Women's role in the war

Question 1

what roles did women play during the war

Answer 1

1. Women worked in munition factories making weapons for the war this was very dangerous work
2. Women worked as conductresses on trams and buses. There were 250,000 conductresses by 1917
3. Many women worked in the ‘Land Army’ to ensure the country had enough to eat over 260,000 women as farm labourers
4. Some joined the Army, Navy and Air forces as drivers, cooks, wireless operators, typists or telephonists.
5. Some worked as nurses they ran field hospitals and drove ambulances
6. women also took over a variety of new jobs such as postwomen

Question 2

Men’s role in the war

Answer 2

1. Many men served in the army as soldiers they had various jobs to do such as machine gunning, cooking and tunneling
2. Sailors on ships worked as gunners, a signal man, stokers or cooks
3. Airforce pilots took part in spying missions to watch the enemy. Overtime guns were added to planes and pilots took part in dogfights
4. Not all men went to war some due to age others injury
5. reserved jobs included ship builders, munition workers and miners

Question 3

why women’s roles changed

Answer 3

1. Many men went to war so women needed to fill the jobs of these men
2. The country needed weapons for the war
3. The country required food
4. Some women needed to work to help their family. Men died whilst fighting their family received a war pension but it was often not enough money
5. Women were patriotic and wanted to help their country
6. Women wanted to work, they were bored of staying in the home and doing domestic duties