Editorial

As we honour the men who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, let’s not forget the ‘women at war’ whose efforts made a huge difference in victory.

According to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), the contributions that women made during the Second World War were ten-fold. And to think they still made time to look after their families and run the farms is truly remarkable.

Women laboured in jobs traditionally held by men on airfields, construction sites, in factories, and behind the wheel of street cars. In fact, they earned a great reputation for their precision work due to their dexterity and smaller physical stature. 

On one Alberta farm, a mom of nine sons (all of whom were involved in the war effort) had no choice but to become a “Jill of all trades.” She plowed the fields, harvested the hay, hauled the grain, tended to the animals and did all of the canning (hundreds of jars). She did what she had to do, and like so many other women, she became an expert at doing more with less. 

“Lumberjills” were women who worked alongside male lumberjacks and loggers during the war. 

VAC reports that Elsie Gregory MacGill was the first woman in the world who graduated as an aeronautical engineer. Her team designed more than 100 Hurricane combat airplanes per month in 1940.

Women often donated their aluminum cookware as scrap metal for the aircraft industry. Food such as sugar and butter were rationed. And clothing manufacturers were not allowed to use extra fabric and buttons because those were needed for military uniforms. It is reported that some women actually drew lines on the back of their legs to make it look like they were wearing stockings.

After some lobbying, women were permitted to serve in the military in uniform — more than 50,000, according to VAC.

They worked as parachute riggers, mechanics, and wireless operators. Others served as nursing “sisters” in the war and lost their lives due to enemy gunfire. 

Yes, women played a crucial role in past wars and continue to do so today. We honour them and owe a debt for their service. 

This year’s Silver Cross Mother is Maureen Anderson from New Brunswick. She lost two military sons who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Many mothers have lost children to war and we honour the sacrifices they’ve made for our freedom.

Lyonel Doherty, editor