Greatcoats and Glamour Boots

Women in the military? To many, never was too soon. But by 1940, British women were out "doing their bit" for the war effort, and Canadians battled for that same right. Young Canadian women wanted to serve their country, "to free a man to fight," as the recruiting posters urged. By the wars end almost 50,000 of them were in the forces. Carolyn Gossage has compiled a fascinating collage of anecdotal and documentary material. The colourful story of Canadas "forgotten women" - those who volunteered for service during World War II in the RCAF Womens division, the Canadian Womens Army Corps (CWAC) and the Womens Royal Canadian Naval Service (Wrens) - entertains and enlightens.