On This Day, 29 December 1917

Birmingham Mail

Saturday 29 December 1917

WAR-TIME ACTIVITIES IN BIRMINGHAM

WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE YEAR

SHARE TAKEN BY WOMEN

Birmingham has during the year taken a very active part, in a civilian sense, in the prosecution of the war. Women’s work has loomed large in those activities. In the munition factories the number of women engaged has enormously increased, and in the canteen and welfare work her services have been invaluable. The city has been an excellent recruiting centre for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, and today many hundreds of Birmingham girls are performing clerical and other duties in the camps in France; and effective propaganda work has been done locally in focussing attention on the need of increasing food production by work on the land.

For a long period the women of the Volunteer Reserve undertook such work, and the year has seen a remarkable development of such activities. A Birmingham Women’s Agricultural Committee has been responsible for the local organisation, and there has been a co-ordination of their efforts with those of the county committees in the Midland area. It was at Edgbaston that the first efficiency test meeting of women land workers took place. The results were excellent, and similar meetings have been held in other parts of the country. Their object is to afford definite evidence to farmers of the capacity of farm girls.

Under the heading of nursing comes a wide field of work; and in the large war and V.A.D. hospitals large numbers of women are serving as nurses and in other capacities. Over 1,700 ambulance trains have been met, and 25,000 wounded soldiers have been refreshed on their way through the city since September, 1914.

Associated with the Lady Mayoress’ Depot is a very large band of women workers. Over 200 women organisations are affiliated with the depot, and clothing and comforts, made by them, have been sent to soldiers-to the men of 14 Birmingham units. Since the establishment of the depot, 69,000 food parcels have been sent to prisoners of war-to men belonging to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and to civilians belonging to Birmingham who are interned at Ruhleben. Food parcels were forwarded to soldiers at the rate of 200 a day, and every effort is made to ensure a variety of food.  The depot also supplies over 34,000 surgical dressings per month from the War Hospital’s Supply Branch. More attention has been paid during the year to the work of public Welfare Centres and to the establishment of crèches for the children of women engaged in munition factories.

The City Force of Special Constables has been reorganised and developed. Its strength has been much increased, and the force has undertaken, in addition to street patrol duty, the guarding of the reservoirs and aqueducts. A successful effort has been made to bring the Birmingham Volunteer Battalions up to strength, and recently they were reviewed at Calthorpe Park by the Duke of Connaught.

The Food Question has engaged the close attention of the Lord Mayor and the Birmingham Food Committee, and the city enjoys the distinction of having inaugurated the first voluntary rationing scheme in relation to tea, butter, and margarine. Steps, too, have been taken for the regulation and distribution of coal in the poorer parts of the city.

At the Technical Schools provisions have been made, on an extended basis, for the training of disabled soldiers; and a start has been made for the establishment of a Birmingham War Museum. The citizens have responded well to the national appeal for the exercise of thrift.

The Municipal Bank reports further progress, and until the Tank Banks came into the provinces Birmingham held pride of place of any provincial city with regard to the amount invested in Government securities.

Excellent support has been accorded to charitable and philanthropic institutions-the Hospital Saturday Fund’s annual effort established a record contribution, and the response to the “Mail” Christmas Tree Fund (the amount subscribed is nearly £5,000) is much greater than usual. It shows adequate recognition by the public of the enlarged scope of the Fund, which again comprehends the needs of the wounded soldiers in the hospitals and the orphan children of sailors and soldiers.