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Women's Service Organisations of WW1


leon21

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The "Women's Emergency Corps" formed in 1914 by the Honourable Evelina Haverfield an Organisation which helped

organize women to become Doctor's, Nurses and Motorcycle Messengers to help Britain's War Effort.

Who also formed the "Women's Voluntary Reserves" ( WVR ) as a uniformed offshoot the same year. It was one of the

earliest wartime women's organisations to be founded.

These first voluntary unpaid unofficial women's service's were all founded and controlled by influential Ladies, the women

paid for their own uniforms which were Karki, the style adopted would influence the design of future women's uniforms.

The Marchioness of Londonderry went on to form the "Women's Legion" which was less exclusive in that it recruited

women from all classes, by 1917 most of these early unpaid volunteer women's organisations were redundant. But had

paved the way and provided experience for members of future women's services to come.

 

The "Women's Army Auxiliary Corps" ( WAAC ) was formed in July 1917 this was the first army unit for women, Privates

were called workers, NCOs were called Foremen and Officers were called Controllers or Administrators.

Coloured inserts in their shoulder straps indicated a women's job.

 

Red, was for Household Section.

Purple was for Mechanical and General Section ( except motor drivers ).

Brown was for Clerical Section.

Claret was for Motor Drivers.

 

The WAAC Workers uniform collars were brown and the lighter coloured collars were that of a Foremen/NCO.

 

In April 1918 the WAAC was renamed as Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps ( QMAAC ) when Queen Mary became

Colonel-in-Chief. A total of 57,000 women served with the WAAC and QMAAC during WW1 demobilisation commenced

following the armistice in Nov 1918 and on 1st May 1920 the QMAAC ceased to exist, although a small unit remained

with the Graves Registration Commission at St Pol until Sept 1921.

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Here's some Photo's.

 

 

Pic 1. a member of the Women's Voluntary Reserves,

Pic 2. A cap badge for the WAAC.

Pic 3. a photo of a Worker WAAC.

Pic 4. a photo of a Foremen WAAC.

Pic 5. a cap badge for QMAAC,

Pic 6. a photo of Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment soldiers and QMAAC member.

Pic 7. a photo of QMAAC tug-of-war at New Zealand Infantry base depot Etaples France 3rd Aug 1918.

post-3823-0-32442600-1424119818_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-58678500-1424119839_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-91413000-1424119894_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-41511600-1424119910_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-05323500-1424119928_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-28318800-1424119949_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-10138100-1424119972_thumb.jpg

 

Also medals to acting forewoman ( Corpral ) Doris Ann Whitmore (QMAAC) who served in France from Jan 1918 to Mar 1919.post-3823-0-45155500-1430145219_thumb.jpg.

 

And Medals to forewoman (Sergeant) Ada Mary Oliver (QMAAC) who served in France from Mar 1918 to Aug 1918.post-3823-0-79820300-1430145746_thumb.jpg

 

 

Here's the Women's Volunteer Reserve (WVR) Cap Badge, Shoulder Title and 2 Proficiency Badges.post-3823-0-47584800-1465230648_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-95749500-1465230662_thumb.jpg

 

And a Womens Volunteer Reserve lapel badge for 1915.post-3823-0-30309000-1465990529_thumb.jpg

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Part Two.

 

The Royal Air Force was formed on 1st April 1918 by combining the Royal Naval Air Service with the Royal Flying Corps.

The Women's Service the ( WRAF ) was formed at the same time, nearly 10,000 women employed on RFC Air Stations

Transferred to the WRAF on its formation.

There were two type's of women, the immobile who would only work near home ( the home defence ). and the mobile who

would work anywhere these would later be sent to air stations abroad.

The WRAFs were disbanded after the armistice, but were reformed as the WAAF in WW2 but lost the Royal Title.

 

Below are some photo's.

 

Pic 1. Maintenance WRAF members.

Pic 2/3 of Grace Berry a WRAF motor transport driver with 44 ( Home Defence ) Squadron at RAF Hainault Farm.

Pic 4. WRAF members arrive outside Buckingham Palace to attend a party for War Workers 1919.

Pic 5. WRAF members in Cologne 1919.

Pic 6. Call-up notice 1919.

