Gendered Perspectives on War and Justice

In this New Voices in Global Security Studies seminar, Sarah-Louise Miller shows how women in intelligence during World War II were at the forefront of the evolution of modern warfare.

Speaker:

Dr Sarah-Louise Miller - A Close Secret: Women in WWII Allied Military Intelligence

The current historical literature on Allied military services in World War II acknowledges women's military auxiliary roles but largely overlooks their significant contributions in the intelligence community. Sarah-Louise aims highlights the often-missed history of women in the RAF and the Royal Navy, emphasising their crucial role in gathering, analysing, and disseminating intelligence during major battles. By reframing women's contributions within the broader context of twentieth-century warfare and the importance of information and communication systems in battle success, this highlights the crucial role played by women. Sarah-Louise also explores how their intelligence work relates to the development of the modern 'kill-chain,' suggesting a need to reassess the 'combat taboo.'

Dr Sarah-Louise Miller is a historian of war and conflict, specialising in airpower and aviation, the Second World War and military intelligence and innovation. She is a lecturer in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a member of the King’s Intelligence and Security Group and the Laughton Naval History and Maritime Strategy Unit at King’s College London.

New Voices in Global Security is an event series, organised by the School of Security Studies EDI committee, which seeks to promote new research within the field of Security Studies, as well as new and innovative approaches to teaching the discipline.

The series showcases the work of PhD students and Early Career Academics working both within and beyond the School of Security Studies.