5 DCLI - a history of Cornwall's volunteer force
Bodmin Keep War Stories
Despite being a volunteer force, 5DCLI (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) took part in some of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of World War two in North-West Europe. We'll hear verbatim from the diaries of some of the DCLI soldiers about their brave exploits. One was shot through the breast pocket but through remarkable luck, survived. Another, although small in stature, was large in spirit. And other 5DCLI men bore witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust, acting as guards during war crime trials after the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. We also...
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Sanctuary in Cornwall
Bodmin Keep War Stories
From refugees fleeing the ravages of war-torn Europe in World War I to modern day asylum seekers, Cornwall has welcomed people seeking sanctuary across the generations.
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Soldiers of Colour
Bodmin Keep War Stories
The huge contribution of servicemen and women of colour through the centuries and across the world bolstered British forces in nearly every conflict. But so often that skill and loyalty has been overlooked and at times even resented.
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Mental Health and the Military
Bodmin Keep War Stories
War leaves mental scars as well as physical ones. Hear about changing attitudes to mental health conditions caused by the impact of conflict; from Florence Nightingale's support for traumatised soldiers to present day veterans who can take years to reach out for help. And we'll hear about a powerful film - Combat Stress 100 - in which former servicemen and women speak for the first time about their mental health conditions. Trigger warning. This podcast contains reference to military trauma and PTSD
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History of Bodmin Keep
Bodmin Keep War Stories
Two world wars, intelligence training, an influx of Americans and a mishap with a hungry dog and a crocodile handbag - all part of the rich history of Bodmin Keep.
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Gay and in uniform
Bodmin Keep War Stories
It's now more than 20 years since the ban on gay people serving in the armed forces was lifted. But what was it like for gay and lesbian people serving before that? We hear about the lives of gay men in the two great wars, how the army was an escape from society's heterosexual norms for lesbians, and what museums are doing today to be more representative of everyone who has served their country. And a gay soldier tells us how joining the army gave him the strength to finally become his real self.
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School for Spies
Bodmin Keep War Stories
Bodmin was alive with Russians at the height of the Cold War when the town became home to a school for spies! Hundreds of Britain's brightest young men came to learn Russian in order to translate Soviet radio transmissions for GCHQ. Playwrights Alan Bennett, Michael Frayn and Dennis Potter were among those who passed through as part of their National Service. Flamboyant Russian lecturers staged avant garde plays in the local church and one even married a local girl.
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Cornwall's D-Day
Bodmin Keep War Stories
Cornwall's maritime might and strategic coastal location made it far from remote when it came to D-Day operations. Find out how the county experienced an invasion of its own, from thousands of American GIs. Hear which celebrities visited soldiers at Bodmin Keep during training for the Normandy Landings. And discover how a sleepy Cornish village was transformed forever after being chosen as an embarkation point by troops leaving Britain to liberate France from the Nazis.
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The Berlin Wall
Bodmin Keep War Stories
It's 40 years this year since the Berlin Wall came down. Many fragments of it were taken by souvenir hunters. One of the biggest pieces in Britain ended up at Bodmin Keep museum. In this episode we'll hear from soldiers and civilians who were there when the wall went up at the height of the Cold War, and when it came down again amid huge celebrations in 1989.
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Music, Military and Morale
Bodmin Keep War Stories
Hear about the essential role military musicians played in wartime, from issuing vital commands on the battlefield to keeping up morale among troops and, just like other soldiers, carrying out acts of extreme bravery and daring.
info_outlineIntriguing and surprising stories behind the collection at Cornwall's Regimental Museum in Bodmin. Find out how ordinary soldiers played their part in some of the biggest conflicts of the last century, from the impact of war on everyday life, to tales of extreme courage and daring.