Women's lives and experiences

Question 1

What was a common organisation to volunteer with?

Answer 1

Voluntary Aid Detachment

Question 2

What did Voluntary Aid Detachment nurses do?

Answer 2

Not fully trained; generally routine duties. Field nursing services

Question 3

How many women served as VAD nurses?

Answer 3

Over 90,000 women served

Question 4

How many VAD nurses served overseas?

Answer 4

8,000

Question 5

How many women joined the workforce over the course of the war?

Answer 5

1.6 million

Question 6

What sparked the entry of many women into the workforce?

Answer 6

Shell shortage crisis. Upon Lloyd George’s appointment as Minister for Munitions in 1915, focused on increasing production-dilution

Question 7

Who was the largest employer of women?

Answer 7

Ministry of Munitions

Question 8

How many female munitions workers were employed over the course of the war?

Answer 8

750,000

Question 9

By 1917, what percentage of British munitions were made by female workers?

Answer 9

80%

Question 10

What were some of the issues with working conditions in munitions factories?

Answer 10

Many women-TNT poisoning due to chemicals used in explosives; harsh and dangerous

Question 11

How many women worked in the Land Army?

Answer 11

23,000

Question 12

When was the Women’s Land Army formed?

Answer 12

Early 1917

Question 13

What did women in the Land Army do?

Answer 13

Land Army aimed to address labour shortage in agriculture; increase British food production-could work in agriculture, timber cutting, foraging

Question 14

What were the primary differences between women and men in the armed forces?

Answer 14

Women were not given full military statues; generally took on non-combat jobs to free up men to fight

Question 15

When was the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps founded?

Answer 15

January 1917

Question 16

What did women do in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps?

Answer 16

Domestic roles-clerk, waitress, cook, driver

Question 17

What was the difference between women in the WAAC and men in the army?

Answer 17

Women enrolled and weren’t enlisted; no rank; disciplined in civilian courts

Question 18

How many women served in the WAAC?

Answer 18

57,000

Question 19

Why did many women join the Women’s Royal Air Force?

Answer 19

Hoping to learn a trade (however, initially, wages based on existing skills)

Question 20

What did many women in the Women’s Royal Air Force do?

Answer 20

Clerical workers

Question 21

How many women served in the Royal Air Force?

Answer 21

32,000

Question 22

What was the nickname of women in the Women’s Royal Naval Service?

Answer 22

Wrens

Question 23

What was the original job of women in the Women’s Royal Naval Service?

Answer 23

To take over UK based jobs of navy men so they could go on active service overseas

Question 24

By the end of the war, what were women in the Women’s Royal Naval Service doing?

Answer 24

‘Men’s jobs’-engineers, code experts, electricians; some took to water as crew

Question 25

At peak, how many members were there in the Women's Royal Naval Service?

Answer 25

Over 7000 members

Question 26

What happened upon the declaration of war?

Answer 26

Many feminist movements announced suspension of political agitation until British victory was achieved

Question 27

What was the stance taken by the Women's Social and Political Union upon the outbreak of war?

Answer 27

Called on men to enlist, advocated harsh treatment of conchies, called on women to do more in support

Question 28

What did the WSPU do in support of the war effort?

Answer 28

Newspaper, The Suffragette, changed name to Britannia at the end of 1915

Question 29

What did the Representation of the People Act do?

Answer 29

Gave women a limited right to vote; however, not a direct record for service. Enfranchised generally middle class and married; munitionettes generally working class