WW II Nurses Turned Prisoners of War | Captured | 2

Summary

Against The Odds – “WWII Nurses Turned Prisoners of War | Captured | 2”

Podcast: Against The Odds
Hosts: Cassie De Pecol, Mike Corey
Date: April 14, 2026
Episode Topic: The ordeal of American Navy nurses captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and forced to survive as prisoners of war, their struggle to maintain humanity, courage, and solidarity.

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode recounts the true story of 12 U.S. Navy nurses trapped in the Philippines after the Japanese invasion of 1942. The nurses, expecting evacuation, are instead left behind as American forces pull out. Facing captivity, deprivation, danger, and uncertainty, the women quickly learn that survival will test every ounce of their resilience and their bonds with each other.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Japanese Takeover and Shock of Abandonment

• Setting the Scene: New Year’s Day, 1942 – Chief Nurse Laura Cobb and her crew at Santa Scholastica, a makeshift military hospital outside Manila, witness hundreds of Japanese soldiers arriving, not with force but surprisingly on bicycles, juxtaposing innocence with menace.
  • “The young Japanese soldiers look like paper boys as they pedal past… except for one menacing touch, the long rifles tipped with glistening bayonets.” (00:08)
• Flyers and Flag-Lowering: The emotional blow of seeing American symbols targeted, as the U.S. flag is burned to avoid desecration and the nurses find a Japanese propaganda flyer depicting a decapitated Uncle Sam with the word "Destiny."
  • “The implication is clear. Cobb and all the other Navy personnel have been abandoned, left to fend for themselves.” (02:03)

2. First Days of Captivity: Anxiety and Survival

• Immediate Deprivation: Japanese guards isolate the hospital, surrounding it with barbed wire, forcing all prisoners—including the nurses—to line up for inspection and have their belongings searched.
  • “A few hours ago, Japanese soldiers surrounded Santa Scholastica and erected a barbed wire fence… the Japanese are ordering everyone to the courtyard for roll call and to have their personal belongings searched.” (05:30)
• Smuggling and Small Acts of Defiance: Nurse Peg Nash desperately tries to hide her engagement ring; her colleague Dorothy Still cleverly conceals it in a jar of face cream.
  • “Nash gives the items over. Dorothy unscrews the lid, shoves the ring deep inside the white goop… ‘I doubt they’ll bother searching our toiletries.’” (06:34)

3. Gender, Identity, and Recognition as Military Nurses

• Japanese Confusion: The guards struggle to comprehend female military personnel.
  • Japanese interpreter: “But you are women. How can you be in the military?” (09:51)
  • Laura Cobb (defiant): “We are members of the United States Navy.” (09:46)
• Utilitarian Orders: The Japanese quickly decide: the nurses are useful as staff and demand an inventory of medical supplies—but the nurses, realizing the danger, swap medicine labels to hide life-saving quinine, risking severe punishment.
  • “They decided to switch the labels on quinine and baking soda… The idea is simple and daring, hiding something in plain sight.” (10:40)

4. Life Under Threat: Punishments and Psychological Warfare

• Missing Prisoners and Collective Punishment: When several civilians are found missing, the Japanese threaten harsh reprisals, including execution for the nurse on duty.
  • Interpreter: “All doctors and nurses on duty at the time of the escape be shot.” (16:39)
• Relief and Uncertainty: After days of dread, a posted notice commutes punishment but institutes draconian new rules. The threat of arbitrary violence always looms.

5. Illness and Strain Within the Group

• Dorothy’s Sickness: Dorothy Still falls ill with hepatitis, likely from contaminated medical bandages; Chief Nurse Cobb’s frustration and harshness reveal the psychological toll on everyone.
  • Cobb: “Your eyes are yellow as butter. You've got hepatitis…. And don’t spread this to the other nurses.” (23:22)
  • Dorothy’s internal response: "Even through her haze of illness, Dorothy is stunned by Cobb’s anger. The chief nurse is acting like it’s Dorothy’s fault she got sick." (24:53)

6. The Power and Peril of Sticking Together

• Risk of Separation: The Japanese threaten to split up the nurses—especially by transferring 11 to a less-protected civilian camp. Cobb fights to keep her crew together.
  • Cobb: “If we’re not in a military camp, there’s no chance we’ll get exchanged… And I don’t want you splitting up my crew either.” (19:53, 20:01)
• Last-Minute Reprieve: After days of uncertainty, news comes that all 12 nurses will be transferred together to Santo Tomas, a notorious civilian camp.
  • Commandant: “Yes, all 12. You’ll leave at first light.” (26:37)
  • The relief is so profound Cobb must turn away to hide her tears.

