There's No Medal Good Enough (14 February 1975)

From time to time in previous notes I have referred to the tremendous amount of work done by civilian women during the 1939-45 war, but without going into details.

The truth is that 30 years later such details are difficult to find.  For the most part, women did a job.  Then, when their service was no longer needed, they were glad to put it all behind them many being entirely oblivious of having performed a service of which they could have been justly proud.

In two instances, however, farewell socials were held at which some details were given.  Very impressive they are, too.  Indeed, you could say that if anything like the same efforts were forthcoming from today’s work forces and managements the country would be in a much better economic condition than it is.

CASE ONE.  In April, 1943, the Ministry of Supply hurriedly set up a stores depot in the idle kilns of the LBC brickworks at Newton Longville.

Here was useful storage space.  Here, too, was a direct connection with the national railway network.  The railways were already tottering in decline, but the network was the most comprehensive in the world and due advantage was taken of the fact.  Most of the older residents of Bletchley and Wolverton are aware of the immense contribution made to the war effort by the railmen.

So hurried was the setting-up of the stores depot at Newton that the first truck-loads of stores were arriving before half the necessary staff had been recruited.  The call went out for volunteers and the women of the district responded magnificently.

At a farewell social held in July, 1946, it was stated that between April, 1943, and the winding-up of the depot after the war, the work force of 60 women and 35 men handled one million shell cases, two million paper containers and 20,00 tons of steel.  More than 4,700 railway wagons had been unloaded, and 3,500 wagon loads had been despatched, plus more than 1,000 lorry loads.

CASE TWO.  This concerns the well-known corset-manufacturing firm of Gossards at nearby Leighton Buzzard.  At the beginning of the war it was realised that the existing machinery could be used for very different purposes, or be adapted for such use.  In short, “The Gossard line of beauty” became “The Gossard line of duty.”

At a farewell gathering in January 1946, it was stated that over the five-and-a half years the work force, mostly women, had made 5,000 coastal-convoy balloons, 639,306 parachutes of all kinds, 30,000 repairs to man-dropping parachutes, 100,000 single-seater fighter dinghies, 73,500 sails, 35,000 distress flags, 19,000 lifebelts, and 348 experimental kites.  The only concession to normal work had been 120,000 bras for the “Wrens.”

The original staff of 180 had doubled during the war, but since then the extra members had just melted away.  This was unfortunate because women in general were becoming conscious of their personal figures again and the whole of the extra staff could have continued to be employed to cope with the demand.

At the Newton Longville farewell social the retiring chief of the depot, Mr S. Robinson, said he thoroughly agreed with Prime Minister Attlee’s statement that there was no medal big enough or good enough adequately to recognise what the women of the nation had achieved during the war

I think the two records I have been able to quote are enough to confirm the fact.