Chiswick Women in War Exhibition at St Michael & All Angels
Display part of Remembrance weekend commemorations
Knitted poppies on the war memorial rood screen at St. Michael and All Angels Church
November 11, 2023
An exhibition is currently taking place in St. Michael and All Angels Church called ‘Chiswick Women in War’.
It is part of a series of commemorative events over Remembrance weekend.
The display tells the stories of three women named on the Church’s war memorials and the St Michael & All Angels World War 1 Project and four other Chiswick women with remarkable war stories.
These are:
- Violet Long OBE, the only woman from WW1 on the St Michael’s war memorials
- Violet Long’s sister, Florence Leach - Controller of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
- Mabel Harmer, the only woman from WW2 on the St Michael’s war memorials
- Lotte Moore, who died in July this year, and wrote the play Lotte’s War.
- Anthea Craigmyle and her mother Molly Rich, whose WW1 letters form the basis of A Vicarage in the Blitz, illustrated by Anthea and published 10 years ago in 2013.
- Patricia Davies, who was 100 this year and was awarded the Legion d’Honneur for her work linked to Bletchley Park. She spoke at this year’s Chiswick Book Festival and a recording of her 2020 Festival session with her late sister Jean Owtram can be watched on YouTube.
As well as being on display in the church, the exhibits can be viewed online.
Montage of Chiswick Women in War
The exhibition is being held in memory of David Beresford, its former archivist and churchwarden who led the St Michael & All Angels Church World War 1 Project, tracking the lives of the 128 people named on its war memorials.
From 2014 till 2018, to mark the centenary of WW1, David Beresford created illustrated panels which were displayed in the church, commemorating those who had died in each of the years 1914-1918. The stories of all 128 are told on the St Michael’s WW1 website, with maps and details of the roads where they lived.
David died on 31 December 2022 at the age of 82. You can find out more about David and his work here.
David Beresford on Remembrance Sunday 2017 with the film director Dr Gareth Jones, whose great-uncle Cdr Walter Sterndale-Bennett DSO is remembered on the panel behind them
The church’s Choral Requiem Mass service on Remembrance Sunday, 12 November, will begin at 9.45am to be followed by the procession to the Bedford Park Memorial Seat.
Over 500 poppies knitted by the congregation are displayed on the war memorial rood screen and the singing will be led by St Michael & All Angels Choir. All are welcome to attend.
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