0:00:02 > 0:00:06It's 100 years since the first pioneering women
0:00:06 > 0:00:08joined the British Armed Forces.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Today, women serve alongside men,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15together in combat, on the front line.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19If you can do it and you want to do it, you should be able to.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21To see how much things have changed...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- Love it!- How do I look?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26..five well-known faces revisit either their own...
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Morning, ma'am. I'm the captain of HMS Puncher.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30You called me ma'am, how sweet.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32..or a family member's military past.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35They just got stuck in.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37It was exciting.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39War was intense.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41From defending land...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- ..sea...- I don't want to go that way.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46..and air.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51These are the extraordinary stories of a century of women at war.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Today, double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes retraces her own career
0:01:02 > 0:01:04in the Army, and fulfils an ambition once closed off
0:01:04 > 0:01:07to women in the military.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12It's a Challenger 2 tank! I'm so excited about this bit!
0:01:13 > 0:01:17She meets a World War II veteran who was a trailblazer for women
0:01:17 > 0:01:19serving on the home front...
0:01:19 > 0:01:22All the boys were going off.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I was 17-and-a-half. So I joined up.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28You wanted to do your bit.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33..hears from the first ever woman
0:01:33 > 0:01:36to pass the elite All Arms Commando Course...
0:01:36 > 0:01:39There were no concessions. They made me feel part of the team,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43they made me feel that it was right for me to be there.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46..and gets the chance to train the next generation
0:01:46 > 0:01:50of young female recruits determined to serve Queen and country.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Lean slightly back. Take the one rope in the middle.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57I want to do the assault course.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I want to be up there on the ropes!
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Kelly Holmes bringing it home for Britain!
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Can she get there? One more yard! Come on, Kelly Holmes!
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It's gold! Kelly's won the gold for Great Britain!
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The sheer joy and surprise on the face of Kelly Holmes
0:02:15 > 0:02:18as she claimed the first of her two gold medals
0:02:18 > 0:02:20remains one of the most memorable moments
0:02:20 > 0:02:23from the 2004 Athens Olympics.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26In my eyes, you ran because you wanted to be good
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and you ran because you wanted medals.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31But before she became one of Britain's
0:02:31 > 0:02:33greatest-ever sporting heroes,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Kelly had followed another dream, to join the British Army.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I needed a career and, you know,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48I wasn't a girl that wanted to be a hairdresser or beautician.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I felt that, by going in the military,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54it would give me a bit of, again, identity, something different.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56I didn't want to stay just at home.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I wanted to feel that I could achieve something, meet new people,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03travel and possibly toughen up a little bit.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Kelly's desire to toughen up came from her childhood
0:03:07 > 0:03:09in Hildenborough, Kent.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I think back in the '70s, you know, it wasn't really
0:03:16 > 0:03:21the thing for a white girl to have a mixed-race child
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and growing up, for my mother, my mother was only 17 when she had me,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and so for her,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30you know, it was a pretty tough life
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and I didn't know my father.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35He left before I was one.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Kelly didn't let any of that hold her back, and her natural athletic
0:03:39 > 0:03:42ability soon caught the attention of her teachers at school.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I wasn't academic at all.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48But I loved running
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and I loved running just because I was good at it and I used to win.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56And it brought me alive and it gave me a sense of belonging.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01And it was because of my PE teacher, who was just, you know,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05a fantastic woman, and I think she knew when people needed help
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and pushed them in the right direction.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11And when an Army recruitment officer came to her school,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Kelly realised she could turn her love of sport into a career.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20When I was 14, I watched a - videos back then - of the Army...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Go!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Soldiers, the PTIs screaming and shouting at the other soldiers
0:04:25 > 0:04:27that were going under the scramble nets
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and over the 12-foot walls, and I wanted to be both.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I wanted to be the one getting down and dirty and the one,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34you know, shouting and screaming,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38so from 14 I pretty much knew what I wanted to do in life.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It was Kelly's PE teacher at school, Debbie Page,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51who believed that a life in the Forces
0:04:51 > 0:04:53could be a good fit for the lively teenager.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Wow, this takes me back.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Good old sports halls!
0:05:02 > 0:05:05You needed a bit of leadership.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06I thought the Army would give you a focus.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- Yeah.- Because you didn't want to be tied to an office.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Structure was probably good for you.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17For me, who was interested in sport or outside life, or whatever,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- I don't think there's many options. - If you think about it,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23if you were a girl back then who was interested in sport
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and you didn't want to necessarily go down the teaching route,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30then the life to be outside and to be active
0:05:30 > 0:05:32was going to be in the Army.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34With her mind made up,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Kelly's next task was to convince her mum
0:05:36 > 0:05:38the Army was the right career choice.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41After I decided I was going to be in the Army, I was 14,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I made her take me to the careers office and said,
0:05:43 > 0:05:44"I want to join the Army."
0:05:44 > 0:05:47They said, "Come back when you're 17 and nine months."
0:05:47 > 0:05:50When I was 15, I told my mum to take me again, just in case it changed,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and 16 and 17, until I could actually do my entrance test,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so we went every single year until I was old enough to get in,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59so she knew I wanted to get in!
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Shortly before her 18th birthday,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Kelly signed up to the Women's Royal Army Corps.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08It was the end of the 1980s,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12a decade featuring a high level of military involvement from
0:06:12 > 0:06:13British Forces,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17with the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the Falklands War.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21It was a time of huge political and social change.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Women were still struggling for equal pay,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26but as a result of changes to employment practice,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30the percentage of women entering the Armed Forces doubled.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33But before Kelly could find her place in the Army,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36she had to undergo her basic training,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40adjusting to a new life of discipline, routine and order -
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and that also meant getting to grips with her new uniform.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47So I've got my first beret
0:06:47 > 0:06:50from when I joined the Women's Royal Army Corps.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I actually had a big Afro then,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55so you can imagine trying to get an Afro into that little cap.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Yeah, I never looked that cool, really, I have to say.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I'll probably keep hold of that for ever.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's nearly 30 years since Kelly joined the force and today,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10she's come to the Army Training Centre in Pirbright
0:07:10 > 0:07:12to meet its newest recruits.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Kelly's curious to see just how different things are
0:07:18 > 0:07:19from when she joined up.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Her first stop, the dormitories.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24One thing that's reassuringly familiar
0:07:24 > 0:07:27is the high standards of laundry expected.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Show us your sleeves.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Do you still use starch or are you not allowed?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33We're not allowed to use starch yet.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- OK.- But we do the soap method.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Look at that. Razor sharp, that is.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Razor sharp.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44So, have you all had your kit chucked out your cupboards?
0:07:44 > 0:07:45- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Beds turned upside down?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Yeah. I'm glad they keep it up.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53How did you find drill? Because I personally...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- Drill?- ..find it quite difficult. - Yeah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I did get in trouble a lot on drill, to be honest.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Because I used to laugh. I thought it was quite funny.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02When you're a new recruit and you're camel marching,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04they say "halt", and you all bang into each other...
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- It looks really funny. - You all...- Yeah, exactly.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10But, no, it's all part of it, isn't it?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12But some things have changed.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17When Kelly trained in the late '80s, she slept in a women-only base.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Now the boys are just one floor below
0:08:19 > 0:08:23although, as you'd expect, there are strict rules.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25You've got about ten on this floor, females.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Any interaction with the guys or it's total separate?
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Total. You have to be separate.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I was told you're not allowed to pretty much interact,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- otherwise you could be chucked out, right?- Exactly, walk the other way.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Does it seem weird that you just can't say hello or...?
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Surprisingly, no.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- No? It is what it is? - Yeah, you just get used to it.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Kelly's interested to meet some of the male recruits
0:08:46 > 0:08:49to find out what they think of the new closer arrangement.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51All bulling their shoes.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Now, they should be perfect, because you're on your last week, right?
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- RECRUITS:- Yeah.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- Yeah? Not too bad.- Getting there.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03What do you think about why they separate you?
0:09:03 > 0:09:08If people were to start having relationships and, you know,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10sort of fraternising and stuff like that...
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- Yeah.- ..obviously then that can lead down the route of arguments
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and stuff like that, so I can understand why we're kept separate.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Can't be having any distractions off your training and stuff like that.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22- Mm-hm.- So it helps to keep you focused,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24helps you keep in that professional mind-frame.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27What's your perception of women in the Army? A good thing?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- Yeah, yeah, really good thing. - They should, shouldn't?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Something I've noticed is, they're a lot more organised than we are!
0:09:33 > 0:09:38- OK.- You know, especially when the girls get told to sort of do this,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41do this over the weekend, do this, do this, so it gets to Monday,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44everything's done and we're a bit like, "Oh, we forgot to do this."
0:09:44 > 0:09:48You have to tell them like to do one thing and then straightaway...
0:09:48 > 0:09:50And they're straight in there.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- Yeah.- And do you think it's good that women now have a chance to
0:09:54 > 0:09:58pretty much do any role in the Army, where before they maybe didn't?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00I think it comes down to the individual.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- Yeah.- There are some women that are a lot stronger than some men.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04That's a very mature approach.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Good luck for the parade and good luck for your careers.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- Thank you.- Thank you.- All right, take care. Very nice!
0:10:13 > 0:10:18Kelly's impressed by the attitude of the new generation of recruits,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22because now, unlike in her day, over a 14-week period,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25these young women will experience the same gruelling training
0:10:25 > 0:10:28as their male counterparts...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Hard, fast and aggressive, let's go!
0:10:32 > 0:10:34- Set. Go.- Recruits, move!
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Move.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Next two down.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40..learning to fight...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Ready? Fire.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43RIFLE CLICKS
0:10:43 > 0:10:48OK, your rifle fire's all right, rifle fire's all right, rifle stops.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50..and survive on the battlefield.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53What I'd like you to do, in pairs, work out where you are.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57The Army was the first of the three British military forces
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to open close-combat roles to women.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03100 years ago,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05the Army was also responsible
0:11:05 > 0:11:08for forming the inaugural all-female unit,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15By the Second World War,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19it evolved into the Auxiliary Territorial Service, or ATS.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23More than 250,000 women served during World War II
0:11:23 > 0:11:28in roles as varied as clerks, drivers and ammunition inspectors,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and as part of the crews that operated anti-aircraft guns.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33By the end of the war,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36it was acknowledged that women would be a valuable asset
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to a peacetime army and so, in 1949,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42the Women's Royal Army Corps was formed
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and for every woman who's served over the decades,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48horizons have been opened.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54I joined to travel,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58because travel was something which, when I was growing up,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01you only did if you were rich
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and things like that, so it was more for adventure.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It was in my mind to leave home.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10I wanted...just wanted to get away, that's all, and do something.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12So I went and signed on
0:12:12 > 0:12:17virtually the day I was 17-and-a-half.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23You felt a bit like a pioneer, because before that,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26they didn't accept women, but there were thousands of us
0:12:26 > 0:12:28at that particular time.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Today, women account for 9% of the Army,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and Kelly's joining some of them for lunch.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I'm a big believer in men and women should do the same.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Yeah.- I think if a guy can do it, then a girl can do it, too.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- What do you think?- I think at the end of the day,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49we're in the same job as them, if we can't keep up with them,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51then it's our problem, not theirs.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53I'd be with you on that, I have to say.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Do you think there's any particular challenges that women are facing
0:12:57 > 0:12:59currently that maybe men don't?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01What about having children, then?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I had my son when I was a little bit younger,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06which has now encouraged me to join the Army,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- so I can make a decent life for him. - OK. How old is your son?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- He's eight now.- Eight? Yeah. Oh, wow. If you don't mind me asking,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15who looks after your son while you're here?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Right now, he's with my parents. - OK.- Yeah, so he's quite far away.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22A lot of people think that if you've got a child you can't join the Army,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24but that's absolutely not true.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I mean, they help out with childcare, as well.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I'm lucky enough to have my family's support,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31so they're looking after my child now for me,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36but once I get sent to my section, he can come alongside with me.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- Looking forward to that? - Definitely, yeah.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- I've missed him.- And what about this? I mean, this is humongous.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45- Do you all get them tailored? - Mine is tailored.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Yours is tailored?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Even though I'm in the Army and I love being in the Army,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53I am so girly. Like, so, so girly, and at times you just feel like...
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Right, what am I wearing? Like, it's ridiculous.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- And you do look like a man in it. - It's so cool to speak to you all.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03I love it, I love being back here. I'm, like, oh, in my element.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09What's nice is you're seeing the men and the women side by side.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I just love their attitude
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and positive thinking around the fact that we
0:14:13 > 0:14:15just want to be the best we can be.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18We don't want to be discriminated against,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21but more heart-warming was the men saying the women should be given as
0:14:21 > 0:14:25much opportunities. I thought that was great.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Kelly's dream when she joined up was to become
0:14:28 > 0:14:31an Army physical training instructor,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34but first, she had to serve her time in a different Army job.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Determined to keep on the move,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Kelly decided to train as a heavy goods vehicle driver.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I used to drive these.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Double the clutch and all of that!
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Rrr!
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I was lucky I'd passed my driving test before I joined the military,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52though. So I had one step ahead.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Not only did Kelly deliver supplies and soldiers between different
0:14:55 > 0:14:59military bases, she also got her hands dirty.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It wasn't just driving,
0:15:01 > 0:15:06it was actually doing all the mechanical work on your vehicle,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09so obviously I learned a lot then.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Since the First World War,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14women were recruited as mechanics and to drive ambulances.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And when the world went to war for a second time,
0:15:21 > 0:15:22the British Forces once again
0:15:22 > 0:15:25called on female drivers to play their part.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29You must admit that the ATS look pretty good!
0:15:32 > 0:15:33In 1942,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Veronica Webb was one of the girls who responded to this call-to-arms.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a freshfaced 17-year-old
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and served for four years as a driver.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51We were all terribly keen to do our bit in those days,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55and all the boys were going off, I was 17-and-a-half,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57so I joined up.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03I already drove and I'd been in a garage with a friend, you know,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07just learning about cars, actually, for six months.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I eventually became a driver-mechanic.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14- Mm-hm?- And then I went to York and drove an ambulance...
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- You went to York? Oh, I was in York. - Were you?- Lovely there, isn't it?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- Yes, yes.- Yeah.- Yes, it was.- Gosh, so you drove an ambulance in York?
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I drove an ambulance in York, at York military hospital.
0:16:25 > 0:16:33Sometimes we would take very badly burnt airmen, really...
