This Friday is Remembrance Day, so for this week’s blog posts I am going to focus on Canada during WWII. That means today’s Vintage Photo Tuesday (collection of vintage images blog posts) are 1940s vintage images of Canadian Women on the Home Front, doing their part for their Country.
Further Reading: I have done MANY posts on the topic “World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Homefront Posts” that you can read by clicking on the link.
War production and savings poster regarding a variety of goods for reuse or repurposing as war supplies, 1940 / 1941.
Source: Collections Canada
1943-Time to punch in and begin your service for Canada.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
January 1943-Mrs. Mackay using a Riveting gun at a shipyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Defense workers on the line.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Not all women during WWII were working on items for overseas, there was regular upkeep needed of items already made in Canada. Like the train pictured below.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Female worker Margot Bourassa shellacs the body of a fuse in the breakdown room of the Cherrier plant (Montreal) of the Defense Industries Limited.
Source: Collections Canada
At the same plant mentioned above a woman sews cordite bags. On a vintage hair note, check out that style. Wow!
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Dominion Bridge Company – Two women working in shell manufacturing plant.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
It was important in some factories that the workers minds did not go idle, so music was played to help combat this. The below picture is of 2 women workers selecting the music to be played from their central control room at a Montreal factory.
Source: Collections Canada
Female munitions worker Françoise Corbeil turns out parts while listening to the piped music in her factory.
Source: Collections Canada
Break Time! Group of female workers enjoying a break from their work at a munitions plant.
Source: Collections Canada
Testing lenses, at the Instruments Division of the Canadian Arsenals Ltd. optical plant. On another vintage hair note, nice to see hair that looks like mine when I style it (not perfect!).
Source: Collections Canada
The Perry Sisters, employed at the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant, armed with rake, watering can and pitchfork, help look after the vegetable garden where they are working (looking mighty cute I might add).
Source: Collections Canada
1943-Women of the Aluminum Co. wait in line to get an autograph from famous Canadian fighter pilot ‘George “Buzz” Beurling‘. Helen Fowler is the lucky lady first in line.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
After a hard day in the factory there is nothing better than catching a few rays with friends. French-Canadian women at Dominion Arsenals (Personal Note: I adore this image).
Source: Collections Canada
Hope you enjoyed the images of our hard-working Canadian ladies of the 1940’s. Thank you for your service!
If you would like to see more images of our Canadian women during WW2, check out my Part 2 post HERE.
Liz
Those are fantastic photos! Love some of those hairstyles. I imagine you’ve already seen it, but I’ve just finished binge watching Bomb Girls, about the women working in the munitions factory in Canada. Great show and great 40s outfits!
Yay Bomb Girls! It was filmed in my home town of Toronto, so you bet I saw it (some of my fav vintage stores in town provided clothes for the show as well). I loved that show so much, glad you got to watch it!
Bravo, Canadian ladies! Those last girls are sooo cute.
Yay hardworking ladies on both sides of the border of the 1940s!
Were these girls taught how to do all this, or did they already have experience in some of this? I don’t know if I could do it.
They were taught and I think you might be surprised on what you can do when you really truly need too.
Thanks for commenting!
Liz
great photos cheered me up on dark day
I hear ya 🙁 Many Canadians felt the same way (including me). I’m glad that there was something that could help a bit (even for a moment).
Hoorah for the ladies! I love that photo with the Singer sewing machine in the foreground. I may have to steal that one! xx
I knew that singer would would be a favorite with the sewing friends 🙂
Lovely photos! It’s interesting the range of work they did, from sewing to that rather hefty looking riveting gun!
Glad you liked them 🙂 As you know it was the war and every spot had to be filled.
Great array of hair styles! That last photo is a lovely one. I always like to see sewing (and other crafts) in action so I like the bag making one too.
The sewing image has 100% been a hit with my vintage sewing friends 🙂 It is a great photo.
Just wanted to know. Were they all taught this work, or did some have experience already? I’m not sure I could do this stuff.