Woman at War

Auxiliary Territorial Service: Princess Elizabeth, a 2nd Subaltern in the ATS, wearing overalls and standing in front of an L-plated truck. In the background is an Austin K2/Y military ambulance

From the Imperial War Museum Collection. Image in the public domain.

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This page contains stories of women at war and women's wartime activities. You can access the stories by clicking on the women's names below.

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Here are some resources to help with this topic:

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Adie, Kate Corsets to Camouflage: woman and war Hodder & Stoughton (2003)

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Ashworth, Emily The Land Army's Lost Women Pen & Sword (2023)  

 

Antrobus, Stuart ‘We Wouldn’t Have Missed It For the World’: The Women’s Land Army in Bedfordshire, 1939-1950 Book Castle (2008)

 

Bales, Mitzi They said ‘No’ to War: British women conscientious objectors in world war 11

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Bates, Martha. Snagging Turnips and Scaling Muck : The Women's Land Army in Westmorland Kendal Helm Press (2001)

 

Brits, Elsabe Emily Hobhouse: Beloved Traitor Tafelberg (2016)

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Clarke, Gill The Women’s Land Army: a portrait Sansom and Co. Ltd. (2008) 

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De la Haye, Amy Land Girls: Cinderellas of the soil Royal Pavilion Libraries & Museums (2009)

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Gordon, Dee Voices from History: Essex Land Girls The History Press (2015)

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Griffiths, Gareth R Women’s Factory Work in World War One Sutton Publishing (1991)

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Hampton, Janie How the Girl Guides Won the War Harper Collins (2011)

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Harding, Phil The British Shell Shortage of the First World War Fonthill Media (2015)

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Healey, Robynne Rogers and Spencer, Carole Dale [eds.] Quaker Women, 1800–1920: studies of a changing landscape Penn State University Press (2023)

 

Ingham, Mary Tracing your Servicewoman Ancestors Pen and Sword (2012)

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Jolly, Emma My Ancestor was a Woman at War Society of Genealogists (2014)

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Kramer, Ann Land Girls and their Impact Remember When (2010)

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Macdonald, Lyn The Roses of No Man's Land Penguin (1993)

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Mant, Joan All Muck No Medals: Landgirls by Landgirls Book Guild Publishing Ltd. (1994)

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Marlow, Joyce [ed.] The Virago Book of Women and the Great War Virago (1999)

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Malcolmson, Patricia & Robert Women at the Ready: the remarkable story of women’s voluntary services on the home front Little Brown Book Group (2013)

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Newman, Vivien We also Served: the forgotten women of the first world war Pen & Sword (2015)

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Philo-Gill, Samantha The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in France 1917-1921: women urgently wanted Pen & Sword (2017)

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Rattray, Veronica My Land Girl Years Athena Press (2009)

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Scott, Caroline Holding the Home Front: the women’s land army in the first world war Pen and Sword (2020)

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Shipton, Elisabeth Female Tommies; the frontline women of the first world war The History Press (2014)

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Storey, Neil and Housego, Molly Women in the First World War Shire (2010)

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Storey, Neil R and Housego, Molly The Women’s Land Army Shire Publications (2012)

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Storr, Katherine Excluded from the Record: women refugees and relief 1914-1929 Peter Lang UK (2009)

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Summers, Julie Jambusters: the story of the Women’s Institute in the second world war Simon and Schuster (2014)

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Twinch, Carol Women on the Land: their story during two world wars Lutterworth Press (1990)

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Tyrer, Nicola They Fought in the Fields: the women’s land army The History Press (2016)

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Walker, Robyn The Women who Spied for Britain: female secret agents of the second world war Amberley Publishing (2015)

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Whittell, Giles Spitfire Women of World War II Harper Perennial (2008)

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Williams, M A A Forgotten Army: The Female Munitions Workers of South Wales, 1939-1945

University of Wales Press (2002)

 

Woollacott, Angela On her their Lives Depend: munitions workers in the Great War University of California Press (1994)

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The Women's Land Army and Timber Corps

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The Women's Land Army and Timber Corps in Scotland

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Red Cross Database of Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) workers

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Twenty Incredible Pictures of Women’s War Work From Our Newspapers The British Newspaper Archive

 

Women Conscientious Objectors of World War 11 British Library Sound Archive

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For more information about tracing those associated with the VAD see the Historical Musings blog.

 

Remembering British Women in World War 1 ​Facebook page.

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Nellie Etches 1891-1967 from Market Drayton, Shropshire – No Descendants, Women at War, Women at Work, Cheshire County Training College. 9 minute read.

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Bessie Jones 1891-1967 from Upton, Cheshire – No Descendants, Woman at War, Women at Work, Cheshire County Training College. 6 minute read.

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There are stories about women at war on our VAD Personnel page.

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