Gender, Class, and Patriotism: Women's Paramilitary Units in First World War Britain

During the First World War, more than 100,000 women served in two types of paramilitary unit, the volunteer corps and the women's services, doing non-combatant jobs for the armed forces. Contrary to traditional interpretations of women's reasons for joining paramilitary units during World War I, which emphasize economic incentives and dismiss patriotic motives, evidence examined in this article indicates that patriotism was a strong motive, albeit one of several. Never paying as much as other jobs, the paramilitary units attracted members for a mix of reasons: for many working-class women, these included working conditions much less severe than those of the factory and undreamed-of opportunities for travel and adventure, while for many middle- and upper-class women, many of whom became officers, service in the armed forces afforded an opportunity to fully utilize their education and skills and to contribute to the war effort.