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In March 1917, the first women to be enrolled into the British Army joined the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). The women substituted men in roles that the Army considered suitable, thereby freeing men to move up the line. The WAACs served, for example, as cooks, drivers, signallers, clerks, as well as gardeners in the military cemeteries. Due to their exemplary service, Queen Mary gave her name to the Corps in April 1918 and it became Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC). By the time the Corps was disbanded in 1921, approximately 57,000 women had served both at home and in France.This book details the establishment of the Corps and subsequently explores the experience of the WAACs who served in France. It follows the women from enrolment to the camps and workplaces overseas, through to their experiences of the Spring Offensive of 1918, the Armistice and demobilisation. The final chapter reviews how the women have been remembered in art, literature, museums and memorials. Throughout the book, the author locates the women in a society at war and examines how they were viewed by the Army, the general public and the press. The author draws on a wide range of sources to provide the background and uses the oral and written testimonies of the women themselves to tell their stories. This book will be of interest to social, women's and military historians, as well as family history researchers.
AUTHOR:
Samantha Philo-Gill holds a degree in Geography from Durham University and an MA and PhD in English and Creative Writing from Brunel University London. She has had a lifelong interest in military history, specifically the role of women. As part of her PhD, she examined the representation of women war workers in WW1 literature. She lives with her husband in London.
SELLING POINTS:
• Story of the first women to be enrolled in the British Army
• Follows the women from enrolment to serving overseas
• Oral and written testimonies
• Will appeal to both social and military historians
15 illustrations
ISBN: 9781473833593
Author: PHILO-GILL, SAMANTHA
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 01/05/2017
RRP: $54.99
Pages: 256
Dimension: 234mm X 156mm
Imprint: Pen and Sword