British Army's highest-ranked trans soldier: 'I was living an act'

The British Army’s highest-ranked transgender officer has revealed that she felt like she was “living an act” before her transition.

Hannah Winterbourne began her transition in 2013 and is now in charge of over 100 other soldiers, reports The Mirror.

“I think initially it was a bit of a shock to some people, they weren’t really expecting it because it’s not something you come across every day in the Army,” said Winterbourne. “However I think people soon realised that it didn’t make a difference to my job. At the end of the day I can still do all the things I could do before I transitioned.

Going to to discuss her transition, Winterbourne said that it wasn’t the “easiest” thing to do, but she knew that she couldn’t go on “acting” for everyone around her.

“It’s about finding that courage to do it. And that’s not the easiest thing in the world. I was acting for everyone around me. There was no let up where I could stop that act. The point where I realised I was a woman but my body was wrong was around the age of 23 at Sandhurst.

She continued: “After I was posted to Germany I decided to go to the doctors and told them. And that’s when my transition process began.

“The British Army is a fantastic employer for trans soldiers. We’ve had policies since 1999 and it’s all really, really clear,” she added.

*Update: This story was edited on Jan 19. It was originally reported that Hannah was the British Army’s first transgender officer. She is in fact the highest-ranked.

British Army’s highest-ranked trans soldier: ‘I was living an act’

In This Article: