Scottish Book of the Week

Voices of Scotswomen in Peace and War – Spoken recollections of Home Life, Employment and 19391945 War Service by Ian MacDougall, Birlinn, £25

In this fascinating book, Ian MacDougall has collected the stories of 19 inspirational Scottish women who served in the Second World War. These women, all born between 1918 and 1926, came from a variety of backgrounds but each one was plucked from their normal lives and thrust into chaos and danger.

Ian MacDougall, who has been pivotal in the recording of oral history, has produced a beautiful collection of stories that remain relevant. His decision to keep each story in the register and dialect of its female narrator has resulted in an authentic, deeply emotive book. You can almost hear the voices of each woman as you read their story, and the emotion is palpable as they recollect some of their most dangerous experiences. Jean Crosbie’s story reiterates the level of threat these women experienced on a daily basis – she escaped death when 26 of her colleagues were killed at Yarmouth by a German bomber. Not only did Jean survive the war, but she went on to study at Strathclyde University, eventually becoming an economics teacher at the Glasgow College of Technology.

While we often think and hear of women working in factories or farming during wartime, this book sheds light on the more secretive work of some impressive ladies, including Esther Cowpar, who worked for MI6 in the bunkers, decoding encrypted messages for the Home Office. While deeply inspiring, these stories are also emotional as the women narrate their tales of loss, of loved ones and colleagues, being separated from their families in a new environment at very young ages.

As young Scottish women, many of the stories tell of how they had to fight to prove themselves or, as May Kerr puts it, she had to ‘hold her own!’. The incredible strength of all of them is striking.

Rarely do they allude to how scared they were, but rather recall the fantastic friendships they made, and how proud they felt as they contributed to the war effort, with some maintaining the war years were the best of their lives! They have a great sense of humour, which makes them resonate even more – these were ordinary women who did some extraordinary things. Deeply moving and compelling, while offering a remarkable insight, this book will leave you in awe of the legacy of these incredible people, and truly thankful for their contributions to the peace we can enjoy today.

Review by Hollie Bruce.