Imperial War Museum North will be shedding new light on the role played by women at sea during the Second World War as it launches a new film to mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8 March.
The film features previously unseen interviews with three Lancashire women who share stories of their experiences as part of the Women’s Royal Naval Service, giving an insight into the unique challenges they faced and the crucial role they played in Britain’s ultimate victory, from adapting to ill-fitting uniforms to interpreting ships’ signals during the Battle of the Atlantic.
The film will be screened on Saturday 12 March as the climax to a weeklong programme of activity and events at the Museum to celebrate International Women’s Day.
It will be screened to coincide with All Aboard: Stories of War at Sea, the Museum’s first ever large-scale exhibition to look at life at sea in wartime, which will run until Monday 25 April.
Other events taking place include performances and tours linked to the stories of women featured in the exhibition and a talk by Dr Jo Stanley, author of ‘Gender and the Sea’, who will be revealing the women’s side of seafaring in the First and Second World Wars on Sunday 13 March.
International Women’s Day was launched to inspire women and to celebrate their achievements. A global web of diverse events taking place connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
Jim Forrester, Director of Imperial War Museum North, said: “It’s wonderful to be able to launch this new film to the public and shed more light on the personal experiences of WRENS.
“Launching the film on International Women’s Day seems particularly apt given the huge importance of the WRENS to the war effort, which only helped advance how women were perceived during and after the Second World War.”
Image: Imperial War Museum North
www.iwm.org.uk/north