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Women in industry WW1 and WW2

Worth a mention that the Forum has a short thread on Women’s contribution here...

Women’s contribution to WW1

Women played a key role on the homefront and abroad during WW1. Lets remember your female ancestors here. Here’s a taster of how this progressed during and after WW1. Viv. July 1918 Women workers rally July 1918 1915 December 1918
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Morturn said:
Young girls were working then, my own mom started work at 14, and that was sometime in the late 1940’s.
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Great photo contribution. I am currently reading a book titled Masters of The Post by Duncan Campbell Smith. The book informs us of the history of the postal service from 17th to 20th century and its development. While not specifically about womens significant contribution in war time there is an interesting history of women in the postal service in the books chapters. I think it is worth reflecting on issues raised by the author which more than likely not only affected women in the postal service but throughout manufactory, commerce, the professions etc. To start the author names a chapter (taken from words spoken by Postal Managers and not of his own design) "Men for Trenches, Women for Benches" and talks mainly about World War I. This obviously is a pointer to how women were regarded from the onset of The Great War (and before) Slowly but surely, with men firstly volunteering and then conscripted to the Western Front and Beyond, women were employed to replace males in the postal and telegraph services and brought effciency and most usually improved competence to many of the jobs. Of course this did not signify that their skills would be rewarded at a going rate, rather an amount somewhat less than their mainly absent male counterparts and at one time the PO cut the womens rate of pay! Women were obstructed in many ways in gaining long term employment in the Post Office before and after WW1 and the author recites management comments such as that to increase women in the work place will be difficult as there is a lack of female toilets throughout. Before the War married women were barred from taking up work opportunities in the Post Office . As a PO Committe put it - one of the bar's great merits was that it removed any incentive for young married women to put off child bearing in the interests of remaining at work. (Meta Zimeck: 'Jobs for the Girls-The Expansion of Clerical Work for Women 1850-1914).

In these photographs we see many smiling faces but I do feel it is worth reflecting on the plight of these women; the working conditions they suffered and the struggle they had/have for parity in the work place and especially in war time work occupations.

(With thanks to Duncan Campbell-Smith: Masters of the Post: The Authorised History of the Royal Mail:2011)
 
The first photo is of women workers who made shells at the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Co, Saltley and the second is of Tyseley munitions workers who made hand grenade shells on 11 hour shifts during WW1.

Viv

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
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we have so much to be grateful for with those generations, who not only sacrificed their lives for us, but gave their all in other ways my helping out in Industry, agriculture, hospitals,railways, bus's ,and civic duty's, as well as keeping the home fires burning, for the kids and elderly, thank you so much, we will never see their like again!!!!!
 
Birmingham is to have its first Company of the Women's Mechanised Transport Corps, and the inaugural meeting is being held at the Central Y.W.C.A. in Corporation-street this afternoon. Motor transport drivers are provided by the M.T.C. for nearly all the emergency services in London, but so far the only counties in which they operate, as organised companies, are Yorkshire, Herts., Surrey, Kent and Monmouthshire. Commandant Mrs. Griffin, who is on the left of the picture, will be the chief speaker to-day, and Mr. Victor Hamilton will take the chair.
Some of the new recruits are receiving instruction.
(Birmingham Gazette July 1940)


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Pedrocut said:
Birmingham is to have its first Company of the Women's Mechanised Transport Corps, and the inaugural meeting is being held at the Central Y.W.C.A. in Corporation-street this afternoon. Motor transport drivers are provided by the M.T.C. for nearly all the emergency services in London, but so far the only counties in which they operate, as organised companies, are Yorkshire, Herts., Surrey, Kent and Monmouthshire. Commandant Mrs. Griffin, who is on the left of the picture, will be the chief speaker to-day, and Mr. Victor Hamilton will take the chair.
Some of the new recruits are receiving instruction.
(Birmingham Gazette July 1940)


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Wisdom would have a lady/woman as a chair!
 
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