Thursday, 26 January 2017

Poem ~ Munitions And Women - Friday, 26 January 1917 - Saturday, 27 January 1917

Source: File: Women working at the Ferranti factory. See an original image at: <http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=3291> [Accessed 26 January 2017]

On the 4th floor of Harrods, London SW,
The Georgian restaurant acted as a venue;
Depicted for a select clientele were massed
Workers, working in country’s protection.

Engaged in night and day manufacturing
In defence of the nation, half a million
Women were employed by the Ministry
Of Munitions - established in May 1915.

Displayed at the London SW address,
Was a photographic exhibition of women
Workers, undertaking the armaments
Manufacture in black and white images.

In England's reorganised industries were
Some 4,600 centres making armaments;
Along side national factories of munitions,
In which able women played a vital role.

The exhibition, organised by Munitions
Of Ministry, were aimed at the Georgian
Restaurant patrons, who would peruse
The honest black and white depictions.

15 varied types of industry were shown
In 250 photographs - ordinary women
Working in completion of arms and how
These workers were given much support.

Hospital and welfare canteens shown
Alongside the munitions workers - taking
Control of manufacturing explosives,
Barbed wire, shipbuilding and aircraft.

Engineering, both electrical and general
And building of gunnery the purpose
Of this project acting a recruitment;
Women and more women are needed.

An appeal went out to all 18 to 45 year
Old women to approach their nearest
Employment exchanges, or provincial
Training centres, in London or counties.

A bill of fare would then explain the cost 
Of living for a woman in consideration;
These were real images of real women,
With dirt stained and determined faces.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Women's Munitions Works - Exhibition Of Photographs. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 January 1917. P.10. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214109/Daily-Telegraph-January-16-1917.html> [Accessed: 26 January 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 26 January 2017). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Women

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