Jamaican Women and the World Wars : On the Front Lines of Change

This book highlights the important, yet often forgotten, roles that Jamaican women played in the World Wars. Predicated on the notion that warfare has historically been an agent of change, Dalea Bean contends that traces of this truism were in Jamaica and illustrates that women have historically been part of the war project, both as soldiers and civilians. This ground-breaking work fills a gap in the historiography of Jamaican women by positioning the World Wars as watershed periods for their changing roles and status in the colony. By unearthing critical themes such as women’s war work as civilians, recruitment of men for service in the British West India Regiment, the local suffrage movement in post-Great War Jamaica, and Jamaican women’s involvement as soldiers in the British Army during the Second World War, this book presents the most extensive and holistic account of Jamaican women’s involvement in the wars. Foreword 6 Preface 9 Contents 13 Abbreviations 14 List of Figures 16 List of Tables 17 Chapter 1 Introduction 18 References 38 Chapter 2 ‘War Can No Longer Be Confined to the Battlefield’: Situating Jamaica in World Wars I and II 43 Cultivating a Response to World War I 44 The Empire Calls Again: Jamaicans Rally During World War II 50 Hardship and Dissent During World Wars I and II 57 References 72 Chapter 3 ‘Doing Their Little Bit’: Women’s Organisation of Jamaican World War I Efforts 75 Engendering the Colony: Race, Class and Gender on the Eve of War 76 War Work During World War I 83 References 100 Chapter 4 ‘Masculine Duties and Feminine Powers’: Gender and Recruiting Efforts During World War I 102 ‘Men, Men, Men!...The Empire Must Have Men!’ 103 The Feminisation of Recruitment Efforts 109 Appealing to Women 120 Separation Allowances and Women’s Resistance 123 References 128 Chapter 5 ‘Votes for (Some) Women Now!’ The Road to Political Franchise in the Aftermath of War 130 Setting the Stage 131 The Local Call 135 The Debate 141 References 163 Chapter 6 ‘The Woman’s Place Is in the War’: Continuity and Change in World War II 165 Employment and the Socio-Political Status of Women During World War II 179 References 198 Chapter 7 ‘We Were Soldiers’: Jamaican Women Enlist in World War II 200 Prelude to Jamaican Women’s Military Service 201 Narratives of Service 210 We Were Soldiers! 219 Results of Participation: What Was Achieved for King, Country and Self? 229 References 235 Chapter 8 Conclusion 237 References 250 Index 251 This work highlights the important, yet often forgotten, roles that Jamaican women played in the World Wars. Predicated on the notion that warfare has historically been an agent of change, Dalea Bean contends that traces of this truism were in Jamaica and illustrates that women have historically been part of the war project, both as soldiers and civilians. It fills a gap in the historiography of Jamaican women by positioning the World Wars as watershed periods for their changing roles and status in the colony. By unearthing critical themes such as women's war work as civilians, recruitment of men for service in the British West India Regiment, the local suffrage movement in post-Great War Jamaica, and Jamaican women's involvement as soldiers in the British Army during the Second World War, this book presents the most extensive and holistic account of Jamaican women's involvement in the wars Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Introduction (Dalea Bean)....Pages 1-25 ‘War Can No Longer Be Confined to the Battlefield’: Situating Jamaica in World Wars I and II (Dalea Bean)....Pages 27-58 ‘Doing Their Little Bit’: Women’s Organisation of Jamaican World War I Efforts (Dalea Bean)....Pages 59-85 ‘Masculine Duties and Feminine Powers’: Gender and Recruiting Efforts During World War I (Dalea Bean)....Pages 87-114 ‘Votes for (Some) Women Now!’ The Road to Political Franchise in the Aftermath of War (Dalea Bean)....Pages 115-149 ‘The Woman’s Place Is in the War’: Continuity and Change in World War II (Dalea Bean)....Pages 151-185 ‘We Were Soldiers’: Jamaican Women Enlist in World War II (Dalea Bean)....Pages 187-223 Conclusion (Dalea Bean)....Pages 225-238 Back Matter ....Pages 239-245