Color Pictures of Womens Working During WWII

This picture gives a great idea of the conservatism of 1942 with the vintage sexiness the women possessed. While the idea of this being a fantasy seems comical today, a soldier who happened upon this scene would see it as the highlight of his month, if not the year while he was at war. These women are part of a group called WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), a female branch of the Navy at the time.

Whether it meant bringing over treats, watching children, or just talking through the grieving process, the women of the 1940s were a uniquely strong type. They were the support for the country in terms of industry, the basis of support and insight for their small children faced with losing their father figure, and the calming voices to soldiers gone war crazy. Their roles were almost as numerous as they were undefinable, and their contributions at home and abroad cannot be understated when contributions to the war effort are discussed.

Women knew that they wanted to help the country, and plenty of jobs had to be filled, so they rallied to factories and other war-related organizations. This kept the women's minds occupied on something other than their husbands' potential death while creating useful items for the American cause.

Whether this meant assembling, constructing, or sewing, these women's hours in the factory were the basis for an overseas triumph. The women in this photo chose to sew, something they were likely more adept at than the women who chose metalwork, but nevertheless a valuable contribution in the form of uniforms.

This woman appears to be in charge of fueling some military vessel, clearly a dirty job judging by the amount of rags and smut on her shirt. Her flush cheeks show that she is putting in a good amount of effort, and she brings to mind images of the NASCAR pit crews who must lug gigantic fuel hoses to and from the car. You have to wonder, did patriotism alone inspire these women to take on the jobs of men without any handicap? The reality is that patriotism had alot of help from propaganda producing American ad campaigns, brilliant series of posters and ads aimed at women taking up arms in the war. Rosie the Riveter was the most famous example, as her "We Can Do It!" motto became an iconic American poster and attitude. This real photograph of a dirty, humble woman doing a laborious task was the inspiration behind Rosie, which in turn became inspiration for thousands of women helping at home and abroad. The idea of an independent, capable woman took the nation by storm and created a nationalistic feeling that fueled industry and unity in the face of evil.

Women began working in factories during WWII out of necessity because so many of the men were overseas. This ended up changing the perception of women as workers in America because it was demonstrated that women were just as good at hard work, if not better, than their male counterparts.

When the American Soldiers in WWII were dodging artillery fire and anti-aircraft weapons do you think they had any idea their wives may have been the mechanics keeping them thousands of feet above the ground? That thought likely never occurred, because let's face it, men's superiority complex would never have allowed for such a preposterous notion.

1943 was not a proud time in American history in terms of race relations. Across the country African Americans and other minorities were considered second class citizens, with some states being markedly less civil than others. But, as movies such as Red Tails has documented, many Black Americans were willing to overlook this injustice and fight and work for their country, a true testament to their compassion and bravery.

This woman seems to be a fine example of this selflessness, working on a dive vessel appropriately named "Vengeance" in Tennessee. Like most women, African Americans did not see their status as citizens change radically even post-WWII and in spite of this fact many laid their lives on the line for America and helped to win WWII for the Allies. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, this isn't a picture of the female members of the Sons of Anarchy on their lunch break. These women were known as roundhouse wipers and were in charge of some of the most grueling tasks women could undertake during the War. They were employed by the railroad and were required to clean the soot, dirt, and any other grime from the engine rooms on the trains, some of the sootiest environments one can subject themselves to.

As if that were not degrading enough, it was widely known that the roundhouse cleaners were the lowest ranking members on the train totem pole. Of course, women probably realized very quickly that being a woman was enough to make you the lowest in the rank and file, and they were at the mercy of an almost always male overseer.

It is good to see that these women were able to maintain their sense of style during even the toughest times though. Whether it be the floral pattern bandana, the mad scientist goggles or the choice to rock overalls, these women had it together.

she participated in the creation and maintenance of airplanes for North American Aviation in 1942. With factory wages generally averaging around $2.15 per week these women were doing it mainly for the love of country or their men, and this was one of the more grueling ways in which women could contribute to the effort.