Dr Viv Newman : My War Too - The Children of the Great War
Long overshadowed by the evacuees of the Second World War, the story of those who were young in World War One has been almost long overlooked by historians. This talk explores how the tragedy of war impacted upon the very youngest members of society. From war games in the nursery to being held as prisoners of war, marvel at the courage and resilience of children across combatant nations whose world was irrevocably changed when the shot fired on 28th June 1914 in Sarajevo created the war’s first three orphans.
Another speaker returning to the branch; Dr Newman gained her PhD from the University of Essex for her thesis "Songs of Wartime Lives: Women’s Poetry of the First World War." A member of the Royal Historical Society, she was selected by the BBC as an‘Expert Women’ and speaks widely about women in WW1 on radio, national and international conferences as well as for specialist and general interest audiences. Known for disturbing myths and challenging received wisdom about women in the Great War. She has a number of books published by Pen and Sword, including: The Untold Story of Agent Régina Diana: Seductress, Singer Spy! and Children at War 1914-1918.