jewish refugees in Central Asia

The Documentary Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2023 50:35


During World War Two, approximately 1.6 million Soviet, Polish and Romanian Jews survived by escaping to Soviet Central Asia and Siberia, avoiding imminent death in ghettos, firing squads and killing centres. Many of them wrote music about these horrors as the Holocaust unfolded. Singer Alice Zawadzski, whose own family found themselves on a similar journey to Central Asia, and historian Anna Shternshis of the University of Toronto, who led the project to bring these songs back to life, travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to retrace the journeys of those Jewish refugees who became music composers.

Keys For Kids Ministries

Bible Reading: Romans 10:13-15; Hebrews 13:15"Grandma, can we explore in the attic?" asked Kenzie. Once before when the twins were visiting their grandparents, Grandma had taken them up to the attic to show them some old photographs."Sure," Grandma replied. "But be sure to put everything back in its place."Xander and Kenzie had a good time looking through the old trunks in the attic. Kenzie giggled as she held up a long black dress that was covered with tucks and ruffles. "Aren't these old clothes funny?""Yeah," said Xander as he tried on one of Grandpa's old hats. He opened another trunk. "Hey, look! This trunk is full of army stuff! Grandpa's dad was in the army, so these must be his things. There's a uniform, pictures of soldiers…even some medals!" He held up a poster with a picture of a sinking ship. Printed on the dark background were the words Loose Lips Sink Ships. "I wonder what this means," said Xander."Let's go ask Grandpa," said Kenzie.They climbed down the narrow stairs, clutching the old poster. When they asked Grandpa about it, his face grew serious. "I remember my dad telling me about that," he said. "During World War Two, people who talked a lot and were careless about what they said were described as having 'loose lips.' These signs were posted in areas where military secrets were discussed. They were a reminder that it could be disastrous to talk about secret plans or about the location of our troops and ships. If enemy spies were to discover such things because someone talked carelessly, it might have meant death to hundreds of sailors or soldiers.""Wow!" exclaimed Xander. "Just think! Hundreds of lives could be lost if you said a few words to the wrong person!"Grandpa held up the old poster and thoughtfully gazed at it. "You know, loose lips aren't always bad. In fact, sometimes we need to loosen up our lips in order to save lives.""What do you mean?" asked Kenzie in surprise."God has entrusted a very special message to us--that Jesus died for the sins of everyone and then rose from the dead," Grandpa explained. "It's not a secret, and we should share it. When people hear it and believe in Jesus, they're saved and given eternal life." -Sherry L. KuytHow About You?How loose are your lips when it comes to telling others about Jesus? Do you talk about what He's done for you? Or are you tight-lipped when it comes to sharing the news that Jesus died and rose again to save us? The Bible says that people have to hear that good news before they can believe. Don't be afraid to talk about Jesus.Today's Key Verse:I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips. (NIV) (Psalm 40:9)Today's Key Thought:Talk to others about Jesus

History Daily
The Evacuation of Dunkirk

History Daily

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022 20:24 Very Popular


May 27, 1940. During World War Two, the British Military launches Operation Dynamo, pulling out hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers from the French port city of Dunkirk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Witness History
Ukraine's Babi Yar massacre

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2022 9:03


During World War Two, Ukraine was occupied by Nazi Germany and on 29th September 1941, the organised massacre of Ukrainian Jews began. In the capital Kyiv, most of the victims were taken to a ravine on the outskirts of the city called Babi Yar, and shot. In 2011, David Stern spoke to Raissa Maistrenko, who escaped the shooting as a three-year-old girl, and to Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny, whose mother survived the Holocaust outside the city. PHOTO: The memorial at the Babi Yar site near Kyiv (Getty Images)

The Produce Moms Podcast
EP197: 100 Years And Two Families Have Helped Innovate The Entire Produce Industry With Brian Antle, Executive Vice President Of Sales For Tanimura & Antle

