On the outbreak of the First World War, thousands of men joined up and from 1916 they were also conscripted. Women were needed to fill their jobs, especially in industry and in munition and armament factories. Nearly two million women went to work in wartime factories, and some of them became welders.
Lithograph of Two Women Welding
War artist CRW Nevinson went to sketch women welders at work in 1917. The lithograph above shows two women at work with very few safety precautions.
Many women had already been working in industry long before the war. For example, by 1914 a large proportion of the workforce at the Sopwith Aviation Company in Kingston upon Thames was female. Their welders and engineers produced over 13,000 aircraft between 1914 and 1918, including the famous fighter plane the Sopwith Camel.
Metal badge inscribed 'Society of women welders' decorated with sparks
The design on the brass-like metal badge above includes sparks to represent the welding process. These badges were worn by members of the Society of Women Welders (SWW).