7. Arrival and Reality of Santo Tomas Camp

• Cramped, Inhumane Conditions: The nurses’ new home is a classroom with 12 cots crammed together and no door for privacy—guards remove it as soon as they arrive.
• Resourcefulness in Adversity: Dr. Charles Leech, a fellow American prisoner, invites the nurses to help run the camp clinic for 3,500 internees.
  • Dr. Leech: “I’ve set up a makeshift clinic... there’s a decent stock of medicine there. I’d love to work with you all. There are 3,500 inmates and I’m drowning in patients.” (33:10)
• Morale Initiatives: Nurse Harrington, rallying the group: “We’ll enlist [camp] children in a Swat the Fly campaign. The child who squashes the most can win a prize.” (34:04)

8. Psychological Warfare & Loss of Hope

• Propaganda: The Japanese use newspapers to inform prisoners of the fall of the last American stronghold, taunting the inmates with false hope and threats of further conquest.
  • Interpreter: “We brought further confirmation… United States has lost the final battle for the Philippines… Next, we’ll conquer more islands, then Hawaii, maybe California.” (36:51–37:37)
  • Dorothy’s hope is crushed: “If the newspaper reports are true, then it won’t be months of captivity. It could be years before this nightmare ends.” (37:46)

9. Escalating Oppression: Humiliation Drills

• New Commandant, New Terrors: Under Sadaki Konishi, forced etiquette drills—hours of bowing in the sun—are imposed, even on the sick.
  • “According to his new rules, all inmates must now bow to their superiors. However humiliating and irritating this is, the inmates have quickly learned to obey.” (39:37)
• Violence Against Prisoners: When Dr. Leech protests the torture of a sick man, Konishi backhands him, then has Cobb dragged away for intervening—a chilling display of arbitrary brutality.
  • “Konishi backhands Leech across the face. The doctor staggers… blood seeps between his fingers. Cobb gasps and rushes forward, but Konishi grabs her arm.” (40:33)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Cobb’s determination to defend her team:
  • “We are members of the United States Navy.” – Cobb (09:46)
• Tension over medicine theft and deception:
  • “They decided to switch the labels on quinine and baking soda… hiding something in plain sight.” (10:40)
• Moral exhaustion and harsh leadership:
  • “Even through her haze of illness, Dorothy is stunned by Cobb’s anger. The chief nurse is acting like it’s Dorothy’s fault she got sick.” (24:53)
• Bittersweet victory in staying together:
  • “Are all 12 of us going?” – Cobb (26:37)
  • “Yes, all 12. You’ll leave at first light.” – Interpreter (26:37)
• Gallows humor and unity, even under threat:
  • “We'll enlist them in a Swat the Fly campaign... The child who squashes the most can win a prize.” – Harrington (34:04)
• Resilience in the face of humiliation:
  • “However humiliating and irritating this is, the inmates have quickly learned to obey. They can lose meals for forgetting to bow.” (39:37)
• Despair and fear of endless captivity:
  • “If the newspaper reports are true, then it won’t be months of captivity. It could be years before this nightmare ends.” – Dorothy (37:46)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:08 – Japanese invasion and initial shock at Santa Scholastica
• 09:46 – Confrontation about female military status
• 10:40 – Nurses’ life-or-death medicine deception
• 16:39 – Threat to shoot on-duty nurses after escape
• 19:33 – Captain Davis and Chief Nurse Cobb discuss forced transfer
• 26:37 – Reprieve: all 12 nurses remain together
• 33:10 – Meet Dr. Charles Leech; nurses offered clinic work
• 34:04 – Morale-building “Swat the Fly” initiative
• 36:51–37:46 – Japanese psychological manipulation with news of Corregidor
• 39:37–40:33 – Etiquette drills and the escalating sadism of Commandant Konishi

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Episode Tone & Narrative Style

• Immersive, Dramatic, and Unflinching: The retelling is vivid and character-focused, with dramatized but research-based dialogue that brings out both the courage and frailty of the captives. The tone balances hope, despair, and dark humor, reflecting the nurses’ determination to maintain dignity and solidarity.
• Primary Voices: Chief Nurse Laura Cobb, Nurse Dorothy Still, Peg Nash, Mary Rose Harrington, and Filipina nurse Basilia Torres Stewart are focal points, each enduring unique hardships.

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Closing Reflection

This episode delves deeply into how ordinary individuals—women, healers—face extraordinary cruelty and deprivation, but also how they adapt and maintain purpose, camaraderie, and small acts of rebellion. Highlighting the strength it takes not merely to survive, but to safeguard one’s humanity and those of others, “Captured” immerses listeners in the harrowing reality of wartime captivity, offering a testament to both resilience and vulnerability.

