Each and everyday, new headlines were released regarding the progress of the war. Some days, and these days were by far the worst, devastating news was released that Adolph Hitler and his German forces had conquered and ruined yet another region or colony. There was always news of how Jews were discriminated against and mistreated, and though it was unjust, no one dared oppose Hitler. However, it was not until after the war that people found out about the extent of the injustices the Jews faced. The news of war had been nerve-racking for me; I was no more than a young Canadian girl working in a factory, just trying to do my part and make ends meet. When I had signed up to work, I had just been hoping to make some money and help out my country. I had never really considered how emotionally stricken I would be by the knowledge that I was taking the place of a man who could be dying at any moment. Though I did not know these men, I became spiritually attached to them and truly understood the horror and fear they were experiencing at war. At the time, they were fighting in England. As I recall, in 1940, Hitler targeted Britain and brought chaos and devastation to the country for nearly a year. How could anyone know for sure that he wouldn’t do it again to a weakened Britain while our troops were there?
I tried not to concentrate on the war headlines, simply because I was afraid of what I might hear and what would happen next. For the most part, I stayed in the factory working long, tiring hours and concentrated on my work and keeping up with my male counterparts; or what still remained of the male workers who were not at war. I was proud of myself for being deemed suitable to work in the factory, but that didn’t mean I could slack off. I had jobs to do, and if they didn’t get done, our men would suffer and the evil German bullies would triumph. My pride quickly died out when in late 1943, news of the strike at the Rolls Royce factory in Glasgow broke out. Women were striking for better wages, and at first, I couldn’t help but think that maybe they were being a little greedy. The money should have been going towards the war effort, where it was needed most. Who really wanted to experience more of the devastation and suffering that was endured during the First World War? Besides, the money we were making wasn’t great on any terms, but it was enough for us to live. When the female strikers went on a street demonstration in Glasgow, protesters pelted them with eggs and tomatoes. Days later, when the truth came out, protesters put an end to their pelting. No one at my factory could believe it when they found out that unskilled males were being paid more than the women, and equally skilled men were being paid nearly double!
This was devastating for all of us female workers; but we continued to work despite the fact that we were being underpaid for our skilled work. I kept in mind that the forces needed our services. Headlines soon emerged that the Glasgow women had won a part-victory; they returned to work on the pay of a male semi-skilled worker. Women at my factory all agreed that, though it was still unfair, wages were at the very least improved from what they were before the strike.
Did you receive any upsetting news during the war? What did you do to cope with the news and did you fight back?
I understand what you have been going through with your paycheck. Wrens did not get it any easier too.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I first heard about Japan attacking Canadians in Hong Kong. I was training in Canada back then. I was grief-stricken when I heard that the Canadians were either killed, wounded, or placed in brutal Japanese war camps. A good friend of mine back home, Robert Moore, was part of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and he was one of the man sent to Hong Kong. It pains me to say that he did not survive.
When I first heard the news, I wanted to lie in bed and stay there for the rest of my life. Then I remembered that there was a huge war happening overseas. I knew that if he was with me right now, he would tell me to keep fighting. I trained very hard every day, and I was one of the few Wrens chosen to fight in the Battle of the Atlantic. His death stimulated something inside me I had never felt before. When the war ended, I could almost hear his voice right next to me saying, "Great job Fiddy, you made our country proud."
I never had much time to actually sit down and just read the newspaper. I usually got news from other nursing sisters or doctors that read the newspapers. This was all different after I was captured by the Japanese as prisoners of war in Hong Kong! I still had my job there as a nursing sister but being a prisoner, the Japanese would watch everything we do. I spent a lot of time at night sitting there reading the newspaper for leisure. The worst news I read was the British government stating that even though he knew the Canadians were inexperienced and would lose against Japan, he still had to send them there in order to put on some “defense” against the Japanese. They kept all the British men who were experienced to defend their other borders against Germany and basically just send the Canadians to death! I was feeling very emotional when I read the news because we had been trapped in Hong Kong for over a year and nobody had rescued us yet. I saw many of the Canadian soldiers pass away because they couldn’t withstand the conditions or got killed by the Japanese. I saw the British government as being very selfish but I figured this was war and what He was thinking would probably be my own if I was government. I just knew that I had to do my own job well as a nurse and no matter what it take, I had to survive in Hong Kong and make it back to Canada alive to show the Japanese we would not give up easily and to the British government to not underestimate Canadians!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working in England, the government was going out of their way to keep the country as optimistic as possible. That was especially important during the Battle of Britain, when the country was being bombed consistantly by the Nazis. I guess this was a form of cencorship, but it wasn't like Hitler. He was controlling everything, from radio stations to schools to the literature. The British government was just trying to boost the country's moral. They printed as much as they could about what was going on around the world, while trying to keep things positive. This was certainly helpful, however it made losses seem much more of a shock than they would have been had we been more prepared.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the newspapers. I have a very fond memory for them, since for many a time, they were my only friend and connection to the outside world. It was the only way I could keep myself updated with the news.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read about the tragedies of the war, it was quite disheartening. To see people treated in this way is not something one should keep in their minds all the time. Like you Riveter, I simply tried not to think about it. There was nothing I could really do about these things when I read about them. I had been relocated to a safe location after my last mission and I was "laying low." I would remain their until the end of the war, and so I would never have the chance to really fight back.
I'm glad though, that the workers were able to receive better wages! It is simply not fair to pay a worker with less skill a higher wage just because of gender! With this, we move one step closer to equality, justice and fairness for Canadian Women!
I remember being very attracted to newspapers since it informed me of recent events that happened throughout the world. I remember always being devastated hearing how many soldiers die daily at war. They will always be kept in my prayers and my condolences go out to their families. The newspaper is a great source of seeing how the world is doing and what is affecting our lives. I always loved reading the newspapers since advertisements and various propaganda posters were published in the newspaper. Being aware of world events and having knowledge on different crisis could potentially affect our lives; either negatively or positively. I only wish I could courageously contribute to the distressing events that I read about in the newspaper. Some of the events that occur are just so demoralizing.
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