Latest Bodminkeep Podcast Episodes

5 DCLI - a history of Cornwall's volunteer force

Bodmin Keep War Stories - May 29, 2022 14:28 - 36 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 ...

Sanctuary in Cornwall

Bodmin Keep War Stories - December 14, 2021 14:45 - 39 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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. I...

Soldiers of Colour

Bodmin Keep War Stories - June 01, 2021 11:45 - 38 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 th...

Mental Health and the Military

Bodmin Keep War Stories - January 19, 2021 14:40 - 43 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 traumat...

History of Bodmin Keep

Bodmin Keep War Stories - August 06, 2020 14:54 - 37 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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. When the building was first erected in 1859 it was a blueprint for a modern and healthy training centre. Since then, thousands of ...

Gay and in uniform

Bodmin Keep War Stories - February 27, 2020 16:48 - 34 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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...

School for Spies

Bodmin Keep War Stories - August 01, 2019 16:56 - 27 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 ...

Cornwall's D-Day

Bodmin Keep War Stories - June 16, 2019 16:01 - 32 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 ...

The Berlin Wall

Bodmin Keep War Stories - May 20, 2019 14:58 - 29 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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 Cornwall. In this episode we'll hear from soldiers and civilians who were there when the wall went up at the height...

Music, Military and Morale

Bodmin Keep War Stories - April 11, 2019 08:07 - 31 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
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. There's a cheeky version of a favourite wartime song, a cross-dre...

Bodmin Keep War Stories

Bodmin Keep War Stories - March 30, 2019 12:51 - 3 minutes ★★★ - 3 ratings
Intriguing 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.