Crafting the War Widows Quilt

Hear from some of the women who contributed to the War Widows Quilt project as they share their personal stories and reflect on the collaborative process.

The War Widows Quilt, on temporary display at the National Army Museum over the Remembrance Weekend, was made by over 90 war widows and their families from second-hand armed forces shirts. Its squares tell moving stories of love, loss and grief that connect women across generations.

Hear from some of the people involved in this project, as they share their own personal stories of loss and grief, and reflect on the collaborative experience of crafting the quilt.

About the speakers

Dr Nadine Leese

Nadine Leese is the War Widows Stories project leader and a Reader in Women’s and Gender Studies at the Institute for Literature and Cultural History at Liverpool John Moores University.

Moira Kane

Moira Kane is a war widow and Chair of the War Widows Association of Great Britain.

Mary Moreland

Mary Moreland is a war widow and veteran, having served with the Ulster Defence Regiment. Mary is currently completing a PhD with the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research at Northumbria University, where she explores the long-term psychological impact of sudden military death on adults who lost a parent during childhood.

Kate Thomas

Kate Thomas is a war widow and veteran, having served in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. Kate has served as a trustee for the War Widows Association of Great Britain and sits on the Scottish Veterans and Pensions Advisory Committee.