Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Timbertown girls : Gretna female munitions workers in World War I

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Brader, Christopher (2001) Timbertown girls : Gretna female munitions workers in World War I. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP_THESIS_Brader_2001.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (14Mb)
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1374251~S1

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between age, class and gender among female
munitions workers at the government explosives factory at Gretna in south-west
Scotland during World War I. The Ministry of Munitions not only organised the
construction of a factory nine miles in length, but also built two new townships to
house a migrant workforce, which was drawn from all parts of the United Kingdom
and Ireland. Teenage girls comprised a considerable proportion of this workforce.
Significantly, welfare provision at Gretna, both inside and outside the factory, was
far more extensive than at many other munitions establishments. This thesis focuses
on the relationship between welfare supervisors, women police, social reformers and
the female workers. While some middle and upper-class women attempted to claim
new areas of social space during World War I, by embracing industrial welfare work
or police work, their authority was often defined by their relationship with young,
working-class females. Class was important in this relationship. However, welfare
workers, for example, not only claimed authority because of their superior social
standing, but also because they were often significantly older than much of the female
workforce. The thesis concludes that the youthfulness of Gretna munitions workers
was a significant component of their wartime identities and experience.

Item Type: Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects: D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, Female, Weapons industry -- Employees, Explosives industry -- Scotland -- Gretna -- History -- 20th century, Gretna (Scotland) -- Social conditions -- 20th century
Official Date: February 2001
Dates:
DateEvent
February 2001Submitted
Institution: University of Warwick
Theses Department: Department of Social History
Thesis Type: PhD
Publication Status: Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: Steedman, Carolyn ; Mason, Tony, 1938-
Sponsors: Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Extent: [7], 283 leaves
Language: eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us