The Produce Moms Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 44:38


“This is the company that really changed the access the rest of the United States had to get fresh, leafy greens.”   Lori Taylor (5:28-5:35)   Even though Tanimura & Antle wasn't “officially” launched until 1982, the families that make up this incredible fresh produce team have a legacy that stems from 100 years of growing experience. The Tanimura family and Antle family lived 40 miles apart from each other, with the Tanimura family emigrating from Japan and the Antle family migrating to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl in the 1920's. During World War Two, the Antle family agreed to watch over the Tanimura's land while some of the Tanimura family was placed in internment camps and two of the brothers fought in the war.  When the war was over, the two families had an unmatched partnership and bond and decided to join forces; the Tanimuras growing the lettuce and the Antles marketing and selling it under their brand.     What started as a relationship between two families with a love for produce has now grown into a global company with 30,000 acres on the west coast, 7,000 employees annually, and sales across the Nation and internationally. Brian Antle, who got his start on the farm at the ripe age of 14 when he would get paid to move sprinkler pipes (a vital part of irrigation), jokes that “the plan was to get to 100,000 cases of produce a week.”  The company now sells almost 140,000 boxes a day and about 40 million cases a year!   Tanimura & Antle's core products are iceberg lettuce, romaine, red and green leaf, cauliflower, broccoli and celery. They also have organic produce, greenhouse grown produce, and an Artisan line of products that are uniquely branded for their different taste profiles, colors, qualities and crunchability. The Artisan family of specialty produce includes their Artisan Lettuce, Artisan Romaine, Artisan Sweet Gem, Artisan Baby Iceberg, Artisan Sweet Red Onions and Artisan Sweet Broccoli.   “They were the first company that put iceberg lettuce on a rail car on ice and shipped it from California to New York City and it arrived fresh. From there, as they say, the rest is history.” Lori Taylor (5:45-5:56)   The cool thing about Tanimura & Antle is the many ‘firsts' the company has ignited for the produce industry. Their family was the first to pack and wrap a head of lettuce in cellophane. They were also the first to use cardboard boxes and cool produce in vacuum cooling tubes prior to shipping, allowing the entire produce industry to move away from needing to ice everything and use rail cars.  Speaking of innovation, Tanimura & Antle even breeds their own seed genetics! The company can tailor their lettuce, to have a certain color, size or taste. They can also breed plants to become more resistant to certain disease or mildew pressures. Innovations in seed genetics ultimately allows Tanimura & Antle to harvest more product for consumption and decrease food waste at the field level. This is all done through natural plant breeding, none of these seeds are genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Tanimura & Antle truly strives to find sustainability in every corner of their operations!     Another innovative practice of the company is the use of automated technology. Tanimura & Antle has a group of diversified businesses, one of those being Stout, a company focused on “smart farm equipment”. With the cost and shortages of skilled agricultural labor, farmers are being challenged with doing more with less every day. Tanimura & Antle is investing in machines that can help supplement these labor shortages, such as machines that eliminate weeds in the field using artificial intelligence and computer vision systems. Machines like this will allow farmers to [AP1] utilize the employees in areas of agricultural production that cannot be automated, such as harvesting or operating these new machines.  While this type of innovation can sometimes be viewed as eliminating jobs, they're not.  Innovations like this allow farmers to supplement the shortages within their work force in order to continue to feed the world.    “The ground is the most valuable asset we have next to our employees. Without either one, there is no sustainability.” Brian Antle (29:16-29:23)   One key to Tanimura & Antle's success is how much they value the ground they grow on. They're constantly rotating their crops and focus on keeping the ground healthy. Without healthy soil, they know they cannot grow a healthy crop. Tanimura & Antle views their employees as their #1 asset.  They ensure their employees are taken care of by providing things like a low cost employee housing complex, access to full health benefits, a matched 401k and one of the their proudest innovations, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).  They were one of the first major grower shippers to adopt an ESOP in the United States!  In 2017, the Tanimura and Antle families made the decision to make their employees official business partners and sold a portion of the company to the employees, creating the ESOP.  The ESOP allows employees to earn ownership stocks of the company through years of service and loyalty to the company.   When it comes to enjoying their produce, make sure to try one of their Artisan or Greenhouse Grown vegetables. You can find Tanimura & Antle in most major grocery retailers across North America, and if not, be sure to ask your local produce manager to put Tanimura & Antle's branded items on your grocery store shelf!  How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!  Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.    If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

Woman's Hour
Noor Inayat Khan: secret agent; Female MPs, Parliamentary standards & second jobs; Tim Stanley; Toxic relationships;

Woman's Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2021 57:39


With the latest on the row over standards in public life – and the activities of MPs in particular. Is there a reason why there are more men in the line of fire than women? We hear from former Conservative MP Anna Soubry and Dr Hannah White, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government. 'Whatever Happened to Tradition?' is a book by Daily Telegraph journalist Tim Stanley. He argues that the Western tradition is anti-tradition, that we have a dangerous habit of discarding old ways and old knowledge. Sometimes, he argues, we used to do things better and we ignore this at our peril. Emma talks to Tim about his views on family, feminism, culture, sexuality, gender relations and more. When you look back over your relationships do you see patterns? Today the story of a woman we are calling Katy who feels that her earliest experiences shaped what she looked for and needed from her partners. During World War Two, hundreds of women served as agents in the Special Operations Executive, a branch of military intelligence which specialised in espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines. We're joined by history teacher Shalina Patel to tell their remarkable stories, and to look at how they are commemorated today. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Anna Soubry Interviewed Guest: Hannah White Interviewed Guest: Tim Stanley Interviewed Guest: Shalina Patel

