Radio Broadcasts
National radio broadcasts do not come the way of many authors. Mary Grant Bruce wrote almost 200 talks over the first half of World War II. These were for the Australian Government’s Department of Information. She presented them as Australian Broadcasting Commission radio broadcasts, and on some commercial stations, over 1939-42.
A Digger in Libya
(quoting from a letter by “a digger” — Mary’s son, Jon)
In both Tobruk and Bardia, among Diggers who’d been through all the fighting, I found they hold just as high an opinion of the British troops. Especially the Royal Engineers—our boys can’t say enough for them. They did a wonderful job. One Digger told me how those Engineers blew up the wire entanglements, while our infantry waited in a deep trench just behind. Then the Engineers stood, in a hail of metal, quietly cutting what remained of the wire, like a row of efficient gardeners cutting a rose-hedge. When the whistle blew they jumped back into the trench, and began quickly lighting cigarette after cigarette, handing them to our boys as they went up, with “Here you are, lads, you’ll need it at the top!” And our boys went over in the dawn, with a smoke and a song, and cleaned up all in front of them. . .
It takes a good deal to startle the Aussies; but it happened one day outside Bardia. A mob of Italian prisoners, walking to prison camp under their own steam, passed a platoon of our boys, resting on the side of the road. Hostile glances from both sides—suspicion and fear from the prisoners, dislike and contempt from the Diggers—when out of the Eyetie ranks came a question which the boys were too dumbfounded to answer—“any of you buzzards know Coburg?”
| Title | Series | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| A Digger in Libya | 1941 | |
| A Brave Little Country | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| A Contrast in Conditions | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| A Digger Among the Arabs | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| A Girl Glider in Germany | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| A Man and His Land | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| A Squadron has Attacked | 1940 | |
| A Wild Lad | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Aboard a Destroyer | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Adjusting One's Budget | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Against Amalek | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Agents Abroad | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| Alive out of the Fire | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Ambulance Drivers | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| America to Britain | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Among the Czechs | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Animals and War | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Animals in England | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Balloon Barrage | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Belgium's Curious Position | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Black -- and Loyal | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Bombed Out | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Bombs on Silver Green | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Bombs Were Dropped ... | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Britain's Home Guard | 1940 | |
| Bush Fighters | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Business as Usual | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Can Australia Take It? | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Canada's War | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Children | If Hitler Won | 23-Nov-40 |
| China Defiant | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| City of Dreadful Sound | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Civilian Barrack Life in Germany | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Colonial Empire | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Come Over and Help Us | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Comradeship Under Bombs | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Convoy | 1940 | |
| Convoy Control | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Co-operation under Fire | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Danger in the Slums | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Defeat -- or Victory | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Defence in Depth | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| Desert Patrol | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Digging for Victory | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Double Infiltration | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Dressing by COUPONS | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| East End Endurance | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Education | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| Empire Cargoes | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Evacuation | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Facing the Onslaught | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Fifth Column | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Fighting with Ideas | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Gallantry | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| German Foreign Agents | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Germans in Norway | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Getting About England | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Gibraltar | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Gliding to Battle | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Grease in War | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Greece -- Ancient and Modern | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Guerilla Warfare | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Help from the Backwaters | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| Heroes of the War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Hitler's Circus | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Hitler's People | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Homes From Home | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| In Germany Now | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| In Java Now | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| In Norway Now | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| In Occupied France -- Now | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Indian Comrades | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| India's Part | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| InsIde Italy | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Inside Malayan | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Journalism Underground | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Just an Ordinary Day | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Kenya at War | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| L.D.V. | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Life in a Conquered Country | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Lives o' Men | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| London's East End | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Loyalties | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Made in Germany | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Mein Kampf Come True | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Men | If Hitler Won | 7-Dec-40 |
| Men of the Ships | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Nazi Fake Radio | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Nazis Abroad | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Nine British Soldiers | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| North of the Arctic Circle | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Oil | Viewpoints of War | |
| Old Father Thames | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| One of our Front Lines | 1940 | |
| Our Guests from Overseas | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Our Prisoners | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Our Unofficial Ally | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Out of Their Own Mouths | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Palestine | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Palestine Today | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Patrolling the Arctic | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| Poland under the German Heel | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Poland Yet | 1940 | |
| Policemen of the Seas | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Portugal | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Ready for Invasion | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Religion | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| Sabotage as a Science | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Sailors in the Air | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Saving Life in China | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| Sidelights of Black-out | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Sky Watchers | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| South Africa Fighting | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Spreading the FaIth | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Stone Frigate | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Supposing? | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Avengers | 1940 | |
| The Battle of the Ether | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| The Bewilderment of a Good German | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The British in Iceland | 1940 | |
| The Child | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Children of England | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| The ChIldren of England | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Civil Servant | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Culture of the Conquered | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Danger of Brest | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Danger Triangle | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Digger in England | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| The Empire of the Netherlands | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Farmer | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Free Frenchmen | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| The Health of England | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| The Home Front | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Homecoming | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The House that Took It | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Islands of Malta | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Junior Service | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Little Mother of Finland | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| The Little Nations | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| The Luxury of Sleep | 1940 | |
| The Making of a Soldier | 1940 | |
| The Men Who Bring the Petrol | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Mother | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Mysterious Desert | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| The Nearest Job | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| The Old Brigade | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| The Power of a Symbol | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Power of the Silence | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Press | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Property of God | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Real Job | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Same England | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Shelter Problem | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Silent Weapon | Viewpoints of War | |
| The Singing Danes | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Small Tradesman | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| The Story of a Pilot | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Story of the "Kelly" | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Undefeated Battalion of Crete | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Undismayed | 1940 | |
| The Vilest Raid | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Village Without a Pub | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| The Woman's Auxiliary Air Force | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| The Working Front | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Thicker than Water | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Those He Leaves Behind Him | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Three Old Men of England | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Training Against Time | Sidelights on War | 1940 |
| Travel in Germany | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Turkey | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Two Food Queues | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Ulster on Guard | Viewpoints of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Unconsidered Trifles | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Underground in England | Viewpoints of War | 12 May to 16 October 1941 |
| Underground Revolt | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Wanderers in London | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| War and the Wardrobe | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| War in the Ether | 1940 | |
| War on the Beaches | 1940 | |
| What an Englishwoman Thinks | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| What Islam Means to Australia | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| When Ideas Won | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Where HitIer has Failed | Sidelights on Germany | 1940 |
| Why Hamm? | Realities of War | 20 Dec 1940 to 1 May 1941 |
| Women | If Hitler Won | 30-Nov-40 |
| Women's Papers | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
| Women's Volunteer Service | Offshoots of War | 1940 |
| Young Fighters | 12 May to 16 October 1941 | |
| Your War -- and Mine | Your War -- and Mine | 1940 |
The Trustee of The Mary Grant Bruce Family Trust owns the copyrights to the scripts of these talks, which can be found using the RecordSearch database at the National Archives of Australia.