WOMEN TERRITORIALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20490, 26 February 1941, Page 12

WOMEN TERRITORIALS

RECRUITS WITH BRAINS “SPECIAL DUTY" TRAINING LONDON, Jan. 23. Eighty-eight officers have been dismissed from the Auxiliary Territorial Service—Britain’s women’s army—in a •eorganisation designed to clear the way for women with brains and adninistrative capacity, it was learned to-day. Currently the A.T.S. is looking for a number of recruits to be trained for tecret “special duties.” They must be young, with first class education, high intelligence and sterling character. Headquarters explained: “The particular jobs cannot be outlined. But it may be said they carry great responsibility with them. We know there are women able to do them and we want them to join us.” All ranks of the A.T.S. have been •heartened by the Government’s decision to set up a supervising council and a selection board for the promocion of officers. Social butterflies, who nonopolised the scene at the outbreak of war, have been “washed out” of the jobs they could not do and from now on ability is supposed to count. Want to Fight And while the A.T.S. has its cal] out for 10,000 new .members—blue book •egistration not mattering a “hapenny" —Dr. Edith Summerskill, Labour Member of Parliament for West Fulnam, proposes a real women’s army, .rained and equipped with rifles, commy-guns and on a par with the other services. , The good doctor maintains that all ;he duties at present carried out by he' Home Guards and so forth could be taken over by women, leaving the nen for more active service. She .ried to join the House of Commons detachment of the Home Guard her;elf. A drill sergeant took one look it her and bellowed, but Dr. Summerikill was allowed to shoot for the Parliamentary Rifle Club. The West Fulham physician has not osl hope, however. “Since the battle of London began, all prejudice about the capacity of women to face the front line fire has she said. “Women ambulance drivers, women members of the A.R.P., A.T.S. and other organisations have worked through the blitz without flinching.” Hundreds of women have written to Dr. Summerskill and to the papers in support of her campaign. The women’s defence corps would form the nucleus of what the doctor has in mind. “There is a big reserve of women who feel they are wasting their time by just knitting and want to do something more arduous,” she explained. ‘They point out that they face death every day by bombing, without the opportunity to hit back in any way ”’