Civil Defence

Like men women are liable for compulsory civil defence duties and fire-watching outside their normal working hours. By administration women responsible for the care of children under 14, and others whose personal circumstances would make such a definite hardship, are exempted. And this compulsory enrolment of women for part-time civil defence work has made it possible for great numbers of whole-time civil defence workers, both men and women, to be released for other forms of war work.

So far, of course, we have glanced only at the military side of the mobilization of women, and a sketch of more elaborate industry story will follow, but this is the place in which to point out that, in thus applying conscription for national service to women, treading dangerous ground at every step, we in Britain have gone further than any other people engaged in this war in mobilizing the nation, and have cleared ourselves for ever from any charge of fighting this war half heartedly. We have proved that we meant what we said in the desperate but glorious days of 1940 that we would fight to the end with all we had.

  NEXT SECTION

    BACK TO MANPOWER INDEX