“Wireless” Work for Girls

From Woman’s Weekly, February 16th 1918.

“WIRELESS” WORK FOR GIRLS.

THIS IS PERHAPS THE KIND OF WAR-WORK WHICH WOULD JUST SUIT YOU!

I HAVE learnt quite a new "war-work," something girls have never done before.  My friends, when they hear I am doing "wireless" work, of course, all think I am an operator, and spend my time sending and receiving important messages, state secrets, and all kinds of exciting things.  Well, they are all wrong.  I am not an operator.
But if it were not for me and my fellow workers there would not be any messages sent, so you see how important my work is.  My job is to keep in order and repair and clean the apparatus.
As you may suppose, the apparatus is of very delicate make, and has to be always in perfect working order.  Everything has to be always ready for the operator, and now that we have such a number of wireless going, it means keeping a big staff of workers looking after them, and, of course, in these days we women do the job.  It is very interesting, and it is quite light work.  Some girls cannot stand for such long hours others do, so it is just the right kind for them, for you sit while-you are at work — so different to standing at a machine all day.

SIX WEEKS TO LEARN. 
IT takes about six weeks to learn your job, and while you are being taught you receive 25s. a week maintenance allowance.  During this time you learn absolutely everything that is necessary for you to know, and then you are sent off to a post just wherever you are most wanted.
The "powers that be" are very well satisfied with the women already engaged on the work; they consider it is essentially woman's work; they think our "little" hands are suitable.  So that is satisfactory, at least that they think we all have small hands!

THE GIRL WHO GETS ON BEST.
THE girls who get on best are those with useful hands —those who know how to use their hands, and it wants brains, too.
If a girl is lucky enough to have learnt anything of physics at school, there are a few plums to be gathered.  Also if a girl can draw, so that she can make copies of the machines; but the ordinary worker will get not less than 30s., 32s., and perhaps more.
In this, as in many other branches of work, the girl who works well, and is worth it, will get the best pay.  The hours are about the ordinary war-hours—eleven to twelve hours; but do not forget you will sit, not stand.

NO SPECIAL UNIFORM. 
THERE is no special uniform worn, but it is usual to wear an overall or a long coat.  You can choose your own colour.  Butcher blue always looks smart, and is quite the engineering shade of peace time; but whatever shade you select, avoid too light a one, and be very careful, for work of this kind, that the sleeves are short. It is best to have them tight-fitting, and to button, so that your blouse sleeve is kept up too.  For delicate work it is fatal if sleeves get in the way.

WHEN THE WAR IS OVER. 
"WHEN the war is over, what is to be-come of us and our work?"  That is what you want to know, I am sure.  Well, we have learnt, and are engaged on the job as "war-work;'' all the same, it may continue for a limited number of us when peace comes.
Everyone expects we are to be quite a flying nation, and that aeroplanes will play a large part in the daily life of the nation, for carrying mails and so forth.  Well, the aeroplanes carry wireless apparatus, and this apparatus must be attended to then as well as now; although, of course, the number of women workers will be small, still it will employ a certain number of us.
We work now in various different parts, both in London and elsewhere.  The Air Service use us to a large extent, and where there is wireless our services are wanted.  There are certain centres—or shall I call them bases—where the sick wireless apparatus are attended to.  In fact, we are a kind of Red Cross V.A.D. detachment for apparatus, and it is, I find, a very interesting form of sick nursing—quite one of the best kinds of war-work — useful, interesting work; quite good pay and just ordinary hours.  What more can any girl want in war time?  So come along, and join up— any woman medically fit, between the ages of 18 and 40.  You can get all particulars at the nearest labour bureau, and then you can start training at once and in six weeks you will be doing your bit, like all your girl friends.
And, besides helping to win the war, you can think that maybe hundreds of lives are being saved by your doing this work.  Think of the boats that have been mined, and of the thousands who would have perished had the wonderful wireless installation been out of order.

[This is another article in the series on new jobs for young women which Woman's Weekly was running. This one is particularly interesting for the discussion of whether the jobs would still be available to women after the end of the war.]