[Working Boatwomen]

The women who worked boats during the Second World War, has been a topic that has been much publicised in recent years, yet what of those women workers who were engaged in war work during the Great War (1914-1918). The Birmingham Daily Post reported on April 5th, 1916, that a woman had been summoned at Tipton for failing to send her son to school regularly.

 

The firm of W & S Foster, canal carriers, Tipton, had because of the scarcity of boatmen, had been forced to employ women and youths. The woman summoned had been engaged in carrying sand to foundries for munitions work. Leonard Foster from the firm was reported as saying: " it was infinitely more important that munitions works should get their requisite supplies of sand than that there should be no interruption in the education of a few youths.

 

This case was deferred for further consideration by the Education Committee.

 

Ray Shill

 

The women who worked boats during the Second World War, has been a topic that has been much publicised in recent years, yet what of those women workers who were engaged in war work during the Great War (1914-1918). The Birmingham Daily Post reported on April 5th, 1916, that a woman had been summoned at Tipton for failing to send her son to school regularly.

 

The firm of W & S Foster, canal carriers, Tipton, had because of the scarcity of boatmen, had been forced to employ women and youths. The woman summoned had been engaged in carrying sand to foundries for munitions work. Leonard Foster from the firm was reported as saying: " it was infinitely more important that munitions works should get their requisite supplies of sand than that there should be no interruption in the education of a few youths.

 

This case was deferred for further consideration by the Education Committee.

 

Ray Shill

 

My mom your aunt worked in a munitions factory checking to make sure all the shells were in porpotion. If they fell through the so called strainer they were correct. I just recently discussed her time in England during WWII.