Doctor Who: Tin Dog Podcast
TDP 1022: #Torchwood Curious from @BigFinish

Doctor Who: Tin Dog Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2021 5:13


This title was released in September 2021. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 30 November 2021, and on general sale after this date. During World War Two, the Torchwood Archive has been stowed away in a Welsh coal mine along with countless other art treasures. Bilis Manger is among them. And there's something hunting him in the dark. Jill has been sent to catalogue the collection. She's on her own, she's in disgrace and there's something hunting her on the slopes of the mountain.    

Witness History
Polish refugees in Africa

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 8:58


During World War Two, close to 20,000 Polish people found refuge in Africa. They arrived after surviving imprisonment in Soviet labour camps and a harrowing journey across the Soviet Union to freedom. Casimir Szczepanik arrived as a child in a refugee camp in Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia). He talks to Rob Walker about his life there and the impact the war still has on him. Photo:Casimir Szczepanik and his mother in the refugee camp. Credit:Casimir Szczepanik

Witness History
Britain's World War Two 'Brown Babies'

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2021 10:45


During World War Two, tens of thousands of African-American US servicemen passed through the UK as part of the war effort. The black GIs stationed in Britain were forced by the American military to abide by the racial segregation laws that applied in the deep south of the US. But that didn't stop relationships developing between British women and the black soldiers, some of whom went on to have children. Babs Gibson-Ward was one those children. She spoke to Farhana Haider about the stigma of growing up as mixed raced child in post-war Britain. (Photo: Hoinicote House children, c.1948. Boys and girls whose parents of mixed ancestry met during WWII. Credit: Lesley York)

Odin & Aesop
Serenade to the Big Bird

Odin & Aesop

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2021 108:43


The U.S. entered the Second World War in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  In January 1942, the United States established the 8th Bomber Group.  By February 1942, the 8th Bomber Group had a detachment in England, its first combat units arrived in June, and it launched its first raid on July 4th, 1942 as the 8th Air Force.  The 8th Air Force was the centerpiece to the U.S.' precision daylight bombing campaign against Germany.  By the middle of 1944 it had over 200,000 people.  During World War Two the 8th Air Force conducted over 440,000 bomber sorties over Europe and dropped 697,000 tons of bombs.  All this came with a price.  47,483 members of the 8th Air Force were killed.  A very small cog in this big machine was B-17 co-pilot Bert Stiles.  He arrived in England in March 1944 and flew with the 91st Bomb Group.  He wrote “Serenade to the Big Bird” while doing it.

London Review Bookshop Podcasts
Brecht’s War Primer: Oliver Chanarin, Tom Kuhn & Esther Leslie

London Review Bookshop Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2021 79:14


From this 2017 event: Bertolt Brecht, poet, playwright, theatre director and refugee, was a passionate critic of fascism and war. During World War Two, already many years into his exile from Nazi Germany, Brecht started creating what he called ‘photo-epigrams’ to create a singular visual and lyrical attack on war under modern capitalism. As his family fled from the Nazis, 'changing countries more often than our shoes,' Brecht took photographs from newspapers and popular magazines and added short lapidary verses to each in a unique attempt to understand the truth of war using mass media. These photo-epigrams are collected in War Primer, a remarkable work first published in 1955 and made newly available in a new edition by Verso.Chair Gareth Evans is joined by Deutsche Borse Prize-winning photographer Oliver Chanarin, Brecht scholar and translator Tom Kuhn and scholar and critic Esther Leslie in a panel discussion about this outstanding literary memorial to World War Two and one of the most spontaneous, revealing and moving of Brecht’s works that is strikingly relevant to the current confluence of war and neo-fascism today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Between The Lines - ABC RN
The French history behind Lebanon’s problems; challenging the prisoners of war narrative; remembering Brent Scowcroft

Between The Lines - ABC RN

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2021 28:02


Joshua Landis: The French mandate and Lebanese history Lebanon was once a model for the Middle East. Today, it looks more like Syria or Iraq. Why? And should the French be held accountable? Joshua Landis, Director: Centre for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma Japan’s POWs: systematic mistreatment? During World War Two more Australians died in Japanese prisoner of war camps than were killed in combat. Conventional wisdom says they were systematically mistreated. Sarah Kovner argues that the story is more complex than that. Sarah Kovner, Senior Research Scholar in the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Author: Prisoners of the Empire: POWs and Their Captors in the Pacific. Vale Brent Scowcroft: US foreign policy veteran Two-time US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft was an architect of the Gulf War, and a leading opponent of the Iraq war. He died recently aged 95.