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Yeah?- ..to Lincolnshire, I think it was.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It was a long way, so you had to drive jolly carefully.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42That must have been quite difficult then, to see all of that.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Yes. I had to collect a whole lot of soldiers
0:16:46 > 0:16:49who'd come back who were mentally sort of...
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- Traumatised, I suppose, were they? - Traumatised, yes.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And they just sort of came out like zombies,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00you know, and I remember them being put into the back of the ambulance,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03you know... Very sad.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- They just found it unbearable, I think, you know?- Yeah.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12What do you think the men made of women doing their roles?
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Never had any nastiness at all.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19No, they were always delighted, I think, really.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The only sort of nastiness occasionally from some...
0:17:22 > 0:17:25..of the rather aggressive women that...
0:17:25 > 0:17:27..quite frankly, who...
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Well, no, the men couldn't be more pleased, I think,
0:17:30 > 0:17:36- that we were there, you know? - So you drove cars, ambulances...
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- And lorries.- Lorries.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Would you have loved to have driven a tank?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Yes!- If that was your option back then,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45would you have wanted to drive one of those?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I don't know, I don't think I would've been that optimistic
0:17:48 > 0:17:52in those days. I'd have been more likely to do it today.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55So lovely to meet you and, you know,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00from myself and I'm sure all of the women that are now in the military,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02we're really proud of the work that you did.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Thank you.- I'm going to have to hug with that.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Meeting Veronica was amazing. I mean, what a wonderful woman.
0:18:11 > 0:18:1492, full of passion and life, you know,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18said how much the military meant to her and, actually,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20she just wanted to play her part.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23We had a lot in common, you know? Both 17-and-a-bit when we joined,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25both drivers.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29I just hope that I'm going to look as good as her when I'm 92!
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Throughout their decades in service,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36women have always been pushing back the barriers
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and taking on roles traditionally seen as the preserve of men.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Against all expectations, in 2002,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Pippa Tatershall became the first woman to pass
0:18:48 > 0:18:53the notorious nine-week All Arms Commando Course,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55which is some feat.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Nearly half of all volunteers either drop out or are dismissed before
0:18:58 > 0:19:02finishing the course. Run by the Royal Marines,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05the course prepares soldiers to fight as part of the elite
0:19:05 > 0:19:103 Commando Brigade, Britain's highly trained rapid-reaction force.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14I was actually in Kosovo, and Commando Logistic Regiment
0:19:14 > 0:19:17were with me at the time on the same base,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20so I went and spoke to a few of the guys that I was training with
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and said, "Do you think this is a realistic thing to do?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26"What do you reckon?" And I spoke to my boss back in the UK, as well,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30and asked her what her thoughts were and she said, "Yeah, go for it.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- "What's the worst that can happen?"- Yeah, exactly. You fail.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35No-one's passed it, so, you know, that's it.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- How many were on the course in total?- There were three females.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- Three females?- So I think there was about 90 guys.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42What about accommodation-wise?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44The guys had the main part of the accommodation,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46which they were used to using,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50and there was a sort of side corridor that was a storage corridor
0:19:50 > 0:19:51- that they'd...- Oh.- So exciting!
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Yeah. But I didn't bother unpacking
0:19:54 > 0:19:56because I just didn't think I was going to stay.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- You didn't even think...? - No!- Right, OK.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Literally, every day I'd sort of, you know, wake up and go, "OK,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05it's another day, see how I get on and see how I do,"
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and then I'd go to bed that night, think, "OK, managed today,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11"let's see how tomorrow goes."
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Every volunteer gets three opportunities at passing the course.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18But Pippa failed on her first two attempts.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Feeling pressured from above to drop out,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24she was unsure whether to carry on.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I really didn't know if I was going to go back.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31I think the main driving factor behind it
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- was support from the guys on the course.- Yeah.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And the fact that they made me feel part of the team,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39they made me feel that it was right for me to be there...
0:20:39 > 0:20:41You didn't feel no discrimination whatsoever,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43they didn't make you feel inferior?
0:20:43 > 0:20:48No, not from the other people on the course, they were 100% behind me.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50So, what was the feeling when you actually did it, then?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It didn't sink in, it really didn't sink in for a while.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Slightly disappointing afterwards was, obviously, the sort of...
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Lots of different people saying, "Ah, but she didn't do this or that,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02"or she must not have had anything in her backpack,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04"or she must have had something like this..."
0:21:04 > 0:21:05They're just jealous.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08The only people that know that are the people that run the course
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and the other guys that were on the course.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Yeah.- There were no concessions and that's the great thing
0:21:14 > 0:21:15about the All Arms Commando Course,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18is their standards have been their standards for years.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- Yeah.- They don't change them and they haven't changed them.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Despite proving that a woman could pass the commando course,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Pippa's achievement still wasn't enough to break down every barrier
0:21:27 > 0:21:29for women serving in the Army.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34At that time, the law still prevented women from taking up
0:21:34 > 0:21:36close-combat roles,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39so, instead, Pippa found herself serving with the Commando Brigade
0:21:39 > 0:21:44support arm when she was deployed to Iraq in 2003.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Do you think having women in close-combat roles
0:21:48 > 0:21:49upsets the balance?
