What is a Blitz girl?
Wonderland
Posts: 6,740
in The Commons
This outfit looked interesting and historical https://www.daz3d.com/blitz-girl-uniform-for-genesis-8-females so I googled “What is a Blitz girl” and nothing remotely related to this outfit showed up. Anyone know what it is?
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probably from the German term Blitzkrieg and not an actual thing
'The Blitz' is what Brits called the Nazi campaign of bombing civilians in London. Never heard of a Blitz Girl though.
She is, approximately, dressed as a military woman from WWII, when britain was subject the "the Blitz" - the sustained German aerial bombardment when extensive areas of many cities were destroyed (hence the background to the main image).
Thanks everyone. It definitely looked like something WWII but thought it might be a German uniform, not British. Actually I had no idea women were even in the military in any country at the time!
Just a guess, but that outfit looks a lot like British uniforms during WW2. Would also fit the asset title "Blitz girl", as "The Blitz" in UK historically refers to the attack of the Nazi airforce on Brittain and especially London between September 1940 and May 1941. The UK army recruited a lot of women during that time, especially for homeland service. E.g. today's queen Elizabeth II served the army as a mechanic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko
Plenty of women in the British military at the time, though obviously not front line soldiers. It's quite surprising what women did do, considering attitudes at the time. For example, British aircraft, fighters such as Spitfires and Hurricanes, and bombers like the huge Lancaster, were usually delivered to airfields by women (probably the most famous woman pilot of the time being Lettice Curtis).
Wow, interesting. Someone needs to make a movie about this. Who knew I’d get a lesson in history from the Daz marketplace lol!
Actually our queen served in the ATS during the war. She was Pricess Elizabeth then of course. She drove a truck, and also could do her own tyre change
Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service, the female branch of the army) and trained as a mechanic and truck diver in 1945.
A quick Google produce this: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2117962/
Never heard of it before though.
I find the name of that outfit in poor taste but ok.
Here's an interview with two British female spies from WW2 that I recently enjoyed, it starts 20min into the episode: https://guiltyfeminist.com/episode/?episode=277
(Not trying to start a political discussion here! Just listen to it if you think that's something you'd enjoy. Peace!)
So glad I started this thread! This is all fascinating and I just pitched a producer friend and we’re going to try to put something together based on this for the AFM (American Film Market) in hopes of getting financing!
The uniform design is loosely based upon the British Women auxiliary corps, but the optional badge is actually American... WAAC was the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
A good drama was made called The Night Watch (2011) - while set postwar, there are many flashbacks to events during the blitz, where the characters were part of an ambulance team covering the night shift. It deals with adult topics, so not something that's family viewing, but a very well done drama.
it asppears the very 1st photo is the Queen that Sevrin posted
See also the Night Witches, all female bomber squadrons flying outdated planes that produced some of the most decorated aviators of the war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches
Even me as a Kraut knew that...
...and some stories about the Queen terrorizing the native population around Balmoral Castle when she rode around there during the royal holiday trips in her Landrover (which's maintenance was often done by herself until some years ago)
Most countries involved had women in active service at some point, the ones in aviation are probably most notable (ferrying planes in the UK, bombers for the Soviets, test pilots in Germany), but there were also a few thousand doing other things in military service. Nurses are well known, spies are also obvious, though for obvious reasons, less is known about them, but I recall that Russia also had a few female snipers.
My mother served in WWII and was a Corporal in the US Army Air Forces and met my father in the service - he was a Sergeant. They first met in Topeka, Kansas and worked at bases around the country in clerical and training roles. They are both buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery near where my dad entered the service before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was about to leave the service and then the war started and kept him and later my mom occupied. The Blitz Girl uniform is similar to one of the ones my mom wore in pictures from back then.
The garrison cap that comes with the uniform doesn't look terribly British to me. Were they ever part of British uniforms? I know the Americans and Russians wore them.
It is hard to believe how much the UK economy turned to a total war footing. While women did not fight directly their contribution kept the country going with millions of men in the armed forces, the war factories, food and transport needed to keep the forces and their weapons fed with the consumables needed. The only people left, almost, were the women, and they turned their hands to everything. Lathes, drivers, pilots, police, intelligence, you imagine it and women did it. Some of the most heroic spies dropped into France were women, even knowing that their life expectancy was 6 weeks...
If anything, the term 'Total War' applied to the UK more than Germany. Everything and everyone was drafted into the war effort regardless of sex or age (almost - not children). The Home Guard may have been a long standing joke, but war games run by British and German generals after the war based on captured 1940 invasion plans indicated a casualty rate of 80-95% in the Home Guard, and a high water mark for the invading forces of the southern most outskirts of London. Think about that casualty rate. 80-95% killed or wounded so severely they can't fight any more. The Home Guard was for the elderly (retired, so 60+) and those too unfit to normally be considered for active duty. And they were to be thrown against those who were undeniably the world's best shock troops, and many, many war games showed them to be sufficient. Just.
'Total War' is a state of mind, and almost all the UK had it during 1939-45. The country would have fallen apart without it. The UK wasn't big enough to win without help, but would have lost quickly without everyone doing their bit.
Regards,
Richard.
You won't see clothing of that high quality running about town anymore (well mostly), that's for sure.
Same with American women. Not front line, but definitely there to serve their country and a lot paid with their lives.
I had to go check quick...I knew there were WAC's but also WASP's too ;) WASP's were pilots.
In the United States military during WW2 there were several different groups where women served within the different branches...
The U.S. Army:
- Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) formed in 1942 and was later changed to the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1943
The U.S. Army Air Force:
- Women's Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS) formed in 1942
- Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) formed in 1942
- By 1943 the WAFS and the WFTD merged to form the "Women Airforce Service Pilots"...or alternatively "Women's Army Service Pilots" or "Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots" ... (WASP)... apparently there was some disagreement about what the "A" stood for?
The U.S. Navy:
- Woman Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) was formed in 1942
The U.S. Marine Corps:
- United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve... which didn't have a cool sounding acronym, but would have been USMCWR if it was abbreviated... that was formed in 1943.
The U.S. Coast Guard:
Women's Coast Guard Reserve... Formed in 1943, known as "SPARs" named after the Coast Guard motto Semper Paratus (Always Ready).
Apparently the US Army is considering a Class A uniform redesign that is very close to that one in the store now, belt included. They have a male and female version of the jacket, with belt, and slacks now. I expect the women will still have to show their legs off in a skirt for a formal function, to look 'pretty'. The military seems to be getting back to business dress after dressing down in BDUs for the past couple decades.
The WAAF uniforms were still around when I joined the Air Force in 1970, and they were not comfortable to wear. I much preferred the double-breasted uniform that replaced them.
Women. Good enough to replace men and take on their jobs when there's a war. But not good enough to carry on their jobs when the men return, and those same women are pushed back into the kitchen... :/
I wanted to clarify I meant the term Blitz Girl
obviously women in the forces wore uniforms and this is a generic version of the style of the ones worn by the Allies
two of my Aunties were WAAFS