Description
Object description
British civilian involved with Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in GB, 1982-1992
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1926-1944: family; education; outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; attitude towards Second World War; impact of war on Godalming. Aspects of period as wren and petty officer with Women's Royal Naval Service in GB, 1944-1946: reasons for enlistment, 6/1944; recruitment procedure; routine; social life; German Air Force raids; training; attitude of men towards Women's Royal Naval Service; promotion to petty officer; impact of Second World War on women's emancipation; pay and social life. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1946-1982: desire to attend Royal Veterinary College; marriage to Charles Besly; lack of knowledge of contraception; lack of interest in women's issues.
REEL 2 Continues: awareness of nuclear threat. Recollections of period of involvement with Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in GB, 1982-1992: learning of women's anti-nuclear march to Greenham Common, 1981; first visit to camp, 1/1982; description of camp; living conditions; attitude towards involvement with protesters; attitude of husband Charles Besly towards her role at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp; women only rule at peace camp; feminists at peace camp; living conditions, accommodation; treatment of women protesters by military personnel at RAF Greenham Common; latrines; weather conditions; support from local people; care of children at peace camp.
REEL 3 Continues: sanitation; lack of structure/hierarchy in peace camp; financial situation; decision of British government to change by-laws on Greenham Common and successful High Court action by women protesters from peace camp; story of her arrest; question of police behaviour towards women protesters; attitude of British military personnel at RAF Greenham Common towards women protesters; non-fraternisation rule for American troops at RAF Greenham Common; question of 'attack' on Secretary of State for Defence Michael Heseltine on visit to Newbury.
REEL 4 Continues: question of police behaviour; attitude of local people towards women protesters; story of visit by women from Marshall Islands to talk about birth of deformed babies due to nuclear fallout; relations between women in peace camp and morale; impact of evictions on morale; description of 'Embrace the Base' event, 12/1982; story of dancing on the missile silos in RAF Greenham Common base; question of maintaining non-violent stance; relations between Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp women protesters; support for women protesters by Bruce Kent; arrival of Cruise Missiles at base, 11/1983 and formation of 'Cruisewatch'.
REEL 5 Continues: role of 'Cruisewatch'; tracking route of convoys; attempts to prevent convoys of Cruise Missiles from reaching RAF Greenham Common; impact of arrival of Cruise Missiles on peace camp; methods of making life difficult for military personnel; increase in military and police presence; mysterious illness of some women; suspicion that women were being bombarded with microelectronic rays; involvement with research into microelectronic rays; question of Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) experimental use of microelectronic rays on human beings in United States of America.
REEL 6 Continues: symptoms experienced by daughter after period at peace camp; physical and psychological problems of women protesters; lack of media interest in suspected use of microelectronic rays on female protesters at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp; difficulty obtaining proof of use of microelectronic rays; attempts to intimidate her; difficult relations between women protesters and eventual split, 1986-1987; misrepresentation of women protesters by media; continuing medical problems of former women protesters; attitude towards plans for disarmament.
REEL 7 Continues: gradual removal of Cruise Missiles from RAF Greenham Common; continuation of Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp after missiles had gone, 1991; impact of experience on life; difficulties in adhering to non-violence; impact of protest on women's movement; situation at RAF Greenham Common, 1992; question of whether protest has inspired women to act on their beliefs.