Between The Lines - ABC RN
The French history behind Lebanon’s problems; challenging the prisoners of war narrative; remembering Brent Scowcroft

Between The Lines - ABC RN

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2021 28:02


Joshua Landis: The French mandate and Lebanese history Lebanon was once a model for the Middle East. Today, it looks more like Syria or Iraq. Why? And should the French be held accountable? Joshua Landis, Director: Centre for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma Japan’s POWs: systematic mistreatment? During World War Two more Australians died in Japanese prisoner of war camps than were killed in combat. Conventional wisdom says they were systematically mistreated. Sarah Kovner argues that the story is more complex than that. Sarah Kovner, Senior Research Scholar in the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Author: Prisoners of the Empire: POWs and Their Captors in the Pacific. Vale Brent Scowcroft: US foreign policy veteran Two-time US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft was an architect of the Gulf War, and a leading opponent of the Iraq war. He died recently aged 95.

The World Famous Frank Show
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO IS THE BEST BAD GUY OF THE 2000'S

The World Famous Frank Show

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2020 67:05


(0:00) Show Open: Releasin The Kraken   News of Biden officially becoming the President Elect sent the stock market soaring to a record high of 30,000. Trump takes credit in a one minute press conference. Meanwhile, millions of unemployed starving Americans wonder if they can eat stocks. Gov. Ducey acknowledges Biden victory in Arizona for 1st time   (15:20) Entertainment News   Netflix takes down Dave Chappelle's sketch series Chappelle's Show after the star requested they remove it from the platform because he doesn't own the rights Tone-deaf A-Rod asks fans for their Thanksgiving plans while aboard private jet with J-Lo Carole Baskin's Zoo, Formerly Owned by Joe Exotic and Jeff Lowe, Reportedly Trashed Before Her Arrival Ben Affleck Did Not Smoke Any of the Weed on the Set of "Dazed and Confused" PETE DAVIDSON will play George Bailey in a virtual table read of "It's a Wonderful Life".   (27:15) Zoom Fails   Microphone Mishap during Nov 24, 2020 New Brunswick COVID-19 Update Hackensack Board Member Who Opposed LGBTQ Curriculum Resigns After Embarrassing Zoom Incident   (32:45)  "Good News" Stories from the Coronavirus Outbreak A woman from England named Joy Andrew just turned 100.  And beating the odds is an understatement.  During World War Two, she helped with the strategic bombing of Germany.  And in her life, she's survived a Nazi assassination attempt . . . a plane crash . . . cancer . . . and COVID-19 back in May.  A professor at the University of Iowa sent out an email to ALL of her students, offering to deliver Thanksgiving dinner to their dorm rooms tomorrow if they couldn't make it home this year.  With so many people struggling, this kind of thing is even more important this year:  Cops near Richmond, Virginia handed out over 300 turkeys and Thanksgiving kits to needy families this week.  It's the 14th year in a row they've done it.  And finally:  A woman in South Carolina hit the lottery this month for $350,000.  And the store that sold her the ticket got a $3,500 commission.  But instead of banking that money, the owners want to make sure everyone in town has a good Thanksgiving. So tomorrow, they're cooking up a huge meal with turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and other sides.  And anyone can walk in and get a free Thanksgiving dinner. (43:00) Dumbass of the Day   A Guy Steals an Empty Cash Register, then Jumps into an Icy River to Escape A firefighter in Tennessee has resigned after he was caught wearing a wig and performing a sex act on a man from Alabama inside the fire station.  A cop driving by caught them because he thought they were burglars.   (55:15) Interview: GIANCARLO ESPOSITO Actor From "Breaking Bad", "Better Call Saul", "The Boys" Guest Stars on Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian" Giancarlo Esposito is best known for portraying Gus Fring on the AMC drama “Breaking Bad” & prequel series “Better Call Saul”, a role which earned him a Critics' Choice Television Award and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.  He also plays Stan Edgar on Amazon's “The Boys” and the Narrator/Dr. Edward Ruskins on Netflix's “Dear White People”.  Giancarlo's film credits include “Maze Runner: The Death Cure”, “Waiting to Exhale”, “The Jungle Book”, “Rabbit Hole”, “Derailed', “Last Holiday”, “Twilight”, Ali”, The Usual Suspects”, and the Spike Lee films “School Daze”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Mo' Better Blues”, & “Malcolm X”.  He currently portrays Moff Gideon on “The Mandalorian” with new episodes released weekly on Fridays, streaming only on Disney Plus.  Support the show: https://podcave.app/subscribe/the-world-famous-frank-show-4eehjczc See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between The Lines - ABC RN
The French history behind Lebanon’s problems; challenging the prisoners of war narrative; remembering Brent Scowcroft

