Memorandum from Ministry of Information, England to Women's War Service Auxiliary

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE AUXILIARY.

29th June 1945.

No. 15

NEWS OF THE WARTIME ACTIVITIES OF WOMEN’S
ORGANISATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

With the close of hostilities in the European sector of
the war many individual members of British organisations have had
the pleasure of attending goodbye parties given by Allied women now
returning to their homes in Europe. The most recent of these has
been a reception given by the Norwegian Government during the week
before the return of some seven to eight hundred Norwegians, many
of whom have been in England since 1941.

Meanwhile, the women’s organisations in Britain are
turning their attention more and more to home problems. This is
understandable and a natural reaction to nearly six years of help-
ing and learning form women of all the Allied nations who have been
living in or visiting England during that time.

THE WOMEN’S VOLUNTARY SERVICES.
This organisation, which originated with the war, has
for some time been considering whether it should remain in the
peace. The tendency now is that members of the W.V.S. who
previously belonged to the older organisations should return their
energies to these, and that the W.V.S. should cease to function as
one organisation; but the final decision remains to be made.
Meanwhile, this valiant band of women have taken on a major part of
the vast organisation entailed by the return to London and other
target areas of the thousands of evacuated mothers and children.
They have also been largely responsible for settling in England the
children from Holland who have come over on a six months visit to
regain some of the health they have lost during the German
occupation. The W.V.S. have also undertaken for the Ministry of
Supply to knit up some quarter of a million pounds of wool to make
Clothes for the children in liberated Europe.

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES.
Once again lucky delegates from branches of women’s
institutes all over the country are looking forward to the annual
general meeting on June 5th. The current number of “Home and
Country” provides articles on the colour problem in Southern
American states; a description of a colony of Dutch children
established near Coventry, and an account of the work being done
by Dr. Schwitzer for lepers and other sick natives in West Africa.
So in spite of the onslaught of fruit picking and bottling at home
this organisation shows no sign of too much reaction towards affairs
of an entirely domestic nature.

THE WOMEN’S FREEDOM LEAGUE
The Women’s Freedom League have just issued a pamphlet
called “Looking for Employment.” This classifies under the heads
of (1) the job (2) the length of training (3) the cost of training,
and (4) the salary to be expected, employment which is open to girls
demobilised from the Forces and from wartime industry. It also has
a section for the older women, and sections showing jobs which can
be learned while earning and which can be done in part-time.

10/7/45

-2-

No. 15. Continued.

At the thirty-eighth annual conference of the League,
which will be held on June 2nd, a proposal will come from the
Executive suggesting that the name should be changed to “The
International Alliance of Women Voters for Liberty, Equality
and Peace.” The reason for the proposed change is the fact
that women in most countries have now obtained their political
rights.

THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S SERVICE GROUP IN GREAT BRITAIN.
The International Women’s Service Group in Great
Britain held the fourth annual meeting at the end of March.
Many of the founder members have already returned to their
own countries, but this meeting was peculiar in the fact that
members of the underground movements in Holland, Poland, Greece
and Norway were able to be present and to give accounts of
their own and their colleague’s work during the long years of
occupation.

Ministry of Information.
ENGLAND.