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Women in the War

ATS - Auxiliary Territorial Service
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The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was formed by the government 1938 and incorporated members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY). Recruits of the ATS were granted equal status with men, 'assuming the responsibilities and enjoying the privileges of the rest of the armed forces of the Crown'. Women in the ATS served as volunteers with the British Army until given full military status in July 1941.

ATS Girls

The Auxiliary Territorial Service numbered around some 20,000 recruits during the Second World War; these women were to replace men from the Army and served as office, mess and telephone orderlies, drivers, postal workers, butchers, bakers, ammunition inspectors, military police, gun crews, and many other operational support tasks such as mechanics, signal officers, despatch riders, drivers of lorries and as crews operating the anti-aircraft guns and machine guns; commonly nick-named the "Ack-Ack Girls" due to the sound that these guns made.

Select one of the women below to hear and read about their experiences in the ATS

Joan Cockram

 

Joan was called up in February 1942 and worked as a clerk in the ATS. Many of her reminisces follow her initial training and first posting when she was promoted to Corporal and took the drill.

 
Connie's experiences in the ATS involved training as a driver of heavy vehicles, operating the wireless and travelling to Europe to be an ambulance driver.