In a collection of recently discovered photographs, the courageous acts of women who risked their lives to save injured civilians in wartime London are being showcased. The London Ambulance Service unveiled images of paramedics, ambulance drivers, and mechanics who served during World War Two in honor of International Women’s Day. Among these pictures are Ann Armitage and Betty Leverton, who were part of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service (LAAS) established to provide additional aid during the war.
One striking image captures Armitage and Leverton navigating through a blazing oil spill in their wooden ambulance, striving to reach those trapped and injured after German planes dropped bombs on London’s East End. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) recounted how the women embarked on five perilous journeys to rescue all in need, ultimately earning British Empire Medals for their gallantry. These photographs, along with records revealing over five thousand women volunteered for service during WW2, were recently unearthed in LAS storage.
As the LAS sifts through these records and seeks counsel from museums on archiving, the historical significance of women’s frontline contributions during wartime is being highlighted. Craig Henty, head of the historic collection at LAS, emphasized the fortitude of these women who worked grueling 24-hour shifts, extinguishing fires, clearing debris, and scaling unstable structures to aid the injured and retrieve the deceased. It is a reminder of the pivotal roles women played in running essential services during both World Wars when a large number of men were deployed with the armed forces.
During World War One, women in London were notably documented working on ambulances, with Bloomsbury Station being exclusively staffed by women in 1917, as per LAS records. Despite their significant wartime contributions, women were often sidelined when men returned following the cessation of hostilities. However, the LAS proudly shared that women now constitute 53% of the workforce within the service, with 44% of its managers being female. Notably, its chief paramedic, Pauline Cranmer, made history as the first woman appointed to the role in the UK
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