Women and the Home

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 100, 23 May 1941, Page 41

Women and the Home

MISS W.W.S.A. OF THE CABBAGE PATCH

gate and gazed over. It was rather an uncomfortable position, but the gate was padlocked and I refused to compromise my dignity by scaling it. A most impressive sight. Here we were in the middie of Wellington city and there in front of us was half an acre laid out in row upon row of cabbages. A few of them admittedly had perforated leaves, but the whole array was most impressive, "How did they get here?" I asked my companion. "They were planted by the Women’s War Service Auxiliary. There were some houses here before, but they were burnt down in the Social Security fire. We're allowed to use the ground until someone wants to rebuild."

it's Not All Marching "What are the vegetables for?" I asked. "They're for the men in camp," my informant told me. "Every Saturday afternoon some of the girls from the land army come over and dig and plant." "TI had no idea that the W.W.S.A. did anything like this. I thought they concentrated on parades and route marches." "No, that’s only a very small part of it." We started to walk back. "There are several divisions of the Women’s Auxiliary, and it’s one of them, the Land Army, that looks after the vegetables. "The Wellington land girls have another section at Melrose. They’re taught how to prepare the soil and are given lectures in elementary agriculture." "Which division are you in?" "I’m a signaller. We learn all kinds of signalling -- semaphore, buzzer and flag." "Why flag?" I asked. "I thought that was restricted to girl guides and breakfast food advertisements. "You can signal Morse by flag. It might be necessary if lines of communication were cut." Two Nights a Week "What else do you do? Doesn’t it take up an gwful lot of your time?" "Only two nights a week. And you -don’t mind giving up your time to something really worth while. It’s far more vital than many of the other things one --

would do otherwise, going to the pictures, playing contract, or knitting and listening to the wireless, The idea of the whole scheme is to have a body of trained women who in an emergency could take over certain necessary duties and thus free the men for actual defence.

The most important thing for a W.W.S.A. is to be physically fit. So one night a week, no matter what division you're in, is devoted to drill and marching." "What do you do on the second night?" "Each division receives instruction in its own particular subject. We do signalling, but I’m afraid I don’t know so very much about the work of the other divisions, Why don’t you go to headquarters and find out? Then you could get some idea of the scope of the whole scheme," At Headquarters The next day therefore, found me at 87 The Terrace, the headquarters of the Wellington branch. The military atmosphere given the room by the maps and tecruiting posters was partly counteracted by the fact that the room contained a large and expansive heater, five women — ---

— in mufti, and a small girl. The mother of the small girl was filling in an enrolment form. When we have a few more play centres, I reflected, every mother may be able to take part in some essential service, "Yes," the lady et the desk was saying, "you have to have a driving licence before you can join the Transport Corps.

Would your friend be interested in the Canteen or Hospital Section?" Six Separate Divisions The two recruits withdrew. I was left facing the lady at the desk with an "Information Please" expression on my face. "We have six separate divisions at the moment," she said, "but everybody takes physical training and first aid. There’s the Land Army." "Yes, I’ve heard about that." "Then there’s the Transport Corps. They have lectures and practical instruction in mechanics (for example they learn how to do running repairs), and they qualify for a licence for heavy traffic driving. The Transport women and cyclists from the signalling corps get lectures from the A.A. on road work and road manoeuvres," "I'd rather like to join the Transport Corps. I like their slacks and berets." ---~

"Officially those are only their working clothes. Their ordinary uniform is the same as that worn by the other divisions, the khaki drill blouse and skirt and the soft peaked cap. "The Signallers and Cyclists Corps is a very important section. The cyclists are trained as despatch riders and work in with the Transport Section."

Bring Your Own Bike "Do you have to provide your own bike?" "I’m afraid so. But if you haven’t one, you could join the Hospital or the Canteen Section. The Hospital section learns first aid, home nursing and hygiene. You have to put in a specified number of hours of practical work ata public hospital before you can complete the course. It is, perhaps, from the personal point of view the most valuable course, Canteen workers go two nights a week to the Technical College, where they take classes in institutional cookery and laundry work. Some of them take classes in industrial work, so that if necessary they could man machines in factories. And members of the Canteen Sec-

tion take it in turn to work at the Y.M.C.A. on week-ends, when extra accommodation is required for men of the forces. They make beds, wash dishes, and help to cook and serye all the extra Sunday breakfasts." "Then members of the W.W.S.A. are performing valuable wotk now, as well as training themselves for valuable work in the future?" I asked. "Yes. And there’s the Clerical Section too. It’s comprised of people who have had training in office work, and who give their services voluntarily when we have extra typing to be done. Most of the people in Headquarters here are voluntary wor ‘* "Can anyone join the W.W.S.A.?" "The only thing we require of applicants is a reasonable standard of physical fitness. There is. no age limit." I thanked her and withdrew. Back at the office my friend rushed up to me. "Did you join?" she asked. "No," I replied. "I’m saving up to buy a bike." | —