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Before the Seond World War, women were expected to be "housewives", or do certain "women's work," such as nursing, being a domestic servant or shop assistant.

If women were sent to aid in the war effort during World War II, they provided assistance on American bases by working as cooks, nurses (combat nurses whom treated wounded soldiers [who survived combat] on-site at Allied bases), telecommunications operators ('encoders" and/or "decoders" for encrypting and/or translating messages, such as using Morse Code).

But, if women stayed on the homeland, or if they volunteered/joined the Armed Forces and obtained jobs while their husbands/boyfriends were overseas fighting in the war, they filled a variety of jobs, many that were previously thought of as being unsuitable for women because they were dangerous occupations. In March of 1941, women were called up and relied on for "war work." Here's what women worked as during World War II to help the war effort and the American economy:

  • mechanics
  • engineers
  • tank drivers
  • ship builders
  • factory workers (making bombs, missiles, regular, explosive, and tracer bullets, as well as aircraft parts or entire airplanes, automobiles [Jeeps], tank parts or entire tanks, and other necessary military products)
  • air raid wardens
  • driving fire engines (fire truck drivers)
  • plumbers
  • ambulance drivers/possibly EMTs
  • WRVS (formerly as the Women's Royal Voluntary Service [for volunteer jobs]; later shortened and often referred to as WVS, or the Women's Voluntary Service [or Services, perhaps]; was founded and operated within England, but may have had American women assist the British women whom worked as part of the WRVS)
  • nurses (as said before; might have also been referred to as "medic[s]/combat medic[s]" or "corpsman[men]").

Although, women were required by the government to work. At first, only women between the ages of 20 and 30 were called up for work, but by the mid-1943, almost 90% of single women, and 80% of married women were working in factories, on the land, or in the Armed Forces. Large numbers of women were involved in the war effort and many joined the Armed Forces, even though they didn't have to. Here's the exact numbers:

  • 640,000 joined the Armed Forces
  • 55,000 served with guns in providing essential air defense
  • 80,000 were in the former Land Army (were farmers/ranchhands)
  • many more flew unarmed aircraft, drove ambulances, worked as nurses, and worked behind enemy lines as part of the European resistance.
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12y ago

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