Woman’s work during war times

First up there is a new post over here:

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-sister-like-you.html

Now for today’s post.

During the second world war saw many women working in wartime heavy industries in many countries including Australia, here in Newcastle hundreds of women were recruited to replace the men off fighting.

Around 500 men from Lysaght’s workshops alone were gone off fighting, the new spinner shop opened by Lysaght’s to make protective streamlined cowlings for aircraft propeller hubs, they were made of aluminum and had to be manufactured to extremely fine   tolerances.  This was a brand-new enterprise for Newcastle, those working there were taught by having to recondition 60 English made spinners for De Havilland Mosquito bombers, this work continued as a combination of local made and imported parts and by the time the plant finally wound up, they had made 900 spinners for the Mosquitoes, Beauforts and Lincoln aircraft.

The girls had to learn every job so that absences didn’t slow things down, they also had to wear scarves to keep their hair out of the machines, although there were accidents and if someone’s hair got caught in something like a drill chuck, the machine would have to be shut down and they would be lucky if they weren’t scalped.

In fact, women many countries worked in a variety of roles, including in the Australian Women’s Army Services (AWAS) and the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). They performed essential duties that were previously considered to be men’s work. 

They operated anti-aircraft batteries, searchlights they also worked with range-finders. Women also worked in intelligence roles and defensive roles. They drove transports and plotted coordinates

Women’s contributions to the war effort helped to advance employment opportunities for women after the war, also their work during the war led to the establishment of the Women’s Employment Board in 1943.

Women’s work during the war led to women receiving 75% of the male wage for the same job.