Description
Object description
British civilian wife of Gulf War hostage held in Kuwait and Iraq in GB, 8/1990-11/1990
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as wife of Gulf War hostage in GB, 1990-1991: family situation and husband Christopher's work abroad; awareness of situation in Kuwait and attitude to response of British Government, 7/1990; receiving phone call from husband Christopher on morning of Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, 2/8/1990; contacts with Foreign Office; reaction to husband Christopher's arrest and support received from family; receiving phone call from Foreign Office that husband had been taken from International Hotel in Kuwait City to Iraq; opinion of official British Government attitude towards hostages; financial situation; effect of husband Christopher's arrest on health and family life; contact with wife of hostage John York; receiving letter from husband; opinion of support received from Foreign Office; meeting with hostage Alan Barnett after release; writing letter in support of proposed visit to Iraq by Edward Heath; reaction to release of hostage John York; description of father-in-law Donald Fathers anti-war activities and effect on possible release of husband Christopher.
REEL 2 Continues: receiving first letter from husband Christopher, 10/1990; attitude to father-in-law Donald Fathers efforts to obtain husband Christopher's release; contacts with Jordan; public response to campaign for release of hostages; reason for anti-war stance; opinion of British Government's role in hostage crisis; opinion of Foreign Office counsellor; problem of postal communications with Iraq; role as contact for Gulf Support Group in Kent; sending messages via the British Broadcasting Corporation's Gulf Link; story of husband Christopher's attempt to communicate in code; opinion of media coverage of hostage crisis; opinion of Saddam Hussein; attitude towards media; writing letter of complaint about headline in Sunday Express Newspaper.
REEL 3 Continues: concern for welfare of children; question of media stereotyping hostages' wives; problem of uncertainty about length of husband Christopher's detention; story of father-in-law Donald Fathers proposed trip to Iraq to see husband Christopher and reaction of other family members; receiving first telephone call from husband Christopher, 11/1990; story of hostages' wives being invited over for Christmas by Iraqi Government.
REEL 4 Continues: role in helping father-in-law Donald Fathers to prepare for trip to Iraq; reaction to seeing husband and father-in-law on television in Baghdad, Iraq; release of husband Christopher and his transfer to Jordan; attitude to release of other hostages; opinion of father-in-law Donald Fathers mission to rescue husband Christopher; question of guilt about husband Christopher's release until other hostages freed; husband Christopher's state of health after release and reaction of children to return.
REEL 5 Continues: story of meeting husband Christopher at airport; husband Christopher's gratitude for father Donald Fathers mission to obtain release; reason for change in husband Christopher's pro-war attitude; reaction to Gulf War and concern for Iraqi people; attitude to husband returning to Kuwait after end of Gulf War, 1991; opinion of media coverage; sympathy for other families in hostage situation; further comments on attitude of Foreign Office and local Member of Parliament; reaction to hearing news of hostage committing suicide.