The Many Roles of the WVS

The range of the work of the WVS quickly expanded beyond the basics of Air Raid Precautions and their outstanding contribution included:

WVS WAR-TIME WORK 1939-1945

MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY AND HOME OFFICE

Recruitment of women for ARP and Local Authority Services
Co-operation with Wardens and Street Organisation
Organisation of lectures and courses for women in First Aid, Anti-gas and Fire fighting
Basic Training for all WVS members, organisation of Housewives Service
Manning of Incident Inquiry Points and training of personnel
Inspection and repair of gas masks and fitting of baby helmets
Co-operation in Invasion Defence Scheme
Staffing of ARP Canteens
Feeding of Civil Defence workers after raids
Volunteer Car Pool
Regional reinforcements during the flying-bomb and rocket period
Supplementing Wardens Service with part-time volunteers
Assistance in staffing NFS and Police Canteens
Assisting Police in escort and welfare arrangements when rounding up women aliens.
Making and sewing sandbags

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Evacuation (billeting, escorting, sick bays, communal feeding centres, hostels, social centres)
Assisting in plans for mass evacuation and coastal evacuation
Organisation of Ministry of Health Scheme for evacuation of selected children under-five from London
War nurseries for under-fives
Distribution of clothing to air raid victims, evacuees and foreign refugees, helping with Local Authority Schemes for evacuees
Staffing of Rest Centres, provision of emergency equipment, training and maintainance of mobile rest-centre teams
Staffing of Administrative Centres and Information Services
Reception and welfare of foreign refugees, evacuees from Gibraltar, Channel Islands, Malta and Far East
Keeping of Central Register of refugees from Holland, Belgium and France
Assistance in Blood Transfusion Service
Domestic Help in Hospitals, Recruiting of Nursing Auxiliaries
Regional toy making Schemes
Welfare work in public air raid shelters and canteens
Recruitment of women for water decontamination
Provision of gas cleansing facilities
Staffing and planning of Aid-Houses to supplement Casualty Services
Emergency billeting Services
Organisation of Home Help Schemes for Local Authorities
Care of aged and infirm, and evacuation after flying-bomb period
Re-homing Scheme which assisted 100 000 families with furniture, blankets and other gifts after bombing

ADMIRALTY

Vegetable service for minesweepers, etc.
Comforts for official depots
Canteens, Hostels and Clubs Hospitality for WRNS

AIR MINISTRY

Hospitality for RAF and WAAF personnel
Hostels for WAAF
Canteens
Arranging for classes on releasing men from crashed aircraft
Knitted comforts

ASSISTANCE BOARD

Immediate clothing assistance to air raid victims
Welfare for staffs of Mobile Office units and training volunteers for emergency work

BOARD OF TRADE

Collection and distribution of over 12 000 000 pounds of gift clothing.
Children's Clothing and Shoe Exchanges
Information on clothes rationing scheme
Information on Utility Furniture
Domestic Front and Make-do and Mend Campaigns and Exhibitions

DOMINIONS OFFICE AND COLONIAL OFFICE

Gifts from overseas
Hospitality scheme, e.g. Newfoundlanders
Clothing and relief for civilian repatriates
Welfare for Allied troops and their POWs
Hospitality to visitors
Clothing for Malta

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES

Interviewing recruits, billeting and general welfare for Land Army
Co-operation with County War Agriculture Committees, for the recruitment of part-time land workers
Feeding of agricultural workers
Assistance in Dig for Victory campaign
Welfare of girls in Timber Corps

MINISTRY OF AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION

Feeding of workers on constructional sites
Sorting rivets for aircraft factories
Collection of aluminium

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Helping to staff school canteens and transport hot meals
Co-operation with Girls Training Corps
Helping with Domestic Front Campaign
Staffing Social and Play Centres
School Volunteer Scheme, providing Escorts

MINISTRY OF FOOD

Community Feeding Centres and British Restaurants-helping in staffing and running
Pie Schemes in rural areas
Emergency Feeding Centres
Queen's Messenger Convoys
Help with campaign for building field kitchens
Distribution of food gifts from overseas
Distribution of Welfare Foods
Food Advice and Food Leader Scheme
Assistance in issuing of ration books
Simple instruction in cooking and nutrition
Industrial feeding for outlying workers, etc.
Mobile Canteens for all types of feeding schemes
Staffing Ministry of Food Emergency Feeding Units
Collection of Rosehips, Herbs

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

Hospitality for American Forces in Great Britain, Information Bureaux, Hospitality Centres, British Welcome Clubs
Tours for overseas visitors
Distribution of leaflets, posters, etc.
Organisation of meetings for MOI speakers and film shows
Co-operation over the production of films and publications
Providing drivers and announcers for MOI cars in emergency

MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND NATIONAL SERVICE

Industrial billeting surveys
Reception and hospitality schemes for transferred workers
Help with 'Holidays at Home' campaign
Out-work centres
Publicity for recruitment of part-time workers
War-time nurseries for children of war workers
Mobile canteen services for dockers or workers on factory building sites
Emergency Home Helps
Recruiting agricultural workers, fruit pickers, etc.
Co-operation with ATC, JTC and other Youth Organisations

MINISTRY OF SUPPLY

Salvage, publicity, provision of stewards, canvassing and collection
The 'Cog' Scheme
Garnishing of camouflage nets
Book drives and mending, sorting and disposal of books to Services, Hospitals and Salvage
Collection of cotton reels
Feeding workers on operation Mulberry
Knitting garments for children in liberated Europe

MINISTRY OF WAR TRANSPORT

Feeding dockers from mobile canteens (temporary schemes)
Assistance in clothing shipwrecked merchant seamen

MINISTRY OF WORKS

Emergency feeding of constructional workers
Housing Surveys and education

WAR OFFICE

Canteens, clubs and hostels
Comforts, Mending Schemes
Libraries for outlying units
Short leave hospitality for personnel, leave petrol vouchers
General welfare work for Service men and women
Home Guard co-operation with feeding, transport, and communications
Co-operation with Red Cross, meeting convoys, occupational therapy
Hospital Libraries
Care of relatives of wounded and dangerously sick.
Welfare of returned POWS; reception, transit, sewing on ribbons, and visiting for Civil Resettlement Units
Information Bureaux (with NAAFI) and at Railway Stations
Welfare work in NAAFI overseas leave clubs
Publicity for War Dogs scheme
'Say it with flowers' (for the Forces)
Provision of wedding dresses for Women's Services
Assisting civilian population in removal and resettlement in 'Battle' areas
Map making