Elizabeth Xiao Period 3- Women in WWI: Women had many different jobs in WWI.
(PRIMARY SOURCE) This is a photograph from 1917. It's a group of female students learning the handling of auto vehicles and motor mechanics. Because of WWI, things of this nature from women had an increasing demand.
Marie Curie was a physicist who studied radioactivity. She invented mobile x-ray units (radiological cars) and used them to train 150 women to be x-ray operators on the battle front. This is a picture of her!
Every housewife in the U.S had to sign a card saying that they'd "carry out the directions and advice of the Food Administrator" to help with growing vegetables, etc. Up above was a wartime poster that encouraged food conservation.
"Hello Girls" was a unit and nickname that recruited women who were bilingual in French and English to serve as telephone switchboard operators on the Western Front for the US Army Signal Corps. Unforunately, they did not recieve veteran status at the end of the war. Up above is a picture!
Female Soldiers: Although the U.S didn't have female soldiers, these countries had women serve as combat troops: Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia. The first woman to lead a military unit was Maria Bochkareva from Russia. This is her up above!
The American Red Cross: Around 8 million women volunteered as Red Cross workers; making masks, gowns, surgical dressers, providing entertainment, etc. You could say that women were a huge part of the Red Cross.
The high demands for weapons during WW1 resulted in munitions factories being the largest employer of women during 1918. Munitions workers supplies troops with armaments and equipment. Up above is a picture of a munitions factory ^
During WW1, Britain formed WLA (Women's Land Army). It was an organization for women to help in farms and agriculture. Because of this, Britain's food production sky rocketed during the war. Up above is a propaganda poster of the WLA.
^^^ Women in the Navy during WWI:
Around 12,000 women were enlisted under the Navy. Many worked as truck drivers, radio operators, translators, camouflage artists, etc. Up above you can see women working as telephone operators.
Many organizations depended on thousands of female volunteers. By June 1918, there were over 3,000 American nurses in over 750 British-run hospitals in France. Up above you can see a female nurse assisting a doctor.
