Roles Played by Canadian Women in WWII - Research Paper Example

Roles played by Canadian Women in World War II The Second World War tested the dedication and fervor of Canadians. It was a huge strain on the human resources as men were required to join the armed forces and they left behind many jobs. These jobs if left unhandled would have proved disastrous for the Canadian society. This is where the women of Canada stepped in. They fearlessly settled into roles previously thought to be suitable for men only. From labor-intensive jobs on farms and in factories to becoming clerks and drivers, Canadian women did it all to free up men who could go to war and serve their country instead (Hampf 2010). During World War II the first stand of the Canadian women was at the home front. Canada went to war in September of 1939. Canadian women mobilized immediately and within a matter of months they set up dozens of unofficial women’s corps all over the country. These groups were organized affairs with members numbering in the thousands. Patriotic Canadian women from across Canada joined these organizations, such as “Women’s Volunteer Reserve Corps”, “Canadian Auxiliary Territorial Service”, “Women’s Voluntary Services Division” and “National War Services”. Women worked on their own time and expense, enrolling in military related courses such as map reading and Morse-code signaling (Dundas & Durflinger n.d.). The female organizations also organized the drive for recyclable material. Women were responsible for collecting fats, paper, glass, metals, rubber, rags and bone. These materials proved to be invaluable while making war supplies. Women also helped by saving old tubes of toothpaste, unusable socks, and other things that may seem useless but were very precious for the war effort. During the Second World War it became common for women and children to frequently visit the junk yards in search for disposed metal and batteries. Those days, Canadian women prided themselves on being able to redo old clothes to make new ones, a second cup of coffee was a luxury and women were working with whatever they had (Sharp 1965). Canadian women were not only “making it” at home. Despite there being a restriction on women fighting at the frontline, Canadian women found and excelled in jobs that did not involve fighting but were equally important. These women contributed to the war effort by partaking in a wide variety of occupations. Men were being sent off to war and this created severe labor shortages in all areas. To fulfill the vacancies, women aged between 20 years to 24 years were initially accepted into “Selective Service” in 1942. These women worked in the service providing and manufacturing sectors. Also, many of these women took on the traditionally masculine jobs in shipyards and munitions industries. Up to 30% of the workforce in Canada’s aircraft industry in the Second World War era comprised of women (CBC News 2006). Many of these industrious Canadian women tell the story of workplace discrimination especially when it came to the remuneration package. Women were paid less than men and sometimes even the subordinate males earned more than their female bosses. The management of these facilities usually denied any request for an increase in pay by saying “that this was a woman's burden!" (Bruce 1985). Perhaps it was the collective effort of Canadian women at home combined with a severe dearth of manpower that encouraged the government to recruit women volunteers for full-time military service. The first call for women to sign up was very successful as more than 45000 women volunteered for many sections of the military nursing. Other than nursing, these women served as mechanics, parachute riggers and heavy mobile equipment drivers. During the Second World War, seventy-one women died working in the Canadian military (CBC News 2006). Canadian women did not let any adversity overcome their drive to fight for the right. Women who wanted to fly in the air force were politely turned down as it was not considered appropriate for women. But the British government had already set up a “women’s auxiliary force” in the “Royal Air Force” and therefore many Canadian female pilots paved their way to England and signed up at RAF to do their bits in the war. In 1941, the Canadian government finally realized that the dire shortage of manpower meant that women had to be enlisted as well. Initially, these women had the motto “we served so that men may fly” (March 2012). And they also served as cooks, clerks, hospital assistants, transport drivers and worked in other administrative and support roles. However, later on women were also being accepted to work in traditionally male roles of mechanics and parachute riggers as well. It was still too early to allow women pilots to go into combat. But slowly and surely the Canadian women became responsible for flying air ambulances and cargo planes as well (Brayley & Bujeiro 2001). In the year 1942, “the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force” was given a new name which was “Royal Canadian Air Force -Women’s Division”. Now its members were subject to the same terms and levels of service, order and responsibilities as their male counterparts. Furthermore, the women were allowed to partake in nearly all of air force related activities. The then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall L. S. Breadner wasted no time in appreciating the WD’s and said “You are a novelty to the Service no longer, and soon we shall wonder how we got along without you.” (Bruce 1985) The Canadian Women's Army Corps officially came into existence in August of 1941. It was entirely made up of the previously mentioned volunteer women’s organizations. Just like air force, its first purpose was to support in an administrative and clerical capacity so that men may be free to go to war (Gossage, 2001). Women served as cleaners, cooks, tailors