Do you remember the stories of those taken prisoner during WWII? Can you name any heroes from the war? How many of those names are of women?

So often, we remember war heroes as men completing great feats of strength on the battlefield, saving the lives of their fellow soldiers. There have been multiple books, films, and articles written about soldiers during WWII. Some are fictional, while some are based on true stories. From Saving Private Ryan to The Great Escape, the public is not at any loss for the stories of the trials that men faced during the Second World War.

The stories that are all too often forgotten are those of the women. These are true stories of female prisoners of war, courageous nurses taken prisoner while serving in the military to take care of those soldiers. They are the women who risked life and limb to do what they could to stop the spread of fascism.

Within the pages of this book lie the stories of five incredible women prisoners of war during World War Two. These women not only risked their lives in the line of duty, just as their male counterparts did, but they also faced horrific atrocities and risks directly tied to their gender.

These women are:

• A flight nurse whose plane was shot down over enemy lines only to completely confuse the German Army as to what to do with her.

• An American woman living in Germany who worked to infiltrate the Nazis to dismantle the system from the inside.

• The sole survivor of a mass murder of nurses only to have her own government silence her from telling her story.

• A feminist and political activist working to stop fascism and educate her fellow women, even while inside a concentration camp.

• A nurse who simply wanted to return to her post regardless of the torture she endured.

It is our duty to remember these women who survived war and honor them as the true heroines they were.

Diedra O’Ree