"Women pretending to be men to join" Topic

We're going to be doing a Napoleonic era roleplaying campaign heavy on the adventure and "dash" in the fall and since several of my players are women, odds are some will want to play as a woman character.

I know there were several instances of women joining in Prussia during the wars of liberation, some being discovered and a few even earning commendations.

Any similar stories in Britain or Russia?

Mostly just looking for a few names to go by.

(and in case you have strong opinions about women in the modern military or some such topic that is completely irrelevant to an RPG campaign, please forward all such correspondence to idontcare@getlost.com)

Go Nadia! link

This sort of meets your criteria as I'm not sure the Welsh women actually meant to be mistaken for men:

link

If they are women pretending to be men, wouldn't any common man's name do?

PS Like the email address.

Nice, Nadia's story is perfect :-)

I like the fact that she went on to succeed as a writer too.

James Barry. A women who pretended to be a man to study medicine also had a military career.

If women had joined Highland regiments who'd have spotted them? Then again perhaps they'd have looked too used to wearing the skirt?

There is a book I read of a British woman who was a Royal Marine, served on a few ships and was discharged after full service her sex never to be discovered the whole time.
Without looking it up Anna Snell maybe?

Russia famously had a woman officer, even listed in Officers of the Revolutionary and Napoleoic wars by Alexander Mikaberidze

Great link jeffrey! Having painted the Mariupol Hussars for my Russians this one interested me!

Some more from wiki

Joanna Zubr link Polish infantry

Eleonore Prochaska link Prussian Lutzow Frei Korps

Anna Luhring link also Lutzow Frei Korps

Frederike Kruger link Prussian infantry

James Barry link British surgeon

In a Russian partisan pack (15mm) there are 3 women with muskets 2 firing 1 loading. I thought about putting them in units but didn't. Used the men in foot cossack and militia battalikns.

Of course I can't find it, there was a Prussian woman who joined the original regiments, was discovered and was given the right to continue as a know woman. I am positive she survived the Napoleoic wars even gettinb in the middle of a potential bar room fightbetween regulars and guards men.

There was at least one Prussian lady who got to stay in her regiment, and a few received commendations after being revealed though they were forced out.

Bob.

There were a number of women in uniform in every nation's army, many were discovered, but not all. Several that I know of in the British army, both cavalry and infantry.

A Spanish woman was a captain of an artillery battery under Wellington at Vittoria.

Women traveled with the armies, so it is not surprising some would end up fighting in uniform.

Looking at the links on wiki one about one of the Prussian women mentions 22 German women joining the army.