A-Z of the Second World War

W

Women. Many women wanted to help with the war effort. As men left their traditional jobs to fight more and more women went to work in factories making weapons, bullets, bombs etc (munitions). Other jobs done by women included non-combative posts in the armed service, firefighters, bus drivers, Transport pilots (flying the fighters and bomber planes to the air-fields for the RAF) etc. As the war ended many women were reluctant to give up the new found independence that came with having their own income. Lots of women worked hard to stay in the workplace but were up against stiff resistance from the returning men, the government (who wanted to reduce unemployment) and trade unions.

Two images of women in the new roles during the war. On the right they practice with weapons while the poster on the left explains that women are needed to free men to fight.