0:21:49 > 0:21:55Serving with 3 Commando Brigade afterwards and deploying to Iraq,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58there were situations where it was evident that having
0:21:58 > 0:22:03a female walk into the room, you know, created an atmosphere.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04- A change of dynamics.- It changed it
0:22:04 > 0:22:07but I think that when push comes to shove on the ground,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10you're there to do a job, and the guys are focused on it,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and that female's there to do a job as well.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16If the guys can't handle that and get on with it,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18then they're the ones that are not professional.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So, Pippa, I have to say I'm actually in awe of you,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23listening to your story
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and obviously being a fond ex-military person myself,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I think your story's incredible.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Now women as tough and determined as Pippa
0:22:32 > 0:22:34can serve in close-combat roles,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39but for those who came before, it simply wasn't an option.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Women have always proved in hard times
0:22:46 > 0:22:50we are equally as tough as the men, if not tougher.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I would have liked to have been a pilot on the front line, yeah.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56I was always told that you have to be twice as good
0:22:56 > 0:22:58to even be considered as an equal.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00I think there are more differences between men and men
0:23:00 > 0:23:02than between men and women,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and certainly that comes out in initial naval training.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's all about what's inside you, as an individual,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12and the heart and soul you put into training, and determination.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18But even before women were able to serve on the front line in battle,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21they were often in situations that put their lives at risk
0:23:21 > 0:23:23during times of war.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Over one million civilian women were recruited to work
0:23:26 > 0:23:29in munitions factories.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32One of the largest was Rotherwas, Hereford.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36To work in a place like this was very dangerous.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Women who hadn't handled machinery before
0:23:39 > 0:23:41were now being put in charge
0:23:41 > 0:23:44of kind of big, dangerous bits of kit.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The explosive powder itself is very toxic.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49There were the risks of explosions.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53There was also the risk from enemy attack.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57And, of course, we know that this factory came under fire
0:23:57 > 0:23:59with kind of a devastating effect.
0:24:00 > 0:24:07It was 27th July 1942, a night that factory workers Nancy Billings,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Amy Hicks and Nancy Evans remember vividly.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13We just all stood and looked at each other.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17But we never knew if it was genuine or not.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And then someone ran in and he said, "Get out, get out, it's for real!"
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And we just raced down the corridor.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- Yeah.- And we'd just got outside and they said,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28"The air-raid shelters are locked."
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And the next minute this plane came down
0:24:31 > 0:24:34and he came down so low you could see the swastika.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42I could hear these girls screaming and I thought, "Oh, my God.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44"Whatever has happened?"
0:24:44 > 0:24:49I don't know really how I wasn't killed, actually.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53But there was all fire and smoke and everything.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I never want to see anything like that ever again.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- No.- Oh, it was terrible. - I know, it was terrible.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Over 20 people lost their lives that day and many were injured,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13a sacrifice that civilians made for the war.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19It was the munition women who kind of really helped to win the war.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24They couldn't have won the war without the women munition workers.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Throughout history, civilians, alongside servicemen and women,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31have put their lives on the line for their country.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40Even in times of peace, the military continually train for conflict.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43For Kelly, this meant putting all her effort into becoming
0:25:43 > 0:25:45a PT instructor.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I actually failed my first selection, which I was very,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51very disappointed and gutted.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54But I went back onto my selection and passed...
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I say with flying colours but, you know,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I worked hard for it because I really wanted to be a PTI,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02that was just my dream.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Go.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07As Kelly transferred into the PT corps,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10fundamental changes were taking place in the British Army
0:26:10 > 0:26:12that would have a profound effect
0:26:12 > 0:26:15on thousands of serving women, like Kelly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Over 40 years since the formation of the Women's Royal Army Corps,
0:26:19 > 0:26:26in 1991, it finally merged with the Army to create one force.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Back and pick the cone up.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Do not knock the cones.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34But this meant there were fewer jobs in the new combined Army,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and female physical instructors like Kelly
0:26:37 > 0:26:39now had to endure selection all over again,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42in order to prove they could meet the same fitness standards as
0:26:42 > 0:26:44their male counterparts.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49When we amalgamated, a lot of the women had to then change trades,
0:26:49 > 0:26:50completely change trades,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and you can imagine that that was quite heartbreaking for quite a few,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56that their dream was to be a PTI, and a lot actually got out,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59had to leave the military.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Despite her disappointment, Kelly soon proved her mettle once again.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06When I did mine, there was around 30 of us.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08There was about 25 guys and five women.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10I was the only woman that passed and there were only two,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13three guys that passed, very, very hard,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and there was no concession for women, which I think's right,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20but that meant it was pretty tough to reach the standards and I
0:27:20 > 0:27:24just made sure I trained really hard to pass it because it was something
0:27:24 > 0:27:26that I wanted to do and, also,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I wanted to prove I was as good as the guys.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34As well as making her mark as a top PT instructor,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38she was one of the first to train men and women together.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Any questions? First three, stand by. Go!
