Women of the Great War

By Bruce Shawkey

Women of the War is a 1918 book that chronicles the many contributions of women during war time, from nurses and doctors, to officers, working for the British armed forces during WWI. It is evident that Britain was much more inclusive of women in the armed forces than America was. We had nurses, of course, but the idea of soldiers and officers was incomprehensible to America, and to some extent remains so to this day.












Take the case of Miss Agnes Borthwick (right). No woman's work more directly furthered the war than her's when, within  one  year rose to  the unique  position — for  a  woman — of works manager in  a  great  munition factory. When  Miss  Borthwick  sees  the  trains  laden  with ammunition steaming out of the factory straight for Southampton, she  must  feel  with  justifiable  pride that she and her 4,00 girls are working for the country  as  vitally as the soldiers, who will fire the unceasing  stream  of  shells  which  the  girls  are  sending to  them day by day. 











Next up is Miss  Dorothy  Ravenscroft  (left) who, with the help of 12 women assistants, trains 40 horses at a time for active  service.  The mares and fillies are  mostly officers'  cobs  and  chargers,  and, as  at other  depots,  the girl  workers  do  the entire work  of  the  stables,  as  well  as  the  exercising,  grooming, and  feeding  of  the horses.


















Next up is Mrs. Hartley, who commenced her nursing service at the beginning of the war, and was still carrying on fine work for the sick and suffering when she met her death on March 7, 1917. The shell which burst near Mrs. Hartley robbed the world of a noble and heroic lady.













Finally, there is Miss Christobel Ellis (left) who offered  her  services as an experienced motorist to the French Red Cross beginning in 1914,  and  for  some months  drove for them, and also for the British Red  Cross  Society, in France. During the days of the battle of  the  Marne  and  the  heavy fighting near Paris, the  shortage  of  ambulances  and  drivers  was  so great  that  Miss Ellis sometimes drove for twenty hours at a stretch. 

These are just a few of the women featured in Women of the War.

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