About this record
This is a government recruitment brochure designed to encourage women to join the Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS). The brochure describes the types of jobs that were available and includes details of conditions of service and rates of pay. One side of the brochure folds out to become a poster with illustrations of the various duties involved.
Educational value
- Depicts one of the many women's services established during the Second World War – all of these services were set up to fill the gaps left by men (in this case, the men of the Australian Army Medical Service); the brochure states that every 'woman who enlists… releases a man for service in forward areas'.
- Encourages women and girls to join the AAMWS, which was established in December 1942 – most of the original recruits were existing members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), which had been originally established during World War I by members of the Australian Red Cross and the Order of St John.
- Creates an impression, through the name of the service and the illustrations of the work it carried out, that women who joined the AAMWS would be involved in medical or nursing duties when, in fact, the majority of roles were similar to women's domestic roles (for example, cook, cleaner, laundry orderly) or to women's peacetime jobs (telephonist, seamstress, stenographer) – all of these roles, however, were carried out in military hospitals, both in Australia and overseas, and on hospital ships.
- Includes some jobs with a professional status such as radiographer and pharmacy dispenser – experience in these jobs eventually helped to open up employment opportunities and greater independence for women.
- Is an example of the type of advertisement used during World War II to recruit women volunteers – it urges women to 'do a worthwhile job', depicts a nurse's aide in uniform with a dedicated and somewhat heroic demeanour, and describes some of the AAMWS's duties as 'dramatic jobs'; 8000 women volunteered for the AAMWS, about 5000 actually served in Australia and about 500 served outside of Australia.
- Appeals to women's caring roles in society – service to sick and wounded soldiers is emphasised.
- Describes the conditions of service of AAMWS volunteers, including the uniforms provided, number of ration coupons, accommodation and rates of pay – although pay rates were generally higher than those among the civilian population, women were still paid less than men in jobs requiring similar levels of training.
- Reveals that the AAMWS was organised as a military service with commissioned and non-commissioned officers – AAMWS soldiers and officers were subject to military law and to the provisions of the Defence Act, the Army Act and the Rules of Procedure.
- Shows different rates of pay for minors and adults and reveals that young people were not considered adults until they reached the age of 21.
- Displays a paternal attitude towards women – 'All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl'.
- Is an example of the use of colour in advertising during World War II – the brochure is in full colour except for the photographs because, although the printing process was technically able to reproduce colour (such as for the illustrations and typography), colour photography itself did not become generally available in Australia until after the war ended.
Acknowledgments
Learning resource text © Education Services Australia Limited and the National Archives of Australia 2010.