0:27:42 > 0:27:46One of the occasions was that I have these potential
0:27:46 > 0:27:48officers all come into the gym.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Now, I'm only, what, 5ft 3in? And they're sort of nearly 6ft.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55They came into the gym and were all just chatting, chatting, chatting,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and being really disrespectful and I was just like, "Right, OK,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I've got to sort this one out." So I said,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04"You're going to go out for this run, a three-to-four-mile run,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06"I'm going to start at the back.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09"Whoever's behind me by the time I get back
0:28:09 > 0:28:12"comes into PT every morning at five o'clock
0:28:12 > 0:28:16"and every night after your duties, at seven o'clock."
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It was the year that Linford Christie won the 100 metres gold
0:28:19 > 0:28:21at the Olympic Games and in my head I thought,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24"Right, I'm Linford Christie," and I, literally, high knees,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28arms back and I beat this guy in on a sprint, so I beat all 30 of them,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32back in, they came in on their hands and knees, never said a word.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I wanted to be a good PTI. Didn't matter that I was a woman.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38And there, to them, it didn't matter that I was a woman.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41And if anyone turned round to me and said, "You do it,"
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I wanted to be able to do it. And that was key.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47And I think that was key to my success as a PTI.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It's time to find out how much of her training Kelly still remembers,
0:28:51 > 0:28:56and she's back in the trademark blue jacket of an Army PT instructor.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- Morning, ladies. - ALL:- Morning, Staff.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Right, OK, good.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Listening for your names. When your name's called out,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06come to attention and shout "staff".
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- Patak!- Staff!
0:29:08 > 0:29:09- Gumpan!- Staff!
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Corporal Hilson has arranged for Kelly to help out on a
0:29:12 > 0:29:13training session.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Recruit Percival, Staff.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- Nice...- Recruit Slate, Staff.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20- How are you?- Very well, thank you.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Yeah? Good, thanks.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Turn and face your left.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Right, OK, make sure you swing your arms across the body, body front,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- quick march.- RECRUITS:- Quick march!
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Unlike in Kelly's time,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37today, the men and women undergo identical training,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41with the aim that they'll then go on to serve side by side.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45You see the tree line over there?
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- RECRUITS:- Yes, Staff.- Go get me a leaf and bring it back.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Let's go. Off you go.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Don't be last!
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Keep moving, good. Get rid of your leaf. Get rid of your leaf.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Good effort. Show me your leaf.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Keep your feet moving. Keep your feet moving.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Going to start off by jogging.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Yourself off first. Peel off.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Everybody else follow on. Let's go.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- Two!- I love this.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12I love being back.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- No, it's really cool.- OK, stop.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I think you've got to have a lot of guts as a young girl
0:30:18 > 0:30:20coming in the military now.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25You know, perception of military, perception of females,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28would they come out butch? What do they look like?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31You know, these girls are breaking that mould,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and I think that's brilliant.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36That's good, well done. Keep your bums down.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Having been a physical training instructor for six years,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Kelly can't help getting stuck in.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46On your feet, up. All right, let's go.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- Back into normal jogging, off we go. - I can't get involved.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51I'll take over.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I literally would take over.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57I get itchy feet. I want to start, like that.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Do we understand? - RECRUITS:- Yes, Staff!
0:31:00 > 0:31:02One. Two.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Three.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Push out, girls, you're coming in too quick.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08Push it out to the edges.
0:31:08 > 0:31:09Get down, hurry up.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Fitness targets aren't set by gender.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Instead, it depends on which job recruits go into
0:31:14 > 0:31:16after their basic training.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Straight into the normal jogging.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21OK, run to the fence, get me a leaf and come back.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22Hurry up.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Hurry up, ladies.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Don't be last.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Today, there are over 200 roles open to everyone, from plumbers
0:31:30 > 0:31:34to combat medics to military police and HR officers.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38In your own time...go!
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Over the years, the Army's physical training for female recruits has
0:31:43 > 0:31:46changed beyond recognition.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Left.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50That's it. Clear.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52During World War I,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55with the prevailing attitudes of the time and the role servicewomen
0:31:55 > 0:31:59performed, fitness wasn't considered a priority.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02By World War II,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05physical training was starting to become more important,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08but the demands of war meant most women were hurried to their units as
0:32:08 > 0:32:10quickly as possible.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15During her own training,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Kelly would have to tackle an assault course like the one here,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20so after watching from the sidelines,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24she's volunteered to do a demo for the new recruits
0:32:24 > 0:32:25on how to scale a 10-foot wall.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29It will be embarrassing if I don't get over this.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Watching now for a perfect demonstration.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34Hand round the knee.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Go.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- Come on.- Are there any questions?
