{"id":30004,"date":"2023-11-07T11:10:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T10:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=249373"},"modified":"2023-11-07T15:12:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T14:12:58","slug":"sisters-in-arms-women-at-war-during-ww1","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/sisters-in-arms-women-at-war-during-ww1\/","title":{"rendered":"Sisters in arms: women at war during WW1"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the First World War, women played vital roles in the war effort, working as nurses and ambulance drivers <\/p>

By Rhiannon Davies\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 07 November 2023 at 10:10 AM<\/p>

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When war broke out in July 1914, combat was very much seen as men\u2019s work. However, as the conflict dragged on, both the Allies and the Central Powers realised that they needed to rethink their attitude to who belonged on or near the battlefields.<\/p>\n

The war claimed staggering numbers of casualties, so both sides constantly needed to recruit fresh troops. But warfare wasn\u2019t just about going \u2018over the top\u2019. People were needed to drive ambulances, nurse the wounded, operate telephone lines, cook for the troops and perform a long list of other behind-the-scenes tasks to ensure that military operations kept running smoothly.<\/p>\n

Read more | Life in the trenches during WWI: your essential guide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Eventually, the British War Office realised that as many as 12,000 men were performing these crucial but non-combat services in France. In order to free up men to send to the front, recruitment began to find women to perform these roles \u2013 and many were eager to take up the challenge. In December 1916, the Women\u2019s Army Auxiliary Corps<\/a> was set up, its numbers eventually swelling to 9,000 in France alone; thousands more joined Voluntary Aid Detachments to offer nursing care. In 1917, Russia even formed a \u2018Women\u2019s Battalion of Death\u2019, though rather than a great stride forward for gender equality, this was merely a propaganda exercise designed to shame war-weary men into fighting harder.<\/p>\n
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