At last, a memorial to the brave war women

For the thousands of men who lost their lives in the Second World War there are countless plaques and monuments all over the country.

But the efforts of British women who contributed have never been officially recognised.

Now a £1 million memorial in honour of the service and civilian women who worked in the armed forces, factories, or on the land has finally been given the go-ahead.

The bronze monument, 22 feet high and six feet wide, will be placed in Whitehall near the Cenotaph and is expected to be unveiled next year. It was designed by celebrated sculptor John Mills and comprises a bronze block with uniforms and working clothes worn by women during the war hanging from it.

Permission was granted for the sculpture following a six-year campaign by the charity Memorial To Women Of World War Two Fund, led by Major David Robertson.

The organisation applied to the National Heritage Memorial Fund for a grant of almost £1 million for a permanent memorial to honour the seven million women who played a part. The funds were granted today and the project is due to be completed by next June.

Dame Vera Lynn, who supported the campaign along with Princess Anne and Baroness Boothroyd, welcomed the news.

She said: "I was delighted when I heard that the money had come up and it is now full steam ahead. In 1990 I wrote a book myself about unsung heroines and women who won the war because I didn't think they had been recognised."

Major Robertson said: "This has been a huge team effort and one that has taken six years to come to fruition."