Era of the Great War - war work

1. Era of the
Great War
War work: men
and women

2. War work: men and women
In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the types of work carried out
by men during the Great War
• Describe the types of work carried out
by women during the Great War

3. War work: men and women
During the Great War, men and women both played
extremely important roles in a variety of jobs, both
abroad and on the Home Front.

4. War work: men and women
Men’s
work

5. War work: men and women
The most obvious role
that men played during
the war was fighting as
part of the military.
British military men
served in either the
army, navy or air force,
whether they were
conscripted or had
chosen to fight.

6. War work: men and women
The biggest number of
men served in the army.
As soldiers they had
various jobs to do. This
included serving in the
trenches, but also
included specialist skills
such as machine
gunning, tunnelling or
even cooking.

7. War work: men and women
The navy played a role in
fighting and also
ensuring supplies
reached Britain (or didn’t
get elsewhere).
Sailors on ships might
work as gunners, a signal
man, stokers, or cooks.
Other men served on
submarines.

8. War work: men and women
The air force was the
smallest part of Britain’s
military.
Airforce pilots at first
took part in spying
missions to watch the
enemy. Over time guns
were added to planes
and pilots took part in
dog fights.

9. War work: men and women
Not all men went to war:
some were not of age to
be conscripted (18-41)
or they were rejected
due to injury, etc.
However others stayed
because they worked in
reserved occupations
(jobs which meant they
wouldn’t be conscripted)

10. War work: men and women
Examples of reserved
jobs included
shipbuilders, munitions
workers and miners.
This was because these
jobs were an essential
part of the war effort, so
these men were needed
at home to support
military efforts.

11. War work: men and women
Other jobs were
reserved because these
roles helped the country
continue to function.
Examples of these jobs
included bus and train
drivers, doctors and also
farmers (to ensure the
country had enough
food during the war).

12. War work: men and women
Women’s
work

13. War work: men and women
When men went off to
fight in the war
(especially after the
introduction of
conscription in 1916),
this left numerous jobs
which needed done.
Women stepped into
various jobs to support
the country’s war effort.

14. War work: men and women
Women worked in
different jobs that kept
the country going,
including bus
conductors.
In Glasgow, women
helped run the transport
system. Eliza Orr became
the first woman tram
driver.

15. War work: men and women
The Women’s Land
Army was a key part of
Britain’s war effort,
helping to grow food
and ensure the country
didn’t starve.
From 1914-1919, around
22,000 women worked
in farming in Scotland.

16. War work: men and women
Some women worked in
Britain to directly
support the war effort.
They were employed in
munitions factories,
making the weapons
which were being used
to fight. Other women
worked in different types
of factories.

17. War work: men and women
In Ayrshire, shell casings
were made at
Glengarnock steelworks;
three-quarters of the
workers were women.
The ‘Mons’ factory in
Glasgow also produced
shells, and around two-
thirds of the workers
were women.

18. War work: men and women
Many men were worried
by dilution - unskilled
women (and men)
working in factories and
other workplaces.
These men feared it
would cost men jobs and
lead to lower wages, so
many strikes took place
against this.

19. War work: men and women
Women were also given
the opportunity to work
in professional jobs
which were usually done
by men.
Some women became
doctors or worked in the
civil service. More
women were also
employed as teachers.

20. War work: men and women
Women in these jobs
earned more than they
had before the war,
although still less than
men were paid.
At the end of the war
most women were
dismissed from their
jobs and the work given
back to men.

21. War work: men and women
Many women went
abroad to support
Britain’s fight in the war.
They worked as doctors,
nurses or ambulance
drivers at the Front.
Others became
mechanics and cooks,
the free up soldiers to
take part in the fighting.

22. War work: men and women
One famous female
worker was Elsie Inglis.
Inglis was from Glasgow
and offered the British
government her services
to set up a field hospital.
When this offer was
declined she was given
support from France’s
government to do so.