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Recommended Reading (as per episode notes):

• “This Is Really War” by Emily LeBeau Lucchese
• “Rescue at Los Banos” by Bruce Henderson
• “We Band of Angels” by Elizabeth M. Norman

Transcript

[Audible Announcer]

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of against the Odds ad free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

A listener note against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. United States Navy nurse Laura Cobb squints into the as hundreds of Japanese soldiers stream by her. As frightened as she feels, she almost wants to laugh. This conquering army is arriving not in tanks or trucks but on bicycles. The young Japanese soldiers look like paper boys as they pedal past with satchels slung over their shoulders, almost innocent except for one menacing touch, the long rifles tipped with glistening bayonets. It's New Year's Day, 1942. Cobb and her fellow Navy nurses are standing in front of the administration building at Santa Scholastica, a women's college in the outskirts of Manila. It's been converted into a military hospital, and Cobb and the other nurses were recently transferred there. Until last month, they were stationed at a nearby naval base, but shortly after the attack on Pearl harbor, the base was bombed. A week ago, the American military pulled out of most of the Philippines. Lacking the power to defend the island chain, essentially ceding the territory to Japan, Cobb and her crew assumed they'd be evacuated out of the Philippines. Instead, the nurses were transferred to this military hospital at Santa Scholastica. The implication is clear. Cobb and all the other Navy personnel have been abandoned, left to fend for themselves. Even worse, the other military clinics in Manila are transferring their sickest and most injured patients here, patients who are impossible to move. The nurses have been taking care of 160 patients, a mixture of soldiers, sailors and civilians. A cheer interrupts Cobb's thoughts. She turns her head to watch a car festooned with Japanese flags pull up to the Japanese embassy. Down, a crowd of several hundred is gathered around the gates. Cobb assumes they are Japanese citizens who live in Manila who have come to celebrate Japan's takeover of the Philippines. Two army generals exit the car to shouts and applause from a crowd. Men and women sing and chant. Cobb shakes her head. Their joy makes the scene seem only stranger. It's more like a holiday than the middle of a war. A gust of wind picks up, and a piece of paper slaps against the leg of the nurse next to Cobb. Mary Rose Harrington. Harrington grabs it, glances it over and blanches. Cobb leans over to look. What's it say? Harrington holds up the paper and Cobb winces. The Japanese were dropping flyers from planes earlier. This must be one of them. It shows a cartoon of a decapitated Uncle Sam. Underneath him there's a single word. Destiny. Cobb hears a noise behind her. She turns to see an officer lowering the American flag in front of the Santa Scholastica admin building. She calls out to him. What are you doing?

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

The Japanese will soon take over the hospital. I have orders to burn this flag before they do so. We don't want it desecrated.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Cobb swallows hard. The lowering of the flag and the gruesome flyer have yanked her back to reality. This is war, and she's about to be taken captive by enemy soldiers.

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[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

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[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

From Audible Originals. I'm Cassie Depechel, and this is against the Odds. After bombing Pearl harbor, the Japanese military invaded the Philippines. Though the Chain of Islands was in American territory, the United States chose not to defend it. This left thousands of American expats stranded there, as well as hundreds of soldiers and sailors. All of them became prisoners of war, including a group of 12 Navy nurses. The nurses steeled themselves for a short stint in a POW camp, believing American forces would return in a few weeks to liberate them. But the weeks soon dragged into months, and as the war entered a new and more brutal stage, the nurses and their fellow prisoners increasingly bore the brunt of Japanese aggression. This is Episode two. Captured. Navy nurse Dorothy still glances out the window of her dorm room at Santa Scholastica. There's a mass of people gathered in the courtyard below. A few feet away, her roommate, nurse Peg Nash, was frantically opens and closes bureau drawers. Dorothy turns and whispers to Nash, peggy, just hide it already. We're the only people not down there. The campus public address system crackles to life. It's a Japanese interpreter. All prisoners must report to the courtyard immediately. This is your final call. Dorothy begs Nash to hurry again, but Nash doesn't seem to hear. She looks frantic as she clutches her diamond engagement ring. She wants to hide it but doesn't know where. She fears Their new Japanese captors will steal it. It's noon on January 2, 1942. A few hours ago, Japanese soldiers surrounded Santa Scholastica and erected a barbed wire fence around the perimeter. People can now only enter or exit campus through a gate manned by armed soldiers. Now the Japanese are ordering everyone to the courtyard for roll call and to have their personal belongings searched. Supposedly they're looking for contraband, but Nash suspects that what they really want is to help themselves to valuables. Dorothy doesn't want to anger the new captors by being late, but she doesn't want to ditch Nash either. Dorothy finally has an idea. Hand me your face cream and the ring. Nash stalls. Come on, just do it. Nash gives the items over. Dorothy unscrews the lid, shoves the ring deep inside the white goop and smooths over the top there. I doubt they'll bother searching our toiletries. As Dorothy wipes her fingers clean, she hears Nash sigh. I wish I'd married Bob last year when he wanted to. I'd be at home right now. The Navy doesn't allow married women to serve. Dorothy sympathizes. She's not engaged, but her tour of duty ended yesterday. She should already be on a ship back to the US but so much for going home. Now she's trapped here until the US Retakes the Philippines or the government arranges a prisoner swap with Japan. She holds her friend's hand in solidarity, but also stands steers her downstairs into the courtyard. Outside, the Japanese guards separate the men from the women. Then the interpreter orders everyone to line up for a count. Dorothy squeezes into a line next to Nash and a nurse who just joined their unit as a civilian, a local woman named Basilia Torres, steward. She's the wife of a wounded American named Jerry. He begged Cobb to let Basilia join their unit. Cobb said yes. Dorothy watches in disgust as the Japanese guards relieve the American officers of not just their sidearms but also their watches and wallets. They even pull one man's rosary off his neck. Finally, the Japanese come to the Navy nurses. Dorothy's shoulders tense as the soldiers look her up and down. Nervously, she runs her hands over her white skirt. She'd gotten used to wearing the more casual denim uniforms Cobb had found for them. But Captain R.G. davis, the top Navy officer in camp, had ordered the nurses back into their white uniforms soon after the Japanese invaded. The soldiers stare at the nurses, then glance at each other. Confused, they instruct the interpreter, who steps

