We Also Served.

Medals for war heroines stamped “We also served”.

Why is it that we have overlooked and even forgotten the significant contributions during World War II of so many women who served as nurses, codebreakers, factory workers, pilots and resistance fighters?

In fact, codebreakers, for example, women who intercepted Morse code messages, decrypted enemy messages, and even sent false encrypted information to trick the enemy, are credited with shortening the war by at least two years. I don’t ever remember being taught of their invaluable service in history classes.

Shockingly, Canadian Wrens who answered the call to use their sharp minds to intercept and decode ennemy messages, never received a mention or medal until 2009 when they were awarded medals with “We also served” stamped on the back.

So many Wrens kept their work a secret for forty years as required by the Official Secrets Act, and even until the grave, and never received any medal or mention.

Canadian women at war serve as inspiration for novels.

Even though there was vehement opposition to their participation, in mid 1942, Canadian women between the ages of 18 – 45 could serve in three military service organizations.

Their work in the military was crucial  because they could "free a man to serve". They became mechanics, pilots, trainers, factory workers, ...

I wrote in previous posts about CWACs (Canadian Women’s Army Corps) and Wrens (Royal Canadian Navy).

I was honoured to be asked in 2023 to paint Mrs. Doris Turski, a CWAC by an Afghanistan vet related to Mrs. Turski.

Recently I read two novels by Genevieve Graham set during WWII. In Bluebird and in The Secret Keeper, Graham weaves factual information from her extensive research into the fabric of her novels.  I found her A Note to Readers at the end of the novels enlightening. In those pages, the author details all the historical

facts that she used as the basis for her stories.

I learned about the endurance and courage of women of the ATA, also known as Attagirls (post from 2018). I was totally captivated by Dash, one of the main characters in The Secret Keeper.

Dash, like many Attagirls, is a civilian pilot flying on average thirty (and up to 90) different planes that were delivered where they were needed such as airfields, factories, etc. Dash flies her plane to occupied France during a severe storm. She must bail when her plane is hit by Germans. She is rescued by Resistance fighters and hidden until rescued.

Graham’s stories offer entertainment but also provide insight and a deeper understanding of our past.

Such stories emphasize the quiet strength of women during challenging times. The contribution of women who stepped out of conventional, societal boundaries to serve their countries and who accepted traditional jobs to “free a man to serve” must be given a voice and Graham does so with conviction.

As an avid reader of historical fiction, I enjoy seeing history as not something so distant, but rather as moments, memories, capsules of time carried from one generation to the next in the pages of a book.

 

If you love historical novels, here are selected authors whose novels I have read and enjoyed. Share your favourite historical novels with me and my readers. I would love to add your author to my list for winter reading!

Louise

Other favourite authors of historical novels include:

Jennifer Robson (Canadian)

Laura Morelli (American)

Donna Joan Alward (Canadian)

Tracy Chevalier (American-British)

Isabel Allende (Chilean-American)

Kathleen Grissom (Canadian)

Lawrence Hill (Canadian)

Lisa See (American)

Joanna Goodman (Canadian)

Tatiana de Rosnay (French-British)