12 Things You Need to Know About Women In The First World War

11. The First Women Police Officers Served During the First World War and were Known as Women Patrols

The first female officers served during the war. Although abiding to the same strict code of conduct as their male counterparts, the early responsibilities of these policewomen were to monitor the women around factories, communities and hostels, in case of wayward behavior. They also inspected women before entering factories to ensure nothing that could cause an explosion was taken in. Moreover, they also patrolled neighborhoods, railway and bus stations, and parks. During these years, two groups were established: The Women Police Service (WPS) and the voluntary patrols. The former was formed by Mary Allen and Margaret D. Dawson (militant suffragettes) and encouraged a more active type of work, warning women about indecent behavior. The latter group was coordinated by the National Union of Women Workers (NUWW), which condemned such active work of the WPS and took in women that had been arrested at protests and demonstrations. Their main aim was to encourage sympathy of thought and purpose among the women as well as promote the social, civil and religious welfare of women.

10. Propaganda was Misleading

The many posters created with appealing messages to attract women to join the workforce, organizations, and military as non-combatants, did not present an accurate picture of what their tasks would be like. They kept secret the hardships of single mothers, the terrible work conditions that women had to put up with, such as dealing with hazardous materials and long working hours, and the inability to keep their jobs when men came back from war. They presented a fantasized, patriotic and romantic idea about the jobs. However, the posters also aimed to reverse ideas a bit about male superiority and encourage women to join male-only jobs, influencing appropriate wartime behavior. The munition posters did not say anything about the toxic fumes, explosive chemicals and the intoxication women could suffer while working making shells. Nevertheless, a sense of patriotism, independence, and high pay rate motivated these women to get out of their houses and work.

9. Working Conditions were Unpleasant, Dangerous and Involved Long Hours

Although the pay rate for women increased (still lower compared to men), they still faced many dangers at industries and factories. It was often unpleasant, exhausting and it involved using dangerous tools and equipments and chemicals. Women at shells industries were exposed to TNT, which caused toxic jaundice. Factories were noisy, unheated and full of fumes. Many suffered illness and diseases such as cyanosis, headaches, vomiting, constipation, mercury poisoning and anemia. Three of the most devastating explosions occurred at the Barnbow National Factory near Leeds, where 134 people were killed, Silvertown in Essex with 73 dead and 400 injured, and the National Shell Filling Factory in Chilwell where 35 died.

8. Some got their skin turned yellow

The hundreds of thousands of women that worked in factories, were there for long hours under unhealthy conditions and were exposed to hazardous chemicals. The munitionettes, munition girls, who work at factories were also known as canaries due to their skin turning yellow because of contact with toxic chemicals. Those working with TNT (trinitrotoluene, an extremely toxic yellowish compound) pouring them into shells, suffered from toxic jaundice and turned their skin yellow. During that time, they worked with no effective protective clothing or safety measures, and about 400 of them were killed due to overexposure.

7. Thousands Joined Organizations and the Military

As the death rate of men were increasing in the battlefields, other men were forced to quit their job to make up for the loses. In that case, the government put pressure on women to form organizations or join existing ones, especially hospital jobs where they could serve in the front as nurses or be employed as cooks, assistants and entertainers. In the U.K, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, the Women’s Royal Naval Service and the Women’s Royal Air Force were created in 1916, 1917 and 1918, respectively. By 1918, more than 100,000 enlisted in these organizations, with about 9000 serving in France. Other organizations such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Women’s Land Army (farmers), Voluntary Aid Detachment, Women’s Volunteer Reserve and the Women’s Auxiliary force attracted thousands of women during the Great War. Some of these organizations also hold fundraising events to support their work at home and overseas. In the U.S, women were only allowed to join the military in 1916, and by the end of the Great War more than 22,000 military nurses and 10,000 in other support roles served at home and overseas.

6. Some were Initially Turned Down but Made their Own Ways to Help the War Effort

Besides rumors and gossip stories about women pretending to be men to join the conflict around the world, two real stories stand out. One was the story of Maud Butler, a 16 years old Australian waitress desperate to join the Australian army. She found bits of a soldier uniform, cut her hair, signed up and boarded a ship. At night she went out of her room, joined the men playing cars (who did not notice), and went to sleep later. However, on the following day a suspicious officer asked for her disk, and she thought it was because of her black boots (soldiers wore tan boots). The officer had not yet discovered she was a girl, but when Maud was told she had to pass a medical examination she confessed, and was later taken back to Australia. The captain of the boat said he would have let her come if the secret would have not spread around.