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- RECRUITS:- No, Staff.- Let's go.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48As well as showing the women how to do it,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Kelly's keen to find out more about the challenges they're facing
0:32:51 > 0:32:53in basic training.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55How do you think you've improved?
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Fitness has improved massively.
0:32:57 > 0:32:58- Yeah?- We did a run Saturday,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01and I knocked 20 seconds off my time already.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03- Brilliant.- What did you do before you joined the Army?
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- I was a stock controller. - What are you going into?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- Royal Engineers.- Royal Engineers? - Yeah.- OK.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Go.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Up to the top, lean back on the rope.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Be either side.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Kelly loved life as a PTI.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21But juggling her commitment to the Army
0:33:21 > 0:33:23with competing as an international runner
0:33:23 > 0:33:25would ultimately prove too much.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30I want to get to the top of the world and definitely to the Olympics
0:33:30 > 0:33:34and I can't see me being able to maintain the job that I've had
0:33:34 > 0:33:36and do my athletics to a great standard.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39So, in 1997,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Kelly had to make the difficult choice to quit the Army
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and focus on her Olympic dream.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49When I finally decided I was going to leave the military,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51I was quite upset.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55I thought I was going to be in for my full service, 22 years,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58I thought maybe then I'd get a commission, who knows?
0:33:58 > 0:34:00And, you know,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04it was quite emotional, but I knew that I played my part and I knew
0:34:04 > 0:34:06I'd achieved a dream of being in the Army
0:34:06 > 0:34:08as a physical training instructor.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11While Kelly's never regretted the decision she made,
0:34:11 > 0:34:12she's delighted to be getting
0:34:12 > 0:34:15another taste of military life today,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18especially when, over on the parade square,
0:34:18 > 0:34:19she's invited by the commanding officer
0:34:19 > 0:34:22to congratulate the latest batch of recruits
0:34:22 > 0:34:25who are about to pass out.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27ORDER IS SHOUTED
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- Congratulations. - Thank you very much.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32Well done. Does it feel good?
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- Yes, it does. Thank you.- You must have done well to be standing here,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- so congratulations. - Thank you very much, ma'am.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41And Private Bradshaw has won an impressive three awards.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Best Recruit, Soldiers' Soldier, as voted by her peers,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47and Fittest Recruit.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51I'm quite overwhelmed at the moment so it might take me a little while
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- to get used to it.- I kind of noticed that. It's brilliant.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56The Soldiers' Soldier one, that's quite important, isn't it?
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Because your peers...- Yeah, it's really nice to get that award,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01because your training's nothing without the people
0:35:01 > 0:35:04you go through training with, so, for me,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- that was a really, really nice surprise...- Yeah.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08..to know that the girls feel that way
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- is really, really a great feeling. - And where are you going off to?
0:35:11 > 0:35:13I'm joining the Adjutant-General Corps
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- as a Royal Military Policewoman. - Really well done.- Thank you.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- It was so impressive. - Really appreciate that. Thank you.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21ORDER IS SHOUTED
0:35:22 > 0:35:26I've loved today. I so wanted to get involved.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29You never know, I might join the reservists or the TA, you know.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I want to come back.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35If Kelly did decide to rejoin,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38a whole new world of opportunities would be open to her,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42and the one close-combat role that she'd relish is driving a tank.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Today, Kelly's meeting Corporals Townsend and Neil,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52who've both transferred into this training centre in Dorset
0:35:52 > 0:35:57to help bed in the first generation of female tankies.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01It's no different to any of the male training, and that's vehicle-based,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04fitness-wise it's the same throughout.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05I think it's great.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08It's not a challenge, it's an opportunity for us, you know.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10As a young lady, young girl, before I even joined,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I was always looking at the infantry
0:36:12 > 0:36:15and when I was told at the careers office I couldn't join the infantry,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18I said, "What job can I do
0:36:18 > 0:36:20"that's going to bring me closest to the front line?"
0:36:20 > 0:36:22And they said medic.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24- And so you did that. - So I said, "Sign me up."
0:36:24 > 0:36:25- Brilliant.- Yeah.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Although Kelly's eager to take command of a real tank,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30she must first undertake a crash course
0:36:30 > 0:36:32in a Challenger 2 simulator,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36all under the watchful eye of Sergeant Toby Popell.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- Hi. You all right?- Hi. How are you doing? Nice to meet you.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Good.- Are you up for having a go?
0:36:40 > 0:36:42- Yeah, absolutely.- Cool, let's get you on, then.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46While Kelly's getting just a brief taste of the simulator,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49prospective tankies would spend up to two weeks in this
0:36:49 > 0:36:52before being let out into the real thing.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Oh, my God, I so love this!
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Yeah, love it!
