The Alice Hawkins Company of the Leicester PAC is an all women's company that is made up for the city's seamstresses and boot workers as well as members of the Independent Labour Party. A militant company, with a militant history these ladies banded together firstly as various workers militias from the various factories where they proved that they where the equal to any male militia, both is politics as way of training and determination. These women's militias naturally banded together and a loose company or branch was semi formed but lack leadership and direction to form a cohesive unit, that is until Alice Hawkins, suffragette, socialist, one of the founders of the Independent Labour Party in Leicester and supporter of the trade unions and the labour movement, took to organise these ladies into a unified fighting force.
Hawkins using her various influences in the city's corporation council and trade council, her son was in charge of it when the civil broke, to gain proper training for the ladies they proved to be more that the equal of the male workers militia. Politically the views of the ladies where more to the extreme left, with members being for the Trade Unions, the Communist Party Great Britain, the Clarion Group, the Independent Labour Party as well of Labour Party members and other left wing groups. The one thing that unified these ladies was there belief in equal rights for all and their hated of fascism.
When Gerry Cobain took command of the Leicester PAC he started to reorganise them into a competent fighting force, looking to the city's militias and recruiting from them to build up his force, he naturally gravitated to the more militant units and these ladies under the auspices and influence of Hawkins shone out brightly. In a meeting between Hawkins and Cobain an agreement was reached and the Alice Hawkins Company of the Leicester PAC was formed from the women's workers militias.
Alice herself being to old to led the ladies into battle deferred the command over to Dorothy M. Adams, a member of the Communist Party and a teacher. Adams is know for her thinking out of the box and is a very hands on leader, believing that leading by example and deeds is as important as giving orders to someone to do. If Adams doesnt know how to do something herself she will often found learning how to do it, as an example, Adams attended technical school to learn cobbling so she could teach her sixth form girls how to mend the shoes of the Basque refugees being housed at Evington Hall.
The company is now formed, uniformed along the PAC lines is a "Socialist Green" shirt, khaki skirts and a red tie, and equipped with the latest equipment and arms the PAC has to offer. The Company's standard has been awarded and the know ready for action.
The Alice Hawkins Company Flag shows Alice Hawkins Suffragette and ILP roots as well as the Leicester PAC. The Suffragette tricolour and "justice" stand proud of on the flag along with the Suffragette slogan next to ILP and socialist symbols.
The figures are by Blind Beggar Miniatures and are rather nice and paint up lovely.
Have a nice day.
PK