Hi I am looking for info on Women in the army during ww2, My late mother always said she was a driver, I was looking for info on the best place to search, any information would be good, please. Regards, Skinn. Mick.
chances are you will find a lot of women in combat or close-support roles in countries that were actually invaded, or beleaguered. not so with the US, i'm guessing. the USSR had a lot of women in combat roles. in the UK, a 19-year old princess trained as a driver-mechanic.
The Rochambelles nurses march book http://www.marinettes-et-rochambelles.com/pages/JDM-1944-2trimestre.html http://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/les-rochambelles-ont-libere-la-france-en-1944-1439995
Here a couple links. One of them is a database with many external links to primary sources. http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/journey/rosie.html https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sets/world-war-ii-women-on-the-home-front/#top-nav
In the UK single women aged 20-24 without dependent children became liable to conscription, but only a small proportion actually ended up in the army. Women had the right of conscientious objection. Other single women were able to volunteer for the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), specially created for women.
I have a book called How to Serve Your Country in the WAVES or SPARS. Here's a HTML version. Over 3,000 women were employed by the USN Bureau of Ships. Volume One of that body's administrative history discusses their contribution to the war effort.
I don't think they were in the army but there were also those women pilots who ferried planes around for the US. I notice the OP didn't exactly make it clear if they were looking for info from a particular country or in general. The Red Army had a fair number of women in quite a few different jobs at least some of them combat oriented.
War Time Wednesdays - Elinor Florence a wonderful resource for women in WWII http://elinorflorence.com/blog KTK
My grandmother joined the WAAF and served with them in radar taking bearings and such on watch duty stationed somewhere in the South West of England; she joined when she was 18; she joined to have a say in what she should do; if she wouldn't have, she'd have been conscripted like all other young able bodied people; and wouldn't have had a say in the matter. Before war broke out, she thought about taking flying lessons, but because of the war; that was never meant to be.
Thanks for all the replies its been a while since I posted the article, Been away due to my wifes illness and of her passing away. As soon as I saw this about the WAAFs it seemed to trigger some memories so I will go down this road thanks again guys. All the best to you all and thanks again. Regards, Skinn. Mick
So sorry to hear about your wife, a most difficult lost. Here is a link to the "Night Witches" Russian light -bomber pilots who flew night missions over German positions. A noteworthy and well-decorated group. I believe there are several books about them Night Witches - Wikipedia Then there were the notable Russian women snipers who gave as good as the got if not more so. The USSR’s Extraordinary Women Snipers of WW2 Cannot recall the source but have read that women served in the Soviet army in combat and where a few crews "manned" tanks.
So sorry.. Not Army but I put this picture of my mom (r) and her sister (center) on FB for Veterans Day. SPARS training at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami Fla. Had duty stations in Omaha and Washington DC. Her uniform is in the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, Mass.
Cool pic indeed! Aussie women were front and centre in WW2...Vivian Bullwinkle the sole survivor of a Japanese massacre (despite being raped and shot) is a great place to start for Australian women in the war.
Let's see, Mother was in the WACs in the war. She started out in weather forecasting and ended up as a radar operator. Because of that, she had a fairly high secrecy clearance. Her one big wish was to go overseas but she had a silly little heart murmur so they wouldn't let her go. She would have been 100 yrs. old yesterday.
I found this piece of trench art at a flea market and spent a whole $5.00 for it. What was interesting besides the front was in the back tucked away behind the picture was her "Celebration of Life July 2,1909-August 20,2000". Her service was important enough to record for all to know that she was originally born in England and the family emigrated to Canada in 1911. She became a resident of the United States in 1917 and an American Citizen in 1937. She served with the Women's Army Corps from August 1944 to July 1946 attaining the rank of S/Sgt. A long road from England to America but so many stories out there that need to be told and that are lost every day. Not sure how the piece ever got to a table in a flea market in PA but as always I make sure to honorably take care of it.
