The final episode of WW2: Women on the Frontline tells the remarkable stories of women who fought and worked alongside men on the front lines of World War II. From Soviet Russia to the Philippines and the beaches of Normandy, women played pivotal roles in the war effort.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko, known as ‘Lady Death’, was one of 2,000 female snipers in Soviet Russia, battling against the Nazi invasion. Her alleged tally includes 309 Nazis killed in less than a year. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, women were instrumental in the country’s liberation from Japanese control. They not only supported male guerrillas as nurses and couriers but also led squadrons of men into battle.
The episode also focuses on the contributions of female medical personnel, including those from Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service and the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce. These women cared for severely injured soldiers at two of the most dangerous western conflicts: Dunkirk and D-Day.
Plus, the stories of female war correspondents are highlighted. Despite being treated with suspicion by Allied commanders, three brave reporters broke the rules to bring us firsthand accounts of significant events. Martha Gellhorn stowed away on a hospital ship and found herself on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Rookie reporter Maggie Higgins was one of the first to enter the liberated Dachau concentration camp, and former model turned photojournalist Lee Miller experienced the heat of battle in Normandy. By April 1945, Miller was in Hitler’s apartment in Munich, where she captured an iconic photograph of herself in Hitler’s bath.
WW2: Women on the Frontline: Boots on the Ground airs on Channel 4, Saturday 17 August 2024, at 7:00 pm.