Between The Lines - ABC RN

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 28:02


Joshua Landis: The French mandate and Lebanese history Lebanon’s was once a model for the Middle East. Today, it looks more like Syria or Iraq. Why? And should the French be held accountable? Also; Japan’s POWs: systematic mistreatment? During World War Two more Australians died in Japanese prisoner of war camps than were killed in combat. Conventional wisdom says they were systematically mistreated. Sarah Kovner argues that the story is more complex than that. Also; Vale Brent Scowcroft: US foreign policy veteran Two-time US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft was an architect of the Gulf War, and a leading opponent of the Iraq war. He died recently aged 95.

Between The Lines - ABC RN
The French history behind Lebanon’s problems; challenging the prisoners of war narrative; remembering Brent Scowcroft

Between The Lines - ABC RN

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 28:02


Joshua Landis: The French mandate and Lebanese history Lebanon’s was once a model for the Middle East. Today, it looks more like Syria or Iraq. Why? And should the French be held accountable? Also; Japan’s POWs: systematic mistreatment? During World War Two more Australians died in Japanese prisoner of war camps than were killed in combat. Conventional wisdom says they were systematically mistreated. Sarah Kovner argues that the story is more complex than that. Also; Vale Brent Scowcroft: US foreign policy veteran Two-time US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft was an architect of the Gulf War, and a leading opponent of the Iraq war. He died recently aged 95.

Witness History
Radar and World War Two

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 8:56


During World War Two, British women were employed as operators of a top-secret radar system for detecting aircraft. The new technology had helped shift the balance of power in the air war with Nazi Germany. Laura Fitzpatrick talks to Margaret Faulds, who was stationed at a Royal Navy Air Station during the war. PHOTO: Margaret Faulds in naval uniform during World War Two (Personal Collection).

Witness History
The scandal of Liverpool's missing Chinese sailors

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2020 9:02


During World War Two, thousands of Chinese sailors and engineers served in the British Merchant Navy, keeping supplies flowing into the port of Liverpool and risking their lives in crossings of the Atlantic. Many settled in the port city and started families with local women but, after fighting ended in 1945, the British authorities began forcing them to leave. Simon Watts talks to Yvonne Foley, whose Chinese father was pressured to return to Shanghai, never to be seen again. PHOTO: Chinese sailors in Liverpool in 1942 (Getty Images).

Death by Monsters
The Philadelphia Experiment

Death by Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2020 54:38


During World War Two nothing was off the table, so getting a bunch of scientists together to do some madcap experiments was bound to get a little bit weird.  Death by Monsters is a comedy show all about Monsters, Mysteries and the Unknown. We delve into the paranormal, the unexplained, true crime and of course the occasional conspiracy. It features Paula Deming, Nick Murphy and Matthew Jude. 

Sporting Witness
The remarkable life of Eva Szekely

Sporting Witness

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2020 8:58


During World War Two, the Hungarian swimmer, Eva Szekely, was saved from the Holocaust because of her father's quick thinking and her own talent for swimming. Eva Szekely would go on to break six world records and become an Olympic gold medallist at the 1952 Helsinki games. She died in February 2020. Louise Hidalgo tells her story using archive interviews with Eva Szekely held at the USC Shoah Foundation in the United States. Picture: Eva Szekely on her way to victory at the 1952 Olympics (Credit: Empics/PA)

Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries
Clouds in Harry's Coffee

Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2020 40:28


During World War Two, 32 Irishmen spent five years in captivity at the Farge Concentration labour camp. They became known as "Hitler’s Irish slaves". In 2014, we joined the last survivor of that group, as he travelled back to Germany for one final visit. For over 60 years, Harry Callan suffered from recurring nightmares because of this era. (2014)

