Women’s Work: Project update
Archive Image of Female Factory Workers from the BSA.
Our Women’s Work project is developing well and we thought we’d share some of the progress of the project so far. We’ve had some brilliant research sessions including a trip to the Library of Birmingham’s archive. We’ve also been privileged to hear the stories of locals and their ancestors. In our first session we heard from New Zealand born Juliet Fletcher whose grandmother worked in a munitions factory in Longbridge.
My grandmother came over to this country from New Zealand. She wanted to come to help fight in the war. Her ambition was to be an ambulance driver but she was very small in stature and build and she realised she probably wouldn’t be heavy enough. When going for selection she put on her thick winter coat and her thick shoes hoping that would get her through. Unfortunately they realised she wasn’t as heavy as she said and so she wasn’t able to be an ambulance driver. She ended up working in the munitions factory in Longbridge.
We are documenting every stage of the project on the Women’s Work Blog. For more information on the project click here.
Participants at the Library of Birmingham.