Monument to the Women of World War II

The Monument to the Women of World War II stands on Whitehall in the City of Westminster, beside the Cenotaph and near the end of Downing Street. It is a hollow bronze sculpture shaped like a coat rack, 6.7 metres tall, recalling Winston Churchill’s words ‘Let the Women Come Forward’. Over seven million women contributed to the war effort, including 650,000 who served in military roles. The bronze was created by sculptor John W. Mills, who as a child had been evacuated during the war. Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the monument in July 2005, marking the 60th anniversary of VE Day. The Queen herself had served as a mechanic and driver in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Fundraising began in 1997 when retired Major David McNally Robertson found no British monument to women’s wartime work. A charitable trust was formed with Baroness Betty Boothroyd as patron and Dame Vera Lynn and Princess Anne as vice-patrons. The National Heritage Memorial Fund provided most of the money, while Boothroyd raised £8,000 on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2002. Public donations added over £300,000 to complete the project. The final design shows 17 sets of clothing and uniforms around its sides, representing the many jobs women took on. Visitors find the bronze coat-rack shape standing 22 feet high, with lettering matching wartime ration books. Each outfit on the monument—from the Women’s Land Army to naval and nursing uniforms—symbolises women’s varied roles. The unveiling ceremony included a flypast by five helicopters flown by all-female crews and two Tornado jets piloted by women. In 2015 the memorial was vandalised with red graffiti, drawing condemnation from Downing Street. The monument remains a place to reflect on the women who served both in uniform and on the home front.