Rations for Two – A brand new exhibition exploring maternity in the military opens at The RLC Museum

A new exhibition exploring the changing face of maternity in the military opened on Tuesday at The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Museum in Worthy Down, Winchester.

‘Rations for Two’ was officially opened by The RLC Corps Colonel Jacqueline Powell during an evening reception at the Museum, attended by servicewomen whose stories feature.

“This is such an important, and previously untold story,” says Miss Sam Jolley, Collections Manager for the Museum and Curator of the exhibition. “Prior to 1990, pregnant servicewomen wishing to have their child had to leave the forces, and many women made difficult choices between parenthood and their profession.”

Between 1978 and 1990, some 5,700 women left the three services because they were pregnant.

Included in the exhibition is the story of Corporal Natasha Day who on falling pregnant, was told that her partner could not live with her in married quarters due to being unmarried. This was in 2019.

Natasha went on to found the Defence Breastfeeding Network to support serving mothers, for which she received an MBE in 2023.

‘We need employers that are proactive and view mothers as an asset and not a hindrance and I am proud to say that the Armed Forces is a great champion.’ says Natasha, now parent to a four-year-old and still employed in the British Army as a medic.

Following the introduction of maternity leave for servicewomen, the army has developed its maternity, shared parental and adoption leave polices, and redesigned its maternity wear several times.

“The British Army introduced maternity policy before fully considering maternity wear to suit the changing shape of pregnant soldiers.” says Sam. “Rations for Two illustrates the story of maternity in the military through the development of maternity uniform, with examples on display from the 1990s to the present day.”

From the famous fawn maternity smock to the new MTP maternity uniform, this exhibition uses the development of British Army maternity uniform to tell the stories of mothers who serve.

The Museum, situated in Worthy Down, is free to enter and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30 to 4pm.