Pic 7/8 WRAF members.post-3823-0-68704000-1424274639_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-74657300-1424274666_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-16794900-1424274691_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-81590400-1424274725_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-16378500-1424274748_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-48420500-1424274769_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-03834000-1424274797_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-91568900-1424274812_thumb.jpg

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Part Three.

 

The Women's Royal Naval Service was formed in Nov 1917, and was restricted to around 3,000 women who were only

allowed to do " Shore Work " mainly domestic work ie- Cleaners, Cooks, Waitresses. They later went on to do all kinds

of jobs thought to be unsuitable for women at the time, from Telegraphists, Clerks, Drivers and even Sail and Rope making.

The original WRNS only existed for 24 months being demobilised in Oct 1919.

But was reformed again in April 1939 for WW2.

 

Below are some photo's.

 

 

Pic 1. Portrait of WRNS member.

Pic 2. WRNS members at HMS Dolphin 1919.

Pic 3. WRNS and WRAF members at Warsash Air Station 1918.

Pic 4. WRNS household workers being demobbed.post-3823-0-84723300-1424277084_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-66399400-1424277103_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-03791300-1424277120_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-11974100-1424277140_thumb.jpg

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Here's a interesting photo of the Women's War Workers Parade at Buckingham Palace 1918, and a couple of posters.post-3823-0-25856600-1424897977_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-34095000-1424897996_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-90222600-1424898012_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

post-3823-0-40206100-1430151125_thumb.jpg

Part Four.

 

The Women's Land Army.

 

During the first world war, there was a shortage of farm labour in Britain, as men were conscripted into the forces.

There was also a need to grow more food due to the threat to supplies caused by U-Boats sinking British shipping.

So in Feb 1917 the Woman's Land Army was established, and women found themselves doing a wide range of jobs,

from dairy work such as milking cows, feeding livestock,sheep herding , working the fields, ploughing furrows to

gathering forage ect =. also felling trees part of the Forestry Corps to make pit props for the mines. By 1918 there

were over 113,000 women working on the land. Female labour alone was still not enough, so to meet the shortfall

in labour ,prisoners of war were also used, often working alongside land girls.

 

There were 3 sections to the land army.

 

Agriculture. ( food production ).

Forage ( haymaking food for the horses).

Timber ( tree felling ).

 

Other WW1 Women's Land Army Organisations.

 

(1) Women's Defence Relief Corps (WDRC).

Formed 9th Sept 1914.

Relief Defenders so women could undertake any work which would set free a man for fighting at the front line,

at it's peak 1916 to 1917 it placed 500 women on the land.

 

(2) Women's Legion,- formed in Dec 1914.

Formed a agricultural section it's aim to further the employment of women in agriculture who received an annual

grant of £200 from board of agriculture. But it concluded that it was to expensive to run in comparison with results

achieved.

 

(3) National Political League (NPL) - formed in 1911.

Formed a land council shortly after outbreak of WW1, sought to help professional middle class women ( and men -

especially disabled soldiers and sailors ) to find suitable work on the land.

But was perceived to be inefficient and of little practical value.

 

Below is a selection of photos.post-3823-0-28843100-1430150874_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-07460600-1430150894_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-81546000-1430150918_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-60296100-1430150940_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-14108900-1430150965_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-97447900-1430150992_thumb.jpgpost-3823-0-77556300-1430151011_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Women Munitions Workers.

 

Women working in the munitions factories were issued with their own badge after conscription had started in 1916.

These were intended solely for women engaged in urgent war work.

The badge had a brooch pin fitting on the reverse and had a stamped official number and makers mark, this badge

was made by Wylie & Co London.

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  • 1 year later...

Here are a few more photo's relating to the munitions workers and a Staffordshire china model of a female munitions worker

this photo from the book ( The First World War in 100 objects ) by Peter Doyle an excellent book.

first-world-war-centenary-women-at-war-2-638[1].jpg

img822.jpg

img827.jpg

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Here are some more photo's of munitions factory supervisors, the black arm bands worn by

some of the women signify the loss of a relative.

munitions-factory-supervisors-1_large[1].jpg

munitions-factory-supervisors-2_large[1].jpg

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