MATTHEW EATON

Virginia Vernon was responsible for the welfare of ENSA performers around the world during the Second World War. Her fluent French, a result of studying in Paris as a teenager, and her understanding of theatre after a successful career on Broadway made her an ideal candidate, so in 1939, the 46-year-old was recruited to bring morale-boosting entertainment to British troops in France. She soon discovered that "welfare" was a catch-all for many activities; much more than simply arranging accommodation for artistes and meeting performers on arrival. Battling grief after the loss of her husband, contending with male chauvinism in the Army, and travelling through the most inhospitable places, along the way Madam V won the support and admiration of royalty, the military, and the stars of stage and screen, gaining a fearsome reputation for achieving the impossible. This new study tells the story of her wartime journey, from Arras in 1939 to V.E. Day in Rangoon.