To celebrate Women’s History Month 2026, we have found records which illustrate the work women completed during WWI. We highlight a booklet published by the War Office which explores the important work women did during WWI and a newspaper article which describes the women’s branches of the Royal Air Force, the Royal Naval Service and the Army.

The Women’s War Work booklet was produced and published by the War Office in 1916 as part of a recruitment drive to encourage more women to take up employment. The booklet is split into three parts: trades and processes in which women were successfully employed, photographs of women workers and lists of officials whose assistance was available to Recruiting Officers and Military Representatives.

The introductory note states:

“Since the outbreak of war the women of Britain have shown themselves ready and anxious to undertake every form of work where their services could be accepted, and this book is intended not only to indicate that women have shown themselves capable of successfully replacing the stronger sex in practically every calling, but is offered also as a tribute to their effective contribution to the Empire in its hour of need”

The booklet features a detailed index of the “Trades and Processes in which Women are are successfully employed in temporary replacement of Men”. These include chemical trades, clothing trades, food trades, paper and printing trades, textile trades, woodworking trades, miscellaneous trades, non-industrial occupations and agriculture. It also describes the trades and processes women carried out in munitions work, as well as the parts and articles they produced.

The second half of the booklet features photographs of women workers “illustrating the successful employment of Women in temporary replacement of Men”. There are over thirty pages of photographs, we have included a selection in this blog post.

This article from an unidentified newspaper from c.1917–1918 recognises the women who served in the First World War. It refers to the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), the Women’s Royal Naval Service (known as the Wrens) and the Women’s Royal Air Force (known as the Penguins).

The Ministry of Labour organised exhibitions aimed at encouraging women to enlist in National Service, such as the one described in the newscutting which was in conjunction with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Corps, the Women’s Royal Naval Service and the Royal Flying Corps.

The Women’s Auxiliary Army Auxiliary Corps were established in 1917 to free up men to fight in the war. In 1918, Queen Mary became the patron of the WAAC and the corps was renamed Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC). By the end of WWI, over 50,000 women had volunteered with the WAAC. Women in the WAAC were restricted to auxiliary roles such as store work, administration and catering. They were initially restricted to service in Britain, but were eventually sent to France.

The Women’s Royal Naval Service was established in November 1917 and roles included cooks, motor-ambulance drivers and pigeon women. Wrens were required to sign on for the duration of the war as it was common for women to change roles frequently and they wanted to ensure commitment. Over 3,000 women served in the WRNS over the course of WWI.

The Women’s Royal Air Force was established on 1 April 1918, at the same time as the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RAF was formed by merging the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Women who served in the WRAF were known as Penguins because they did not fly. There were four categories of work carried out by the Penguins; Clerks and Storewomen; Household; Technical; and Non-Technical or General. The WRAF worked closely with the RAF and by 1920, they received orders from the RAF directly.

As demonstrated by these records, women played a vital role in WWI. By 1918, almost one million women were employed in jobs left vacant by conscripted men and munitions factories, while over 80,000 had enlisted in women-only corps.