Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Woman's work in war times

First up there is a new post over here:

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-sister-like-you.html

Now for today's post.


During the second world war saw many women working in wartime heavy industries in many countries including Australia, here in Newcastle hundreds of women were recruited to replace the men off fighting.

Around 500 men from Lysaght’s workshops alone were gone off fighting, the new spinner shop opened by Lysaght’s to make protective streamlined cowlings for aircraft propeller hubs, they were made of aluminum and had to be manufactured to extremely fine   tolerances.  This was a brand-new enterprise for Newcastle, those working there were taught by having to recondition 60 English made spinners for De Havilland Mosquito bombers, this work continued as a combination of local made and imported parts and by the time the plant finally wound up, they had made 900 spinners for the Mosquitoes, Beauforts and Lincoln aircraft.

The girls had to learn every job so that absences didn’t slow things down, they also had to wear scarves to keep their hair out of the machines, although there were accidents and if someone’s hair got caught in something like a drill chuck, the machine would have to be shut down and they would be lucky if they weren’t scalped.

In fact, women many countries worked in a variety of roles, including in the Australian Women's Army Services (AWAS) and the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). They performed essential duties that were previously considered to be men's work. 

They operated anti-aircraft batteries, searchlights they also worked with range-finders. Women also worked in intelligence roles and defensive roles. They drove transports and plotted coordinates


Women's contributions to the war effort helped to advance employment opportunities for women after the war, also their work during the war led to the establishment of the Women's Employment Board in 1943.

Women's work during the war led to women receiving 75% of the male wage for the same job.

 


15 comments:

  1. The women should have been paid even more for their courage and resiliency.

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  2. In the early 1940s, 8000+ workers were employed in the manufacture of ammunition and explosives, providing thousands of jobs for women who left university during the war. My mother travelled out to the Commonwealth Explosives factory at Maribyrnong for two years!

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    Replies
    1. Yes women stepped up and showed they could do the so called "mens jobs" and do they well

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  3. All the women did a great job it seems by what we are told. They also should have received more money than they did.

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  4. It is interesting that they never paid women the same as men for the exact same job. What do you think their reasoning was? I had a Great Aunt that worked for the railroad during the war. She was a fascinating lady.

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    Replies
    1. I feel at the time women were not highly valued and women were not paid as much as men and many still are not paid the same as men even when they do the same job.

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  5. The same phenomenon happened here in the States, too. Ever heard of Rosie the Riveter? Blessings, Jo-Anne!

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    Replies
    1. No I have not heard of Rosie the Riveter, but will Google her to find out more

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    2. When I checked Google I knew the image, just didn't ring any bells when I read the comment

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  6. It's unbelievable what physical work these women did.

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  7. Very similar in the US. Women still don't get equal pay even now.

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