WOMEN OF DENMARK

Grey River Argus, 17 January 1940, Page 10

WOMEN OF DENMARK

ORGANISED FOR WARTIME; On September 1, 191(3, the 'Danish Air Kaia Defence League appointed a women's committee to provide women vomntary-helpers to assist the auinonties in carrying out precautions to protect the public against air raids, .t’he committee consists of six members, all weil-knowu women, states the “International Women’s News.” In the newspapers and on me radio the committee has called women

Within me area of Copenhagen and an its suburbs—22 corporations—to join this voluntary service.. They to fill in an application form ana are registered in four sec-ions; Sanitary work, oince work, housekeeping (particularly for use in case of possible evacuation) and miscellaneous. Tnis registration forms the basis tor tne election of women helpers for public or private institutions who ask tor their service for A.R.P. work.

From the Copenhagen hospital authorities, the league has received a request for one thousand .helpers for hospitals and nursing homes. A number have already been allotted and the remainder will follow from the women now applying. They are distributed to the various hospitals and there they will get a certain amount of framing, for which the hospitals Pay.

After finishing their training, the helpers will receive a notice from the institution informing them where io report in case of emergency, and an armlet is issued to them. Similar measures will be taken as the authorities ask for helpers for other purposes. Up to November about lour thousand women had applied for this voluntary service. •

In the most important provincial towns also, women’s committees have been set up, and similar work begun.

The Danish Red Cross has arranged various courses, including: Red Cross nursing services; air defence; cooling , —in which every member has to make all the different dishes, both special diet dishes and simple daily meals; nursing of infants; knitting stockings and cutting and making their own uniforms; making bandages: blooa examinations. When applicants Have finished the course they are formed into a corps and continue monthly training. Only the air defence course is paid for by the Government, the others being at the expense of the association, which necessarily limits the number of. those who can take them. J . i