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

forward, why are you in military uniforms,

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Laura Cobb sticks out her chin we are members of the United States Navy.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

But you are women. How can you be in the military?

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Cobb's nostrils flare in irritation. We are medical personnel. Nurses. The interpreter says something to the officers, who all nod as if they finally understand nurses. They huddle for a moment, then had the interpreter relay another message.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

You will help run the infirmary on campus. And we have an important assignment for you. We need an inventory of all the medicine there.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

At this, the Japanese move on. But as they leave, Laura Cobb turns and whispers to her nurses. This isn't an inventory. They're looking to take the medicines and supplies we need for our patients. We have to figure out a way to keep that from happening. Dorothy feels a jolt of fear. If the nurses are caught hiding medicine, who knows what the punishment will be? Chief Nurse Laura Cobb and several other nurses rush around the infirmary at Santa Scholastica, double checking that nothing is out of place. They're locking up medicine cabinets, crumpling up torn off labels and memorizing where everything is. It's 10 minutes before noon in early January. Cobb takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. She's about to take a big risk. The Japanese soldiers will be here any minute for the list of medicines in the infirmary. Cobb suspects that their captors intend to confiscate the most valuable drugs, especially quinine, a compound to treat malaria. The disease runs rampant in the Philippines. This white powder is worth its weight in gold here. The nurses need these medications for their own patients. So they decided to switch the labels on quinine and baking soda. The idea is simple and daring, hiding something in plain sight. The nurses have been scrambling to change the labels all morning. When everything is set to, Cobb dismisses the other nurses. She doesn't want to risk anyone else getting caught alone in the infirmary, Cobb spends the next few minutes staring at the clock on the wall, second guessing herself. If her deception is exposed, well, she doesn't want to think about it. Already, nurses have been waking up in the middle of the night to find soldiers bayonets at their throats. So far, their guards just seem to enjoy scaring the nurses. But their harassment could turn worse if they learn that Cobb and her crew aren't being obedient. Cobb jumps at the knock on the door. A short officer with a mustache walks in and nods at her.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

I am pleased for an opportunity to practice my English I learned in California.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Oh, I was stationed in San Diego.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

A lovely city. Now, may I see the inventory list?

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

He holds out his palm. Cobb hands it over and watches him scan it. Then he taps the paper.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Fetch the quinine, please.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

As Cobb unlocks the shelf, her hands shake. To distract herself, she asks a question, trying to keep her tone light and conversational. Do you have a background in medicine?

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Yes, in the medical Corps.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Cobb's mouth goes dry. That's not the answer Cobb wants to hear. She fetches the bottle and hands it over. The officer unscrews the lid and peers inside. Cobb tenses and her heart races. Baking soda and quinine look similar but not identical, and an experienced medical officer will know there's an easy way to test it. The two powders taste completely different. Quinine is quite bitter. If the man takes one dab of the baking soda he's holding, he'll know it's not quinine. But after a cursory glance, he screws the lid back on and tells Cobb he'll be back for other items later. Then he bows and leaves. Cobb exhales hard. She's glad to have won this victory, but fears there are more battles ahead. Filipina nurse Basilia Torres Steward rushes to take her spot in line in the prison courtyard. Roll call at Santa scholastica starts at 6:00 clock sharp each morning. One minute late and your daily rations are cut in half. Steward is hungry enough as it is. It's January 16th, the end of the prisoner's second week of confinement. Several guards stand watch while one goes down the line, counting off in Japanese.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

1, 2, 3, 4.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Steward watches a few birds soar overhead and thinks how lucky they are. She sighs and wonders where her husband Jerry is right this moment. At least the weather is pleasant. She hopes Jerry is enjoying it as well. The thought of him lying in bed looking out the window at the same sun gives her some comfort. After the guards dismiss them this morning, Stuart has to report to the infirmary for her shift. Her mind is already going over a few patients, hoping they've improved overnight. There's a middle aged man with diabetes she's especially worried about. But when the guard who's counting reaches the end of the line, she hears a commotion. He and the other guards look agitated. Strangely, the man counting strides past Steward to the far end of the line and starts over.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

1. 2. 3.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

4. By now the inmates are murmuring among themselves. An interpreter hollers at them to be quiet. Steward sneaks glances down the line and realizes that a few Filipino civilians she noticed in the ward yesterday are not there. Could they have escaped? When the second count finishes, the Japanese guard shakes his head in anger. He and the others huddle up, and a red faced Guard hurries over to Steward. The interpreter is a step behind and addresses her.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Where are the four missing patients? Have they escaped?

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

How would I know?

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

You're Filipina. Did they talk to you? Did you help them?

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Steward shakes her head. The interpreter consults the guard, who seems enraged at her denial. The interpreter asks her again and again where the men are. Steward insists she doesn't know anything. The guard finally screams and the interpreter addresses the whole group.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

There will be consequences for this. We will report this matter to our superiors with the recommendation that all doctors and nurses on duty at the time of the escape be shot.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

No. Oh God, please, no. Steward is stunned. They're going to shoot the nurse on duty. Her mind races to think which nurse was working last night. She can't remember. Around her, there's a cry of protest. But the guards stalk off as they go. Laura Cobb beckons her nurses and huddles them up. I'll talk with Captain Davis. He's been meeting with the camp commandant. I won't let anything happen to you. Then Cobb pulls Steward aside. Did you hear anything about the escape last night? Nothing, I swear. Cobb stares at her a moment before she strides off. Steward feels hurt inside. Her own boss doesn't seem to believe her any more than the Japanese did. She's still grateful that Cobb took her into the unit. But at times like this, she feels like she doesn't really belong. If Cobb has to sacrifice a nurse, Steward can't help but think it will be her. Laura Cobb clenches her fists in worry as she hurries down the hall of her dormitory at Santa scholastica College. It's 6pm on January 23, and Cobb just got off her shift in the infirmary. On the walk back, she overheard someone say that their Japanese guards are posting notices in the dorm. The names of who will be shot in the wake of the prisoner escape last week. Those personnel include nurse Peg Nash, who was working that overnight shift. Cobb has been begging Captain Davis, the highest ranking Navy officer here, to intercede with the camp commandant and spare Nash's life. But Davis has admitted there's only so much he can do. As Cobb hurries down the hallway, she feels sick. A dozen sailors are crowded around the notices. Cobb can't see over them, so she pushes her way through. Excuse me. Step aside, please. At first, Cobb scans the notice so fast she doesn't absorb much. Then she slows down and forces herself to read. It says that from now on, if a prisoner escapes the infirmary, the two men whose beds are on either side of the escapees will be shot, as will the nurse on duty, but no one will face any punishment for the recent incident. Cobb feels her whole body sag in relief. What a miracle. She turns to go find Nash and make sure she's heard the news. But a few steps down the hallway she hears someone call to her nurse. Cobb.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

A minute, please.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

She turns to find Captain Davis. Oh, Captain, thank you so much for helping with Peg Nash. This is such a relief.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Yes, I'm glad. And I have some more news. On top of that.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

He pulls Cobb into an alcove.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

