Sunday, December 4, 2011

Women In World War II

Women in World War II

World War II took such a toll on the United States of America. Women were the vital point in the success of the war. They were the vital point because they were the ones supplying the men overseas with supplies; such as weapons, food, health supplies, etc… The problem with all the women working in the factories to assist their husbands or fathers was that once the war had ended they had to give up all their jobs and give them back to the men. This caused an outrage among most women because they wanted a job, they needed a changed from the traditional society they have been living. The returning soldiers wanted society to go back to normal, therefore by 1939, two million young girls found employment in domestic service at 25p a week. Some women still looked for work, and they found employment in the Civil Service as a teacher and nurse. Women in the force were not allowed to be engaged in military services and marriage, so once one option began the other was lost. Women were asked again to work in the factories, but this time was different. The items they were asked to make ranged from ammunition to uniforms to airplanes. Women of the factory put long hours into their work, some had to establish a better means of transportation to work. People that did not have very much money were left to live within the factories they work in to make a profit from the long tasks.
            Women wanted to have rights that they didn’t before so they were willing to do whatever it took to earn the rights they are owed. Women went on strike in the year 1943, at the Rolls Royce factory, this outraged men all around the states. The men seen this strike as unpatriotic and were pelted with rotten eggs, and inedible tomatoes. This riot of pelting lasted until the men soon realized that they were getting paid less than a unskilled labor man. During the Blitz on London, women became another important job. They were a part of the “Women’s Voluntary Service”. The WVS provided firefighters with refreshments and tea when the clear-up of the raid had stopped. The WVS consisted of one million members by the end of 1943 of which the organization started. The WVS consisted of mostly elder women, than younger women because the young women were already in the factories providing as much help as they can give. The WVS also provided as much assistance as they could and did whatever was needed of them. The WVS took in members of people that were homeless from the German bombings.
            A very intriguing task that women were apart of during WWII was they were asked to perform Secret Agent tasks. The tasks they were given ranged from various locations, but they were to gather as much intelligence as they could to support the allies and report back. This task for women was very risky, because women were not taken to be very high on the chain for importance so if they were caught at any time they were either tortured for information or worse, death.  
-Henry Piatek

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