Women in War

Before the First World War women’s work roles were quite limited. Women undertook poorly paid work in factories and mills and many women worked as domestic servants. Some women worked as teachers and nurses, but the majority of professions and trades were closed to women. Married women were expected to stay at home, unless the family income was too poor to support this. Thousands of men volunteered to go to war, leaving their jobs in factories and on the land. Many women volunteered to take on these roles and to help with the war effort, but there was a lot of opposition to women taking on men’s work roles. As the war continued women’s help became essential. In Lincolnshire women ‘munitionettes’ made aeroplanes, tanks, and shells as well as other components used in war.

Nurses and Hospitals

The Voluntary Aid Detachment was a scheme initiated by the War Office in 1909 to provide support to the Armed Forces Medical Service in time of war. County branches of the Red Cross and the Order of St John were asked to provide training in first aid and nursing. At the end of 1914 there were 74,000 VADs of which two thirds were women. Duties undertaken as a VAD could include nursing, cooking and canteen work, cleaning, laundry work, clerical duties and ambulance driving. At first VADs were not accepted for overseas work, but as the war progressed there was a growing shortage of trained nurses and more experienced VADs were allowed to serve behind the frontlines. In Lincoln the Grammar school on Wragby Road was converted to the 4th Northern General Hospital with accommodation for 520 patients. Several of the large houses in Lincolnshire also offered accommodation to help with nursing and convalescence, such as Brocklesby Hall, and Boultham
Park.