Some of the Second World War's greatest victories began with a secret.

Join us as we uncover the hidden world of espionage during the Second World War. From occupied France to the jungles of the Pacific, discover the resistance fighters, spies, Coastwatchers and codebreakers whose courage, deception and intelligence helped shape the course of the war.

Featuring Nancy Wake, Major Sei Hashida, Michael Veitch's Coastwatchers, and the remarkable women who kept Allied secrets in wartime Canberra, these are the people who fought the war from the shadows.

Stories:

• 00.00-00:51 – Content warning
• 00:51-03:53 – Nancy Wake: The secret war begins
• 03:53-09:23 – John Fahey: Australia's first intelligence
• 09:23-22:45 – The Coastwatchers with Michael Veitch
• 22:45-41:24 – Nancy Wake, The White Mouse with Ali Sharman
• 41:24 -48:54 – ULTRA intelligence with Craig Tibbitts
• 48:54-59:21 – The Cable Girls with Sita Sargeant
• 59:21-1:12:51 – Major Hashida's Notebook with Craig Collie
• 1:12:51-1:14:13 – The legacy of espionage in the Second World War

Show notes:

Want to go deeper into the stories featured in this episode?

Discover the people, objects, voices and histories behind these accounts, including collection items and personal records from the Australian War Memorial, and books by our guest authors.

• Read John Fahey's Australia's First Spies: The Remarkable Story of Australia's Intelligence Operations, 1901–45
• Read Craig Collie's Major Hashida's Notebook.
• Read Michael Veitch's Australia's Secret Army.
• Read Ali Sharman's Gestapo's Most Wanted: The White Mouse

Explore the full episode online:

https://wm.awm.gov.au/podcast/life-shadows

If this episode raises difficult feelings, support is available:

• Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
• Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling: 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Ever wondered what it's actually like to work inside a flying hospital? Or be responsible for some of a warship's most critical systems?

Through archival recordings and firsthand accounts, this episode takes you inside more than a century of Australian women's military service.

You'll hear stories of split-second decisions, technical challenges, unexpected humour, and life in environments most of us will never experience. From ambulance drivers in the First World War and Australia's first female official war artist, to Vietnam evacuation flights, Navy deployments and helicopter operations in Afghanistan.

These are stories of responsibility, resilience and determination in environments few of us will ever experience. Discover what service felt like through the eyes of the women who lived it.

This episode is brought to you by Leidos Australia.

Timecodes:

00:00-00:53 – Content warning

00:55-03:13 - Vietnam medevac: Nurses in the air

03:13-03:40 – Introduction to women in service

03:40-07:52 – Olive May King: Driving towards the front

07:53-14:34 – Nora Heysen: Painting the war

14:34-32:12 – Felicity Petrie: Life at sea

32:12-40:48 – Patricia Furbank: Bringing the wounded home

40:48-1:01:20- Naomi Shephard: Flying Chinooks in Afghanistan

1:01:20-1:03:17 – Reflections: Over a century of service

Show notes:

Want to go deeper into the stories featured in this episode?

Discover the people, objects, voices and histories behind these accounts, including collection items, photographs and personal records from the Australian War Memorial.

Explore the full episode online:

https://wm.awm.gov.au/podcast/she-went-war

View the RAAF C-130E Hercules aeromedical evacuation aircraft.

If this episode raises difficult feelings, support is available:

· Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

· Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au

· Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling: 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au

· Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au

What would you hold onto if everything was taken from you?

In this episode, step inside the lives of Australian prisoners of war and experience captivity through the eyes of those who lived it. From the brutal conditions of the Death Railway to hidden diaries, daring escapes and moments of defiance, these are stories that go far beyond survival.

You'll hear how men and women endured hunger, disease and uncertainty, and how they found ways to resist, support each other and stay human in the harshest conditions imaginable.

This is not just a story about war. It is about resilience, courage and the choices people make when pushed to their limits.

Want to go deeper into the stories featured in this episode?

Discover the people, objects, voices and histories behind these accounts, including collection items, photographs and personal records from the Australian War Memorial.

Explore the full episode online:
https://wm.awm.gov.au/listen/

If this episode raises difficult feelings, support is available:

• Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
• Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling: 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au