My surprising mother

[callmemadam]

I'm currently reading Corsets to Camouflage Women and War by Kate Adie and very good it is, too. I really sat up though when I got to page 201 where she writes about the Women's Home Defence League. Although women were doing a great deal of dangerous work during the Second World War there was strong opposition to actually arming them. The redoubtable Dr Edith Summerskill pointed out the folly of having half the population unable to fire a rifle and the WHDL was formed to give women the skill. You can see a group of these women here. Adie goes on, 'though they didn't wear uniform they had a brooch badge, a yellow-bordered maroon shield on which appeared gold crossed rifles with the letters WHD and an automatic pistol below - just to make a point.' Oh. You mean a brooch like this one?



I found this in my mother's jewellery box and had no idea what it was. It has her name and address scratched on the back. I can well believe that my mum could fire a rifle and how absolutely typical of her never to have said anything about it.

More from Kate Adie about women and war in this article from the New Statesman.

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I knew about the rifle-firing.

That sounds a great book!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

You knew more than I did, then. I'm sure you'd like the book.

[gghost.livejournal.com]

That definitely sounds like a fascinating book. Thank you for the recommendation.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

The book takes you from the surprising number of women who fought alongside men in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, through the revulsion against this in the nineteenth century, to today's combat troops. Although written from a feminist angle (Adie is famous here for her toughness as a reporter from war zones)at the end of the book she questions whether women can really take a front-line-fixed bayonets part in war. And there is a satisfying amount about uniforms in it!

Rifle firing mother

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sorry, but I knew about this also. That was why she always did well on the rifle range at the fun-fair (or so she said - I think she just had a very good eye). I'm sure you knew about it but it is just one of the many things that we forget until we see something that reminds us - like the badge - and go 'oh yes, I remember her saying ....'.

Love wee sister

Re: Rifle firing mother

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I bow to your superior memories.