The other story is that of the Scottish doctor and suffragette Elsie Inglis. When the War Office refused her helped in 1914, she managed to go to the western and eastern fronts, and established Scottish Women’s Hospitals. She was also able to serve in Serbia, where she attended to the sick and wounded soldiers. She died a day after her return home.

5. They played football (soccer)

Many factories in the U.K allowed their female workers to play football, and join or set up football teams (the name soccer is only in the U.S). Working in large numbers and having time for leisure, the sport was actually encouraging as it was one way to building morals and personal health. Several women in munitions industries created their own teams such as the Dick, Kerr’s Ladies FC in Preston and the Blyth Spartans AFC, and played against each other. Many matches were set up to raise funds. In 1917-18, the Munitionettes Cup was created with the Blyth Spartans winning the championship 5-0 in their last match. Many matches were played in professional clubs’ grounds and were able to bring large crowds, from 10,000 in the first days to more than 50,000 one day in 1920. However, when the men came back from war, female footballing dwindled and many were forced to go home and take care of their families. The sport enjoyed some success afterward, only to be banned in 1921 and not to be allowed until 50 years later.

4. Women’s fashion changed

When World War I hit home, fashion was also affected by it. Although wrongly referred as Edwardian, due to King Edward VII, it is actually a reflect of practicality, orientalism and war. Many women started wearing shorter skirts, trousers, and looser-waist clothing. Russian peasant costumes, military look, loosed-corsets, shoes with heels, less jewelry and less lavish clothing were on the rise. This era also saw the birth of the modern bra, trench coat and one-piece bathing suit. It also saw the birth of two stars: Paul Poiret, one of fashion first great designer, and Jeanne Paquin, the first internationally famous woman in the fashion world. Fashion shows were set up in Britain and the US. They also served the purpose to raise funds for the war effort.

3. Suffrage movements got a boost

Although the suffragist movement appeared before the Great War, it gathered momentum during and after the same. Although giving rights to vote in New Zealand and Australia, and in some mid-west states and in municipal elections at others in the U.S, the same was not achieve yet in many parts of Europe. In England, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel Pankhurst in Manchester. Its members, known as suffragettes, used aggressive campaigns to gain rights. However, during World War I Christabel’s sister, Sylvia Pankhurst, departed from the organization due to suspension of suffrage protests and opposition of the war effort carried out by the WSPU. In 1918, the Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act, giving all men over 21 and women over 30 the right to vote. Lady Astor became the first British women to have a seat in Parliament. It was not until late 1920s that women over 21 years old got the right to vote. In the U.S, the National American Women’s Suffrage Association carried out petitions, parades, rallies and street speakers to promote the rights. Another organization, the National Woman’s Party, did several marches in front of the White House. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, allowing women over 21 to vote.

2. Many became widows and others stayed single

Due to the high mortality rate of men during the World War I, millions of women across Europe were left without husbands or the opportunity to marry. With the loss of more than 740,000 British soldiers, 1 million French, and 1.7 million Russians and Germans each, there was a lost generation of young men and husbands, and a surplus of women population. Although war pensions were given, they were in most cases insufficient to support the widows, which had to plead charities. Many were also restrained by political and social constraints of the time. After the war, several middle and high class women remain unmarried or single because of the lack of men in their social circle and some out of financial necessities. Some professions like medicine and teaching remained open but only to unmarried women.

1. Some were pilots

Although not many women were recruited in the military Airforce of their respective countries, many contributed to the war effort. Some helped teach cadets and few others actually flew during combat missions. The French “fiancée du danger” (danger’s ‘girlfriend’) Marie Marvingt, was the first women recognized to have flown in combat. An all-star athlete in many sports such as fencing, skiing and cycling she tried to join the infantry disguised as a man. Once ousted, she joined instead the Air Force and got the chance to fly. After dying in 1963, she was the most awarded French woman in history. In Britain, before the Women Royal Air Force (WRAF) was established they served in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. In 1918, those two merged and formed the Royal Air Force. When the WRAF was established it was voluntary and about 9000 women joined the service, divided into storewomen, technicians, clerks, household and non-technicians. In the U.S, women’s presence was also noted. Two young women, Katherine and Marjorie Stinson, helped trained over 100 Canadian pilots at their flying school. Recognized as the “flying schoolgirls”, Katherine was only 24 and Marjorie 18 years old.