History, eh?
1:2 Champagne with Stephanie Piché

History, eh?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2019 41:55


Stehanie Piché joins me to talk about Champagne, Sparkling Wine, and Historical Tidbits!"During World War Two…they were digging holes, they were putting them in old graves... Even to this day, [...] if you happen to inherit land, and it used to be a winery at one time, they are still finding wine that was hidden..."Welcome to the Second Episode! Thank you for joining me on this new adventure. Get comfy with your drink of choice, because this episode is filled to the brim!Book Recommendations: (Non-Fiction) The Widow Clicquot : The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar J. Mazzeo | (Fiction) The Champagne Sisterhood by Chris KenistonFollow MeHost: RosieSocial Media: Twitter @historyeh | Instagram @historyeh.podcast | Facebook @historyeh | Website www.historyeh.comJoin me on the Blog for more in-depth information: Champagne with Stephanie PichéFollow the GuestGuest: Stephanie PichéDetails: Website www.flyingforflavour.com | Facebook @flyingforflavour | Instagram @flyingforflavour | Twitter @FlyingFlavour | YouTube @Flying For Flavour with Stephanie PichéFlying for Flavour's Sparkling Wine Podcast: Sparkling Wine - Episode 16#History #HistoryEh #Podcast #HistoryPodcast #FlyingForFlavour #SparklingWine #Champagne #Wine #Vintage #WineGeek #DomPerignon

Witness History
The Nazi Black Book

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2018 9:00


During World War Two the German secret service compiled a book listing all the people they wanted to arrest in Britain if it fell to the Nazis. The top-secret 'Special Search Index GB' contained details of politicians and intellectuals and people who had fled Germany before the war - but it also included relatively ordinary British citizens. Vincent Dowd has been speaking to someone whose father appeared in the book, and to historian Terry Charman who published a facsimile edition of the so-called 'Black Book'.Photo: the front of the 'Black Book' with the German word 'Secret' stamped on it. Credit: BBC

Bletchley Park
E78 - Veterans’ Reunion 2018 Part 2

Bletchley Park

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2018 52:25


September 2018 During World War Two more than 10,000 people worked for GC&CS either at Bletchley Park, it’s Outstations or connected branches both Civilian and Military. This gives us a wealth of different stories to be able to tell and in this second visit to this year’s Reunion we will bring you 3 more exclusive interviews with our Veterans. Sergeant Stanley Clegg served from 1943 till 1945 in the RAF and with Special Liaison Unit 8 in North Africa, Italy and France. His fascinating story includes Jockeys hiding from the Germans and having to give up his nice warm palace for a tent.  Watching London being bombed early in the war gave Pauline Lee “a huge surge of patriotism” and after an interview at the Foreign Office her prayers were answered and she found herself at Bletchley Park for the next 4 years. Finally we hear how seventeen year old Tom Howie thought joining the RAF would be his route to escape working on a farm, but a failed medical and a visit from a man from Montrose, sent him off to London for secret work for the Radio Security Service monitoring German radio transmissions. Many thanks to our roving reporters Sarah Langston and Kerry Howard for this episode. Image: © Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Veteran, #OralHistory

Witness History
Surviving the "Death Railway"

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2018 9:44


During World War Two the Japanese forced prisoners of war to build a 400 kilometre railway from Thailand to Burma. Tens of thousands died during the construction and it became known as the "death railway". A former British prisoner of war, Cyril Doy, told Claire Bowes how he survived sickness, starvation and humiliation while building the famous railway bridge over the River Kwai.(Photo: Allied Prisoners of War in a Japanese prison camp 1945 British Pathé)

Witness History
Surviving the "Auschwitz of the Balkans"

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2017 9:38


During World War Two, Croatian fascists tortured and killed tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma people in several concentration camps. The most notorious was Jasenovac. Dina Newman speaks to Milinko Cekic, a Serb survivor of Jasenovac. Photo: Milinko Cekic speaking to the BBC in 2017. Credit: BBC.

Witness History: Witness Archive 2017
Surviving the "Auschwitz of the Balkans"

Witness History: Witness Archive 2017

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2017 9:38


During World War Two, Croatian fascists tortured and killed tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma people in several concentration camps. The most notorious was Jasenovac. Dina Newman speaks to Milinko Cekic, a Serb survivor of Jasenovac. Photo: Milinko Cekic speaking to the BBC in 2017. Credit: BBC.

