Today's blog is about women who served in CWAC, the Canadian Women's Army Corps during the Second World War. Helen had two brothers who went to war, and wanting to serve her country as well, she lied about her age and enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps at the age of 17. Helen was stationed in Ottawa during the Second World War, working for the Directorate of Signals. She is proud of the contribution that women made to the war effort, and also of the precedent that they set:
“We proved to the old military establishment in Ottawa, in 1939, that there was a place in our armed forces for women who wanted to serve their country." There was still inequality, however: women were paid 90 cents a day compared to the men's salary of $1.30 a day. "But we didn't complain. Getting less pay than the men was no big deal. We were where we wanted to be. We were in the military and doing our bit to win the war."
"We set a precedent and opened the door for the next generation of young Canadian women who are in our armed forces today and who serve in all operational aspects in our military."
Evelyn served in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps as a driver.
Evelyn drove jeeps, taking officers to hospitals to visit the sick or wounded; she also drove trucks, taking troops to events, such baseball games. Like other women in the services, Evelyn was discharged after the war to allow men to return to their former jobs; however, the time spent in the army was good preparation for new challenges. “This taught you to do other things in other organizations where women hadn't stepped forward before. From being in service, it gave you a lot of confidence,” said Evelyn.
“We proved to the old military establishment in Ottawa, in 1939, that there was a place in our armed forces for women who wanted to serve their country." There was still inequality, however: women were paid 90 cents a day compared to the men's salary of $1.30 a day. "But we didn't complain. Getting less pay than the men was no big deal. We were where we wanted to be. We were in the military and doing our bit to win the war.""We set a precedent and opened the door for the next generation of young Canadian women who are in our armed forces today and who serve in all operational aspects in our military."
Evelyn served in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps as a driver.
Evelyn drove jeeps, taking officers to hospitals to visit the sick or wounded; she also drove trucks, taking troops to events, such baseball games. Like other women in the services, Evelyn was discharged after the war to allow men to return to their former jobs; however, the time spent in the army was good preparation for new challenges. “This taught you to do other things in other organizations where women hadn't stepped forward before. From being in service, it gave you a lot of confidence,” said Evelyn. Like Evelyn, Doris served in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, and found that she gained new skills and confidence from the experience.
Doris enlisted at the age of 21 and served with the Royal Canadian Army Ordinance Corps as a clerk. As a clerk, Doris worked in an Ottawa depot, helping to procure and issue the material goods required by the army, including clothing for returning prisoners of war. 
For Doris, serving in the army was an experience that she would recommend to other young women: “it’s a good opportunity to learn new skills, and also to develop self-discipline.”
For Doris, serving in the army was an experience that she would recommend to other young women: “it’s a good opportunity to learn new skills, and also to develop self-discipline.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment