Soldiers of Colour

06/01/21 • 38 min

The huge contribution of servicemen and women of colour through the centuries and across the world bolstered British forces in nearly every conflict, and in supporting the building of the British Empire. But so often that skill and loyalty has been overlooked and at times even resented.

In this episode military historian Barry Renfrew explains just how vital the contribution of soldiers of colour has been throughout British military history. Author Kate Werran tells the incredible story of a World War II gun battle between black and white soldiers in Launceston. Bodmin Keep's trainee curator Isabella Hogan tells the real story of the infamous Siege of Lucknow in India in 1857 and Black Voices Cornwall co-founder Marcus Alleyne reveals what it was like to be a black serviceman in the Royal Navy in more recent times.

Previous Episode

Mental Health and the Military

War leaves mental scars as well as physical ones and for many veterans, the battle does not always end when the fighting stops. In this episode we chart the changing attitudes to mental health conditions caused by the impact of conflict; from Florence Nightingale's pioneering support for traumatised soldiers in the Crimean War to present day veterans who, even now, can take years to reach out for help for themselves and their families. And we'll hear about a powerful film - Combat Stress 100 - in which former servicemen and women speak out for the first time about their crippling mental health conditions. Trigger warning. This podcast contains reference to military trauma and PTSD

Next Episode

Sanctuary in Cornwall

From refugees fleeing the ravages of war-torn Europe in World War I to modern asylum seekers, Cornwall has welcomed people seeking sanctuary across the generations.

Cornwall's proximity to the French coast made the county a natural destination for those seeking sanctuary over 100 years ago. In this episode we hear how Cornish folk shouldered the burden of the First World War effort by welcoming refugees from Belgium, and later Jewish people escaping persecution.

In the Second World War, hundreds of children made Cornwall their temporary home as young evacuees in World War II. Many of them spent their formative years in villages by the sea before having to return to their home cities which had been ravaged by bombing raids.

And today, local people still welcome those fleeing war and persecution and support them in securing a safe and healthy life for themselves and their families.