Movieing On - Movies from 1999 or Earlier
Movieing On #227: Au Revoir Les Enfants

Movieing On - Movies from 1999 or Earlier

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2017 54:13


Every so often, we go out on an excursion. This time around, we're all dressing up as young boys. In France. In a Catholic school ... During World War Two. It's not quite what we're accustomed to, so you'll have to excuse us for not really being very coherent here. It's not easy being us. Show notes and links: Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) (imdb.com)

Witness History
Sara Ginaite Lithuanian Jewish Partisan

Witness History

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2016 9:14


During World War Two, a young Jewish woman, Sara Ginaite, escaped from the Kaunas Ghetto in Lithuania to fight the Nazis, With her husband Misha, she joined a detachment of communist-led partisans in the Rudnicki forest . They took part in the liberation of Vilnius, where she was famously photographed by a Soviet officer. Now in her 90s, Sara speaks to Witness. Photo: Sara Ginaite, a Jewish Lithuanian partisan , during the liberation of Vilnius, 1944. (USHMM)

Witness History: World War 2 Collection
Sara Ginaite Lithuanian Jewish Partisan

Witness History: World War 2 Collection

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2016 9:14


During World War Two, a young Jewish woman, Sara Ginaite, escaped from the Kaunas Ghetto in Lithuania to fight the Nazis, With her husband Misha, she joined a detachment of communist-led partisans in the Rudnicki forest . They took part in the liberation of Vilnius, where she was famously photographed by a Soviet officer. Now in her 90s, Sara speaks to Witness. Photo: Sara Ginaite, a Jewish Lithuanian partisan , during the liberation of Vilnius, 1944. (USHMM)

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016
Sara Ginaite Lithuanian Jewish Partisan

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2016 9:14


During World War Two, a young Jewish woman, Sara Ginaite, escaped from the Kaunas Ghetto in Lithuania to fight the Nazis, With her husband Misha, she joined a detachment of communist-led partisans in the Rudnicki forest . They took part in the liberation of Vilnius, where she was famously photographed by a Soviet officer. Now in her 90s, Sara speaks to Witness. Photo: Sara Ginaite, a Jewish Lithuanian partisan , during the liberation of Vilnius, 1944. (USHMM)

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016
The Imaginary War Heroes

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2016 9:35


During World War Two, Soviet propaganda promoted a heroic feat that never happened. It was the story of a small ill-equipped unit who destroyed over a dozen German tanks, delaying the German advance on Moscow. But it's unlikely that they destroyed a single tank, despite being widely promoted as heroes, during and after the war. Photo: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walks near World War Two veterans at a wreath-laying ceremony in Dubosekovo on May 7, 2010 during a visit to a memorial to the 28 Panfilov heroes. Credit: Dmitry Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images.

Witness History: World War 2 Collection
The Imaginary War Heroes

Witness History: World War 2 Collection

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2016 9:35


During World War Two, Soviet propaganda promoted a heroic feat that never happened. It was the story of a small ill-equipped unit who destroyed over a dozen German tanks, delaying the German advance on Moscow. But it's unlikely that they destroyed a single tank, despite being widely promoted as heroes, during and after the war. Photo: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walks near World War Two veterans at a wreath-laying ceremony in Dubosekovo on May 7, 2010 during a visit to a memorial to the 28 Panfilov heroes. Credit: Dmitry Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images.

Cornucopia Radio Podcast
Cornucopia Radio Podcast 54: Last Gambit in Lisbon

Cornucopia Radio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2015 44:01


During World War Two, Portugal remained neutral. Many of the people who found themselves there had little choice as to where they might live, work and even survive. Among those who had had little choice but to be in Portugal was Alexander Alekhine, the World Chess Champion.Alexander is a man looking for a life away from sitting alone in his hotel room with nothing but a chess board on a table and dinner in his lap. He is looking for inspiration, looking for his muse and ultimately, a way to return to his previous glory...

Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries
Clouds in Harry's Coffee

Documentary on One - RTÉ Documentaries

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2014 40:28


During World War Two, 32 Irishmen spent five years in captivity at the Farge Concentration labour camp. They became known as "Hitler’s Irish slaves". In 2014, we joined the last survivor of that group, as he travelled back to Germany for one final visit. For over 60 years, Harry Callan suffered from recurring nightmares because of this era. (2014)

Witness History: World War 2 Collection
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment

Witness History: World War 2 Collection

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2014 8:55


During World War Two conscientious objectors could volunteer for medical experiments. Hear the story of one young American who had refused to fight, but was prepared to starve for his country. Marshall Sutton is now 95 - he took part in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in 1944 in an attempt to help scientists understand how best to look after starving civilians in war-torn Europe. (Photo: Marshall Sutton today)

Witness History: Archive 2014
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment

Witness History: Archive 2014

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2014 8:55


During World War Two conscientious objectors could volunteer for medical experiments. Hear the story of one young American who had refused to fight, but was prepared to starve for his country. Marshall Sutton is now 95 - he took part in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in 1944 in an attempt to help scientists understand how best to look after starving civilians in war-torn Europe. (Photo: Marshall Sutton today)

A Point of View
Dame Mary Cartwright

A Point of View

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2013 9:44


Lisa Jardine celebrates the achievements of the mathematician Dame Mary Cartwright, the first woman mathematician to be elected to the Royal Society.During World War Two, she responded to a request from the British government to address an issue with early and still-secret radar systems. Together with her colleague Professor J. E. Littlewood, they were able to help war-time radar engineers circumvent a problem that was making radar unreliable.Her findings were not fully understood by her peers at first. It would take a generation before mathematicians realised that her discoveries were the foundation of what became a new field of science: chaos theory.Dame Mary Cartwright was very modest and did not want eulogies at her funeral, but Lisa Jardine takes the opportunity of International Woman's Day to blow Dame Mary's trumpet on her behalf.

