Women in the Armed Forces
In August 29th 1914 The Women’s Defence Relief Corps was formed in Britain under the support of Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener (the British secretary of state for war). The Corps was comprised of two divisions; the first being a ‘Civil Section’ which aimed to substitute women for men in factories so that man were able to stand up for military service. The second being; a ‘Semi-Military’ section where women were trained in drilling, marching and the use of arms in order to be recruited for the armed services. The women were advised that in the case of an invasion by the enemy they would be responsible of defending themselves and their families at the home front.
In order to support the war more directly the Women’s Army Auxiliary (WAAC) was also formed during World War 1. These women would enlist in the army to perform tasks such as cookery, mechanical and clerical work. These British women were sent to the battlefield of the Western Front in the most explicit way that had seen women be involved in war before. Through the introduction of The WAAC the men were able to be more available in the trenches against the German enemy. Approximately 80 000 women had served Britain as non-combatants by the end of the war. Women also became a part of the Police Force during the war. Some of their duties included crowd control, dealing with inappropriate behaviour in public domains and helping with air raids. |
“The dilution of the army by women can only
successfully be carried out if the whole Mother wit of women can be brought to bear.” - Millicent Fawcett |