Empire and Allied Women in World War 1 and World War 2
Date: Tuesday 4 Feb 2025
Time: 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm
Cost: Free
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Why did Black West Indian women from the British Empire struggle to participate in World War 2 in Britain? Join Barbara Ellis to learn about the problems they faced and how they overcame them and contributed to World War 1 and World War 2. In March 1942, the British War Office made it clear which women they wanted in their armed forces.
“We are prepared to accept any suitable European woman from the colonies (West Indies) for enrolment in the ATS…(but) I must emphasise that this applies to European women only and that we cannot agree to accept coloured women for service in this country.” Brigadier Alan Pigott (War Office) to Amber Thomas (Colonial Office, West Indies), March 1942.
Two hundred white West Indian women were sent to the British Embassy in Washington DC at the start of World War 2 to support the war effort. Many women of European descent went to Britain and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (the women’s branch of the British Army). They served in leadership and a variety of prestigious roles in the service.
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Last updated: January 10, 2025
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Newcastle City Library and Community Hub
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