In Our Time
The Samurai

In Our Time

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2009 42:05


Melvyn Bragg and guests Gregory Irvine, Nicola Liscutin and Angus Lockyer discuss the history of the Samurai and the role of their myth in Japanese national identity.The Samurai have a fearsome historical reputation as a suicidally brave caste of Japanese warriors. During World War Two, kamikaze pilots were photographed climbing into their cockpits with Samurai swords, encapsulating the way the myth of the Samurai's martial ethos kept its power long after their heyday. But the Samurai's role in Japanese culture is much more complex than that. They were deeply engaged with Zen Buddhism and Noh Theatre, and sponsored haiku poetry. After their role in Japan's century of civil war, ending in the early 1600s, they became part of the country's civil service. A 250-year peace toppled them into identity crisis.In the 19th century, with the arrival of the West, they played an important role in the establishment of a Japanese nation-state, not least by restoring the Emperor to power. And in the 20th century the mythological version of the Samurai, designed in part for Western consumption, became integral to a newly forged national identity.Nicola Liscutin is Programme Director of Japanese Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London; Gregory Irvine is Senior Curator Japan at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Angus Lockyer is Lecturer in Japanese History and Chair of the Japan Research Centre at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

In Our Time: Culture
The Samurai

In Our Time: Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2009 42:05


Melvyn Bragg and guests Gregory Irvine, Nicola Liscutin and Angus Lockyer discuss the history of the Samurai and the role of their myth in Japanese national identity.The Samurai have a fearsome historical reputation as a suicidally brave caste of Japanese warriors. During World War Two, kamikaze pilots were photographed climbing into their cockpits with Samurai swords, encapsulating the way the myth of the Samurai's martial ethos kept its power long after their heyday. But the Samurai's role in Japanese culture is much more complex than that. They were deeply engaged with Zen Buddhism and Noh Theatre, and sponsored haiku poetry. After their role in Japan's century of civil war, ending in the early 1600s, they became part of the country's civil service. A 250-year peace toppled them into identity crisis.In the 19th century, with the arrival of the West, they played an important role in the establishment of a Japanese nation-state, not least by restoring the Emperor to power. And in the 20th century the mythological version of the Samurai, designed in part for Western consumption, became integral to a newly forged national identity.Nicola Liscutin is Programme Director of Japanese Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London; Gregory Irvine is Senior Curator Japan at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Angus Lockyer is Lecturer in Japanese History and Chair of the Japan Research Centre at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

In Our Time: History
The Samurai

In Our Time: History

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2009 42:05


Melvyn Bragg and guests Gregory Irvine, Nicola Liscutin and Angus Lockyer discuss the history of the Samurai and the role of their myth in Japanese national identity.The Samurai have a fearsome historical reputation as a suicidally brave caste of Japanese warriors. During World War Two, kamikaze pilots were photographed climbing into their cockpits with Samurai swords, encapsulating the way the myth of the Samurai's martial ethos kept its power long after their heyday. But the Samurai's role in Japanese culture is much more complex than that. They were deeply engaged with Zen Buddhism and Noh Theatre, and sponsored haiku poetry. After their role in Japan's century of civil war, ending in the early 1600s, they became part of the country's civil service. A 250-year peace toppled them into identity crisis.In the 19th century, with the arrival of the West, they played an important role in the establishment of a Japanese nation-state, not least by restoring the Emperor to power. And in the 20th century the mythological version of the Samurai, designed in part for Western consumption, became integral to a newly forged national identity.Nicola Liscutin is Programme Director of Japanese Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London; Gregory Irvine is Senior Curator Japan at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Angus Lockyer is Lecturer in Japanese History and Chair of the Japan Research Centre at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Mississippi Moments Podcast
MS Moments 210: Bonnie Stedman – Women & Railroading Part 1

Mississippi Moments Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2009 4:29


During World War Two, women took jobs traditionally held by men.  Bonnie Stedman of McComb began working for the railroad in 1943 at the age of 17.  She recalls the dangers and rewards of working long hours in remote locations.