4 June 2024
Churchill War Rooms
Everyone
£20
Women of D-Day
Exploring the stories of the unsung heroes who played a vital role in one of the most significant events of the Second World War, IWM in Conversation: Women of D-Day sheds light on the contributions of remarkable women during the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944.
In an evening of conversation with acclaimed historian, writer and broadcaster Dr Tessa Dunlop, we pay tribute to the courage of the women who undertook pivotal roles in this historic military operation, exploring the personal stories of women working in intelligence, nursing, the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and across the Allied forces.
Following Dr Tessa Dunlop's talk, you will have the opportunity to ask your questions and engage in conversation about the subject. The evening will conclude with a book signing and exclusive after-hours viewing of Churchill War Rooms.
About Dr Tessa Dunlop
Sunday Times bestselling author Dr Tessa Dunlop has worked extensively on the role of women in the Second World War, exploring the stories of the women of Bletchley Park on the History Extra podcast and in her book The Bletchley Girls, in which she gets to know 15 women who worked at the famous code-breaking park.
In 2021 she published Army Girls, telling the first-hand stories of the last few surviving female veterans of the Second World War. Army Girls was also adapted into a BBC Radio 4 documentary.
Outside of the Second World War, Dr Tessa Dunlop has written extensively on the British Royal Family and the history and culture of Romania.
About the Book
Army Girls is the intimate story of the final few women who served in the Second World War and are still alive to tell their tale. They were female soldiers in a war Britain wanted to fight without conscripting women. It was a vain hope, by December 1941 for the first time in British history women were called up and a generation of girls came of age in khaki, serving king and country. Barbara trained to drive army-style in giant trucks and Grace swapped her servant's pinafore for battledress and a steel hat, Martha turned down officer status for action on a gun-site and Olivia won the Croix de Guerre in France.
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of conscription for women, Army Girls captures remarkable stories from the last surviving veterans who served in Britain's female army and brings to life a pivotal moment in British history. Precious memories and letters are entwined in a rich narrative that travels back in time and sheds new light on being young, female and at war.
Uniquely this moving Second World War memoir is embedded in the present day. Written in the midst of a global pandemic, the parallels and paradoxes between two very different national crises are explored in a book that honours the women who fought on in extreme youth and now once more in great old age.
About Your Host
Kate Clements
Kate Clements has worked at Imperial War Museums since 2006. She has curated a number of exhibitions at IWM London, including the permanent, award-winning Second World War Galleries, the Victoria Cross and George Cross Gallery Extraordinary Heroes and Crown and Conflict: Portraits of a Queen in Wartime.
Kate is the author of Total War: A People’s History of the Second World War and The Royal Family in Wartime. She has also delivered digital historical content, including a popular podcast series, Voices of the First World War.
About Your Ticket
As a charity, your IWM In Conversation ticket purchase helps IWM continue to tell stories for future generations.
Tickets cost just £20 per person (including IWM members) and include:
- Dr Tessa Dunlop’s talk within the impressive surroundings of Churchill War Rooms
- A special Q&A with Tessa, ask your own questions and join the conversation
- The talk culminates in a book signing and a personal meet and greet with Dr Tessa Dunlop.
- Then enjoy exclusive after-hours entry to the Churchill War Rooms.
In addition to your ticket booking, if you can, please purchase your copy of Army Girls from our IWM pop up shop on the evening. Every purchase you make supports the work we do.
About the Venue
Churchill War Rooms houses both the underground nerve centre where the British government directed the Second World War, including the rooms where strategic decisions regarding the D-Day landings were made.
Walk the once top-secret corridors and follow in the footsteps of the men and women who worked here during Britain's darkest hours, see personal effects left untouched for decades, and explore the life of one of Britain's most formidable figures.