and medical assistants. Later on in the war, women were also allowed to drive trucks and ambulances and become mechanics and radar operators. But this was still an auxiliary force with none of the ranking and discipline of a proper army. In 1942, after the RCAF finally CWAC was integrated into the Canadian army. These women were on par with their male counterparts in every field. Canadian army women learned vehicle maintenance, ciphering and decoding and signaling. Some became busy with spotting and range finding duties with the Canadian anti-aircraft units (Bruce 1985). It is interesting to know that the women got paid only 60% of what men were paid in the Canadian army. By 1943 this percentage was raised to 80%. But the women did not complain. The CWAC leadership felt that this decision to pay women less was justified because these women were not subjected to any training or operational hazards unlike the men (Dundas & Durflinger n.d.). “The Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service” was the last to enroll women for military duty. Women were initially allowed to only perform clerical and administrative duties but just like the other two militaries, women in the navy were also given bigger, better responsibilities of radar operators and coding technicians (Canada remembers women in the Canadian military 2011). One of these brave women was Elizabeth Muriel Gregory Macgill, also known as Elsie. She was the first Canadian woman to receive an Electrical Engineering degree. She also held a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. And she put her degrees to good use by becoming the world’s first female aircraft designer. Elsie was best known for being in charge of all Hawker Hurricane fighter airplanes. She thought up the method of adapting the Hurricane to fly in cold weather making the airplane instrumental in the Battle of Britain. Elsie was in charge of 4500 people who collectively produced more than 2000 aircrafts for the Canadian air force during the Second World War (Bourgeois-Doyle, 2008). In the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, nurses were in close contact with Canadian military operations. In 1942, these women became the first to have an official officer status amongst all the Allied Countries. More than two-thirds of the “Nursing Sisters” served abroad. All in all, nearly 5000 nursing sisters served in the Army, Navy and Air force. These women might not have been a part of the actual combat but their contribution to the war is no less than those of the soldiers. Many Nursing sisters served within the range of enemy guns and lost their lives as a consequence (Toman 2007). One such brave woman was Nursing Sister Margret Brooke. She saved her fellow Nursing Sister Agnes Wilkie in the Cabot Strait in 1942 after the S.S. Caribou, the ferryboat they were taking to Newfoundland, was attacked. Sister Margaret received the award of the Order of the British Empire for her heroic efforts (Women at war 2011). Military historian C.P. Stacey writes: “Although its formation had been undertaken belatedly and not without some misgivings, it had proved a triumphantly successful experiment. Without the CWAC, Canada’s manpower problem would have been considerably more difficult of solution.” Before the Second World War, Canadian women were not allowed to fight. But that did not stop many from taking on front-line roles and playing their part in making Canada a force to be reckoned with. The Canadian women of World War II set a precedent for the integration of women into Canada’s post war forces by proving themselves efficient and exemplary soldiers (Life on the home front: Women and the war on the home front 2003). The important role of the Canadian Women in World War II is undeniable. They worked for the success of their country and put in all their efforts to overcome the shortage of men. They worked in all professional fields which ranged from the military forces including the army, navy and the air force to labor-intensive jobs. They worked at the battle front as well as at home. The services that the Canadian Women performed in this war truly deserve praise and appreciation. Works Cited Bourgeois-Doyle, Richard I. Her Daughter the Engineer: The Life of Elsie Gregory Macgill. Ottawa: NRC Research Press, 2008. Print. Brayley, Martin, and Ramiro Bujeiro. World War Ii Allied Women's Services. Oxford: Osprey Military, 2001. Print. Bruce, Jean. Back the Attack!: Canadian Women During the Second World War, at Home and Abroad. Toronto, Ont. Canada: Macmillan of Canada, 1985. Print. Canada remembers women in the Canadian military. Veteran Affairs Canada. 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Dundas, B., & Durflinger, S. Dispatches: Backgrounders in Canadian military history. (n.d.). Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Gossage, Carolyn. Greatcoats and Glamour Boots: Canadian Women at War (1939-1945). Toronto: Dundurn Group, 2001. Print. Hampf, M M. Release a Man for Combat: The Women's Army Corps During World War Ii. Ko?ln: Bo?hlau, 2010. Print. Life on the home front: Women and the war on the home front. Canadian War Museum. 19 Sep. 2003. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. March, W. “[T]hey lived up to their motto, but they accomplished far more... “RCAF women’s division. The Royal Canadian Airforce Journal. Vol 1. 46-49. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Sharp, J. Second World War: Rationing recalled. The Leader-Post. 9 Oct. 1965. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Toman, Cynthia. An Officer and a Lady: Canadian Military Nursing and the Second World War. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2007. Print. Women at war. Veteran Affairs Canada.1 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Women in the Canadian military. CBC News. 30 May 2006. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Read More