On her wedding day Liliana discovered that she was not only saying yes to marriage, but also to the perilous work of a wireless operator in one of the first resistance cells in France.

Speaking 5 languages by the age of 19 she was instrumental in encoding messages sent to Bletchley Park from a Polish Military cell in Lyon, run by her husband.

The cultural beliefs about women, and the relationship power gradient between women and men, supported her fiancé’s action to decide her fate.

In this episode, the patriarchal monopoly on power is easily exposed in the Allied propaganda of the era. In juxtaposition to this power, Liliana’s story reflects her authentic contributions, and her matchless abilities and ingenuity that saved them from certain capture when the cell was infiltrated by the Nazis.

Episodes include war-related content that some listeners may find disturbing and/or traumatizing.

Credits

Host and Writer: Diane Greig
Liliana: Colleen Winton
Casting Director: Eileen Barrett
Producer: Robert Ouimet
Sound engineer: Matt James
Archival audio: Danger Women at Work, Arm Behind the Army. From the Prelinger Archive, used under Creative Commons and/or public domain.

Links and Resources

World War 2 Propaganda & Surveillance
Polish resistance in France during World War II
Women at Work
History of Women in the Red Cross
The Story of Propaganda
The hypodermic effect: How propaganda manipulates our emotions
Advertising, Public Relations and Propaganda
Surveillance and Espionage in a Free Society

Feminism
Feminism
What Is Feminism, And Why Do So Many Women And Men Hate It?
French Red Cross poster