Historical Association webinar series: Untold stories of the Second World War

Untold stories of troops of the Commonwealth and beyond

Martyn Cox

In the course of filming more than one hundred oral history interviews with WW2 veterans, many memorable stories of either wartime action or roles on the Home Front have come from men and women born a long way from Britain.

In fact, the very first veteran Martyn Cox ever interviewed on camera was in Marseille, southern France, with Lise de Baissac who had been born in Mauritius - a British colony at that time. Her family had moved to Paris, but Lise fled to Britain in 1940 when Germany invaded France.

Lise returned to France two years later - but by parachute, as one of the first two women agents of Britain’s secret service known as SOE. Her comrade was later arrested by the Gestapo and would be executed at the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp; but Lise undertook a second mission into occupied France, during which she and her brother Claude trained French resistance fighters in readiness for D-Day.

Amongst the other Commonwealth veterans Martyn has interviewed are two Indian soldiers, who took part in significant WW2 battles; a woman born in New Zealand but brought up in Australia, who also became a secret agent and was the most highly decorated Allied servicewoman of WW2: and a Jamaican in the Royal Navy who switched to the RAF to serve on a air-sea rescue launch. He helped save many shot-down airmen from the waters around Britain - and was later in a popular singing group with a hit record!

Please note that this webinar is available to paid members of the Historical Association only. If you aren't a member, join us today to register for this webinar for free!

FAQs

How will the webinar work?

The webinar will be held using the Zoom platform. It is suitable for all history teachers. The webinar can be accessed from home and we recommend downloading the Zoom platform or app in advance.

You will receive an email via Eventbrite with joining instructions a week before the webinar. These will contain a link to the webinar meeting room. Please note if you register with a week of the webinar you will receive the joining link on the day of the webinar.

Can I access a recording after the live webinar?

A recording link will be emailed to all registered participants to access for a limited time period after the webinar takes place.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you require assistance with your booking or would like to know more about the webinar, please contact the Events Team at events@history.org.uk

Please note that by placing a booking you agree to adhere to the HA CPD terms and conditions.