Women's memorial moves a step closer

Some 640,000 women served in the armed forces in WWII

A memorial to commemorate women's contribution in the Second World War has moved a step closer following a decision to move a statue of Sir Walter Raleigh from Whitehall.

Culture Secretary Chris Smith agreed on Tuesday to move the statue, which has stood for 40 years outside the Ministry of Defence, to the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, south east London.

Without the contribution of Britain's women, we would have starved, and our armies would have been defeated.

Culture minister Alan Howarth MP

Campaigners for the new memorial are now in talks with officials from the Ministry of Defence, English Heritage and Westminster City Council to locate it in the vacant space.

Mr Smith paid tribute to John Grogan MP and Major David Robertson, the organisers of the campaign, and said he hoped it would soon find a suitable home.

Last year more than 200 MPs signed a Commons motion backing the call for a memorial and £60,000 was raised towards its cost, including a £5,000 donation from Germany.

In contrast to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Britain has no memorial celebrating women's contribution to the war effort.

An estimated 640,000 women served in the armed forces, including 55,000 who provided armed air defences and many other who organised resistance groups, worked as air raid wardens, ambulance drivers and nurses.

Strong support

"Thousands served in the Land Army ensuring sufficient food was made available to keep our forces well fed," said Mr Grogan.

"Others flew unarmed aircraft as replacements for our air force. Others spent hours dedicated to breaking enemy codes

Culture minister Alan Howarth MP added: "Without the contribution of Britain's women during World War Two, Britain would have starved and our armies would have been defeated for lack of adequate supplies of arms, munitions and fighting personnel."

Mr Grogan, the Labour MP for Selby, has urged the government to site the statue on the empty fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square.

But Sir John Mortimer's advisory panel decided that a constantly changing display of newly commissioned works should occupy the site.