Extraordinary New Zealanders in World Wars 1 and 2

Ettie Rout was a safer sex pioneer in the First World War way ahead of her time. We will see how she sought to protect women’s health in New Zealand from the disease that would inevitably follow many men home from war. Why was Ettie Rout’s prophylactic campaign allowed no publicity in her own country?

Harold Gillies is widely recognised as the father of modern plastic surgery. The large numbers of facial injuries caused by World War One trench warfare provided the opportunity for Gillies to lead the collaborative response that would allow thousands of disfigured men to resume more normal lives once the conflict had ended. Which ground breaking techniques did Gillies perfect? What differentiated Gillies from contemporary surgeons?

Keith Park In this lecture we explore the pivotal role played by Park in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, which helped to ensure the United Kingdom’s survival during the darkest days of World War 2. Why was Park such a successful leader? Why was Park then dismissed from his command of Fighter Command’s 11 Group that had borne the brunt of the Luftwaffe’s onslaught against England?

Nancy Wake was the most decorated Allied servicewoman of the Second World War. How did she transition from French high society to danger and hardship? We’ll discover what made her the Gestapo’s most wanted person. Why was Nancy Wake such a successful Resistance leader and how did she survive in such a man’s world?

David Low was the most influential political cartoonist of the 1930’s and 1940’s and indeed of the last century. We will admire his unique talent for caricature and ridicule. What was it about Low’s cartoons that infuriated Hitler so much? How did Low react to editorial requests to tone down his satire?