The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing

This compelling book offers a unique perspective on D-Day and its aftermath through the personal testimonies of the Wrens who worked for Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay during Operation Overlord. Drawing on public and private archives, it reveals the untold stories of the women serving in the Women’s Roy...

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Main Author: Smith, Justin
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Open Book Publishers 2025
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Online Access:https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/97988
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author Smith, Justin
author_browse Smith, Justin
author_facet Smith, Justin
author_sort Smith, Justin
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This compelling book offers a unique perspective on D-Day and its aftermath through the personal testimonies of the Wrens who worked for Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay during Operation Overlord. Drawing on public and private archives, it reveals the untold stories of the women serving in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), balancing their wartime contributions with the strictures of secrecy and censorship. The narrative is framed by letters from these Wrens, which provide intimate glimpses into both the personal and professional challenges they faced during World War II. The book captures the atmosphere of war as experienced by British auxiliaries. It highlights the Wrens' vital but often overlooked role in the D-Day planning effort and beyond, revealing the surreal coexistence of the ordinary and extraordinary in wartime. Focusing in particular on the wartime archive of one of the Wrens, Joan Prior, the author brings to life the contribution of these women to the war effort, while also offering insights into British, French, and German morale and culture. This thoughtful and moving account adds depth to the broader historical narrative of World War II, making it a valuable addition for both the general reader and the professional historian.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1521362025-07-30T08:59:49Z The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing Smith, Justin Wrens;D-Day;Archival History;Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay;Operation Overlord;Women's Military Service;World War II;Women's Royal Naval Service;Family History;Letters;Memoir thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military This compelling book offers a unique perspective on D-Day and its aftermath through the personal testimonies of the Wrens who worked for Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay during Operation Overlord. Drawing on public and private archives, it reveals the untold stories of the women serving in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), balancing their wartime contributions with the strictures of secrecy and censorship. The narrative is framed by letters from these Wrens, which provide intimate glimpses into both the personal and professional challenges they faced during World War II. The book captures the atmosphere of war as experienced by British auxiliaries. It highlights the Wrens' vital but often overlooked role in the D-Day planning effort and beyond, revealing the surreal coexistence of the ordinary and extraordinary in wartime. Focusing in particular on the wartime archive of one of the Wrens, Joan Prior, the author brings to life the contribution of these women to the war effort, while also offering insights into British, French, and German morale and culture. This thoughtful and moving account adds depth to the broader historical narrative of World War II, making it a valuable addition for both the general reader and the professional historian. 2025-02-17T06:45:23Z 2025-02-17T06:45:23Z 2025-01-27T14:15:16Z 2024 book https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/97988 9781805114192 9781805114208 9781805114239 9781805114222 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/152136 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/97988/1/obp.0430.pdf Open Book Publishers 10.11647/OBP.0430 10.11647/OBP.0430 b014b543-78bd-4c3b-bc71-b68e2ac855b9 9781805114192 9781805114208 9781805114239 9781805114222 564 Cambridge open access
spellingShingle Wrens;D-Day;Archival History;Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay;Operation Overlord;Women's Military Service;World War II;Women's Royal Naval Service;Family History;Letters;Memoir
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
Smith, Justin
The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title_full The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title_fullStr The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title_full_unstemmed The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title_short The Birds That Wouldn’t Sing
title_sort birds that wouldn t sing
topic Wrens;D-Day;Archival History;Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay;Operation Overlord;Women's Military Service;World War II;Women's Royal Naval Service;Family History;Letters;Memoir
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
topic_facet Wrens;D-Day;Archival History;Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay;Operation Overlord;Women's Military Service;World War II;Women's Royal Naval Service;Family History;Letters;Memoir
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history::NHWR Specific wars and campaigns::NHWR7 Second World War
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHW Military history
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DD Western Europe::1DDU United Kingdom, Great Britain
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies::DN Biography and non-fiction prose::DNB Biography: general::DNBH Biography: historical, political and military
url https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/97988
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