History of War – October 2019

Discover the NAM’s tribute to female military personnel, a cavalry gallop

through Scotland and Cheshire’s martial past

MUSEUMS EVENTS

&

Runninguntil 20 October2019,Riseof theLionesseschartsthemajor

contributionthatwomenhavemadeto theBritishArmy’shistoryat the

NAM.Spanningfrom 1917 untilthepresentday,thisfreeexhibitionis

writtenin partnershipwiththeWRACAssociation.

Womenhaveplayedanessentialrolein theBritishArmyforovera

centuryandthisyearis a significantopportunityto recognisethepresence

of genderbalanceforthreeimportantreasons.It hasonlybeensince

October 2018 thattheMinistryof Defenceannouncedthatallrolesin the

BritishArmywouldnowbeopento women.Thisincludescombatrolesin

theinfantryandSpecialForces.

Secondly, 2019 is the70thanniversaryof theWomen’sRoyalArmy

Corps(WRAC).Althoughit wasdisbandedin 1992,thiswasto allow

femalepersonnelto beintegratedintotherestof thearmy’sregiments

andcorps.Finally,thisyearis thecentenaryof theWRACAssociation

(formerlytheQMAACOldComradesAssociation),whichwasthefirst,

andremainstheonly,charitythatcaresforveteransandservingfemale

soldiersin theBritishArmy.

Tocommemoratethisvitalcontribution,“Riseof theLionesses”is

displayinguniqueexhibitssuchasthecombatshirtandmedicalkitof

SergeantChantelleTaylor,whowasthefirstfemaleBritishsoldierto killin

combat.Theexhibitionalsoincludesthechassisthatwasusedto trainthe

thenPrincessElizabeth(nowQueenElizabethII) in vehiclemaintenance

whilesheservedin theAuxiliaryTerritorialServiceduringWWII.

Themainaimof theexhibitionis to examinetherelationshipbetween

societyandthearmyandhowwomenhavefoughtto refineperceptions

of ‘appropriate’militaryroles.ColonelAliBrown(Retd.),vicepresident

of theWRACsays,“Withoutthewomenwhohavegonebefore– who

facedandbrokedownsomanysocietalnorms– myselfandmanylike

mewouldnothavehadthefullcareers,withoperationaldeployments,

thatwehad.Allbarriersarenowdownto womenservingin thearmyand

thatis whatthisexhibitionis about:wherewehavecomefrom,wherewe

areandwherewearegoing.”

The National Army Museum is a hosting a commemorative exhibition about

women’s courage, sacrifice and integration in the British Army

Images: FORMOREINFORMATION:WWW.NAM.AC.UK

National

Army

Museum

MILITARY ‘LIONESSES’

The exhibition highlights the contribution of all

women who have served in the British Army over the

past century. This includes the many West Indian

women who served in the ATS during WWII

An exhibition

highlight is the future

Queen Elizabeth II’s

WWII training chassis