This book was very good and informative about an issue i hardly knew anything about! what a wonderful book by such a powerful woman!

This Queer Angel
by Elaine Chambers
2019
unbound digital
5.0 / 5.0

The courage and bravery of Elaine Chambers blew me away! Her honesty and openness about her past experiences as a lesbian in the British Armed Forces and her desire to use these experiences, good and bad, to help others is truly admirable and inspiring.
Elaine joined the British Armed Forces- Army- in 1982, at the age of 21, as a student nurse and became a junior sister, in the rank of Lieutenant. In 1987, rumors of her sexuality began spreading. She was allowed to keep her position throughout the investigation. When Military police found out, she was forced to resign. Chambers suddenly became someone whose services were not needed because of her sexuality. Not her job performance, or ability. Some of the training courses she went through were months, and years long. It was never her veracity. It was never her ability....her rank kept rising. It was simply she was a lesbian, and that was enough. Because they could, they did. She lost more than her rank and position. She lost her pension, health and dental care, and everything she worked for and dreamed of.

This is an amazing story and I am glad she chose to share it, These are the stories we need to share, of overcoming the assumptions of patriarchy with intelligence and positive action. Elaine went on to form many support groups, and has been a source of enlightenment and support to many other whose services were no longer needed because they were openly gay.
Well-written, straight-forward with an honest and positive message, I loved this memoir. This story of humanity, survival, redemption, LGBT rights should be read and shared.
Thanks so much for Elaine Chambers and unbound digital for honoring my request for this e-book ARC, for review.
#TheQueerAngel #netgalley

An ok read. I found this book interesting.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Unbound for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

As a QA of 10 years experience starting in the early 70’s many memories were re lived in this book, training as a student nurse, stationed in BMH Rinteln, meeting my husband of 43years there and finishing my service at the wonderful CMH. There was great camaraderie and life long friendships were made, you can see someone after 40 years and pick up as if no time has passed, we worked and and played harder.
There were many in fathomable rules , you could not get married without special permission and writing the grovelling ‘I remain your obedient servant’ letters, having to leave if pregnant even if married, not being able to take a commission if you were married to a NCO, and of course no one was allowed to be ‘gay’
The treatment of this author was horrendous, but from her writing I really don’t think of it as a witch-hunt, this appalling series of events was started by a colleague and so called friend who told a complete falsehood, it was how it was dealt with afterwards that caused Elaine such trauma. Unfortunately there were good QA officers and to put it bluntly some real bitches, you always knew which ward you were allocated to would make your heart sink. Here we have something that could of easily dealt with with common sense and compassion but unfortunately once the military police and particularly the SIB were called it was a no brainier what would happen. SIB at this time consisted of personnel who whatever you said, what ever evidence you had just wanted your scalp. I remember so vividly how a Private and his wife were treated when they arrived at the CMH their baby having died of a sudden infant death, they were treated as child killers.
Fortunately time has moved on, and it’s due to the bravery of people who are willing to stand up and fight for themselves and others.
This book was to begin with immensely readable but the latter half not so much, I did find myself skimming an awful lot particularly the legal fights the group endured. It seemed very full of anger and angst and for that I was so saddened the Corps I Loved and still do treated one of its own and others in this manner.
I hope writing this book has been cathartic for Elaine.
My thanks to net galley and publisher Unbound for the opportunity to review this book honestly.