0:36:59 > 0:37:01So much fun.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05As part of their training,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07soldiers also learn what to do
0:37:07 > 0:37:10in the event of their vehicle flipping over.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Before we start, can I just ask, do you suffer from motion sickness?
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I have been known to on fairground rides, yes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20OK, that's not a problem. There are sick bags available for you,
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- should you feel the effects. - Oh, no.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25Let's do it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31This exercise couldn't be further from a fairground ride
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and has a sobering purpose,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35given the number of deadly attacks on vehicles
0:37:35 > 0:37:38in places like Afghanistan.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Brace, brace, brace.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46That was good.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50It's finally time for Kelly to realise her ambition
0:37:50 > 0:37:52of commanding a Challenger 2 tank.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55I'm so excited about this bit.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Now we've got sort of the first generation of women coming through
0:37:58 > 0:38:01- and what do you think about that? - I think it's a good thing.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04We need to move with the times and everything else
0:38:04 > 0:38:05and as long as they can do the job,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07- they're more than welcome to have a go.- OK.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09- Do you want to show me round? - Yeah, certainly.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13So you could be in these for a long time, right?
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Yeah. Yeah, you can be in these for up to about 10 to 12 hours.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20So what happens in terms of, I mean, practical stuff?
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- As in...?- Like going to the toilet, eating...
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- I will show you the toilet in a minute.- ..and sleeping, possibly.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28We do have a toilet on board.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31And we also have a kettle as well, which we can put our rations into.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33So exciting.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36This is a tank. This is a Challenger 2 tank.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37We're standing on top of it.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42I mean, really? And just hats off to all the guys and then, eventually,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46girls that are going to be using these in those situations.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53So, explain this. So, the gunman's down there, he wants the toilet.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- He'll have to stop.- Right. - Come over.- Yeah.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59- Do what he needs to do. - Even while you are sitting there.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- And he'll hold the bag for you as well.- Seriously?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04You're... No! Come on.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07HE LAUGHS
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- That's how close you have to be.- Yeah.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12ENGINE RUMBLES
0:39:12 > 0:39:13Guns live.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Gun front, mate.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Every tank requires a four-person crew.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Everyone good?
0:39:22 > 0:39:26A driver, a weapons-loader, a gunner and, today, Kelly as commander.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Having seen action most recently in Iraq,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43tank units also make up part of Britain's contribution
0:39:43 > 0:39:45to the Nato force,
0:39:45 > 0:39:50currently keeping tabs on Russian activity on the Estonian border.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53KELLY SHRIEKS
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The tank can reach a top speed of up to 31mph
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and with a combat weight of a hefty 70 tonnes,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10it's not wise for any enemy infantry to get too close.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19The main armament on the tank
0:40:19 > 0:40:22can hit a target from up to 5km away.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Kelly, lean forward. Yeah, if you lean forward, Kelly,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- we'll get it to flop over.- Do you?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31SHE LAUGHS
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Agh!
0:40:39 > 0:40:43At a cost of over £4 million per tank,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47any mistake from the crew could prove very expensive indeed.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Of course, depending on the weather and terrain,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57conditions can get a little wet.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Today is a training exercise,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04but it's given Kelly a valuable insight into how different
0:41:04 > 0:41:06her Army career might have been
0:41:06 > 0:41:09if the opportunity to command a tank had been open to
0:41:09 > 0:41:11women like her back then.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17The tank also has the ability to generate its own smoke screen...
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Come on! Go on, do it. Do it.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28..an invaluable asset that allows a vehicle to obscure its own movements
0:41:28 > 0:41:31from the enemy when crossing the battlefield.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50It was really good. It was just... It's just fascinating.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53There's four people in there. If you've got one woman, three guys,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55in a confined area for a long time, I mean,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58you're always going to have a banter but, at the end of the day, I think,
0:41:58 > 0:41:59as we've discovered
0:41:59 > 0:42:02through doing this programme, if you want to do the job,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05you go there to do the job well and that's what you think of
0:42:05 > 0:42:07first and foremost, and your crew are your crew,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10it doesn't really matter if they're male or female.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14I can see a lot of women wanting to do that.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17It was a lot of fun, I have to say.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Having fulfilled her ambition to command a Challenger 2 tank,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23it's time for Kelly to reflect on her own time in the Army
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and on what she's learned about the role of women in the military
0:42:26 > 0:42:29over the past 100 years.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It brought back a lot of great memories.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35What's come across out of everything that I've learnt
0:42:35 > 0:42:37from talking to both male and female
0:42:37 > 0:42:39is that they don't see the men and women.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42As long as the person does their job and does their job well,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44that's all that really matters.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47To think back to when I was 14
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and had this dream of wanting to be in the military,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55that I could join something that gave me a sense of purpose,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57gave me these skills and qualifications,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01allowed me to meet people from all different walks of life and then to
0:43:01 > 0:43:04bond really great friendships from that experience,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07it's something that's never left me.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10I've found the whole experience just amazing.