A Rehearsal Interrupted by War
In 1940, soldiers from the Royal Artillery Coastal Defence Battery at Shornemead Fort near Gravesend were rehearsing a Christmas charity show—in full drag—when a coastal alert interrupted their performance. Still in makeup, dresses, and bonnets, they ran to man anti-aircraft guns.
The Photographer Who Followed Them
Photographer John Topham was on-site documenting the rehearsal when the alert was sounded. He followed the men—some in helmets, others still in bonnets—as they ran nearly three miles to the fort. Topham captured them switching from performers to armed defenders in moments.
Images Censored, Then Published
Though some images appeared in War Illustrated in February 1941 under the headline “Miss Ack-Ack had a date with Jerry,” others were censored over fears that Nazi propaganda would exploit them. The full set wasn’t widely circulated until decades later.
A Snapshot Preserved in History
The photographs, once classified, now reside in the TopFoto archive. They were later featured in a BFBS podcast titled Soldiers In Skirts. These images, once suppressed, now document a unique wartime moment when duty came calling—petticoats and all.
In 1940, British soldiers in full drag—makeup, bonnets, and dresses—were rehearsing for a Christmas charity show near Gravesend when a coastal alert sounded. What followed was a surreal yet true scene: the men ran to man their anti-aircraft guns without changing clothes.🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/NbO4ISfSZH
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) March 24, 2025