A fascinating, free talk at Melksham Library will examine how women changed their behaviour to fill the void left by their menfolk as they joined the frontlines during the First World War.
The talk, by Emma Shelley, will focus on some of the roles played by women, and how they began to flex their muscles in the theatre of war. What new skills did they have to learn, what pressures did they face, and what lessons did they take from it? Women paid a price for the war raging in Europe – what legacy did that leave?
The Role of Women in the First World War is on Thursday 25th May at 7pm. The talk is delivered as part of a five-year Heritage Lottery Fund supported project Wiltshire at War: Community Stories, which is creating locally-based exhibitions about how Wiltshire people were affected by WWI.
One of the exhibitions, A Call to Arms, which details how Wiltshire responded to the initial military demands of the war, is on display at Trowbridge Museum from May 20th to June 17th. Research for the exhibitions has been carried out by local museums and heritage groups from across Wiltshire.
A Call to Arms, plus three other exhibitions – Keeping the Home Fires Burning, Wiltshire Does its Bit and A Child’s War – are all available for hire, free of charge, to community groups. To book, or for more details, call Heather Perry at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre on 01249 705500.
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