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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Mary Crane on Tuesday 16 June 15 01:59 BST (UK)
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The two women in this photo, taken at the end of WW1, appear to be wearing some sort of uniform. Does anyone know what type of uniforms they are?
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The one seated looks like a Girl Guide. The one standing could a bus conductress.
Ken
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Thanks for that Ken.
I hadn't thought of a bus conductress for the one standing, but have now looked it up and unfortunately it isn't that.
Yes, the girl seated is a girl guide, but it is the Mother I am wondering about. It looks as though she could be wearing some sort of uniform, especially the hat.
Mary
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My Gran drove a tram during WW1 when men were in short supply but had other occupations outwith the war years. They wore a uniform with a badge.
Imber
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Thanks for that Imber
I did find some photos of women in the Land Army but who worked in Dairies who wore light coloured 'coats' so I wondered if that might have been the woman who is standing.
It is the hats which make me think they are both wearing some sort of uniform.
Mary
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I think the young lady standing may also be a Girl Gude. A senior Branch of Girl Guides was formed during the war. Although they could wear the same uniform as their younger sisters, rationing & shotages made it difficult for most to replace the uniforms that they had outgrown. They often just wore the triangular scarf & Guide hat with their school uniform (if they were still at school) or with their work clothes. The older lady, too, I think could be a member of the Guiding Movement. Her straw hat with the wide hat band is just like the alternative to the felt hat which was often worn in the summer.
If you Google " Leslie's Guiding History Site Time Line" & scroll down the page a bit, on the RHS you will see a guide in such a hat. I have no idea what position the lady would have held. I don't see a lanyard, so maybe not a Guider (leader), but perhaps a County Secretary or skills instructor??? A higher resolution scan, if available might give more detail of the hat badges.
Twilight
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Hi Twilight, and thank you so much for that information. I had not discovered Leslie's sites before but have found them to be very interesting and useful and I can see now that the person standing in the pale 'dress' is more than likely to be a guide. The hat would seem to confirm this when compared with pictures on Leslie's site. She would have been about 21 at the time.
The hat on the older lady seated (my grandmother) looks very much like the one you mentioned. I had never heard of her being involved in the Guiding/Scouting movement although her four younger children obviously were. The only story I have heard of her during WW1 was that she worked in a 'canteen'. I don't know if this was anything to do with providing meals for returned/wounded soldiers. I just thought that the style of her outfit looked as though it might be a uniform of some kind.
The photo I have is a copy of a scan so is not all that clear and unfortunately I am not able to get any higher resolution, it just gets pixelated (if that is the correct term!)
Many thanks again.
Mary
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Hi Mary,
Glad to be of some help. It is quite possible that your grandmother was "persuaded " by her Girl Guide daughters to fill vacancy in their local area. That is how I became involved 30 odd years ago!!
The Guide uniforms were a bit variable in the early years of Guiding, local areas often created their own version of the uniform. It wasn't until about the mid 1920's, I think, that the uniforms became a bit more "uniform".
Your Grandmother's work in a canteen may have been Guide related as they were & still are to some degree, very service orientated.
Have you thought of contacting their countries HQ? They should have an Archivist or Historian. You have nothing to lose by asking.
Lovely photo, by the way. You are very fortunate to have a copy.
Twilight
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Hi Twilight,
Thanks for the suggestion to contact the Guide HQ - I shall try that.
My father is the Cub in the photo and later went on to the Scouts and became a Scout master. My brother did the same, and my mother was in the Guides, as was I, so it seems to have been a family 'tradition'. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that my Grandmother was also involved in some way.
Regards
Mary
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The soldier standing has 3 or 4 overseas service chevrons on his right sleeve. One for each year he served overseas.
Ken
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Thanks for that Ken.
I have wondered about the soldier sitting as he was born in 1900. I guess he had only fairly recently joined the Army at the time the photo was taken, which I am assuming was about 1919.
Mary