What I'm about to say is strictly between you and me, confidential.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Davis proceeds to tell Cobb about a discussion that afternoon with the camp commandant. Apparently the Japanese went to transfer 11 of the 12 nurses in Cobb's crew to one of the civilian prison camps nearby. Davis presents this as a good thing. He says he's heard the conditions are better at most of them, but Cobb is horrified. A civilian camp? That's unacceptable. If we're not in a military camp, there's no chance we'll get exchanged for Japanese soldiers. Davis looks exasperated. He tells Cobb he thought she'd be happy. But Cobb shakes her head. And I don't want you splitting up my crew either. Who do they plan on leaving behind? Basilia Steward, because she's Filipina? Davis shakes his head, muttering that Cobb doesn't understand until suddenly she does. It's not Steward that the Japanese plan to retain here. It's Cobb herself. She's the one who will be left behind, separated from her crew. She has to figure out a way to keep her nurses together, but she has no idea. Dorothy still moans as she tosses off her blanket. She's covered in sweat and feels like she's burning up. Maybe the night air will cool her down. It's February 1942, a little past midnight. It's been more than a month since the Japanese took over the military hospital at Santa Scholastica. Dorothy worked a late shift today and was feeling run down by the end, but nothing like this. A wave of nausea washes over her. It's so overpowering that she struggles to her feet, weaves around the other cots, and staggers down the hallway toward the bathroom. Inside, she flicks on the light, shoves open the stall door, then leans over and vomits into the bowl. When she finishes, she lowers herself to her knees, feeling dizzy. What on earth has come over her? She tries to think whether she might have eaten something rotten or undercooked today. She hears the outer bathroom door creak open And a voice call out. Dorothy, what's the matter? It's Chief Nurse Laura Cobb. Dorothy groans. Cobb is the last person she wants to see right now. Dorothy has always resented how her boss rides her. And Cobb's been even harder on her than usual. Earlier today, she snapped at Dorothy for wrapping a patient's wound in too much gauze. She said it was a waste of material. Dorothy flushes the toilet. She's so weak that she has to use the toilet bowl to push herself to her feet. Outside the stall, she sees Cobb waiting for her. What's come over you? Probably just some food poisoning. Impossible. None of the other nurses are ill. Let me see your eyes. Dorothy gazes at her. Cobb stares into them, then sighs. They're yellow as butter. You've got hepatitis. Dorothy feels a wave of fear. Hepatitis is a liver infection, a serious ailment. She shakes her head. How did I get hepatitis? From handling bandages covered in fecal matter. You haven't been washing them thoroughly. It was bound to happen. And don't spread this to the other nurses. We'll already be shorthanded covering for you while you're out. Even through her haze of illness, Dorothy is stunned by Cobb's anger. The chief nurse is acting like it's Dorothy's fault she got sick. I'm sorry. Not as sorry as I am. Now wash up and get back to bed. With that, Cobb turns on her heel and walks away. Dorothy shuffles over to the sink. She splashes water on her face and tries to make sense of what just happened. Her relationship with Cobb has never been great, but Dorothy never expected an outburst like that. The weeks in captivity must be be getting to her. As she shuffles back to bed, Dorothy prays the Americans take back the Philippines soon and they're all set free. Laura Cobb makes her way down the line of the 11 other nurses standing in the courtyard at Santa Scholastica. She inspects their uniforms, straightening a hat here, brushing off lint there. But in truth, this is a pretense. She's also taking in each woman, wondering how long it will be before she sees them again. They, and they alone have been summoned here for an announcement. Cobb suspects this can only mean one thing. Today is the day the nurses find out they're being transferred to another camp and Cobb will be left behind. She's been imploring Captain Davis to convince the Japanese captain commanders to keep all 12 nurses together, but he doesn't have much sway. It's around 2pm on March 7. Cobb has had to keep the possible transfer a secret. For a month now, more than once, she's found herself snapping at the nurses for petty things. She even barked at Dorothy, still for contracting hepatitis. In the courtyard, she finally falls into line next to at the nurse she's closest with Mary Rose Harrington. Cobb wishes she could reach out and squeeze Harrington's hand. Finally, the camp commandant appears with an interpreter.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Good afternoon. The Empire of Japan has determined that your services are better utilized elsewhere.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

He explains that they're being transferred to a camp three miles north. It's named Santa Tomas, another converted college. Cobb hears ripples of concern up and down the line. Concerns that Cobb shares. It's a civilian camp and they don't know if conditions there will be better or worse. The move means they'll also be completely disconnected from the Navy. The higher ups might not even know where they are. Cobb steps forward, her heart turn in her throat. Are all 12 of us going? The interpreter consults the commandant, who smiles and holds off answering for several tense seconds. Then he murmurs to the interpreter, who

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

turns back, yes, all 12. You'll leave at first light.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

As they walk away, Cobb feels herself getting choked up with relief. She actually has to turn away from her nurses to hide her emotions. When she calms herself, Cobb turns back to tell the nurses to start packing. But she sees Captain Davis appear. She walks up to him. They're keeping us all together. Thank you for your help.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

I don't know if I made much

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

of a difference, honestly.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

And be careful. Santo Tomas is not the camp I was pushing for.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

I've heard rumors that the guards there are cruel. Be wary.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

If they can set you against each other, they will.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

