Girls In Khaki

Product Description

At the outbreak of the Second World War Britain's manpower crisis forced them to turn to a previously untapped resource: women. For years it was thought women would be incapable of serving in uniform but the ATS was to prove everyone wrong. Formed in 1938 the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service was a remarkable legion of women; this is their story. They took over many roles releasing servicemen for front-line duties. ATS members worked alongside anti-aircraft gunners as 'gunner-girls' maintained vehicles drove supply trucks operated as telephonists in France re-fused live ammunition provided logistical support in army supply depots & employed specialist skills from Bletchley to General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. They were even among the last military personnel to be evacuated from Dunkirk. They grasped their new-found opportunities for education higher wages skilled employment & a different future from the domestic role of their mothers. They earned the respect & admiration of their male counterparts & carved out a new future for women in Britain. They showed great skill & courage with famous members including the young Princess Elizabeth (now about to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee as Britain's Queen) & Mary Churchill Sir Winston's daughter. Girls in Khaki reveals their extraordinary achievements romances heartbreaks & determination through their own words & never-before published photographs.