What did women do on the front line in World War One?

What were conditions like for women?

Illustrations of female World War One nurse, doctor, ambulance driver, WAAC worker

Women were not allowed to fight as soldiers in World War One. So they found other ways to help on the front line.

Conditions were dangerous for women travelling to the war zones. They were at risk from enemy fire.

Some worked as mechanics, cooks or doctors. After working long hours, they slept on uncomfortable camp beds and had to be up early for duty.

Women on the front line were very brave. For many this was the first time they had ever been away from Britain.

Why did the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps start?

By 1917 the Army was running short of men.

The War Office realised that some front line jobs which did not involve fighting were being done by men. They decided that women could do these jobs instead.

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Volunteers joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)
They wore green or 'khaki' uniforms: a small cap, jacket and skirt. They exercised every day, taking part in Morris dancing and hockey to keep fit. The WAAC was later known as later known as Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps.
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Women cooked for men in camps and hospitals
Meals included savoury rice, sea pie, duff pudding, plus food which is more familiar to us today such as stew and even curry! The food was often better quality than men had back home.
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Women took administrative tasks in the war offices
They received 24 shillings for unskilled work but up to 48 shillings for jobs with specific skills like shorthand or typing. They also answered telephones and passed messages to soldiers.
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Women repaired motor vehicles which had broken down
They worked with mechanics to identify problems and learnt how to fix them. They repaired trucks on the roadside and built new ones in factories.

Heroic women

Image caption,
Marie Curie in her laboratory in 1912.

Some women became famous for the way they helped soldiers.

Flora Sandes joined the St John Ambulance service. In the confusion of war she was enrolled in the Serbian army. She was the only British woman to officially serve as a soldier in World War One. She became a Sergeant Major.
Gabrielle Petit from Belgium was one of the first female spies. She gathered information about the Germans for the British Secret Service.

Other women became heroes for their work in medical roles.

Medicine and first aid

Before war broke out there were only approximately 200 female doctors.

A shortage of trained medical staff during World War One gave opportunities for women to take a wide range of crucial roles.

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Women went to France as Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses
They cared for the wounded and sick in 'rest stations', where soldiers had a few days to recover, and in convalescent homes, where they could stay until they were as well as possible.
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VAD nurses wore a blue dress and a white pinafore (a type of apron)
The rules were strict: no make-up, no long nails, always look smart, always carry scissors, safety pins and a pencil! VAD nurses often washed and cleaned as well as nursing their patients.
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Elsie Inglis set up 14 medical units close to battlefields
Elsie was a doctor and surgeon who helped the French and Serbian armies. She was captured and made a prisoner of war but was eventually released.
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Edith Cavell was a British nurse who tried to save all soldiers
In 1915, she helped more than 200 Triple Entente soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. She was arrested and killed by a German firing squad.
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Women worked as drivers for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
They went to France and Belgium to drive ambulances across the battlefields.
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Lady Dorothie Feilding became an ambulance driver in 1914
She was sent to Flanders in Belgium where some of the worst battles were being fought. She was the first woman to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery.

How did life change for women?

At first some women saw the front line of war as an adventure. They quickly realised the reality was harder and sadder than the stories they had read.

Women learnt new skills. Some worked as doctors, mechanics and in other jobs which would have been unthinkable before the war.

Like women at home they had tasted independence and didn't want it to end.

A woman at work in an armaments factory during World War One

Activities

Activity 1: Quiz – Women's jobs in World War One

Activity 2: History Explorer game

Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about World War One.

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