Thread: Women at Work During World War II

ON April 19, 1941, women born in 1920 were called upon to register for national service. In a broadcast explaining the scheme Mr. Ralph Assheton, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, said, "We cannot allow any healthy young woman to remain idle. We know women are ready to do what is wanted of them once it is made plain, and the compulsory powers will have to be exercised only in a very few cases. We are not going to call up women who have got young children to look after, or any woman who is going to have a baby. Neither shall we expect soldiers' wives to go away and leave their homes. Nor shall we call up women who are doing essential household work; the home life of the country must go on and many women in this way are enabling others to do important work, e.g. those splendid people who are now providing billets and looking after the children of others."

Chimney Sweeping was one of the toughest tasks taken on by Women

Street Lamps needed to be repaired after bombing by the Germans, this Lady was part of the repair team.

This Lady worked on the farm, seen here using a "Fiddle Drill" the "Bow" was drawn backwards and forwards to scatter the seeds

Milk ladies were seen regular around the city of London

Village Blacksmiths hired girl assistants as they found it hard to get young male assistants to see out their apprenticeships before being called up.

On the railway platforms Women were doing porter and ticket collecting work

A squad of Women on their corporation dustbin job

I have to say that must be the only photograph in existence of a woman with a ladder, extremely rare !

Originally Posted by Dave

I have to say that must be the only photograph in existence of a woman with a ladder, extremely rare !

Don't ponder too hard Killa, it is just a joke. A bad one maybe, but a joke nonetheless.

Originally Posted by Dave

Don't ponder too hard Killa, it is just a joke. A bad one maybe, but a joke nonetheless.

Interpretation required ..

LOL, have we found a gap in his education ?

Women's Voluntary Service (WVS), Air Raid Wardens, Auxillary Territorial Service (ATS), Women's Auxillary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), Special Operations Executive (SOE) [known as Secret Agents or Spies], Entertainers

Also, As more and more men were 'called up' to serve in the forces, women were called upon to take over the jobs traditionally done by men.

Women worked in the factories producing aircraft, ammunition, weapons and other goods needed for the war effort. They worked long hours and could earn as much

I can't help but admire these women who took on common male roles. Instead of doing normal household jobs as most women were in those days, they strove to support the jobs that were left behind when their husbands left. I bet the men were quite surprised when they came back home!

I like how they're all smiling in the pictures too!

Originally Posted by silver_song642

I can't help but admire these women who took on common male roles. Instead of doing normal household jobs as most women were in those days, they strove to support the jobs that were left behind when their husbands left. I bet the men were quite surprised when they came back home!

Yes, they sure took up the slack and stepped in. I've wondered how many women actually served on the front lines pretending to be men like they did in the American Civil War? I assume that by the 1940s, things had changed so much with the requirements for physicals and stuff that it was no longer possible?

Hmm, I tried googling it and couldn't find a clear answer, though there was another job for women that made them come to the front lines. War Correspondents were needed, and females took up that job.

Fighting-wise, I have no clue, but I'm sure that there was an increase in nurses and reporters at least.