Remembering the Newspaper Headlines

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?

Remembering Work Conditions in The Factory

Work conditions in the Canadian factories were horrendous, to be brutally honest. We Canadian women worked like dogs to get difficult and demanding tasks done and were given minimal pay. Everyday, I would return from work exhausted, filthy, blistered and cut up. However, I was needed in the factory to take the place of the men at war and I was being paid enough money to support myself.

I worked nine long hours of excruciatingly tiring labour each day in the dirtiest conditions imaginable, and was paid very little to boot. I was responsible for manufacturing gun and ammunition parts that would be used by the Canadian and British forces in the war, and let me tell you, it was no walk in the park! My body ached, my fingers were tired and broken apart from working on the intricacies of the ammo and my entire body was infested with filth and dirt. My fellow women and I had never worn pants before the factory job came about, but now, we were dressed in head-to-toe coveralls and used rags to keep our hair tied up! I always forced myself to be content and kept the vision of victory in my mind, as an incentive to keep working. Occasionally, music would even be played to keep the women happy. The way I saw it, I was making money to support myself as a single young woman and was providing necessary supplies for the military.

By the end of the war, I was even starting to gain the respect and trust of my male counterparts. I had built up enough muscle to be seen as not only competent in their eyes, but trustworthy! Unfortunately, this all changed at the end of the war when the soldiers returned and claimed their jobs back. We were sent back home, as they had told us we would be, and were expected to go back to lives of ‘femininity’ and taking care of the home. I may have left the factory, but I received emotional and physical scars that would last for years. The condition of my hands was a constant reminder of the unbearable labour I was subject to, and I would never forget what it was like to work in the factories. No unemployed housewife could possibly have had so many cuts, so much muscle definition or so much work experience that I picked up by working in the factory.

What were the work conditions like for you? Did you come home with any scars, either mental or physical? Did you ever feel that you were treated unfairly as a woman at war and did you do anything to prove yourself?