We appreciate your concern, Captain. As Davis walks off, Cobb feels a bit miffed. Her crew would never turn against each other. Cobb approaches the nurses. They look worried and the captain's words nag at her. She was so focused on staying with her crew, she didn't think about the consequences of transferring camps. But all she can do now is hope for the best. Dorothy still stands at the gates of Santa Scholastica and hugs a wiry old Filipino man. He's a former patient of Dorothy's who nearly died of a shrapnel wound. The man whispers to Dorothy that she saved his life. She feels tears well in her eyes. She's helped save dozens of lives in her career. But this man's gratitude touches her deeply. It's the morning of March 8th. Today, Dorothy and the Navy nurses are transferring to the Santo Tomas prison camp. A small group of well wishers have come to say goodbye. But as grateful as Dorothy is, she wants to crawl into the transport cars and fall asleep, even for a few minutes. She's still run down from her bout with hepatitis, and she slept poorly last night. Her mind racing with worry over what lies ahead. She's more scared than she wants to admit. After a few minutes, the Japanese guards break up the goodbyes. One of them reads from a clipboard. Which nurses will ride together in which cars. Dorothy groans to hear that she's riding with with Chief Nurse Laura Cobb. Of all the rotten luck. Dorothy feels even more annoyed when she sees what Cobb is wearing. The woman actually put on a flower necklace this morning. A big frilly lei. Dorothy leans over to the nurse next to her. Peg Nash. Does she think Santa Tomas is a resort? What do you mean? Look at that necklace. You'd think she's going to a luau. But Nash shakes her head. She tells Dorothy to look carefully at Cobb's shirt beneath the lei. Dorothy looks again, then sees something odd. There's a faint outline there. Something rectangular. She turns back to Nash. What's she hiding beneath her shirt? Our Navy records and some documents detailing our mistreatment in camp. The medicine they tried to steal, the threats to shoot us, the way they slap prisoners around. She didn't have any other way to sneak them out. Dorothy is taken aback. She can't believe Cobb is taking such a risk. The Japanese have expressly forbidden them from keeping any records, much less smuggling them out. A moment later, they're ordered to enter their cars. Cobb and Dorothy get in the the backseat while their Japanese driver shuts the trunk and checks over the car. Dorothy sneaks another peek at the lei. A moment later, Cobb mutters under her breath, nurse still, you're not exactly cut out for spy work, are you? Staring at the records only draws attention to them as the driver enters and they take off. Dorothy feels her cheeks burning in shame. She was so quick to judge her chief nurse and assume she was wearing a lei for vanity. When they're surrounded by enemies, they can't afford to make more among themselves. Nurse Mary Rose Harrington trudges up the stairs of a classroom building at Santo Tomas, dragging her trunk behind her. All the other nurses are following, lugging up their own trunks. It's 9am on March 8, 1942. They need to get the trunks to the third floor, and Harrington's sweating by the time they arrive up there. She lowers the end she's been holding and wipes her forehead. Let's take a break and find our room. No sense in hauling these. The wrong direction. The other nurses follow suit, trailing Harrington down the hall. They turn left, then double back right. They finally see it. Their new home, room 30A. It has not been an encouraging welcome to Santo Tomas so far. Just like at Santa Scholastica, the campus is ringed with barbed wire. But conditions are worse here. Santo Tomas was a commuter school, which means there are no Dorms. Instead, the 12 Navy nurses all have to bunk together in a classroom. And they arrive to find a rude surprise. Harrington sees two Japanese soldiers with a screwdriver removing the classroom door. She waves to get their attention. Do you speak English? What are you doing?

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

We're taking down the door.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

What? What about our privacy? We need a door. The nurses protest. But the guards pay them no mind. They finish removing the door and wander away with it. With nothing else to do, the nurses Step inside. 30A. Three dozen stained cots are crammed into the classroom, Barely a foot of space between each. The air is thick with buzzing flies and mosquitoes. Harrington's spirits sink. This is far worse than she expected. While she's looking glumly around, she hears someone knocking on the doorframe. Behind them. A man steps inside.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

I'm Dr. Charles Leech, an American physician here. I've set up a makeshift clinic in

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

the campus machine shop. There's a decent stock of medicine there.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

I'd love to work with you all. There are 3,500 inmates, and I'm drowning in patients.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Chief Nurse Laura Cobb steps forward. We'd be honored. But when Cobb turns to the other nurses, Harrington sees their shoulders sagging. They're too depressed by their new surroundings to respond. Harrington notices Cobb getting irritated by the nurse's lack of enthusiasm, so she intervenes. I agree. This is a wonderful opportunity. Don't you think so, lady? It will give us some purpose for however many more months we have to be here. We can do some real good, right then. Harrington turns to Dr. Leech. What else can we do? What are the biggest problems in the camp?

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Probably bugs, as you can see.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

We can help with that, too. This camp has children, right? I saw some on the way in. We'll enlist them in a Swat the Fly campaign. The child who squashes the most can win a prize. The other nurses warm to her idea. A few of them actually laugh. Despite their dirty room and the lack of a door, Harrington starts to feel a little better. She's determined to make the best of things. She won't let Santa Tomas beat them. Dorothy still rubs the sleep from her eyes as the guards finish up the morning roll call. At Santo Tomas. She glances toward the east, where the rising sun is creeping over the horizon. She hopes it won't be too hot today. It's early May 1942, her third May in the Philippines. She should have been home months ago. She wonders what the weather is like back in California. Probably a tenth of the humidity compared to here. Usually the guards dismiss them right after roll call. But not today. They begin walking down the line, holding up a newspaper for the inmates to read. Dorothy turns to her colleague Peg Nash, next to her. What's going on? Beats me. Dorothy watches the faces of the inmates as they read the headlines. Some eyes go wide, some wince as if in pain. The guards laugh each time. By the time they reach Dorothy, she's practically hopping from one foot to the other in anticipation. What could the headlines say? At last, the guards turn to her and Nash. They're holding a copy of yesterday's Manila Tribune. The headline says, last American Stronghold Falls Philippines under Japanese Control. Dorothy gapes at the words, then glances at the picture beneath. It shows a Japanese unit taking a group of American soldiers prisoner. For months, the inmates have heard that US Forces were holding out on Corregidor Island. They've been telling themselves that from there the Allies will launch an attack and take back the Philippines. Now the newspaper says that Corregidor has fallen. But after studying the picture, Dorothy shakes her head and turns to Nash. I don't believe this. I don't believe we lost the Philippines. What do you mean? Look at that picture. Our men are being taken prisoner. I think this newspaper is fake. They're just trying to break us. At this, the interpreter accompanying the guards interrupts.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

We suspected some of you Americans would be stubborn and refuse to believe, so

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

we brought further confirmation. He reaches into a satchel and removes more newspapers. He holds them up so Dorothy and Nash can read each headline. One is from the International Herald Tribune, another from the Honolulu Advertiser. They both say the same thing. The United States has lost the final battle for the Philippines. Dorothy protests that these two more must be fake, but the words sound hollow even to her. Her knees suddenly feel so weak that she has to grab Nash's shoulder for support. The guards laugh and begin chattering. The interpreter smirks and turns to Nash and Dorothy.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

They say that the Philippines is just the first stop. Next we'll conquer more islands than Hawaii. After that, who knows? Maybe California.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

The guards continue to cackle, leaving Dorothy shaking. Ever since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dorothy has believed that the American military would pummel Japan in any fair fight. She Truly thought she only had to hold on in the prison camp for a few more months. But if the newspaper reports are true, then it won't be months of captivity. It could be years before this nightmare ends. Eyes down, Laura Cobb grits her teeth as her lower back seizes with a cramp. She grunts and quickly straightens up. What did I say? A Japanese guard yells at her to stay bowed, but she can't. The pain is too much. It's June 1942. A searing hot afternoon, the air a thick blanket. Cobb, her nurses and several hundred other inmates are standing in the grassy central plaza of Santo Tomas. They're enduring a horrible drill, an etiquette lesson, as the Japanese are calling it. They're learning how to bow. Except they've had to stay in that position for what feels like hours. A new commandant took over the camp last week, Sadaki Konishi. He's a short man with a thin mustache, crooked smile and stained teeth. Cobb estimates he's in his late 20s. Every morning at 6am roll call, he likes to strut around in front of the prisoners and scream. Sometimes he lines them up in the evening to scream more often with a sake bottle in hand. According to his new rules, all inmates must now bow to to their superiors. However humiliating and irritating this is, the inmates have quickly learned to obey. They can lose meals for forgetting to bow. But Konishi has been complaining that all the prisoners bow improperly. He started today's drill saying that they needed to bow from the waist, keeping their backs straight and lowering themselves to a 90 degree angle. Nor can they ever make eye contact with the person they're bowing to. They've been practicing these bows in the sun for an hour already. Endless ups and downs. Konishi even ordered any patient in the infirmary who can walk to participate in the drill. As she massages her back, Cobb watches Kinishi berate a patient a few yards ahead of her, who's too weak to bow low enough without losing balance. Thankfully, Dr. Leech hurries over and intervenes.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Commandant Konishi, please be reasonable.

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

This man is incapable of going on.

[Japanese Officer / Interpreter / Commandant Konishi / Dr. Charles Leech / Captain Davis]

Can we please stop for today?

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

Konishi turns to glare at Leech, but he doesn't say anything. And for a moment, Cobb is hopeful he'll listen to reason. Instead, Kinishi backhands Leech across the face. The doctor staggers a few steps and crumbles to the ground, covering his mouth. As he moans, blood seeps between his fingers. Cobb gasps and rushes forward to help him. But Konishi steps in front and grabs her arm. He barks out orders to his guards, who hurry over and drag her off. Cobb thrashes against them, but she's no match for three soldiers. Let me go. No one on the plaza is bowing anymore. They're all staring wide eyed at Cobb and Leech, looking terrified. Cobb pleads with them, someone do something, help him. But no one moves. Cobb turns her head to see Konishi hovering over Leech, cackling. The sight terrifies her. She and the other Navy nurses are likely going to be trapped in Santa Tomas for quite a while, and by the looks of it, Kenishi intends to make their life here a living hell.

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Follow against the Odds on the Audible app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of against the Odds ad free by joining Audible

[Narrator / Cassie Depechel]

from Audible Originals. This is episode two of our five part series, World War II Nurses Turned Prisoners of War. A quick note about our scene. In most cases we can't know exactly what was said, but everything is based on historical research. If you'd like to learn more about this event, we recommend the books this Is really war by Emily LeBeau Lucchese Rescue at Los Banos by Bruce Henderson and we Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman Produced by Audible I'm your host, Cassie Depechel. Sam Keane wrote this. Our editor is Steve Fenasey. Sound design by Rob Schieliga engineered by Sergio Enriquez Original theme music Scott Velasquez and 2K for freeze on Sync Fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry Produced by Emily Frost Managing Producer Desi Blaylock Senior producers Andy Herman and Austin Reckless Executive Producer for Audible Jenny Lauer Beckman, Head of Creative Development at Audible Kate Navin, Head of Audible Originals North America Marshall Louie Chief Content Officer Rachel Giazza Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals, LLC Sound Recording Copyright 2026 by Audible Original.